Wednesday, May 16, 2007

"Breaking News" - Average Indian Mind

I was thinking about the recent "Breaking News" which I could see in the news paper.. Which I could hear people talking, which I could feel they are mesmerized in, the big events that are happening in our India, events we are interested in…

“The kissing of Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood actress Shilpa ShettY!!”
“The recent splash of the Abhiash-Aishwarya wedding!!”
“Indian edition of wardrobe malfunction—a tale of slipping tops and busted zippers!!”
“Mandira Bedi saree with the tricolor Indian flag featuring below her waist!!”
“Indian cricket team... whatever they do!!”


There are many more things happening in the country. Instead of shedding some light on ways to control poverty, population, illiteracy and unemployment, why is media involved in such useless things? Watching those news, I felt no one is benefited at any level but we are getting our time wasted.....
A lot has been said about the kiss between Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. Newspapers and TV news channels were flooded with pictures and clippings of that incident. We justified telling that a foreigner insulted an Indian actress in a public function, when Shilpa, the victim doesn’t have any complaint. She wanted the media to stop high lighting the issue. . It got publicity for not what it intended to get. We forgot the event was to promote safe sex and arise AIDS awareness, which got least interest. And Gere, who has taken up the job of educating and spreading AIDS awareness, an issue which should be taken up by the media ad social activists who should be doing that, instead of focusing on peck on the cheeks. I wish people talked about the purpose of the event and not in kissing which I feel is a sheer stupidity
It’s really disgusting to see some newspapers mentioning Abhihek-Aishwarya wedding in the front page and important news in the inside pages. (I said some papers, coz some Newpapers were good enough to give importance to whatever required, and not this wedding though it was mentioned with needed importance e.g. THE HINDU). Some awakening needs to be done not only among the media persons, but also among us.. Indians.. to find interest in the right topic. The over importance we give for the film actors, politicians, cricketers may be because of media hype and fan frenzy.
Think about the Cricketers and the shame they have brought to our Country. Though we were always ordinary performers in cricket, the fans following them are endless. TV channels shamelessly talk about them. I don’t think any Pujas were performed for their success of Australian team and yet they have done so well. Its not that India has to win, but its that whether we win or not, the importance we give for cricket is too much and it shows that our maturity level has come to the bottom level, which is quite scary.
Think about the Mandira Bedi incident. Why we feel insulted when Mandira is wearing a saree that has flags of all the countries? Why we are bothered about the single tricolor flag on her saree and not on the thousands of plastic tri-colour Indian flags that lie next to dustbins after Republic Day and Independence Day every year?

We have time when we wait for hours to have a glimpse of our idols, the film stars. But we don’t have time to think about the things that can improve our nation, our life, our fellow beings life..
I wish if we had put effort to eradicate poverty, control population, illiteracy and unemployment. I wish Government had put more stress on education, infrastructure, healthcare facilities and cross-border terrorism. I wish we could do something to provide water and electricity to all. I wish the media who focus mainly on celebrities and bollywood put more effort to educate people on importance of facilitating a pollution-free environment, suppressing all communal forces, its burgeoning population. I wish we could think of controlling the brain drain and creating a talent rewarded work culture.
I WISH WE CONSIDERED OURSELF AS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS OF INDIA
-bs-

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rightly said!! But Indians like masala more than apple. There is no way u can set it right...athukondu kochu poyi kochinda panni nokku!!

ബീന സാബു said...

mone prasobhe.. anonymous aakathe swantham peril ezhuthi koode comment?? but u said might be right bcz evn one of my colleague said the same thing.. i pity India.. and waiting for the day she will rise..
PS: thanX for ur frank comment

Anonymous said...

Its all in the Mind...Have to come out as thoughts.These thoughts should transform into real practical deeds towards making India not a pitty(as you mentioned)for we Indians...All Indians have it in Mind...People like you put it in to thoughts...Who will do the work ? Hands will for sure get dirty down there... We are a culture of thinkers and doers amongst us goes to Dubai ! :-]

Anonymous said...

Beena,

The problem is with in us, and not outside. Everybody is trying to blame other and find problem with system, people and everything else but self.

Thx,
Ken

Anonymous said...

Beena thanks for your thought provoking statement

We have time when we wait for hours to have a glimpse of our idols, the film stars. But we don’t have time to think about the things that can improve our nation, our life, our fellow beings life..

I wish if we had put effort to eradicate poverty, control population, illiteracy and unemployment.


So sad, precious time and money is spent on useless things.

As Ken wrote, every one of us should do what ever we can to better the life of every one around us.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

Anonymous said...

wow, inspiring!

Spectator said...

why to read news paper when u have 24 hours news on tv... news papers have become a source of entertainment which u can hold in hands... that's it. n that is why masala news papers survive...

Supernova said...

Rightly said beena. This breaking news phenomena is more prominent in TV channels.
We cant really blame the media entirely for der focus on such celeb issues. the problem lies with us- we are so celeb obsessed dat everything else takes secondary position. Media simply cashes in on that craze.