Prime-time news downplays Rajasthan murder over Aiyar’s ‘neech’ remarks

With elections here, news channels have switched into overdrive in their poll coverage — and some have even become megaphones for political parties. Remember Zee News’ exclusive ‘interview’ with Amit Shah?

Nevertheless, it is important to make space for other news developments too — especially when sections of mainstream media share the responsibility for feeding the beast.

On December 7, a series of video clips went viral on social media where a man in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand, now identified as Shambhu Lal Regar, was seen hacking and subsequently burning the body of 50-year-old Afrazul, a labourer from West Bengal. Even as one comes to terms with the killing on camera, Regar can be seen warning his Hindu ‘sisters’ against falling in love with ‘jihadis’. He tries to justify the murder as his way to save an ‘abla ladki’ trapped in a similar case. He goes on to say that movies like PK and Padmavati are tools used to disrespect Hindu gods and goddesses as well as ploys to distort Hindu heritage.

That shocking crime did not move sections of prime-time media to find time for a detailed discussion about hate crimes and the real victims of ‘love jihad’. Instead, they went into endless loops of #RahulNeechPolitics, #CongNeechPolitics and #SibalManiSelfGoal following Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comments.

While Times Now had both Rahul Shivshankar and Navika Kumar going at #RahulNeechPolitics, India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai discussed the lowering of political discourse while showing the petty name-calling political leaders including Amit Shah, Priyanka Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had indulged in. Sardesai went on to say that while politics should have been about “vikas”, it has turned into personal attacks. Nevertheless, towards the last 10 minutes of his show, Sardesai called upon Rajasthan’s BJP leader Jinendra Shastri to talk about the “anti-Muslim propaganda” that was being peddled in the state.

Also, in the race for TRPs was RepublicTV that went from Congress’ Mani Shankar Aiyar Calls PM Modi ‘Neech’ to Aiyar attacks Republic‘s crew.

On CNN-News18, Zakka Jacob, Sanket Upadhyay and Bhupendra Chaubey focused on #SibalManiSelfGoal, with each anchor taking a jibe at how remarks by Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Mani Shankar Aiyar had put the party on the backfoot in Gujarat.

Nevertheless, the murder, thankfully, was given at least some importance on NDTV in Nidhi Razdan’s Left, Right and Centre as the anchor held a 15-minute discussion with the panel about the breakdown of law and order and the culture of impunity in the state before moving on to, “Chaiwala” To “Neech”: Mani Shankar Aiyar Does It Again. Sonia Singh also tried squeezing the news in, as she split her time between “the horrific hate killing in Rajasthan, Mani’s shocking comments against PM, the Jerusalem story & @VishalKOfficial” on the 9 O’ Clock News.

Unfortunately, of the five leading English channels, only Mirror Now could manage an hour’s airtime to discuss “Lawless Rajasthan: Chilling Murder Caught On Camera Shocks The Country”. With a seven-member panel breaking down what such a culture means for the state, Mirror Now’s The Urban Debate also discussed methods to tackle the issue (which others could learn from).

The newspapers didn’t disappoint. The New Delhi editions of four leading English dailies — The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express and Times of India — gave the news from Rajasthan front-page coverage. While The Hindu’s headline read “Muslim man hacked, burnt in Rajasthan”, Express went with “As he killed and burnt, his teen nephew filmed hate-murder: cops”. Hindustan Times had “Man murdered, body burnt over ‘love jihad’ and TOI’s head was “Man held for brutal murder in Rajasthan” (never mind that TOI’s story was nothing more than a corner brief).

While prime-time debates can continue to be besotted with political debates, the absence of discussion on the breakdown of law and order highlighted by such hate crimes point to the viewers’ desensitisation to such crime.