The results of the General Elections 2024 have thoroughly exposed the Bania media and its Brahmanical proponents. I have never trusted it but it took 10 years of Modi rule to expose them completely. V T Rajshekar, the indomitable Editor of Dalit Voice which flourished in the 1990s always mocked at their ”merit’ and wrote ‘Merit : My Foot’. Many people would question him and blame him for criticising ”liberals” but he remain categorical that the Brahmanical liberals are more dangerous. Time has proved it that these liberals by picking up one or two issues become brand of the ‘secularism’ and ‘liberalism’ among the Brahmin Bania media and then suddenly get exposed whenever there is a threat to their duopoly.
The bloodbath at the stock market where Banias hold solid monopoly cant be without the involvement and knowledge of those who owns these channels and have converted them to disinformation centre for their own profit. The darbari media or manustream media has lost all its credibility.
We all know that this has been a tough election where BJP wanted to finish everything that we had in the name of opposition. It played different games, distorting facts and hiding information from people. The so-called ‘national media therefore is a partner in crime against constitution.
Look the way Rajat Sharma shamelessly spoke about Rahul Gandhi, will leave for Italy after June 4th, a despicable statement made by BJP spokespersons everywhere. The ‘bombardment’ of so called interviews of Narendra Modi during election campaign were nothing but purely advertised campaign for the ruling party. Unfortunately, neither the Election Commission nor the Supreme Court bothered about it. The media had no time to question the government but in the name of news they were just providing platform to those who can demonise the opposition and lampoon Rahul Gandhi.
Rajdeep Sardesai had long started batting for Narendra Modi. He spoke in many interviews that BJP was crossing 300. Shekhar Gupta who virtually mocked at Congress and felt it would not cross 60 and crossing 90 would mean a big thing. Another ‘liberal’ Vir Sanghavi was also upset with congress and Rahul Gandhi, just because he spoke about caste census and reservation.
Indian media has proved that it will go to any extent to protect the caste interest of its owners and reporters. They are upset with the caste questions. In the 1990s, I studied the Hindi media when BJP launched the Ayodhya campaign. The middle class liberals were exposed that time as they hated Mandal. Media had no shame in supporting the Hindutva campaign just because they dont want to upset their caste hegemony.
Now, 35 years later, we now see, a must worst media, more nasty, casteist and thuggish promoting animosity among communities and had no shame in broadcasting, publishing stories that vilified Muslims of India. Isnt it a shame that nearly 15 crore population of India, its second majority, is termed as main villain and all efforts were made to deny them representation.
Media is a business. They are loyal to their jaatis and owners. After 1990s, many of our friends felt that India need to ‘liberalise’ but they only meant privatise the nattional resources to a few cronies and jaatis. They could not develop liberal thinking and ideas. Capitalism in India is nothing but Baniaism and media owned by the Banias have done everything to protect their business and market monopoly. Brahmins were just satisfied with their social-cultural privileges. The duopoly of these two communities are well established. Capitalism in India need religion to thrive and vice versa. Jyotiba Phule said it is Sethji -Bhatji combine that want to rule over us, control our minds and resources. Any one who try to challenge this hegemony is unwanted and named and shamed as jaatiwadis.
It is good diverse new youngs are speaking. Let the different voices emerge. There are good people everywhere and I dont say every one from these communities are bad. Exceptions are always there but we must not forget that jaatis created and protected their hegemonies. Perhaps, that is the reason why we all are upset with caste question and representation of diverse groups in our power structure. India’s unity and strength is its diversity and it is time it should reflect everywhere right from media, to judiciary, to industry to academia and cultural spaces and only then we will be called as truly liberal democratic society.
Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social activist
