The Opinion Blog
Western Media and it’s obsession with masking third-world terrorists
Last week, Pakistan-based militants decided to pay India a visit for the second time this year by attacking our army camps. As an Indian, I have grown tired of watching our brothers lose their lives over senseless attacks. The Uri terrorist attack, perpetrated by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad, left 17 jawans dead. While it translates to “The Army Of Muhammad” from Arabic, translating from hogwash to common sense this means nothing but a bunch of propagandised idiots. Jaish-e-Muhammad is a segment of the ISIS, which in turn is affiliated with the government of Pakistan. Evidences have made it obvious that Pakistan’s government had a role to play in this cowardly act of terrorism. However such information is hardly presented by western media outlets, which hold back from even branding these perpetrators as “terrorists”. In the midst of garnering subscriptions and reporting attractive news, they prefer calling these terrorists “suspected militants”,
The article proceeds on to mention the controversial human rights abuses in Kashmir by the Indian army, diverting the attention of readers from the main topic of the article. In addition, it also presents a highly biased summary of the conflict in the region towards the end of the article. It focuses on the history favourable to Pakistan, and does not present a balanced version of events. For example, the fact that Maharaja Hari Singh had a majority of Muslim subjects, low voter turnout during the 1948 elections and Indira Gandhi’s installation of puppet governments in Kashmir were heavily focused on. It presented a blurry representation of the actual events, and did not even mention the ignorance of the UN mandate by Pakistan, their continual fighting and stubbornness to hold on to POK, cross LOC firing and the never ending lily-livered attacks.
The hostile nature of the Indian Army and Government as depicted in the article is far from the truth. In Indian tradition, the state actively tries to communicate with it’s subjects through accommodation and welfare. Ashoka put together a network of pillars to communicate with his subjects. During the Mughal rule, Diwan-e-Aam also symbolised direct communication between the state and its people. In Islamic tradition too, patience and perseverance are central to communication and peace. However it is only communication that divides existing in Kashmir, resulting from brainwashing and blackmailing performed by self-appointed Pakistani vigilantes. Separatists such as Hurriyat are anti-national in reality and are successfully using Kashmiris as bait to project “oppression” by the Indian Armed Forces. However such facts will never be presented by Western media, as terrorist attacks in third world countries are an opportunity to heavily indulge in yellow journalism without facing stark criticism. Yellow journalism is nothing but a form of journalism wherein there is little legitimate well-researched news and instead employs the use of catchy headlines to attract audience and increase sales. By maintaining a neutral stance in the headline, the newspaper succeeds at attracting readers from all backgrounds but fails at fulfilling the core principle of journalism: obligation to truth, impartiality and humanity.
Another problem with this article is the image it paints of Indian citizens, and their nature. This image contrasts the one propagated by Indian culture: one that equals love to god, prizes compassion and preaches non-violence. Culture is an umbrella term for many things, such as the shared attitudes of people and their sublunary traits.The ideals of Indian culture are dear to Kashmiris as well, and given the fact that their lands and sense of belonging has been stolen multiple times by terrorists, they hold their cultural identity with extreme importance.
This is not unique to the Uri Attacks. It is a recurring, distressing pattern. Pathankhot, Beirut and Palestine to name a few. Terrorists will always equal rebels, suspected militants or revolutionists in Western newspapers as long as violence was not inflicted upon Europe or America. Would the masterminds behind the Charlie Hebdo attacks also be labelled as “rebels”? Of course not. With Western news outlets repeatedly pampering themselves with yellow journalism, insensitive reporting, and portrayal of notional images of a community, offence is bound to be created.
Comments: There have been human rights abuses by the Indian Military! Despicable. It is a fact, please read a book or something and educate yourself on the matter before criticising things you don’t understand. Kashmir must be liberated.
This comment was deleted as it violated community guidelines.
Don’t you think Indians are manipulated into thinking this way by the Indian government and media too? It’s a two way street. You know what can blossom if Pakistani media starts reporting the atrocities committed by the government and the reality? Civil Disobedience.
Pakistan has lost all rights to be even called a country. The civilian government is a joke.
A thief will never confess his crime. And these Westerners are nothing but white collar terrorists themselves.
These evidences are presented by the Indian government. How can the international committee determine it’s legitimacy and brand them as terrorists without ample information? Such an attack on western media is absurd.
How do we know that what the Indian media reports about Uri is true?
Pakistani media does not lie. It is the Indian media which always lies about Pakistan. An example of this is when India told that Russian troops are not aiding them in the war of 71’, but footages show otherwise. Observe Pakistani, Indian and International news and you will find out who lies the most.