Metamorphosis of a Journalist

This Tuesday when the whole country was celebrating Independence Day a group of journalists committed a remarkable and noteworthy act which would down in the annals of history. This day would be always be remembered as the day when journalists turned into killers. A group of journalists gave a man matches and diesel to help him commit suicide inorder to get the dramatic footage which was telecast on most of the channels. First attempt at suicide went in vain and this is when this killer-journalists gave the man a diesel soaked towel and coaxed him to go ahead.

I was aghast, appalled , shocked and disgusted to see a man on fire and the full footage being shown again and again. The dramatic footage of the man, screaming and writhing in pain as he ran with his back on fire, was aired on several television channels like Sahara, IBN 7, Star news and Aajtak repeatedly. This poor man later died in hospital due to the severe burns he suffered. The police say his name was Manoj Mishra and he was a delivery man who was upset over what he said was a large sum of money owed to him by a state-run dairy farm whose milk he transported to customers. It is amply clear that this poor man came there to protest and not to commit suicide. He only threatened to do so but the journalists present there had a different ideas. They coaxed him and promised to douse the flames once they had taken a few shots. This poor man believed their lies and alighted himself but all the journalists fled the scene after taking the shots they needed and this man was taken to the hospital by a security guard. The police say charges would be pressed against the five journalists and they would be persecuted.

What next now in this game of reality show? May be live robbery and murder or better still kidnapping and rape. So, who is responsible for this death? A channel? Media's recruitment policy? Reality show pressure? Everyone knows that people's memory is short-lived and as soon as another crime is committed this would be forgotten. Indian law says a person can be sentenced to upto 10 years imprisonment for abetting suicide. But the mute question here is did they abet in suicide or did they kill a innocent deliberately for their selfish needs.

I feel the channels which encourage and promote such horrific acts and visuals should be hauled up and their licences cancelled with immediate effect. The editors who allow these kind of programmes to run as if its a marriage party ....Shame on you.