Open letter to Rajdeep Sardesai

My Dear Rajdeep,

I read your recent blog about General VK Singh. But I tend to disagree on it and I am not a "bhakt", as you tend to categorize every critique of yours in one basket called "bhakts".

In your entire blog, you have just written couple of lines about media, which says Media needs to introspect, or Media needs to stop starting abusive hashtags. Ok, fine, I agree but when, or how or who will do it first? C'mon Rajdeep don't be so naive, we all know the filth in current journalism in India. But who will take the responsiblity of course correction? If we have created a punch line "mera neta CHOR hai", when we know that NOT all "netas" are "chor". So we also know that "mera journalist CHOR hai", when we also know that there are some honest journos too. This is how we generalize stuffs when filth paints the majority in its own colour. 

If media can't understand a simple humour when General Singh says that his job in Yemen was less exciting as compared to his visit to Pakistan high commission, then I am sorry you guys deserve what Gen. Singh has said. 

If I watch a primetime news show today, it is more of a "saas bahu" drama than the real substance. Its like a TRP race amongst all channels. So if someone calls you a "news trader", don't you think you guys actually epitomize it in your primetime shows. This tag is more established when some journos fight it out on twitter that someone hijacked his "news break" by showing "xyz exclusive" on his "xyz" channel. C'mon Rajdeep don't say that you ain't aware of such filth in your business.

We Indians have a very WRONG tendency of generalizing stuffs, as all BIHARIS are crooks, all UPites are abusive, all mediai critiques are either AAPTards or Bhakts etc. etc. So as per this law of generalization itself, General Singh has called your entire fraternity as "Presstitutes", he is just doing what we all have been doing since we were kids.

You also said that all Governments save their citizens from war zones, I fully agree with you. Even UPA did some great evacuations in its regime. But I fail to remember one instance where a union minster was sent on ground to oversee such a large scale evacuation. In all previous accounts the netas will sit in their AC chambers and leave the ground work on troops or diplomats on the field. Don't you think General Singh, did a commendable job when this got acknowledged by some western countries too. And what do you expect him to do when he is abused by a main stream media channel. This is like "as you sow, so you reap" Rajdeep. 

At least, netas can be put through course correction as they go through election and electorate is very smart these days. But sadly we can't control some bad mouthed, Oxbridge educated, self proclaimed, savior of India type journalists. Who will ask them for their course correction? Rajdeep, first look within your fraternity before pointing fingers to others. You guys are no saint. Having an Oxbridge degree and 20+ years of journalism experience, doesn't give you a license to abuse or make fun of any one, neither does it say you are ALWAYS RIGHT. You DO make mistakes and for God sake ACCEPT IT.

Postscript: I am a simple Indian, earning my living in Singapore and I am not a BHAKT.

Subhash Chandra