Almost after five decades India and China tension unfolded in the same Galwan area. And the tension ran on the television for more than one month. Most of the channels hiked the adrenaline for the perceptual war and almost run no other news apart from Indo-china tension. Undoubtedly it was an unprecedented issue and in five decades first time so many Indian soldiers lost their life. Here lies the big question of what actually happened in Galwan? Why so many Indian soldiers have to scarify their life on 15th June.
The question came itself from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two contradictory versions. On June 19 in all-party meeting Modi said neither Chinese troop came in Indian territory nor they accrued any Indian post. On June 28 in the Man ki Baat Modi said India won the Galwan war. What was to win what to lost Prime minister not bothered to say. All the news channels are seen to parroting the official lines without raising a single question. With several phones in calls and with some visuals all the channels tried to establish the government version. In the television interview, the retired majors and army officials happily shared the winning message with the world. Those are raised a question about the Galwan issue either they labialized as anti-national or Chinese supporter.
Meanwhile in India:
Meanwhile, in India petrol diesel price increased for consecutive 21 days. Instead of crude oil price is at the bottom of the world market index. From June 6 to July 3 the petrol price increased by 9.17Rs and Diesel price has gone up by 11.14 Rs. Petrol price crossed 82 Rupees in some state. Diesel price crossed the petrol price in the national capital. Non subsidized cooking gas price increased. The government keeps mum on those issues. Prime minister to BJP government chimed the Indo-China tension on the ear of media. The petroleum price hike got no such importance on national media. Even some of the news channels used the word ‘war’ instead of ‘tension’. With the headlines to the panel discussion, people started believing the ‘war’ is banning on our door. The electronics media who are almost 300 kilometres away from the Galwan valley and the Finger area claiming as ‘Ground Zero’ reporting showing nothing but the moving army trucks and the flying fighter jets. No electronics media interviewed what the local people are thinking about the situation what they want after prolonged lockdown and no income. Even the Media saw to interview the martyrs family, where the mother or the father or the wife, or the sister or brother whoever it is they are forced to utter ‘khoon k badla khoon. Chini Sena ko v sabak sikhana hay’. Media who are they reporting for? They are just reciting what the government wants to say. No progressive country in the world needs a war or border tension. Reporting against the war is not antinationalism. Political leaders may want such tension for their benefit but for media what they will achieve from a war! A blood bath, a devastated economy, hunger, jobless people, the death of numerous children! What? Or the electronics media just lost their freedom of speech! They can’t say against the government action?
On 30th June the oil minister Dharmendra pradhan tried to explain the reason for oil price increase in a very smart way ‘the increased oil price didn’t hit common man’. On his account Pradhan said. “In such a scenario, the recent increase in petrol and diesel prices has not impacted the common man. When a problem comes in a family, the person carefully manages the finances to meet future challenges. The hike in fuel price should be seen like this.” Pradhan also mentions the extra money which is being collected through taxes will spend on public health care, employment and economic activity. Oh! Minister really! It is to improve public infrastructure squeezing public? Taking minister on account in the big cities and in urban areas the government facilities may have scaled up but the private hospitals? The limited numbers of private hospitals have limited beds for Covid-19 patient. The private hospitals are notorious for turning away patients. The government hospitals beds are full, limited numbers of ventilation facilities, shortage of oxygen all kinds of mismanagement are there on the list. Patients are dying for not getting treatment, including children. Shortage of PPE, gloves, masks (mostly in rural are hospital), COVID ambulance. For not having enough protection kit Doctors, nurses fear to touch the patient everywhere in India (till today). So where is the public money siphoning? On top of it the treatment of other disease came in a sudden halt. The cancer patient is not getting a bed or required treatment, the cardio patients fear to go for a checkup. The doctors have closed their private chambers in corona fear. People with common denture problem fear to go dentist,
Food Inflation:
During the Ladakh face-off period increasing food prices rates took o place in the media headline. In the Indian market, almost food item shoot up by 20-40 Rs. Vegetables to fish, to meat everything became costlier but it took places only in the newspaper, not on TV. In June 2020 the cost of food increased by 7.87%. The cost of pulses increased by 16.68%, meat and fish by 16.22% and spices by 11.74% cost of vegetables rose by 1.86%. Government is not at all bothered with sky rocketing price. But media who claim they telecast news for people where is such kind of news.
