Tuesday, May 26, 2009

We the people

Two big events happened yesterday 
1. Cyclone Aila
2. Jalandhar rage

Cyclone Aila hit West bengal like there was no tomorrow, a category 5 cyclone, destroying what came in it's path, uprooting trees, electric poles e.t.c... I was not aware as were many peple in west bengal where the expected arrival was in the late evening to mid noght yet it hit in the middle of afternoon.

Killing\attack on Sikhs in vienna - I just did not understand the mob fury on buses, trains, shops ...what is the meaning of all this...I still do  not understand the reason behind a group of people suddenly burning and destroying everything in response to a attack that happened so far away.... wherein the anger is justified but the show just does not make any sense to me.

I was expecting a better coverage of these events in TV but noooooooooooo... that was not to be . Same thing happened during the bihar floods as well, then it is actually the way we are, our span of attention to is so low that TV channels don't have any option but to look for more and more news and it is one breaking news after another... 

The meaning or the idea behind breaking news has changed ...  as in now every news is a breaking news as it breaks away from the last one to the new one....  


4 comments:

Subhadip said...

You know... I think there was an even bigger story which was given much less than it's due.

For me cyclones are unavoidable and inevitable. The best we can do is be prepared and improve our capabilities to deal with such situations.

What happened in Punjab as a reaction to something that happened in Vienna is madness. Madness like these are not uncommon in India, but they calm down in two - three days, claiming it's usual victims.

What is worrying for me is the case of Dr. Binayak Sen. Atrocities like these are not going to help in dealing with the problems of home grown desperate extremists. Think! If this can happen to an internationally well known figure, what can happen to the common man.

Reeta Skeeter said...

Also, any Breaking News is sadly becoming regular news...hits for a wee bit of time and we move on...

Arobindo said...

# Shubho..Governments (anywhere) don't like activists... especially the known ones...the bigger the name the bigger will be the problem...for the activist especially governments which do not have leaders of known repute. so as long as you stay a common man in these states you are safe for see the definition of common man is suffering in silence or even when the voices are raised it has to be in hushed tone.

# Rita ... Breaking news is the way we like to watch our news... BBC and CNN are watched by a select few in India...when the measurement of success is not measured in content...well this is what you will have...and it is not only the tele ...the print media is doing the same thing...you have TOI as the best newspaper in India with the widest circulation...tell me why do you buy it...

Subhadip said...

The common man is safe in these states? I don't think so. A common man in the interiors of Chattisgarh or Orissa... is not the same as a common man in Delhi.