Anna Hazare’s indefinite fast entered the third day on Tuesday with the anti-graft activist regretting the attack on media by his supporters and warned that he will call off his fast if they again indulge in violence.
Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, who is also fasting, apologised for the misbehaviour with media but sought to blame media house owners, saying they have to decide whether they are with the country or with corrupt people.
Before Mr. Hazare and his close aides took the dais, some supporters shouted slogans against the media.
A scuffle broke out between Team Anna supporters and mediapersons on Monday night at Jantar Mantar, where Mr. Hazare is on an indefinite fast. Team Anna member Shanti Bhushan’s allegation that media was not projecting the protest in proper light allegedly led to the brawl.
The Broadcast Editors’ Association (BEA) had condemned the incident and demanded an apology from Team Anna.
Regretting the attack on media, Mr. Hazare told his supporters on Tuesday morning that he “felt sad” after hearing about the attack on media accusing them of not giving proper coverage to the indefinite fast on corruption issues.
“If you indulge in violence, remember that the government can crush us in two days. They have the strength and laws to do that. In future, if these things happen again, at that moment I will call off this agitation. I don’t approve of this. Let media do their work. Don’t bother about what they do,” he said.
He said if the media coverage is not the right way, they should not blame media but should introspect and see if there is any problem with the activists that such reports are coming. “It’s wrong to blame media. I regret that some people have misbehaved with the media,” he said.
Apologising to the media, Mr. Kejriwal said the protest should continue with calmness and non-violence. “We cannot tolerate such behaviour,” he said.
However, he said media house owners need to make their own choices whether they want to support government in their wrong deeds or want to join the mission of service of nations.
Another Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said they were ashamed of what happened yesterday. “Our fight is not with the media,” he said.
Keywords: Team Anna fast, Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan remark, media protest, India Against Corruption, Jantar Mantar
The media realised that all of these people are armchair activists and
their brief dalliance with team Anna is over. And that is why they're
uninterested. If everyone wants "unbiased" coverage of Team Anna, how
about they get off their chairs and go indulge in their favourite past-
time - lighting candles with Anna. The TV vans will follow right behind
and we'll have "unbiased" coverage again.
Unbiased indeed.
Arnab Goswami's affinity towards Congress can be seen in each and every political debate that he hosts. If Times Now is to be believed, nothing serious is going on at Jantar Mantar and only a few corrupt activists are present there and the great government that we have at the centre is doing all right things.
The government say's the bill cannot be passed in 8 days. As if only 8 days have passed since August'11, when Anna's Movement first began.
Whether or not someone goes to Jantar Mantar, this reflects the mood of the general people.
The media has more to do than merely reporting what Anna and his team
are doing. Anna and co. ought to bear in mind that our economy is our
primary concern right now, and the anti-graft fight can be held later.
The Bill is in the Parliament, and it cannot be passed without
following the channels laid down in the Constitution. Learn to respect
that.
The brawl with media by some small numbers of Anna’s team is
unfortunate. It is honestly clear from day one almost all electronic
media were surreptitiously against his team. Negative comments,
disheartening tones were aired mindlessly to diffuse the speed of
anti-corruption fight. Times Now is an anti- Hindu and pro-congress
channel. This can be verified when discussions during any minority
related issues, especially RSS or BJP is involved. Any statement
against Anna on unity among the team or other issues needs to be
carefully placed, otherwise there are haws flying around to gobble the
movement. In the name intelligent comments let us not harm this
movement. Every time when Anna is criticized, it is an energy tonic
for the corrupt forces in our country. We also request Anna and his
team members to wipe out differences and maintain consistency in what
they are saying and doing.
@Prof A N Malviya,
I think its psuedo intellectuals sitting in AC rooms and universities
and commenting on IAC movement looking through an idealistic view, have
to change. As Kannan here pointed out, the house is set on fire by
corrupt bureaucracy and government for ages. If some people come forward
and show a path to solve the corruption problem, I think its every
individual's moral obligation to support the cause in every way one can.
Not witch-hunting and showing intellectual arrogance!
Mr Malviya,
It is true that crowds have frittered away .What else can the crowd do? The crowd can hurl stones at the houses of the MPs but in return they will get lathis,tear gas and be thrown behind the bars.What can a common man do? Go to work and earn so that he can feed himself and others.What will he get if joins the anti-corruption movement.He will be getting nothing.He will continue to do his work subdued ,burdened under the policies and tax schemes.
The reason behind this is that we call India a democratic country but all we see is a dictatorship cloaked under democracy.We all can do one thing i.e turn into individuals like Paan Singh Tomar and sacrifice our life for the sake of our countrymen but that too will be in vain .All because we are not corrupt but we are too self occupied and blinded bu the fact that we live in a democratic country.