Coal Privatization:
On June 18 the Indian government announces almost 41 coal mines to be auctioned to the private bidders. Estimated reserved 16,980 million tons of coal to be on private hand. In this process, not only Indian bidders but also the foreign bidders can take part. Left parties including Congress raise their voice immediately after the government decision. Even the RSS backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) opposed the government decision. During the announcement, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it is not a privatization move it is to strengthen Countries economy. The move is not reforming, it is the first step of privatization said Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. The even said government’s decision is the “death of ideas”. The coal India union called call for three days strike from July 2nd against the government decided to open up the channels for the private bidder. 2.8 lakh workers from across India decided to take part in the strike. Almost 90% of worker supported the strike. The strike supported by Indian National trade union congress, All India trade union congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Center for Indian Trade Union, All-India United Trade Union centre, the Trade Union Coordination Committee, the Self Employed Woman’s Association, the All India Central Council of Trade unions, the Labour Progressive Federation and the United Trade Union Congress. BMS also called a separate strike against the government decision.
Surprisingly when the coal worker called for a nationwide protest merely two or three national channels showed courage to telecast the news. All the major channels stayed a thousand miles away from the struggle of labours. In between prime minister took a sudden visit to Ladakh valley. Just to perform a puja on Indus River? Or just to publish a photograph with injured soldiers who were admitted in a makeshift orchestra hall? Or just to shift the eye of media or people from the coal strike.
Rail privatization:
On July 1st Ministry of railway forwarded one step on privatization process of the train. 151 modern trains will introduce in 109 pair of routs. Each train will have 16 coaches. The government said almost 30,000 crore investment will come in this way; this process will attract more private buyers. Ministry said companies are free to procure locomotive and train from any source. All the employees except driver and guard will provide by private companies. Once the private railways will begin their operation the system will be like private airlines. The traveller will pay for a seat, onboard service and extra baggage. The ministry has given the private entities the liberty to fix their fare. Undoubtedly the private train price will be much expensive. Railway workers staged a protest in front of different railway office in various part of India.
All India Railwaymen’s federation called for a nationwide protest against the government decision. Federation General Secretary Shiva Gopal Mishra asserts to the media that they will fight against the government decision. Even they will try to involve public against the privatization protest and will launch a nationwide grass-root level protest campaigning. According to the federation if rail privatized then the fare price will shoot up hugely. The private companies will try to make a profit with public money. No government job will create so there will be no job security. Government is trying to shrug off all its responsibility. Earlier also BJP government tried to privatize the railway but a nationwide protest by All India Railwaymen’s federation stopped them doing so said, Shiva Gopal Mishra.
PM press conference:
After Pandemic broke out prime minister of India Narendra Modi started an online press conference. Even Man ki Baat and all his programs come on the digital platform. But basically there is no difference between Maan ki Baat and PM’s press conference. Because PM is there just to deliver his speech, in the press conference no one can ask him a single question. The mighty prime minister is the only person who will deliver his thoughts his ideas his feelings and so so and the nation will listen including a journalist. There is no involvement of the press at all. In the very first press conference on 17th May 2019 after forming second term NDA government Prime Minister Modi refused to take a question from a journalist. On that conference, Modi tagged himself as a ‘disciplined soldier’. In our party president is everything’ (pointing at Amit Shah. So what makes Prime Minister afraid to take questions from Media? It should not call as a press conference rather it’s a press statement from Prime Minister. During this occasion, if any kind of question arises in your mind wait for the supplementary Amit Shah may answer it someday.
Howdy Trump and America:
On February when the Pandemic already reached to our doorstep Prime Minister Modi arranged for Howdy Trump or Namaste Trump program in Ahmadabad. In between Trump government decided to suspend H-1B Visa highly skilled individual till 2020. This will disproportionately affect Indian citizens. More than 70% of Indians received an H-1B visa in the tech industry over the past five years. Many tech companies came forward in support of immigrants. Even Google CEO Sundar Pichai asserts that immigrant workers have immense contribution over Americans economic success. Even it has helped America to become a tech leader in the world. When Trump visited in India the Indian prime minister heard to say that ‘the most important foundation of this special friendship between India and America is our people-to people connection. Be it, professionals or students, Indian Diaspora has been the biggest contributor to this in the USA’. Even after this, the US government went ahead with the suspension decision. The Indian government said that they are in constant talk with US government to resolve the issue. But nothing came out positive instead of Modi and Trump’s cordial relation gave no fruit.
Dipanajana Dasgupta , Reporter Ganashakti News Paper
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