2003-09-08

Mission Accomplished: A Refugee Created By The Media

When Rajiv Gandhi visited the United States as Prime Minister, he was asked why he had not given Indian radio and television complete freedom. He replied that the Indian press was free but they were “worse than you [American Press] are.” Though his excuse was lame, the following incident may seem to add credence to his line.

During the Gujarat riots, a photograph of a Muslim youth begging the police to save his life was published all across the national press and it has since remained etched in everyone’s memory.

The youth apparently survived the incident but subsequently found it difficult to go back to his usual life. Being a daily labourer, he found it difficult to obtain jobs as everyone recognised him and faulted him for giving Gujarat a “bad name.” On learning his plight, the leftist government in West Bengal offered him a government job in that state. Though he did not want to leave his native Gujarat, the situation seemed to force him.

At a media conference, he asked the press to stop publishing his photograph. This turned out to be a mistake because he was snapped again and his photo published all over the press on the next day. Some newspapers, wanting to apprise their readers who might have forgotten, published the old photograph showing him crying and begging for his life alongside the new one.