curb the abuse
   Date :29-Aug-2020

curb the abuse_1 &nb
BY NOW, the nation is, by any standard, absolutely tired -- and even horrified -- of the despicable abuse of freedom being indulged in by a lot of channels on Indian television as regards the suspicious death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.No matter what the leading lights of those channels think, the average viewers have lost interest in the nonsensical parallel trial-by-media into the episode. Wild allegations fly high and wild, senseless interviews of involved parties by shouting anchors, and sensational accusations are being aired -- making the average viewers sick. This is nothing but a terrible abuse of freedom -- needing an urgent application of brakes first of sensibility, and additionally, if necessary, legal morality.
 
The suspicion that Sushant Singh Rajput’s death is a mystery, is all right to harbour since circumstances appear to suggest that. But many television channels are running their so-called investigations unmindful of the damage they may be causing to the professional probe the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting. One channel shouted one afternoon that it has extracted a confession from a couple of persons that Sushant’s death was an outcome of a “professionally executed murder”. At the same time, another channel was interviewing Sushant Singh Rajput’s friend Rhea Chakraborty who tried to present a so-called heart-rending picture of how she was being victimised. Thus, one channel declared that it had succeeded in extracting a confession, while another seemed to help the theory of how the deceased actor was a victim of circumstances of his own vice. And in response to a possible ‘drug angle’ to the SSR case, yet another channel tried to attract viewers to its screens by showing explicit scenes from various movies showing the role drugs played in the reel-stories.
 
The larger society has a right to know the truth all right, and that work is being done by the CBI in a professional manner. While the CBI officials make no statement, and do not allow anybody even to sense a nuance, television channels are going out of the way to level accusations that are nowhere near proving.
 
Such a parallel trial by media actually has no place in any society. Credible evidence may be collected by the media and presented sensibly if it believes that certain things were going wrong. But that option cannot be exercised by the media in a parallel probe done so unprofessionally, so insensibly. Such efforts only damage the cause of truth. That is the reason why sensible media in good societies avoid indulging in such swashbuckling exhibition of the so-called freedom of expression.
 
So terrible is this exercise of “freedom” that time seems to have come to think of putting official and legal curbs on the abuse. For, whatever is happening in the name of freedom of expression is nothing but its terrible abuse which any sane society can only ill-afford at any point. This is hardly the right picture of a free media. Much to the contrary, this is the picture of a media that is playing to some pre-meditated tune that may be totally out of tune with the truth.
 
Indian television media is particular has been known to have taken unprofessional stance in the name of freedom on countless occasions. It is known to have indulged in Goebelsian propaganda vandalising persons and parties and parties during election campaigns. It is also known to have sullied persons character most senselessly and followed an uncouth agenda as if egged on by some hidden and unholy benefits.
 
The so-called media investigations into the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death mystery give all such impressions. Initially, that effort might have attracted some viewership. But subsequently, the viewers seem to wait to see the end of the massive nonsense going on relentlessly on channels. Some sections of the print media, too, may be indulging in some loose talk. But that extent pales into insignificance against what is happening on many television channels. Hence the concern.