Syed Imran Ali Shah
THE SAARC countries – Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India – are struggling economies and the GDP growth ratio is also very low. There are several reasons for the slow development growth rate, but one of the biggest is political instability in the region. India wants to establish its hegemony in the region. Being huge in population/size, it is poking its nose in the internal affairs of regional countries including Pakistan.
In the India-occupied Kashmir (IoK), the world has witnessed worst-ever human rights violations by India for more than 70 years. Even today the people of the IoK are facing the longest-ever curfew (over 250 days). India has become the most insecure country as BJP government led by Narendra Modi, who wants to make India a complete Hindu State.
The media is considered to be the fourth pillar of a State, after Parliament, Executive and Judiciary. Media plays a very vital role in opinion building of the masses over the important national issues, but the Indian media has forgotten all the basic norms of journalism. Media is not supposed to promote the agenda of the government but the Indian media is doing this, some renowned Indian TV anchors are deliberately provoking Muslim genocide through their hate debates. Arnab Goswami, Anjana Om Keshyap, Sudhir Chowdhry are one of those so-called media professionals, who misbehave with their panelists during their programs, their top agenda is to always do propaganda against Pakistan.
Indian media proved to be very much irresponsible when there was tension between India and Pakistan during February 2019. They intentionally created the war hysteria. Even today when Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the whole world, it has spread to more than 198 countries and over a hundred thousand people have died so far, being the victim of this pandemic, the Indian media is again working on its hate agenda against Indian Muslims.
Indian Channels are blaming Tableeghi Jamaat for the spread of Covid-19, whereas the numbers show that they are less than 1000, while right now the Covid-19 patients in India are more than 12000. Indian Muslims are being victimized as they are not being allowed to do their businesses for livelihood and even are not being treated in hospitals. Indian media is deliberately working on the agenda of a few corporate giants that are patronizing Indian government in order to safeguard their vested financial interests. Many of the international channels have reported that Indian media is spreading hate that may lead to Muslim genocide, if the same pattern of the biased reporting continues.
The world should wake up now, if the Indian atrocities are not stopped, it may give birth to an endless war, and if this war erupted, the whole world will be affected. The people of IoK should have been given the right of self-determination as per the UN Resolutions. The Indian media should stop spreading hatred, they should highlight the basic and fundamental issues of their country, it’s pity that a self proclaimed largest democracy has become a worst autocratic nation. Today, 50% of Indian population openly defecates in the open because of lack of toilets. World can’t afford wars anymore, so Indian media should have to be sensible enough.
—The writer is a social worker, freelance columnist based in Islamabad.
