13

Feb

Digital Media Can Counter Saffron Narrative

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Today’s Edition

New Delhi, 13 February 2024

Atul Cowshish

Though as an armed chair observer one cannot say it with authority, much less ground proof, but it does appear that the growing number of digital platforms has shaken the so-called mainstream media which claims to reach the homes of the majority of Indians. More and more people, one hears, are shunning the ‘Godi Media’ channels. Credibility and respect are two factors that any TV anchor would covet but these have all but disappeared in the case of the great majority of TV ‘news’ anchors who have earned fame with their daily antics on screen in service of their masters, reducing themselves to grotesque figures.

The reach of the digital media is admittedly limited compared to the ‘mainstream’ media but apparently sufficient to discomfort the established names on the TV screens who take as much delight in lampooning the competitors from the digital world as they do with their buffoonery in support of their masters.

Whatever the statistics, it looks undeniable that the content on the social media, particularly the digital platforms, is fast gaining popularity—at the expense of the ‘Godi Media’, the media devoted to drum beating the supposed greatness of an autocratic regime. One hears that there has been a sharp decline in the number of actual viewers of TV ‘news’—within quotes because news is often missing in TV bulletins.

The news web sites may be pleased with this development but they will do well to understand that in the present day context they bear a heavy responsibility—that of keeping the ‘idea’ of democratic, secular, liberal, forward looking India alive and, perhaps more importantly at the moment, to present a strong and convincing narrative that can counter the ill-effects of the poison of the pervasive Sanghi narrative of hatred and despotism.

Merely presenting opinions of experts, howsoever respectable they may be, on the failings of the present day rulers and the ill-conceived policies they pursue will not suffice in the digital world. It is an academic exercised that unfortunately does not penetrate deep into the minds and hearts of the ordinary folks now heavily intoxicated by a concoction of fanaticism and antiquated form of nationalism where one has to wear one’s patriotism on one’s sleeves.

The digital platforms have assumed that an effective way to counter the narrow and pernicious saffron philosophy is to conduct spot ‘surveys’ and ‘opinion polls’ that seek the views of the ordinary men and women on a variety of topics. What has been found is that the digital journalist throws a question that he or she thinks shows the failure of the ruling party to live up to its words. The ‘ordinary’ person may agree but unless a staunch critic of the ruling party he would end up saying that despite all that ‘Modi is great’.

It is further claimed that Narendra Modi is the ‘most popular’ word leader and is entitled to be called ‘Vishwaguru’. Needless to say, it was only after Modi’s ascent that India made all-round progress and became a top performing nation economically.

These contentions may be misleading but have long been part of the 24x7 saffron propaganda that has found a firm space in the minds and hearts of the less than well informed Indians. The most important task at hand, therefore, is to counter it. It is by no means an easy task, given the enormous resources and power the ruling party enjoys but it cannot be abandoned because of the obvious handicaps.

The digital media has to train its own ‘warriors’ who can let off a fusillade of counter arguments that expose the hollowness of wild and imaginary claims that are put forward by the entranced saffron followers. Nobody should be allowed to go unchallenged by saying that ‘Modi is great despite all the shortcomings’ when there is so much to say by way of counter-questioning.

In the last decade, India has become an intolerant nation that it never was, the majority community has been brought to ridicule with encouragement to the Taliban model of regression, the scientific temper has been crushed to revive ancient beliefs, power and terror have been used brazenly to snuff out dissent and democracy may soon be an alien concept in the land of ‘mother of democracy’. 

These issues need to be constantly raised with the persons who defend the present dispensation with arguments gleaned from ‘Whatsapp University’ and many other sources of fake news. Just as a falsehood repeated a hundred times is said to appear true, the core message from a truth repeated a hundred times can reach the minds of the listeners and stay there. The country has to see a forceful rebuttal and rejection of the narrative that seems to have made a regressive ideology acceptable.

Time is running out to achieve that; it may not be a wild guess to imagine that a third term for the saffron party would mark the end of India as a democratic, secular, liberal nation.

Ends.

(Words 837)

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