As the Uttarakhand tragedy is unfolding before our eyes daily and constantly through untiring efforts of mediapersons, one is being subjected to a plethora of emotions ranging from utter disbelief at nature's power to annihilate what man creates to anger at the government's lackadaisical attitude towards this tragedy.
The biggest heroes are our army men who are working selflessly day and night to rescue people, trying to open roads and passages, sending relief to far-flung areas. They are working diligently without any rest. It should serve as a lesson to all the rest of us.
But the coverage of this unprecedented tragedy has a jarring note. Maybe it's just me who is thinking along these lines, but I am wondering that in our country the number of news channels and newspapers certainly run into hundreds and almost everyone has their reporters covering every aspect of this tragedy, then why on earth are they content with sending just a few reporters and camerapersons? Why not help actively with rescue and relief operations?
Surely, every media house can afford helicopters and certainly they can afford to send relief material out of their own coffers too. While every common citizen is trying to help in his or her small way, then why not our big newspapers and news channels try to collaborate and pool their resources so they can provide what the government is lacking or failing to provide?
{{/usCountry}}Surely, every media house can afford helicopters and certainly they can afford to send relief material out of their own coffers too. While every common citizen is trying to help in his or her small way, then why not our big newspapers and news channels try to collaborate and pool their resources so they can provide what the government is lacking or failing to provide?
{{/usCountry}}Among hundreds of staffers, there will definitely be a few who are willing to volunteer to reach out there and to help in rescue and relief mission. This is an appeal to all journalists from a common citizen to utilise their resources and help in every way they can. It is indeed a praiseworthy effort where reporters are showing photographs of missing persons and providing helpline numbers, but wouldn't it be wonderful if along with these efforts, they will also send relief material and helicopters to bring back stranded people.
Tragedy unites people and a calamity on this scale should, at least for once, unite all rival media houses to open their purses and put their money into a good cause, instead of just showing government apathy, which is a lost cause because if the government was careful, many lives would have been saved. As the government has failed miserably to discharge its duties towards its citizens, the onus is now on the fourth pillar of our democracy.