Mullaperiayar - News Reporters turned News Makers

Mullaperiayar - News Reporters turned News Makers

The competition among media both visual and print has so heated up that normal reporting has become old fashioned and irrelevant. Nothing less than total nemesis is being watched or read. Either to exist in the field or to please their masters the, journalists have to ride these media tigers. For their masters, viewer ship or circulation only counts. Yes the state of Kerala is in a very unfortunate situation.

The tirade about bursting the mullaperiyar dam is here for more than twenty five years. It seems a wonder that the dam has not burst yet! The leading dailies are engaged in a vicious competition in sensationalizing the issue, as loudly as they can. The visual media especially news channels are working twenty four hours in terrorising poor people residing in that locality. They describe the aftermath of the burst of the dam, in a style only even terror movie script writers cannot imitate. No doubt ‘if’ it bursts, it will be a great human tragedy, the world would have rarely seen. The media starved for news will get stomach full of it! They can cry from roof top “I told You so”

Suppose if it does not bursts, nothing will happen, as it has occurred for the last twenty five years, when it rains the cry starts, pages of news papers get filled at the expense of the poor dam. When rainy season ends, they have other fish to fry. The readers or viewers never ask where are your so called experts whom you quoted to frighten us. In any way it is a win win situation for the media!

The immediate provocation for the above paragraphs is the lay out of the leading news papers in Malayalam dated November 17th 2006. The headings are about “water level to be raised to 142 feet, the present level is 138.9 feet. The level printed in bold red letters. Photographs of the dam have been given (perhaps for the readers to get a last view of the dam before it’s bursting). News like “the drawing of water stopped by Tamilnadu” In earlier issues instead of using “drawing” it was “lifting”, though action is same descriptions change when water turns a nuisance from a precious commodity.

A high lighted column contains statements from the Hon. Minister of the state K.P.Rajendran, which can be translated as follows. “children fall unconscious, women are wailing about future. In Mullaperiyar and surrounding areas there exists an atmosphere of extreme terror. It is more painful to see the tension among children. Most of them do not go to school. One child fainted in the class room. I went to see the student and enquired. The reason was that some body told the child that the dam will burst within seven hours and his house will get submerged. The child was frightened of the death of his parents”. The Hon. Minister added that “And this is not an isolated incident”.

There was also news, that military aid has been requisitioned and an amount of two hundred and fifty thousand rupees sanctioned for arranging relief works in case of emergency. More over the disaster management committee has been asked to submit a comprehensive report for relief works.

The Hon. Chief Minister has declared in the polit buro meeting of the communist party that Tamilnadu would have to admit the stand taken by Kerala. By all means there is going to be a full fledged war between the two states on this issue. When this turns to be full fledged riots between the people remains to be seen. If that holocaust takes place, no need to say that there will be tremendous loss of human life and property in both states. The media will be happy as they get regular dose of news when there are riots! It is high time to end this madnes.

Already mass and so called activist have taken up the central stage. Sri. Durai Murugan Hon. Minister for public works, Tamil nadu, who happened to visit Thekkady was roughed up by the “actvists” and in yet another incident prominent film actor Sri. Devan was subjected to assault by the activists. An attempt on the part of the actor to educate the activists was the reason. Sri Devan just said that the dam is strong enough to withstand the present water level, the poor soul even offered to broker peace between the two state governments.

People of Tamilnadu and Kerala are in separable lot. Kerala produces coir, rubber, cashew nuts and unemployment. All other items they require have to arrive through numerous lorries from Tamilnadu. A break to the flow of these vehicles can deprive Kerala of its most essential articles. There can be serious consequences emanating from such circumstances. The media spread terror and the activists lead innocent people to abuse and assault sane voice, A strange and dangerous cocktail indeed. Such incidents tarnish the image of Malayalis who are generally very broad minded. Any sensible government has a duty to control them, and should never dance to their tunes.

A political government is made up of politicians, and a politician has to think of the next election. He definitely has to think of the speeches he has to make during the elections. When mullaperiyar was burning, where were you? May be a possible question popped up from the crowds. Hence no one can blame the politicians for these hasty arrangements done to meet any exigencies arising out of the bursting of the dam It is only the duty of a responsible government. The Supreme Court has given sanction for storing water to this level only after studying the expert committee reports. Have confidence in it, Those experts definitely know better than these media persons, their bosses and the activists. Terrorising young children to the level of making them faint and a women to the level that they break down to wailing is not good reporting . Activism should be of much better in quality than assaulting men of sanity.

Let the dam never burst and so be the good will and the love between two neighbors. Do not blame thy neighbor for a pot of water he takes home, he will return with hand full of bread when you are hungry. Love thy neighbour.

Author: Sasi Kumar

Source: Naturemagics.com - website on Kerala Tourism

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