Analysis : 10 Facts on Dadri Lynching that Mainstream Media Twisted

Media screamed hoarse when the lynching in Dadri took place. Every journalist day and night outdid the other to prove that Hindu-Muslim friction is back in Modi-led Bharat. Such was the grist in proving that BJP and RSS had a hand in this pre-planned murder that even the state government fell prey to the story and became putty in the hands of the media and made sure to declare that BJP and its leaders were the trouble makers. On half baked knowledge and manipulated stories the columnists made remarks about the intent of the Modi Sarkar whether FDI will come to Bharat and whether Bihar elections will be won on such divisive politics to the future of Bharat’s progress under such events.
As if the Bharateeya media and columnists were not enough, international magazines like the Time, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal considered to be the crème of journalism, too did not spare a chance in writing about beef eating man falls prey to communal forces. Even Pakistan Foreign Ministry added its concern to the event. Such was the herd mentality and pre-conceived mindset of the media that no one bothered to report plain facts and truths. There is a reason for the same. TRP ratings and advertisements can never be enough. When such a hyped up event takes place each one has a pecuniary interest. Truth has no place and facts simply are too boring and bland.
The author did a thorough investigation of the news reports of all media outfits on Dadri lynching and corroborated 10 facts that need to be known and be placed in public domain so that the record can be set straight on what happened and what has actually been told:

     There are two-three versions of what triggered the lynching. Some reports say Akhlaq had a problem with Rahul Yadav and that he stole Yadav's calf thus triggering a fight. Some reports say Akhlaq was suspected of carrying beef in his bag (cow theft story is dropped), another report states that locals saw blood flowing out of Akhlaq’s house, a reason to suspect he killed a cow, etc.  So, was the theft the reason for a fight? Any personal animosity? The real reason of death remains to be answered.
     Who told the media that Akhlaq consumed beef and therefore was lynched? Besides no one found out what Akhlaq did with the calf if it was not slaughtered as the meat found in the fridge was that of goat. Why would Akhlaq jeopardise his life for a cow? And where did the cow disappear if it was not slaughtered? After all it’s not a small animal that goes unnoticed. If beef is banned in UP then where did Akhlaq get beef from? He is a local farmer and has to procure meat from the locality, then how no one bothered to find out from local butcher if Aqlakh had actually bought the meat from him? In a small village and around it there may not be too many meat shops and it would be known if beef is sold. If indeed it is why target Akhlaq and spare the butcher?
    The neighbouring Hindu family went to rescue Akhlaq’s family. This fact was underplayed. His brother stated that there is religious harmony in the village to the extent that he had been part of Ram Leela Committee despite the fact that he was a Muslim. Why was this fact not stated?
     The family of Mohammad Akhlaq and some other families in the village repeatedly requested the media that they should be kept away from the incident stating that media is misreporting facts. Then why did State let the media lose? Was someone to gain from such twisted reporting? Who could that be? Needless to say—Samajwadi Party, which runs the administration was to gain by showing that this is a communal incident.
     When the priest said he was forced to make a ‘false announcement’ on the speaker, this explains this incident was pre planned. Some media persons even dug the fact that the priest was from Gujarat and had moved to Bisada, to indicate that whole of Modi's Gujarat had been let loose to ignite such incidents. If it was pre-planned what was the real motive?
     Why did none of the politicians/ civic society members raise a voice against Akhilesh Government when it is purely a State subject? It almost sounds conspiratorational that everyone has trained one’s guns against Modi Government when it has nothing to do with it.
    When the event took place, it needs to be asked why Asaduddin Owaisi, Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi were allowed to meet the family and BJP leaders were kept out. Who gave directions to this selective audience? Media on being urged by the SP asked Sangeet Som why he visited the village? If he had not gone as a local MLA then everyone would have commented that he was not bothered at all.
     Such was the excitement in the media to stretch things for TRP ratings that it went to the extent of stating things that were farfetched without a grain of truth. Here are some—Bharat’s UN seat will be under threat if such communal tensions are carried out; Akhlaq had a Pakistani connection (no basis to prove that); Why does the PM not speak ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on this issue? One of them carried a TV programme saying “will inter community trust be built again in Bisada etc?” If such is the issue then why has this incident been blown over ahead of Bihar elections (who gains from it)? Do SP and Lalu get attention, and does the BJP lose its plot?
     If Akhlaq’s family was facing communally volatile situation then why has it expressed its intention to continue to stay in Bisada despite being offered accommodation in Delhi by the Air Force (where his other son works)?
     If this lynching had a BJP backing then why has arrest being ordered of the son of BJP MLA and his friends? He could have very well vanished from the scene. Going by tis yardstick why was Sangeet Som and others reprimanded by the party and have been asked to show restrain?
So is the murder communal? By who and why was the beef theory propagated? How is it related to Modi Government? Why was beef not mentioned in UP Government’s report to the Centre? These are the questions never addressed by media.
It is amply clear from these facts that media is looking for a reason to lynch Modi with communal tag and for this a pre-conceived and dangerous narrative was built. Thus facts are found to fit this narrative. At the slightest possible event politicians who want to stem the rise of Modi Sarkar will make full use of this sensational hyperbolic TRP journalism. In the name of free press media you are expected to keep issuing apologies, explanations and tweets for every incident that relates to minorities. And every time you speak up Media will cry hoarse Too Little, Too Late!!! This is how media will play a role in shaping an opinion against you.
Bhagyashree Pande
Media screamed hoarse when the lynching in Dadri took place. Every journalist day and night outdid the other to prove that Hindu-Muslim friction is back in Modi-led Bharat. Such was the grist in proving that BJP and RSS had a hand in this pre-planned murder that even the state government fell prey to the story and became putty in the hands of the media and made sure to declare that BJP and its leaders were the trouble makers. On half baked knowledge and manipulated stories the columnists made remarks about the intent of the Modi Sarkar whether FDI will come to Bharat and whether Bihar elections will be won on such divisive politics to the future of Bharat’s progress under such events.
As if the Bharateeya media and columnists were not enough, international magazines like the Time, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal considered to be the crème of journalism, too did not spare a chance in writing about beef eating man falls prey to communal forces. Even Pakistan Foreign Ministry added its concern to the event. Such was the herd mentality and pre-conceived mindset of the media that no one bothered to report plain facts and truths. There is a reason for the same. TRP ratings and advertisements can never be enough. When such a hyped up event takes place each one has a pecuniary interest. Truth has no place and facts simply are too boring and bland.
The author did a thorough investigation of the news reports of all media outfits on Dadri lynching and corroborated 10 facts that need to be known and be placed in public domain so that the record can be set straight on what happened and what has actually been told:

