Fakery of NDTV Owners Stands Expose

NDTV issue exposes the duplicity of a section of media and powerful influencers in India. This lobby has been telling people worldwide that the company's owners (wife and husband) were forced to sell lion's shares of their company to a business tycoon. They allege that huge pressure was brought to bear on them to offload their shares because their news channel has been an eyesore for the government. According to these people, NDTV became the most popular channel because of its boldness and unsparing reporting. However, one fails to understand that if its proprietors have been so bold then how and why did they buckle under the pressure of the government of the day?

N Ram and company have been crying foul from the housetops that deal of Roy’s with the Adani group was done by adopting coercive methods. If it was so, then why Roys, the so-called champions of freedom of speech and expression and other conscience keepers of the country did not raise the hue and cry over the sinister designs of the government? What is all the more surprising is that not a whisper was made by the Roys till the deal was finalised. There were, of course, some selective leaks in a section of the media about the deal. Why did Roys not show even a semblance of resistance against the move? The other question is that if freedom of speech and expression is so dear and close to the hearts of the owners of NDTV, then why at all did they sell their shares? If it was a pure business deal, then they and their followers should not tom-tom that Roys were the martyrs at the altar of the fourth estate. As a matter of fact, the owners of the NDTV were known to be highly deft in dealing with all the tricks of the trade. They were experts in encashing their proximity with powers that be and took all advantages for the furtherance of their business.

Even otherwise, NDTV has not set any milestones for journalism. Its journalists have been known for using the forum for their self-aggrandisements. There is hardly any journalistic example set by this channel which could be emulated by the new generation of journalists. Initially, many of its programmes were being presented with the open misuse of government machinery of Door darshan, which was almost inaccessible for most journalists or small-time media entrepreneurs. At one point in time, Door darshan was considered to be their domain. NDTV never believed in pluralism which it advocated only for other media houses or channels. Nobody disagreeing with the policies of the NDTV could even think of being given any space on the channel. If anybody has seen any programme where the problems of media employees or those of working journalists, he or she would do a service in bringing it to the notice of the general public.

NDTV owners dismissed hundreds of employees in one go without even a tinge of remorse. As a matter of fact, NDTV has always championed the cause of the elitist class. The working class was not even allowed to touch the periphery of this channel. Only such topics were allowed to be discussed by this channel, which has been useful in subserving its interests.

One more question which needs to be asked from its owners that whether they ever tried to raise this issue with the opposition parties even after the sale of shares. Clearly, they did not do any such thing rather they preferred to remain mum. This shows the duplicity of Roy’s in which they have gained dexterity. They want to have both worlds- to be good with powers that be and at the same time wear the hallow of being progressive and fighters.

No Tears Should be Shed for Wily Wolves of NDTV

One often wonders that why there is so much brouhaha by a section of pseudo-intellectuals over the sale of NDTV by a crafty capitalist duo, claiming to be the espousers of public interest to a proclaimed industrialist. This duo made a huge amount of money by adopting all the tricks of the trade, which could be unbecoming of any ethical and intellectual person. But by their intellectual posturing both accumulated stinking amounts of wealth. They are said to have assets worth thousands of crores, that too, within a span of two/ three decades. It is said they were living in a Barsati of a house but in a very little time, they made hundreds of crores, mostly because of their connections with powers that be. They are, thus, classic examples of crony capitalism.

There was an Income Tax Officer, some Srivastav, who used to publicly say that husband and wife duo- Pranoy Roy and Radhika Roy owned a ramp consisting of hundreds of acres of land in an African country. So, NDTV was like any other business for them and there is nothing wrong with it. But they played the victim card to get the milage of sympathies from the gullible public was indeed condemnable. After all owners of big media houses, be it Print or Electronic do their business, not for any social service but to make profits. In fact, it has been seen that media owners indulge in far more unethical practices than businesspersons of other varieties. Therefore, those shedding tears for the Roy couple are thoroughly mistaken about their so-called altruistic deeds.

There is no dearth of such people who are shedding tears over the drama of the resignation of a journalist, who has been associated with the Channel for a long time and is known for spearheading a campaign against a certain political party and a leader. These people possibly do not know the fact that power consists of the ‘ruling party as well as who is in opposition. Hence, those who are in opposition also fall within the realm of the ‘Power’. Therefore, this journalist, who was part of the NDTV was also part of the power structure.

Here it is a larger question arises whether this journalist and the NDTV owner’s duo were in any way different from other exploiting capitalists. In fact, when a person claiming to be against exploitation becomes an integral part of the exploitative machinery then his/ her exploitation becomes more intense and tortuous than other capitalists. Only a few years ago nearly 350 employees of the NDTV were very unceremoniously thrown out of their jobs but the entire class of progressive journalists and intellectuals kept mum as if they were hamstrung by paralysis. When we approached the Labour Commissioner of Delhi to help those hapless workers, he said that victimised employees must themselves approach the Labour department. We talked to many employees, but they did not come forward to complain about it for fear of being branded as the embedded agents of the government.

What was most astonishing was that a few days after the termination of workers the owners of NDTV organised a meeting in the Press Club of India, which was addressed by a whole lot of anti-workers ranging from reactionaries like Arun Shourie, and Fali Nariman to many shameless and rank opportunists, who did not say even a word against the unfair labour practices of the NDTV owners. The stony silence of this sermonising and preachy journalist (his name need not be mentioned here) over the termination of hundreds of workers was painful to the core.

I am sure that workers will now have more freedom in the NDTV to raise their voices against exploitation than they had in the regime of Roys, who were marauders masquerading as being pro-people businesspersons. They must be exposed, who have been worse than the enemies of the workers.