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was thrashed by major sections of society for playing the visuals of
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a humiliated adivasi girl in the name of journalism..
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Third Test: India leads by 531 SHOULD THE media depict the image of a young girl, stripped by some unruly youth in a city
up now
street during the broad daylight? More surprisingly, should the picture of the girl, of course
runs
blurring some portions of it, be printed in the front page of several daily newspapers after days
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of the incident? Questions are also raised, why it was not imperative for the newspaper and
killed, 200 injured
television channels to have permission first from the victim to do so? Moreover, had they done
Kausar Begam case bares lunacy (or would continue doing so) the same if the victim was from an affluent family?
of India's dowry law
more >> All the debates in public domain of Assam in Northeast India came alive with an unfortunate
incident that took place in Guwahati, the prime city of the region, on November 24. It was a
Obama's economic policy usual Saturday morning for the residents of Beltola in Guwahati that grew up with violence at
noon all of a sudden. The city people witnessed a calm procession of around thousand
Major political issues in the
Adivasis (aboriginal), both male and female, from Beltola to Dispur, the seat of political power
forthcoming general elections
in Assam. The demonstrators, equipped with traditional bow arrows, marched to the state
Lifestyle diseases secretariat at Dispur to add voices to their demand for inclusion the community in the
International terrorism Scheduled Tribe list. They were hoping that it would benefit the community of tea and extea
Current global financial crisis labours of Assam with the help of reservation policies of the Union government of India in
The future of High Definition education and job opportunities.
video/television
The on duty police force initially tried to prevent the demonstrators on the street, which only
angered the participants. Many of them continued the march. Suddenly, some of them turned
violent and adopted unprovoked vandalism. “The angry demonstrators started damaging the
government city buses, private vehicles parked at roadside, shops and even personal
properties. Even some pedestrians were also not spared by them. Many of them carried their
traditional bow arrows, but few of them were equipped with stick and hammers too, ” said an
eyewitness of the Beltola incident, who incidentally recorded the visual of the moment with his
newly bought camera.
Soon the protesters faced another batch of police near the secretariat complex and this time
the police with the help of paramilitary forces dispatched them. Facing the harsh action from
the police forces, which burst tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, the frightened
Adivasis started fleeing back in small groups. But more cruel strides were waiting for the
demonstrators as some local people retaliated by attacking them. For around an hour there
were group clashes in full view of the media persons, where Adivasi demonstrators were
mercilessly beaten up by some youths that resulted in death of a protester and hundreds other
injured.
The demonstrators assembled in Guwahati from different parts of the state following the
initiative of All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AAASA), an influential students body of
the state. Initially, the AAASA leaders decided to hold a meeting at south Beltola high school in
support of their longstanding demands. But a section of participants came out for a procession
aiming to reach the state assembly at Dispur. And all the unwanted incidents followed there
after, where one Adivasi named Samson Naguri had to sacrifice and nearly 250 got injured,
many of them left in serious conditions, during the mob violence.
Amidst the chaotic situation, an Adivasi girl was also stripped off by some rowdy youths. The
girl, a high school standard student, hailed from Biswanath Chariali locality in upper Assam.
Many local residents however braved to come out and gave shelter to the humiliated Adivasi
protesters and one of them named Bhagiram Barman took the risk of his life and saved the girl
from further physical and mental assaults. Later, she was handed over to the police. But in the
meantime, her naked image was recorded by the media persons and even by some cellphone
holders. And the debates slowly but steadily grew up.
The state government of Assam had already received brickbats for the untoward incident from
different sections in the society. The condemnations were poured from the main opposition
political parties like Asom Gana Parishad, Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of
India (Marxist). Condemning the violence, the party leaders demanded the resignation of the
Congress led coalition government. Similarly, a number of social organizations including the
North East Peoples Initiative, Barak Human Rights Protection Committee, Gauhati University
Teachers’ Association, Asom Mahila Samata Society, Lekhika Samaroh Samity, Guwahati
Sachetan Mahila Samaj with others came out with demands to take actions against those
guilty of creating the violence and vandalism on the day.
A series of citizens meeting, organized by Concerned Citizens Forum, Journalists Forum,
Assam with others concluded with strong words of resentment against the Tarun Gogoiled
government and also resolved in appealing peace and harmony among the people of the
State. The AASAA leaders called for a 36 hour statewide general strike, beginning on
November 26, to protest against the mugging on the Adivasi protesters in Guwahati, which was
backed by the All Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Union. The All Assam Santhal Students’ Union
also called another 12hour general strike.
Facing the heat of public outrages, the Assam government ordered two enquiries (one by the
additional chief secretary of Assam and the other to be conducted by RK Manisana Singh, a
retired judge of Guwahati High Court. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi publicly admitted that there
were lapses in parts of administrative authority during the Adivasi rally in Guwahati. The city
police meanwhile arrested three persons (Prasenjit Chakravarty, Ratul Barman and Sudip
Chakdar) accusing them for being involved in the stripping case.
The issue was also discussed in both upper and lower house of Parliament in India, where
the incident was mentioned as the most barbaric episode. The echo of protest was heard in
another Indian state of Jharkhand, one of the source states in central India, where from the
labourers were brought to Assam to engage in tea cultivation during British colonial regime.
The leaders from different political parties of Jharkhand, strongly condemned the attack on the
Adivasi demonstrators. The prominent political leaders like the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief
Shibu Soren, former Jharkhand chief ministers Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda visited
Assam to conciliate the Adivasis.