@Prof A N Malviya: It was shocking to read a Professor’s incoherent diatribe against Team Anna without any proof! Hope you take Bernard Shaw’s advice: "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds
cannot change anything."You may not have, but many people (probably fearful of losing the opportunity to make extra money from the current corrupt system) are attacking anti-corruption-supporters, making false accusations,
misrepresentations and exaggerations. Fortunately, even the illiterate
Indian is well used to these antiques (used by politicians often enough), and is not fooled by these acts of general mud-slinging. Instead s/he is deeply frustrated and feels betrayed by the politicians, and parts of the judiciary, the media, the intelligentsia. Patient and non-violent s/he will make his/her voice
heard. Worry not, the world will hear the voice of the free people of India!
Indians will reclaim their democracy and there will be prosperity for all!!
It is to be appreciated that Team Anna has unconditionally apologised in one voice to the media.It is very rare with any other political party.They are not bold and feel shy of asking for apology instead create a fact finding committee to submit report which will never be submitted.Anna team is supporting "SATYA-GRAH" and we all know SATYA always prevails.
Satya Meva Jayete.
Arnab Goswamy,Rajdeep Sardesai and some others of TV channels changed
their tone suddenly and tilted towards the corrupt government.The same
channels went to the extent of opinion polls in support of Annaji last
august when he was rudely arrested and sent to Tihar.Why this sudden
change of mind against Anna's movement?Were they bribed by Salman
Khurshid, Sibbal,Chidambaram and the notorious Digvijai singh etc to
demolish India Against Corruption?It is this arrogant and rich media
which has to apologise to this nation.Being a gentleman Annaji has
apologised instead. What a shame!!
This is an unfortunate incident and mere apology is not enough.The team Anna must reckon with that the media coverage that they received one year ago will not come. Their own fascist utterances and arrogance exposed their hidden motives.Therefore if media keeps a cautious distance it is their own creation.Instead of adopting violent means, if they are truly Gandhian in spirit, they ought to introspect and search what went wrong that people are disenchanted with them and hopes of thousands to curb corruption have frittered away.It shall be national tragedy if anti-corruption social awakening generated in the past by Anna ends up in a fiasco.If it happens Anna and his team shall be responsible for lacking,miserably, intellectual and moral authority that this movement beg since its very inception.Bernard Shaw words," Progress is impossible without change,and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."India does not wish that Anna is condemned by history as a failure.
I really wish that our media spent these four days in more useful and important things happening in regards to this movement but alas. Nonetheless, now that Anna has already made statement and satisfied teh ego of media who has gorgotten that it is actually the voice of the countrymen and not a governemt in itself, let us please forget this episode and concentrate on the more important issues of LokPal Bill.
I suggest that all of us write a letter each to the PM and the President to tell them what we want and encourage the cause of Lok Pal Bill.
Like this government has broken all records of grafts and corruption, let us break one more record of the maximum letters of discontent written to the Prime Minister of a country.
Please cover more news on the ongoing agitation and make it a grand success.
Will media regret the biased reporting on this movement so far ?
The media basically does Team Anna bashing on 3 counts: 1. “There are differences in the views of Team Anna members” So what? What is wrong if they have differences between themselves. Even in companies where your survival depends on your bosses you have differences. And this is a voluntary movement. How can it not have differences? The only place in India where you have no differences are some political parties, where the High Command is supreme. 2. “Team Anna has joined hands with extremist Hindutva groups” We are not so convinced. In any case, it does not matter to me what Anna thinks about alcoholism and whether some of his supporters are 'secular' as defined by vested interests. When your house is on fire and people rush to help you, you do not first check their views on Kashmir!! 3. Small slips by the team are being magnified to equate them with our corrupt and immoral political class. In other words even if you have paid a 10 rupee bribe you are disqualified from such protests
The Times Now channel’s virtual boycott of the movement, and the shrill negative tone of its anchors while talking to or about Team Anna members is shocking. Shows how unfairly powerful the big media houses have become today. I am sure 90% of the viewers hate the attempts of leading anchors to trivialize the efforts of Team Anna, and attempts to equate them with corrupt politicians – whose efforts to sustain the corrupt system is glaringly obvious. The common man is just not fooled. Instead he is deeply frustrated and feels betrayed by the media. The ego displayed by leading anchors is scary, and shows the power they wield today.
I dont understand why is media supporting the goverment,
why is media always coming up with news which suggests something is wrong with Anna ji and his team,
media you dont want a corruption free India ??
Please entire country is against corruption, please for once support the right cause.
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