Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Irresponsible media' that was published in Newsband

 Irresponsible media

The media has a role in informing and educating the citizens about the issues of the day, providing background, context and holding the powerful to account. The electronic media’s coverage, of recent raids and counter-raids on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, in which two Indian soldiers were killed, and one allegedly subjected to post-mortem mutilation, is shocking.

Instead of questioning the narrative, news television and some print outlets have condemned the incident and treated it on a war footing. Even the calm statements by the army chief are made to appear like belligerent displays of national machismo. This has come at a time when the Indian government is attempting to improve relations with Pakistan that is very much in the national interest. This proves that some of our news channels have turned into a national security hazard.

The media should talk about developments rather then create a warring situation. India-Pakistan negotiations have successfully focused on trade and integration issues by ignoring disputes like Kashmir. The electronic media was supposed to play a role of making materialize Indian government’s dream of enjoying lasting, peaceful and fruitful relations with Pakistan. Instead it blew up an incident that took place at the border to such a size that a common man began to wonder whether this would result in another Indo-Pak war.

Media’s reaction to the incident was not at all in the national interest. What it did was totally unethical and irresponsible and it just seemed to derive some kind of pleasure in sensationalizing the issue.

It came as a relief to a sane Indian when the foreign minister made it clear that the government will not be pressured by wild calls for revenge and reaction. This should be backed up with firmer statements across the government, and a sustained effort to ensure that proper context is provided privately and publicly by the Indian army, as well. A handful of irresponsible television supremos should not be allowed to dictate a foreign policy that hurts the interest of India’s citizens.