BBC documentary on Nirbhaya, an attempt to defame global Indian image

BBC documentary on Nirbhaya convict’s interview is creating not only a controversy about the freedom of media but also opening up the pandora’s box about the ethics of public broad cast on human values. National media in India is broadly divided on this issue. A section of the media calling this anarchy to publish or broadcast matters sensitive to the person who suffered the impact of the crime and she has to revisit the trauma by this broadcast. Media which is supporting BBC says that the society needs to understand that still we are living among this section of people and need to bring the change in the mindset. The social and human rights activists, politicians are also split on this issue.

The question here is why should Indian society be targeted and picturised negatively across the world by BBC? There are more heinous rapes and other crimes committed in all other parts of the world but both producer Leslee Udwin and BBC chose only India and its subjects for this exercise of telling the world about the mindset of a person who committed rape. The west has always shown interest in raising curtains on India’s poverty, loop holes religious and traditional values, customs and also gives focus to crime and hatred in our land. This is what most of the Indians hate about the western media. Mrs. Udwin today cleverly says that India is showing light to civilisation and this reform of changing mindset (which is boasted as the objective of the documentary) of men who are committing rape should get unveiled from here only. She also adds that India by denying the permission to broad cast documentary is missing a chance to prove that it’s a nation with progressive thought. We are herewith asking a straight question to Mrs.Udwin why the BBC is being forced to stop films shot on Royal family affairs in the last minute? Why the great BBC is still not finding racism in UK as a shame and ever dare to release a documentary on race discrimination?

BBC along with a section of western media always promoted India in negative shade. Indians are shown as beggars and snake charmers until software field flourished in India. Many western countries are reeling under severe problems such as unemployment, racial discrimination, lack of social security, terrorism, gun culture, falling economies and last but not the least collapse of human relations. But all these problems are not visible to the western media. They prefer to chose India as we are soft targets. Here they can break all rules and norms easily. Why cannot this exercise of social education be done taking a subject from china or Saudi Arabia? Because the government and people there never allow these western media so easily to defame the country’s self respect. BBC producers sought the permission from Tihar Jail authorities with certain limitations and rules which they grossly violated and aired the documentary.

We are very unfortunate to have such leaders who can never asses and realise the consequences of western media’s influence on our country and culture before giving permissions for shooting such documentaries. Not only this, many NGOs working under the guise of social service are also putting the image of the country at peril. Hope government and leaders wake up and take control of the western media excesses on our country even now. There is also a need for Indian media to strengthen and expand its tentacles and show the world what's happening in the West. We are here not just to protect ourselves from the enemy but also to fight back by raising to the occasion whenever need be.

By Raghu bhushan Eranki