Case Study on a racist amateur journalist - Sagarika Ghose.
This is a journalistic masterpiece Ms Sagarika Ghose.Such rare gems are hard to come by.
“There's a great deal to be proud of in the youth survey too. In spite of their own attachment to family, India's youth has chosen the self-made Sachin Tendulkar and APJ Abdul Kalam over scions born into privileged 'royal' families. But the survey contains portents of the future. India in the next two generations will be powered by a majority of success-oriented, deeply conservative citizens whose ambitions are narrowly focused on money and status. Poets, bohemians, rebels, intellectuals, dissenters, freethinkers, adventurers or even risk-taking entrepreneurs may become a vanishing breed.”
This is the conclusion of the article Still old at heart” by Sagarika Ghose in Hindustan Times 08th Feb 2011.
If we are to believe the author then yes we are heading for disaster. Fortunately for us this is not the case, instead what we have on hand is a delinquent individual who is perpetually attempting to draw attention towards self by indulging in outrageous acts be it by way of tweets or inventing terms and label for those who do not subscribe to her world view.
The vehemence is misdirected, it give the readers an impression that the author wants to impose her set of values on them, if not accepted then the only apt label for dissenter is political Right Wingers. While most of us would not grudge the author the right to an independent opinion sans categorization, we would not be afforded the same courtesy by this individual. She is archetypical ‘My way or highway’
Given her track record and conduct it still remains a serious issue as to how and why she continues to occupy the position in the Media house? People with lesser sins have been sacked from their jobs, is it because there is no accountability in the company? Or is it because this is the company policy? Could it because of marital ties with the Editor in Chief of the Channel? Whatever be the reasons they fail to explain the repeated misconduct of this individual.
Here are some of the comments posted in response to her article.
delhi_girl
1. "Facebook and Twitter may have created the Tahrir Square uprising in Egypt. But in India, Facebook and Twitter are dominated by young people openly pouring scorn on 'pseudo-secular liberals', minorities and the so-called 'anti-nationals'. Young Indians proudly call themselves 'nationalist' without quite spelling out what their 'nationalism' means."
Have YOU ever spelt out what "liberalism" means? Your notion of liberalism is probably the most twisted, perverted one ever followed. You and your media-cronies seem to be absolutely PETRIFIED of the support that youngsters have displayed for nationalist activities like tiranga at lal chowk. You have realized how miserably your propaganda has failed or even backfired. You dismiss all those who question you on twitter in a sweeping generalisation by calling them right-wingers or nationalists. You think they are all working as a part of a mob on behalf of BJP. If you ever care to find out their views by reading their blogs, you will realize how much more intelligent, astute and balanced they are in their views. You are lucky that you have HT and IBN willing to publish your (distorted) views on a larger platform, whereas they have only their blogs. But I can assure you that they have our true respect and adulation whereas all our contempt is reserved for you.
Have YOU ever spelt out what "liberalism" means? Your notion of liberalism is probably the most twisted, perverted one ever followed. You and your media-cronies seem to be absolutely PETRIFIED of the support that youngsters have displayed for nationalist activities like tiranga at lal chowk. You have realized how miserably your propaganda has failed or even backfired. You dismiss all those who question you on twitter in a sweeping generalisation by calling them right-wingers or nationalists. You think they are all working as a part of a mob on behalf of BJP. If you ever care to find out their views by reading their blogs, you will realize how much more intelligent, astute and balanced they are in their views. You are lucky that you have HT and IBN willing to publish your (distorted) views on a larger platform, whereas they have only their blogs. But I can assure you that they have our true respect and adulation whereas all our contempt is reserved for you.
"The perceived loss of culture due to globalisation could be a reason why Indian "culture" is aggressively asserted even as 'global' lifestyles sweep through the metros. Pop traditionalism, albeit in a modern garb, has returned with a bang. Trendy clothes, skinny figures and latest gadgets coexist with a passionate attachment to religious rituals. If rituals and religious rites were once the activities of grandmothers, they are now being adopted by the youth as aggressive demonstrations of identity"
SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL WHAT IS WRONG IN HAVING A BLEND OF TRADITIONAL AND MODERN in our present lifestyles??? Has this woman absolutely lost it? Is this woman suggesting that we follow rites and rituals in a indifferent, detached manner? Because apparently, if I take a keen interest in knowing about my rites and rituals and if I start to believe in them, I become a religious bigots. And assertion of our identity at the global level is not because of some perceived threat from globalization. It is because YOUNGSTERS and elders too realize how precious our culture and traditions really are. The West is increasingly turning towards India and other Asian cultures for their spiritual and mental well-being. The crass commercial and individualistic society on the West has left their social system in tatters. There is a reversal now in who looks towards whom for inspiration. This CRAZED WOMAN SAGARIKA is still living in the early 90s when people were obsessed with the WESTERN culture and tried to ape them in every possible ways. People today in the subcontinent are PROUD of their identities and yes, RITES AND RITUALS too. Even MTV. CHANNEL V, McDonals, SUBWAY have all gone DESI. They have stopped copying Western formats and their programmes and menus all reflect an Indian flavour. What world is this woman living in?
2. pukeworthy piece. an exercise in anti-national Goebellian writing cloaked as journalism. The youth is fed up of corrupt media, is more informed, can see through the "opinion influencers" like ghose - sardesai duo, witnesses genocides in kashmir, and blatant abuse of hindu community be it casteism, reservations, etc, weakened army, all round corruption. These are the real reasons. the majority of the country, including youth has always been right-wing, but the powers that mattered always promoted the lefts and pseudos. The tide is turning, there are alternative channels of information available. your days are up. the kind of lies ghose and company spread in the guise of opinion pieces along with their tacit and overt support to everything anti-India is tantamount to treason. and they should be dealt with as traitors.
Swadesh
3. Ms. Ghose,You have a very negative personality. Whenever you open your mouth, it spill only garbage. People like you , Barkha dutt and your husband Rajdeep Sardesai are a blot on Indian media. You are full of ego like Ravana and are not ready to accept the results on Twitter and facebook.
But I agree we need more journalist like you to awaken the Indian society. There can't be a RAM without a Ravana and there can't be Pandav without Kaurav. You guys are the Kaurav of this era.
But I agree we need more journalist like you to awaken the Indian society. There can't be a RAM without a Ravana and there can't be Pandav without Kaurav. You guys are the Kaurav of this era.
Rohit
4.Ms. Ghose, when will we hear something positive coming out of your pen? Get your definitions right about liberalism vs. socialism. Indian youth is more liberal than it has ever been in the history of this country. Do not confuse traditionalism with conservatism. Your definition of liberal and independent youth is probably only the ones who don't believe in religion or family, but history has it that civilizations with strong traditions have outlived and out-prospered the ones without traditions. Let me tell you a way to see the glass half full - just compare results of your surveys as they have trended in just the last decade. I assure you, the picture is brighter than your red-tinted-glasses are letting you see.
PS : Please don't stop writing your articles. You enrage people with shameless bigotry and that rage definitely inspires thoughts and actions. ;)
PS : Please don't stop writing your articles. You enrage people with shameless bigotry and that rage definitely inspires thoughts and actions. ;)
Verbosity is no substitute for merit; command over language does not make a Journalist at best an essay writer
I welcome a debate and discussion on this…As always, please keep your tone civil, your language polite…no sweeping generalisations please and no personal abuse. Thank you.
