Many people, journalists, media personnel and even filmmakers and artists etc. termed the ban imposed by the Indian government, on screening of the documentary film “India’s Daughter” by the BBC and other media channels, as infringement of fundamental rights and curtailing the “freedom of press and the media”. But then in this particular case of the Delhi rape incident or the tragedy being filmed and broadcasted by the BBC (which also has the ‘sadistic’ interview of one of the criminals) needs to be seen in a different perspective.
I feel that for years and decades India, have always been shown or highlighted as an underdeveloped country, as poverty stricken, as a land of snake charmers, sadhus and now criminals too. Today after series of rape incidents, media has gone to the extent of even branding India as a “Rape Capital”. I can quote many movies made by veteran film makers and directors (I wish not to name them but its self-explanatory) who have only projected India as the land of slums, beggars, and have highlighted only dirty and unclean places and filthy areas, nude children running around and fighting for a loaf of bread and so on. And such films had been even nominated for the Oscars! Pathetic that our own Indian filmmakers and directors only wanted to project India as a bad nation with the only hope to get the Oscar award!
And now the Delhi and other rape incidents, sadly though, have given more rooms for international channels like the BBC to go full stream and take undue “advantage” of the volatile situation in the country and project only India as the land of “rapists and criminals”. It is very pertinent to point out that if we go by the reported rape statistics, India has one of the lowest rates of rape in the world. No international media sees what’s happening in their own nation or other countries in the world including the US.
A rape in a cab in New Delhi made it all the way into the New York Times while an estimated 700 rapes occurred on that day in the US merited no mention. So, I ask, is disproportionate coverage of rape in India justified? As per the global statistics (very reliable ones) available, there are top 15 countries of the world by rapes per 1,00,000 people. Australia and the United States and even Sweden, are in the top fifteen.
As per the statistics covering 119 nations, of rapes per capita, India is near the bottom, at number 94. Moreover, many countries, including UK and France, have been showing a decline in rape conviction rate. But, believe it or not, India’s rate is still several times higher than the UK and this despite the very well-known inefficient and much-delayed legal and the judicial system prevailing in the country. So, obviously one would conclude that higher rate of conviction would certainly invite more media coverage and again for obvious reasons – to project India in the negative mode!
So, why are these western channels (and the elite Indian channels too…) targeting only India and Indian’s films highlighting rapes and crimes? Why are they not coming out with the facts and figures and the crimes that occur frequently in countries like Australia, UK and the USA? Is there any ulterior motive to not project these nations as bad but only adversely affect the image of India alone? Why are these news channels and journalists highly biased and partial? When the Indian government takes a defensive and judicious action and rightfully bans the film so as to maintain the true image of India, why are these channels making a hue and cry about it? Will they emulate the same act in their own country and other nations like Australia and the US?
S. KRISHNA KUMAR
