Media has become a carrier of bad news for the nation.

Sometimes I ponder about whats happening around us. Economic growth, science and research, technology, life style and social changes, education, longer life span....so much of positivity.

On the other hand there is increased crime rate, terrorism, dangerous life threatening illness and viruses never heard before, degenerating moral fabric, breaking family and societal systems, fanaticism.....so much negativity.

Are things really so bad? Or are we being misled? By whom?

Media is to blame. Irresponsible, insensitive and sub standard journalism. The 24 hour news channels have become a nuisance. No censorship, No cultural sensitivity and off all no humanity.

Anything is the name of the game to get TRPs and then ad revenue. The same clipping (of barely a few seconds or a minute or two duration) is played and replayed through out the day to increase the TRPs. And not only is it shown many times over on one channel it is shown many times over and many channels. Let me illustrate this point. When the Jaipur bomb explosions happened; the video footage was repeated nothing short of 20 times during the day for about 3-4 days. Which makes it 60-70 times in a span of 3-4 days. Now if there are about 10 news channels and all of them replayed it with the same frequency, the same event was telecast about 600-700 times on the television all over the country. No doubt people absolutely panic when ever even a small explosion happens.

And this applies to types of news. Recently a Karnataka MLAs wife went missing and her body was found hanging in a room in Delhi. The video footage of her body hanging was all over the media being replayed and replayed. No censorship that there are small children sitting in front of the television watching.

A small child is found dead in Asaramjis Ashram with his head inside a bucket. There goes the media replaying the same footage all over the television.

The murder images of Arushi and her servant Hemraj still haunt me in the night.

26th July images of flooded Mumbai are being replayed, year after year news channels. As a result even if there is no flooding people in Mumbai prefer staying home. Causing huge financial losses to the city.

Media has become the bad news carrier. Media is bringing depression, stress and hopelessness in our lives.

Media is to blame for making things look so grim. By exaggerating them beyond reality.

I come back to where I started from. Economic growth, science and research, technology, life style and social changes, education, longer life span....so much of positivity. Why isn't media talking about this. Why doesn't media carry good news into our homes and over drawing rooms?

Finishing School For Politicians

The political drama which unfolded in the Lok Sabha yesterday has once again left the nation ashamed. Some MPs were seen flaunting bundles of currency notes, live on all Television channels. Claiming that it was bribe given to them by some other political party.

As a honest and law abiding citizen of India, I am ashamed of our politicians. The Parliament looked like Chambal Valley and the MPs dacoits - uncouth and unruly. The speaker went hoarse trying to bring some sense.

Can someone please teach our politicians some finesse? There are young children watching them live on the Television, future citizens of India. Tender, impressionable minds. And what legacy are these politicians leaving behind for the generation next.

Is it too much to ask? That they behave in a dignified and responsible manner. Forget being role models. At least act with some basic dignity.

Can someone please start a finishing school for our honorary, elected members of our parliament!!!!

Population explosion

"As of July 8, 2008, the world's population is believed to be approximately 6,708,700,100. In line with population projections, this figure continues to grow at rates that were unprecedented before the 20th century, although the rate of increase has almost halved since its peak of 2.2 percent per year, which was reached in 1963. The world's population, on its current growth trajectory, is expected to reach nearly 9 billion by the year 2042. China and India, are the only two countries to have a population greater than one billion, together possess more than a third of the world's population." (source, Wikipedia)

There have never been as many human beings walking this earth as there are now. We have almost overtaken the rats and cats and the birds and the fish too I think. There seems to be no consensus on population control in the world. So many point of views co-exists.

1. Keep giving birth to children as long as nature permits. Seven, eight, nine or ten. Sometimes even more. Religion says so.
   
2. Follow the contemporary social norm of a small family. Have just one or two children.
3. Be progressive and decide not to have children at all. Zero. The world can certainly do without one more human being. There are enough around. Getting under each others feet. Fighting, killing and still giving birth to 10 more!
   
4. Be selective about parentage. Be gender specific. If it is a girl child kill it. If it is a male child, give birth (I am not at all advocating it. This is a cruel and harsh practice in many communities in North India)
   

Who will decide what is right? Is it for the religious leaders to choose or the politicians as in the government. Or the mother or the father? Or lets leave it for god to decide.