Where some danced
on their friends with colored drinks in sparkling ball rooms of giant hotels,
where some awakened within the divine places to welcoming, where others anticipated
to new hopes in Tamil Nadu for the New Year 2015, there have been two places
forcefully agitated again Kudankulam Nuclear Power project and Kaveri River Bed
Methane project.
In Kudankulam,
people were gathered in to the seashore and sea at Idinthakarai from 31st
December, 2014 evening to January 1, 2015. Thus the Kudankulam struggle is
continuing as the Government of India signed to extend the project to third and
fourth nuclear plants. Nothing was reported in the mainstream media. Even
though, we have numerous 24 by 7 news media in our country, they are just doing
other talk shows and debates as usual.
Some vernacular
media covered the news about the Kaveri River Bed Methane project. There were
people agitating in Thirichirapalli, Thanjavur, Gangaikondan, Kumbakonam and many
other places too. Pointedly in Kumbakonam, a group of enlightened young
students and youths started their endless hunger strike for non-renewal and
stoppage of methane project.
Perhaps we take
same stands for above struggles. I request media to have follow ups and in
depth investigations into these issues seriously. It should bring out the keys
of the continuous progress against the people who stands for democracy and
environment.
The thing is we need
to have investigative journalism for giant projects like these. Ought to torch
companies, politicians, unethical scientists and others who are involved to
forcibly take up such kind of projects, wherever people strongly opposed in
public hearings and the briberies involved. It would help people to understand
the problems in different perspectives too. Probably it will help to lead new
path and approaches to save green and save democratic activities.
In the past
history of media, we’ve witnessed, there have been cases treated in
investigative journalism patterns that had been done by braved journalists and
media. I could state some for examples in India by Dr. Srivalli (2006).
·
Bhagalpur Blindings (Nov. 1980): blinding
31 under trails by Bihar police in Bihar Jail: investigated by SNM Abdi, Sunday Magazine.
·
Kamala case (1981): women sold into
prostitution in Madhya Pradesh: investigated by Ashwini Sarin encouraged by
Indian Express editor Arun Shourie to prove the presence of flesh trade in
Madhya Pradesh.
·
Antulay’s Trusts (1981): Arun Shourie
showed that Abdul Rahman Antulay, the chief minister of Maharashtra state
extorted millions of dollars from businesses dependent on state resources and
put the money in a private trust named after Indira Gandhi. Auntulay had to
resign from office because of this exposure.
·
Bofors: taking the cue from a Swedish
Radio Broadcast, N Ram of “The Hindu” in Chennai with active collaboration of a
woman journalist in Geneva, Chitra Subramaniam, lanched a vigorous effort to
expose men in high places in India who received kickbacks in the guns deal.
·
Harshad Mehta Case: Sucheta Dalal of
Times of India, Mumbai about the security scandal in the Mumbai stock market
which rocked the country and forced the government of India to appoint a
parliamentary committee to go into the messy business involving crores of
rupees in losses to bank and private investors.
·
Cricket Match Fixing scandal (2000):
Tehelka sent Manoj Prabakar, a former player met the players and officials with
a hidden camera.
·
Zaheera Best Bakery Case: Tehelka
conducted a sting operation in December 2014. Ashish Khetan, reporter of
Tehelka taped a conversation by Chandrakanth Batthoo Srivastav, cousin of BJP
legislator Madhu Srivastav, bribed Zaheera which reveals that Zaheera had taken
Rs. 18 lakhs to change her testimony.
·
Sin in Paradise; Paedophilia in Goa: Five
month investigation in 2004 by Tehelka, exposed prowling paedophiles (sexually
attracted to children) in Goa.
·
Price of Insanity; Doctors giving certificates: in 2004, Jamshed Khan, reporter of Tehelka exposed a Psychologist
who issued certificates for Rupees five thousand to certified normal healthy
women as mentally ill at the request of their spouses. Such certificates were
used by men to seek divorce and remarry.
·
Pilot Licence: Tehelka exposed that
anybody could buy a student Pilot licence for Rupees one lakh without even
stepping into a cockpit.
·
Prescription Scam: Tehelka exposed how
doctors work in tune with pharmacies and scanning centres to make money.
·
Cash for Warrants Scam: in January 2004,
Vijay Shekhar of Zee TV staged a sting operation in Gujarat to expose
corruption in the lower judiciary in Gujarat. The Journalist obtained
unbailable warrants against President APJ Abdul Kalam. This exposed that
warrants against anybody could be bought for money.
·
Judeo and Jogi Sting Operations:
(example, done by the political parties for misuse of sting operation to
investigation journalism) – In November 2003, the Indian express exposed Dilip
Singh Judeo, a central minister, accepting bribe for providing mining rights to
an Australian Company. It is cleared by CBI Judeo’s political opponent Ajit
Jogi’s son Amit Jogi was involved in setting up the operation. Ahit Jogi in
turn was caught in a sting operation by the BJP, were he was shown on camera
try to bribe BJP MLA’s with the hope of splitting the party in Chhattisgarh.
·
Cash for Query – Operation Duryodhan and
telecasted in Aaj Tak in December 2005 exposed 11 MPs for taking money for
raising questions in Parliament. Aniruddha Bahal, who conducted the Operation
West End, did this sting operation.
These are my examples to recall
brave journalism to the betterment of the society, when it’s needed, especially
when we are in the hot pot contemporary. Let’s hope to propagate investigative
journalism towards save green too.
(Citation:
P. Srivalli (Feb. 2006). Journalists’ and
Public Perception of Journalistic Ethics With Reference to Tehelka Expose: An
Exploratory Study. Ph.D.Thesis, Department of Mass Media &
Communication Studies, University of Madras, Chennai.)
Ariharasuthan R (11.01.2015)
Editorial for Greenwatch (e-digest)