1. There are two-three versions of what triggered the lynching. Some reports say Akhlaq had a problem with Rahul Yadav and that he stole Yadav's calf thus triggering a fight. Some reports say Akhlaq was suspected of carrying beef in his bag (cow theft story is dropped), another report states that locals saw blood flowing out of Akhlaq’s house, a reason to suspect he killed a cow, etc.  So, was the theft the reason for a fight? Any personal animosity? The real reason of death remains to be answered.
2. Who told the media that Akhlaq consumed beef and therefore was lynched? Besides no one found out what Akhlaq did with the calf if it was not slaughtered as the meat found in the fridge was that of goat. Why would Akhlaq jeopardise his life for a cow? And where did the cow disappear if it was not slaughtered? After all it’s not a small animal that goes unnoticed. If beef is banned in UP then where did Akhlaq get beef from? He is a local farmer and has to procure meat from the locality, then how no one bothered to find out from local butcher if Aqlakh had actually bought the meat from him? In a small village and around it there may not be too many meat shops and it would be known if beef is sold. If indeed it is why target Akhlaq and spare the butcher?
3. The neighbouring Hindu family went to rescue Akhlaq’s family. This fact was underplayed. His brother stated that there is religious harmony in the village to the extent that he had been part of Ram Leela Committee despite the fact that he was a Muslim. Why was this fact not stated?
4. The family of Mohammad Akhlaq and some other families in the village repeatedly requested the media that they should be kept away from the incident stating that media is misreporting facts. Then why did State let the media lose? Was someone to gain from such twisted reporting? Who could that be? Needless to say—Samajwadi Party, which runs the administration was to gain by showing that this is a communal incident.
5. When the priest said he was forced to make a ‘false announcement’ on the speaker, this explains this incident was pre planned. Some media persons even dug the fact that the priest was from Gujarat and had moved to Bisada, to indicate that whole of Modi's Gujarat had been let loose to ignite such incidents. If it was pre-planned what was the real motive?
6. Why did none of the politicians/ civic society members raise a voice against Akhilesh Government when it is purely a State subject? It almost sounds conspiratorational that everyone has trained one’s guns against Modi Government when it has nothing to do with it.
7. When the event took place, it needs to be asked why Asaduddin Owaisi, Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi were allowed to meet the family and BJP leaders were kept out. Who gave directions to this selective audience? Media on being urged by the SP asked Sangeet Som why he visited the village? If he had not gone as a local MLA then everyone would have commented that he was not bothered at all.
8. Such was the excitement in the media to stretch things for TRP ratings that it went to the extent of stating things that were farfetched without a grain of truth. Here are some—Bharat’s UN seat will be under threat if such communal tensions are carried out; Akhlaq had a Pakistani connection (no basis to prove that); Why does the PM not speak ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on this issue? One of them carried a TV programme saying “will inter community trust be built again in Bisada etc?” If such is the issue then why has this incident been blown over ahead of Bihar elections (who gains from it)? Do SP and Lalu get attention, and does the BJP lose its plot?
9. If Akhlaq’s family was facing communally volatile situation then why has it expressed its intention to continue to stay in Bisada despite being offered accommodation in Delhi by the Air Force (where his other son works)?
10. If this lynching had a BJP backing then why has arrest being ordered of the son of BJP MLA and his friends? He could have very well vanished from the scene. Going by tis yardstick why was Sangeet Som and others reprimanded by the party and have been asked to show restrain?

So is the murder communal? By who and why was the beef theory propagated? How is it related to Modi Government? Why was beef not mentioned in UP Government’s report to the Centre? These are the questions never addressed by media.
It is amply clear from these facts that media is looking for a reason to lynch Modi with communal tag and for this a pre-conceived and dangerous narrative was built. Thus facts are found to fit this narrative. At the slightest possible event politicians who want to stem the rise of Modi Sarkar will make full use of this sensational hyperbolic TRP journalism. In the name of free press media you are expected to keep issuing apologies, explanations and tweets for every incident that relates to minorities. And every time you speak up Media will cry hoarse Too Little, Too Late!!! This is how media will play a role in shaping an opinion against you.

Bhagyashree Pande (The writer is a Mumbai based
freelance journalist)