A point by point analysis of what is wrong with Barkha Dutt's speech given at The Telegraph National Debate , 2016.
1.You begin with criticising a particular media house for the way it reports things. Are you not being intolerant to their idea about journalism. Why should we not take it as you targeting them because they showed the JNU incident from a different perspective. Why didn’t you black out your screen when the same journalist went all gun blazing against Sushma Swaraj while Lalitgate. Is it because at that time you both were on the same boat? Is it the first time you saw that 8 boxes split screen with a shouting man? Why did you take the time to black out the screen till they took a different side? Isnt it hypocrisy at its best?
2. You boast about your intelligence, patriotism and how you cut your teeth as a reporter in the Kargil war. But isn't it true that it is alleged that once your reporter flashed the light in the warzone which resulted in casualties. And isnt it true that NSA Ajit Doval wrote a letter to the Cabinet Secretary describing how your news reporting is putting the nation security in danger. Dont you think your action while reporting should showcase an image of a responsible citizen rather than a breaking and exclusive news generator.
Source : http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/govt-plans-fresh-pol...
3. And your intelligence is just proved when you used someone's height and smile as a measure of their authenticity. Why do the police even need to investigate and judiciary system follow the processes. Just measure the height and brightness of smile and then multipliy it by Barkha factor to get the authenticity real quick.
4.Then you drew the picture of Kanhaiya's Azaadi as "the freedom to implement Indian consitution". Obviously it is really commendable but here exactly where your common sense failed you. Kanhaiya's associate Umar Khalid fled from the police. He was wanted by the law of the land. And now Kanhaiya plans to start Azadi movement for him. Is it the way Kanhaiya dreams to implement the Indian constitution? And isn't it true that Afzal Guru's murder was termed as judicial killing in the events under his leadership? Doesn't it show the lack of faith the individual has towards the law and the system of the country?
And to just give some information no sedition charges were made against the people who requested the president to hear the mercy plea of Yakoob Memon again and when they finally went on to open the supreme court. Because at that time they were following a set of protocols set by the constitution. So please stop spreading this notion that the voices have been curbed.
The same Kanhaiya who went on to question Modi's credibility as he won only 31% vote (nationwide) managed to get only 23 % vote in JNUSU election (college wide). Still he calls himself the voice of JNU. Then by this logic isn't the Prime Minister the voice of the nation? Hypocrisy!
Source : http://abpnews.abplive.in/india-news/viral-sach-truth-of-this-message-on...
5.You went on to say that govt. caught the wrong guy. You said that there was no evidence against him. I wish you would have acted like a sincere journalist and done your homework.There is an order from the court to maintain confidentiality about the proceedings. Then how come you conclude that there is no evidence? Is it just because they haven't shared with you yet? Justice Rani has given him a "conditional" bail and please understand he has not been acquitted yet.Moreover she added that "raising anti-national slogans do have the effect of threatening national integrity. The kind of slogans raised may have demoralising effect on the family of those martyrs who returned home in a coffin draped in the tricolor". Rather than calling the slogans as a mark of freedom of speech and expression, she called it a kind of infection, from which students are suffering, which needs to be controlled/cured before it becomes an epidemic. She went on to say that if the infection results in infecting the limb to the extent that it becomes gangrene, amputation is the only treatment.
How come you declare that Kanhaiya is innocent? Since when Media got the right to give clean sheet? And then you question others' ethics in journalism? Hypocrisy! Hypocrisy!
Source : http://www.legallyindia.com/bar-bench-litigation/read-order-kanhaiya-kum...
6. Then you described the actions of other parties and their links with BJP to defend the charge of sedition against those being accused. The sedition law states that "Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in , shall be punished with 5[imprisonment for life], to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine." Please understand that none of the issues you raised regarding the politcal parties' stands, were violating the law. No prisoners have been released without following proper functionalities of the constitution and no one was allowed to raise "Bharat ki barbadi" slogan while having conversation with Hurriyat.
Source : http://www.indianlawcases.com/Act-Indian.Penal.Code,1860-1557
I must agree that the points you raised do make some sense. Everybody should stand against any act like Dadri. It is our duty towards humanity. However I feel that the so called "responsible" media should also report how a RSS worker was hacked to death in front of his family by the left sympathisers. Otherwise as Ravish Ji correctly pointed out we will have to switch our TV sets off.
Regards,
An intellectual.