Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Hidden Cameras

Hidden Cameras

What the beautiful and splendid turn has the situations have taken; hidden cameras are at the central stage. One who were exposing, are looking and searching a shelter to be away from the eyes of politicians, elites and even the common Indian citizens so can be safe guard self from the hot discussion going for setting the norms of use of hidden camera for so called exposures and truth search operations sponsored and carried out by the media.

Recently we had celebrated sixtieth birthday of our democratic set up which mean we had crossed not only our childhood but also the adolescence stage and are quite suitable for pronouncing as the mature adults. It is unfortunate that our social atmosphere is neither reflecting nor illustrating this. Technology has added enormously in the style of news hunting, coverage of events and presentation of happenings. We had crossed the print media, though it is still relevant; saw the broadcasting era of media, living the telecasting media and preparing for the entrance into web based media. Question that brought hidden cameras to central stage is does we are tackling the situations in mature way and presenting the conclusions in a responsible manner? Certainly the answer is not a positive one. If it was so than what was the need of discussing all this? The pity is that even our use of visible camera is facing with the questions of reliability and relevancy. Before we go further look at just figures and facts.

It was Asian games Delhi to bring colour telecast in India and boosted the television industry in the country. If we go for the list of house hold appliances color televisions are finding the prime and first place of the list. Naturally the emergence of T V Channels got the way and nourishing grounds beside the entertainment and sports channels, News channels were not only got birth during last two decades but also started showing their exclusive present. This growing number resulted in natural war of existence for the channels of similar nature. The TRP [Telecast Rating Points] has started to play all important roles in the life of TV channels and actual trouble got the starting point here. The serials started with meaningful and educational "Mahabharat" the great Indian epic, "Subah" [?] a true representations of campus and honest attempt to tackle the drug problem of youth started changing their shapes to endless looking "Kiyonki " and campus means just love affairs of youth and humiliation of teachers.

News channels are also affected from this. Concept of "exclusive" was born and hidden cameras were assigned the duties of exposures. It my be the bribery operations during the years between 2001 to 2003 , casting couch operations related with Shakti Kappor and Aman Varma in 2005 or Asking of the questions in the Lok-Sabha [House of people] in the same year, it was hidden the cameras all the way. The war of existence and growing competition has forced news channels to add many non news programs in their daily schedules of telecast. If you look at the reasons given by channels for these inclusions you will found them even beyond the limits of being funny. The telecast of superstition, coverage of travel destinations, presentations about the programs of entertainment channels and Future forecasts can boost TRP of channel but at reality grounds they have nothing to do with News.

Time has come when not only we have to think and look at the matters with mature vision but also laid down the crossing lines to make our responses and behavior a responsible one. We can't allow doing anything to media under the slogan and laws of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression doesn't mean demolishing the social image of person or community, neither it can allowed to be used for creating misunderstanding and rumors. A few moments back I had finished watching Hindi movie "Chak De", how the press and media were responsible for spoiling carrier of a dedicated sport person. Though it was all imaginary but our real life is filled with many such incidents from which real life was scripted. Another thing which I wish to that does meaning of celebrity is loosing the personal life? If not than why the media seems too eager to look into personal life of celebrities? Personal life in itself means the territory prohibited for the trespassers, and ever time using either visible or hidden cameras either media or any other has to keep this all the times, in the mind. I don't recall where I read Rusian Waraninkav's statement "In our country freedom of speech doesn't give you right the brake the back bone of society and Nation. If any body attempt to do so he will be caught and send to Siberia for the rest of life." As we are living and love to live in democratic set up so we can't go in such harsh and undemocratic manner but surely it underlines the need of laying the guide lines for the electronic media. Government of India and Parliament needs to take note of all this and took it in the consideration while finalizing provisions of the "Broadcasting Bill" under the making.

It is natural there will be strong enough opposition from the TV channels after all it will limit their right of broadcasting anything and extending reach of their hidden cameras to any where, but before giving full stop to my this writing I wish to ask just one question. Is the media persons are free from the tendency of common man of falling pray to greed, anguish and ambitions and found being engaged in unmoral and illegal activities? If not than why these hidden cameras are not succeeded in catching them even at just one such incident?


No comments: