Page 40 - 15MAY2019E

Why scribes override

journalism in Northeast?

Amid anti-Citizenship Amendment Bill demonstrations in Assam, a section of mediapersons
along with intellectuals in Guwahati have started capitalising the atmosphere in favour of banned

separatist militants, writes nava thakuria

eporting turmoil and con- whenever an insurgent was killed in and Afghanistan. The ruling Bhartiya
flicts was order of the day any encounter it was assumed as an Janata Party brought the bill and even
for most of Assam (also attack by the Centre (popularly termed got it passed in Lok Sabha, the lower
northeast India) based as Rashtra-Jantra) on indigenous house of Indian Parliament. However
R scribes as the region was population. the CAB was lapsed in the upper house
overshadowed by separatist militants But if a member of armed forces, (Rajya Sabha) as the saffron party had
with their disruptive activities till few engaged in counter-insurgency opera- no majority there.
years back. Media persons then faced tions in the troubled region, got neu- As the Brahmaputra valley of Assam
two edged swords where reporting tralised, it was projected as a sign of was rocked by numerous anti-CAB pro-
would bring brickbats from the gov- victory to the revolution. In numerous test demonstrations, a section of media
ernment agencies and aloofness could occasions, both newspapers and news personalities along with intellectuals
invite wraths from the armed rebels. channels of the region had reported in Guwahati started capitalising the
Time changes and so thus militants’ with the spirit of locals that slowly atmosphere in favour of banned sepa-
influence (read power) over the com- turned sympathetic to the separatists. ratist militants (read United Liberation
mon people! Slowly those militant out- Even regional newspaper editorials and Front of Assam-Independent). Join-
fits, who had dreamt of independence television talk shows were augmented ing of few Assamese youths in Paresh
out of New Delhi’s colonial rule over with the same temperament. Barua led Ulfa(I) at that time was
the alienated region, came to realise Situation reappeared when most reported as an instant implication of
that materialisation of their golden of northeastern localities witnessed anti-CAB sentiments.
vision would not be possible in near an uproarious ambiance few weeks For records, over 25 Guwahati-based
future. Many turned to peace talks with back with the emergence of Citizen- editors signed a memorandum oppos-
the government and very few continue ship Amendment Bill (CAB) that offers ing the CAB and submitted to Assam
struggling for the mirage. Indian citizenship to all religious asy- chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal
But even if most of the militant lead- lum seekers from Bangladesh, Pakistan to pursue with the BJP leadership to
ers could realise their limitations, some withdraw the bill, which was criticized
elements in the society were not ready as anti-Assamese (Jaati-Dhangshi) in
to depart from the notion of armed rev- It will be clear only on nature. BJP’s moderate face Sonowal
olution with the fantasy of a homeland May 23 — the only commented that he would not do
with self-rule. Though never engaged anything wrong to the people of Assam
with the revolution personally, those poll-outcome day and finally urged everyone to repose
emotionally charged entities contin- — if the voters of faith on his authority.
ued their flowery words in favour of the The issue of CAB remained visible on
militant leaders as and when necessary Northeast considered poll-campaigns for general elections as
in public domains. the opposition Congress party tried its
Shockingly a section of media per- the CAB as an best to take advantage of the situation.
sons also enriched those entities and important factor It would be visible only on 23 May poll-
they left no stone unturned to exploit outcome day if the voters of Northeast
the volatile situation in favour militants, while electing 25 considered the CAB as an important
who used to kill hundreds of common representatives to factor while electing 25 representatives
people including women and children to 17th Lok Sabha from the far-eastern
during the turbulent days. For them 17th Lok Sabha region.

Tehelka / 15 may 2019 40 www.Tehelka.com