The trouble torn and alienated Northeast is not a stranger to violent demonstrations, but the
unruly situation created on the fourth Saturday of November in the heart of Guwahati city really
shook the conscience of Assamese community, where Adivasis remained as an integral part
of the society for more than a century now. The grief of the local people was later reflected in a
series of public meetings, media columns and editorials of the newspapers published from
the region. But the coverage of the incident in a section of media, mostly based outside the
region, had shocked the Guwahati citizens most, as they blatantly blame the entire residents of
the city for the unfortunate developments that day.
Those sections of media, who projected the incident as an unprovoked attack on the Adivasi
demonstrators by the residents of Guwahati, remained silent on the braveness of some
Guwahatians, who came out to give shelter to the victims. Moreover, the same media space
was full of the description with images of the traumatized girl, during the chaotic situation.
Surprisingly, they missed or deliberately ignored the initiative of the citizens to rescue the girl
swiftly. A major English daily published her picture in the front page, even three days after the
incident (November 27). A New Delhi based media watch portal also highlighted the issue.
‘Should The Telegraph’ have carried a frontpage picture of the adivasi girl running naked down
a Guwahati street after being stripped by ethnic rioters? It used black strips to conceal part of
her nudity but her face was only slightly pixelated. Three readers from Tezpur University said in
a letter to the paper that while the strippers showed their barbarism, the editorial board of ’The
Telegraph’ demonstrated its sadism by publishing the plight of the one stripped, narrated by
’The Hoot’ in its web page.
‘The Assam Tribune ’, the oldest English daily of Northeast in one of its editorials, described
that the media’s handling of the episode (Guwahati violence) as an unfortunate aspect of the
tragedy. “When a section of the media continues to come up with the visual of the naked
adivasi girl even after days of the incident, it is evident that their purpose is simply to
sensationalize and blow things out of proportion. It is in such times that the responsibility and
the credibility of the media are put to test. A responsible media should act to diffuse tension
and not to arouse passions further," said the editorial of November 28 issue of the daily.
“Was there at all any need for the photojournalists to click her naked photograph from the front
and then get it published?" questioned Bikash Sarmah, a Guwahati based journalist. Through
his media column in ’The Sentinel ’, a prominent journalist of English daily of Northeast,
Sarmah, however admitted that ’there might be a justification though: that without the visual, the
end would not be achieved of shaking the conscience of the people, of making them aware of
such beastly behaviour by a few despite being part of the civilized world, of telling the people
bluntly as to how some perverts in their midst would bring disrepute to the entire society’.
The resentment was too high against the satellite news channels and the cable operators of
Guwahati blacked out two channels (namely NDTV and CNN IBN) for few days. The greater
Guwahati cable operators ’ association alleged that these channels were telecasting a
misinterpreted version of the group clash in the city. "The clashes engulfed not the agitating
Adivasis and Guwahati people as a whole, but only a section of them joined the chaos. But the
news channels went on airing that the residents of Guwahati beat up the Adivasis and also
stripped off many girls, who took part in the procession," said an office bearer of the
association.
Two powerful students bodies of the region namely All Assam Students ’ Union and Asom
Jatiyatabadi YubaChatra Parishad also criticized those media for materializing a gory incident
to their benefits. The leaders of both the students ’ outfits alleged that those media groups
repeatedly depicted the image of the Adivasi girl in an obscene way though they preferred not to
report that the girl was immediately rescued by a local youth and gave her shelter. A student
leader argued, “Media has every right to inform the society about the happenings. But they
should not take a way that only humiliate the victim again and escalate an ongoing tension. ”
Shantikam Hazarika, an academician based in Guwahati also stated that some television
channels went on relaying the unfortunate episode for a whole day. The news clippings
included the visuals of the stripped girl also. "In fact, those channels were cooking up the story
sitting on their studios and playing on the visuals of Guwahati violence. Those media were
almost silent on the fact that many local residents came forward to intervene in the violence
and give shelter and support to the assaulted demonstrators." As a Guwahatian I am more
angry with the media than ashamed of what has happened that day, added Hazarika.
The debate reached to the New Delhi based satellite channels as well.
Arnab Goswami, an eminent TV journalist
(editorinchief of Times Now channel) raised Other Articles by Nava Thakuria
the pertinent question, “Had anyone taken Killing of Assam editor: Protests
permission of the girl before showing her continue
naked photographs? ” He argued that this Denial of freedom to Tibetans
kind of enthusiasm only added further insult continues
to the already affronted poor girl. However, he NWMI emphasises better coverage for
agreed, the mediapersons can prepare the Northeast women
news story with condemnation towards the Public unrest mounts over Guwahati
incident. But for any reason, they should not serial killer
depict a photograph that may humiliate the Now Tigers die in Kaziranga
victim once again. more >>
"My question to those mediapersons, who
argue that they have right to project the things supported by the facts, that if your daughter or
sister is stripped off by some miscreants and visuals are available, would you support
showing those photographs? ” asked Sabita Lahkar, a Northeast based journalist cumsocial
activist. The lady questioned if the powerful people would have the guts to publish a similar
photograph of any of their kin. “You should not humiliate a girl repeatedly, as she belongs to a
less privileged section in the society,” she concluded.
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Bikash3
11 December Irresponsibility starts with Assamese media first.
2007
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