bNow hey, what the hell is happening here? You must be joking, right?
Since when did you claimMiracle’ A self-styled guru becoming news – no, not just news but rolling news, ‘breaking news’, headline news, ‘special’ news for three days, in which order he has been hailed as the latest revered saint?
And why is he being hailed as an international star, no less? Baba’s talk in London. Why is Baba on everyone’s lips from UK to MP? asked ABP NewsWednesday.
Er, because your channel, like other Hindi news television channels, has been celebrating its ‘exploits’ since Sunday, to the exclusion of almost all other news, including the actual standoff between the central government, the opposition parties and the Congress. some student communities double sided BBC documentary Series ‘India: The Modi Question’?
What is the matter? ABP News On being asked whether Dhirendra K. Has the controversies around Shastri aka Bageshwar Dham aka ‘Parchi Baba’ increased his TRPs when news channels are parading him in front of our eyes to boost their own viewership ratings?
Why should viewers be subjected to incessant video clips of this gentleman’s strange hat and cheeky mannerisms as a black human challenges his supposed ‘healing’ powers and his ability to read people’s minds?
shyam human Who? Who is Dhirendra Shastri?
Read also: India’s TV news is in love with Asaduddin Owaisi – a Muslim leader for all seasons and reasons
When they don’t ignore, they scold BBC
at least we don’t have to ask BBCwhat is that? republic tv Anchor Arnab Goswami May Call the channel ‘Boring Broadcasting Corporation’, but We all know that it stands for the British Broadcasting Corporation, Britain’s public television and radio company.
Now, it is making news apart from telecasting it, because of the ‘big controversy’ (republic tv) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, about the Gujarat riots of 2002 and his series on Reported After the first part of Communal Divide under PM Modi became available on the internet last week, the Center banned its links on social media.
then how did The reaction of our beloved news channels? Well, he was naturally coy in his response to both, though these were related to a) criticism of the PM and b) freedom of the press.
While they were alarmed by the “massive storm over the BBC documentary series” (republic tv), he limited himself to hitting his favorite target but that too from the shoulder of the government – ‘(law minister) Rijiju hit’Fragments the gang’ (republic tv), ‘Lobby supports BBC’s ‘lies” (times now, He also reported on the outcry from opposition parties, but with more than a hint of disapproval: ‘Opposition politicizes docu-series,’ says CNN News 18.
Again came the audacity of some student communities in ‘BBC Modi Film Showdown’india today) for screening the series despite the ban. ‘university On Warpath. Stage set for high drama, ‘explained cnn news 18, Furthermore, most English news channels avoided debating the pros and cons of the film or its ban. republic tvArnab Goswami and Rajdeep Sardesai of india today who asked whether the censorship by the government was an ‘overreaction’ or if the BBC was “guilty of fake propaganda”.
We’ll leave such debates where they arise – in the TV studio. But what about TV news comparing Modi to India, and its silence on the ban or its outright support – note, headlines like ‘Row over anti-India docuseries’ (cnn news 18,, Are we now living in an age where criticism of the PM is criticism of the country as well – Is Modi India and India Modi?
Read also: TV turns Rahul Gandhi’s Gujarat rally into a powerhouse, leaving no room for Bharat Jodo Yatra
reading the minds of tv anchors
We are not sure whether Dhirendra Shastri is a ‘cheater or a God man’times now) But he has become an overnight TV and social media sensation. We don’t even know exactly why this is so. But we do know this: Hindi news channels thought he deserved carpet coverage after Shyam Manav challenged his mental skills. In fact, they considered the ‘news’ to be far more important than the BBC series, which they largely ignored until Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia. saw Students struggle over it – ‘documentary Pay Dangal,Till date),
was it a diversionary tactic From more controversial news about the BBC series Or had Hindi news channels fallen for the bluff of ‘Baba’?
have video footage of Bageshwar Dham at public rallies where he calls on a member of the audience and writes on a piece of paper what them without speaking them Absolutely – hence the nickname ‘Parchi Wala Baba’ (India TV), shots of hysterical persons flinging themselves in all directions in his meetings, Huh?
learned master and Saint discussEd His ‘Miracle, (Miracle) on channels like Aaj Tak, Zee News, News 18 India, Actually, this ‘Baba’ of is the saga ABP News what Russia-ukraine has been to war TV9 India: The never ending story.
We have also seen ‘babas’ intervening in re-conversions – channel after channel a woman named Sultana was renamed Sudha after the ‘baba’ accepted her into Hinduism.
‘Baba’ too Spoke, often in non-sequiturs with a cheeky grin on his lips. He declared, “India must become a Hindu nation.”Well, if ‘Baba’ says so…
They do road shows in their home district of Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh Slide on a swing, gives Gives speeches, pronounces remedies and generally behaves like a gentleman. gorgeous.
How far have the news channels probed?faith and belief‘ is astonishing: abp news, news 18 And Times Now Navbharat invites ‘mind readers’ Suhani Shah and Manoj to ‘expose’ what really happenedmind matter‘ of invited guests or TV anchors. While Manoj speculates that Goa was in the mind of the chosen one during his ‘Pariksha’, Suhani declares that there is no ‘magic’ in mind-reading – it is an ‘art’. He also ‘read’ someone’s mind but refused to reveal the views of the anchors.
Hmmmm.
The author tweets at @shailajabajpai. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)