– Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam –
A recent expose by Rajasthan Patrika that had the potential to create a storm in the media and society has been quietly allowed to die down and buried in deafening silence by the same corporate media that has routinely been creating mountains out of molehills.
To recapitulate briefly, the Patrika website, patrika.com, recently put a video clip in which an Election Commission official (a woman) was seen test-running an EVM (electronic voting machine) as half a dozen junior officers watched standing in a semi-circle around her.
No matter which party’s button she pressed the machine stamped the BJP’s lotus invariably. It seemed the machine had fallen blindly in love with the saffron party. This trial was going on in preparation for mid-term elections in Madhya Pradesh.
The Election Commission official laughed at this behaviour of the voting machine. Then she turned to her junior officers and warned them not to tell it to the media. Otherwise, stern punitive measures would be taken against them, she declared, stifling her laughter. Quite obviously, this was a humongous scandal. But, the media ignored this menace to Indian democracy. No wonder, the media has lost much of its credibility already.
The Election Commission did not cover itself with glory when it refused to take action on the complaint of Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, against this tampering with EVM. Instead, the EC not only ignored Kejriwal but delivered a partonising sermon to him. Obviously, the EC carries little weight before the executive, even though it has been fully armed by the Constitution to stand its ground against the most powerful government.
Why did the media not pick up the news that was so vitally important to the survival of democracy? Simply, because it has lost the spine to stand up to the executive authority of the state. The Election Commission, too, failed to take up the challenge for the same reason.
In this background, it is important to ask why the Rajasthan Patrika chose to expose the scandal even though it has the same reason to fear the government as any other big media house. The Patrika, published from a dozen big cities of India, claims a circulation of over a million copies. Thus, it had to lose as much from confronting the BJP as any other major media group.
The reason for the Patrika’s ostensible courage is as disappointing as the cowardice of others. It carried out the sting operation to embarrass Rajasthan CM, Vasundhraraje Scindia, and BJP against whom it is engaged in a running battle. Scindia’s BJP government has stopped all government advertisements to the Patrika, which infuriated it and led to the sting.
In the final analysis, no big media house is driven by truth, or democratic idealism. One way or the other, all of them are busy serving their own interests at the cost of public interest. Do we still need to talk about media credibility?
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About the Author
Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam
Erudite Islamic Economist and Social Scientist
Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam is an erudite Islamic Economist and Social Scientist. He has been associated with Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) as its Chairman for over 25 years now. Dr. Manzoor Alam, a Ph.D. in Economics from Aligarh Muslim University, has held various high-ranking positions in many international organizations such as Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Associate Professor Deptt. of Islamic Economics, University of Imam Mohammad-bin-Saud, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Chief Coordinator for the Translation of Meaning of the Holy Quran in different languages of the world at King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex, Madinah Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia; Chief Representative of International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) in India; Member of the General Committee of the IDB Scholarship Program for Muslim Communities in Non-Member Countries, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, K.S.A.; Consultant of the International Institute of Islamic Thought, USA in India; Founder Member of International Islamic Charitable Organisation, Kuwait; and Member, Steering Committee, Istanbul Talks, Civil Solidarity Platform, Istanbul, Turkey.
Dr. Manzoor Alam holds membership on the board of many international journals as well. He is Member of the Advisory Board of MEDAD, published from the KSA; Member of the International Advisory Board of American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, published from the USA; and Member of the Advisory Board of Awqaf, published from Kuwait.In India, apart from being Chairman of Institute of Objective Studies (IOS), Dr. Manzoor Alam is ably guiding the Indian Muslim community with his vast experience by serving in different capacities such as General Secretary, All India Milli Council, New Delhi; President, Indo-Arab Economic Cooperation Forum, New Delhi; President, Indian Association of Muslim Social Scientists, New Delhi; and Member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board. Under his stewardship, Dr. Manzoor Alam has successfully transformed the Institute of Objective Studies to being India’s foremost, pioneering and only organization in the country engaged in generating knowledge in Islamic Perspective, Educational development of Indian Muslims, Research, holding Conferences, seminars and workshops on vital issues, Publications and Advocacy for Muslims and other weaker sections’ causes.
Address for Communication
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*Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of INVC NEWS.
