It's Time To Revisit How We Observe The News

NEW DELHI: Hindi isn't my first language, English is. I and many others around me have been accustomed to follow the news in English, we've been conditioned in ways that we might question today, but its a skin we're most comfortable in. This morning I spent 40 minutes listening to Ravish Kumar. He spoke in Hindi, Hindi that I'm most comfortable following in Bollywood, not on the news. But it's the news that is most relevant. It’s the news we need to follow. Its the news that separates rumor and fiction from reality.

We must draw to our own conclusions but not be driven by mad, power hungry news anchors, who some how feel its their job to plant opinions in our heads - not the news.

I've been following what is happening in our country, these our trying times. But if your opinion isn't the same as the person next to you, then that doesn't mean he/she is anti establishment. When did we all forget that among the many other things, learning to disagree too makes a democracy grow?

History (tomorrow) will represent what is happening around us today, our acts will define the texts for future generations to read. Think, think, think. Then, act.

Time has come for us, as citizens of this glorious nation, to stand up for each other. For fathers to talk to their daughters, mothers to sons - to educate them on the importance of humanity. For school teachers to establish debates in classrooms that educate students to know more about ground reality not for them to be another brick in the wall, same text book in hand, same answers in board examinations. Time has come for University professors and academics to rally with their students - to better understand what they have to say, and more importantly - how they feel? This isn't just about one political party against the other, or a religion that we follow or another we blame. Time has come for us to be informed.

As I write this piece for The Citizen, I feel numb. The trial by media has led so many of us to label someone as anti-nationalist or another as a terrorist. Isn't it the role of the judiciary to hand out sentences? Or are we witnesses and supporters of the new judges, those who sit in newsrooms with an army of young reporters who are asked to chase stories that work on nailing people, rather than presenting the news, which in all fairness should be two-sided.

I am a very proud Indian. That doesn't make me right wing. I am also standing by JNU. That doesn't make me anti-nationalist.

All the news channels hold the responsibility to bring the news to our homes, not to plan opinions in our heads and sadly, not to pit us against each other. India against Pakistan, BJP against Congress, you against me. Wake up! We are citizens and are responsible directly or indirectly, for all that happens around us.

Use social media to ask for the reformation of the news that we're supposed to receive. Use the walks to India Gate or wherever it is you want to assemble, to raise the importance of news being reported and trial by media. You and I can't be on the road, following ground reality. We cannot be in Calcutta and Patna, at the same time. We cannot be in Hyderabad and Mumbai, at the same time. When news breaks - we follow it on the television and the internet. It's time to revisit how we observe the news. It's time to pick one battle at a time and to be responsible citizens.