Politicized Hinduism and the Media

sayak83 · May 28, 2018

India is a vibrant democracy, yet it ranks a measly 130 in press freedom index. Now, an investigative undercover operation has unearthed the nexus between politics and media organizations that is rampant in the country. In this investigation, an undercover journalist posed as a member of a right wing Hindu group and made deals worth 300 crore to 500 crore for running covert programs that seek to polarise and communalize the people on fundamentalist Hindu lines, so that the right wing can get more votes. All major media groups were happy to make the deal, including how to launder illegal money in the deal.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44280188#

I think its a good and cautionary example of how religion is being professionally twisted to serve narrow agenda by rich and power hungry groups, and how the press is happy to sell itself if the money is right.

Vinayaka · May 28, 2018

sayak83 said:
India is a vibrant democracy, yet it ranks a measly 130 in press freedom index. Now, an investigative undercover operation has unearthed the nexus between politics and media organizations that is rampant in the country. In this investigation, an undercover journalist posed as a member of a right wing Hindu group and made deals worth 300 crore to 500 crore for running covert programs that seek to polarise and communalize the people on fundamentalist Hindu lines, so that the right wing can get more votes. All major media groups were happy to make the deal, including how to launder illegal money in the deal.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44280188#

I think its a good and cautionary example of how religion is being professionally twisted to serve narrow agenda by rich and power hungry groups, and how the press is happy to sell itself if the money is right.

Sounds like the 'sting' may have had an agenda as well. Who knows?

Sunstone · May 28, 2018

Excellent OP! Remind me to name my very next illegitimate child after you., Sayak!

Your OP brings up perhaps the single oldest use of organized religions -- their use to control the masses for the benefit of an elite. It is arguably the greatest function for which religions became organized in the first place. Or so it is written in the holy scriptures of my own religion -- The Sacred Tome of Mystically Resonating G-Strings.

sayak83 · May 28, 2018

Vinayaka said:
Sounds like the 'sting' may have had an agenda as well. Who knows?

Yes. They may have had. Does not exonerate the media houses though. Same with wiki leaks etc.

stvdv · May 29, 2018

sayak83 said:
I think its a good and cautionary example of how religion is being professionally twisted to serve narrow agenda by rich and power hungry groups, and how the press is happy to sell itself if the money is right.

And that is exactly how the world is now, and has been for a long time. Now with the internet it will only become worse. Because now they really can control all and everything. They know the income of all. So with the computer they can calculate how far they can juice out all humans, so they make the most money out of it.

Nothing the individual can do about this. Just a game which is played on top level. Some people believe in voting. I do not. The people with the billions or even trillions own all. They let the people vote to keep them calm. But I have not a single expectation the trillionaires will allow normal people to control anything.

Vinayaka · May 29, 2018

sayak83 said:
Yes. They may have had. Does not exonerate the media houses though. Same with wiki leaks etc.

I try to read at least 3 stances on the same article these days. That and stay detached if it doesn't affect me personally. This has been going on since media started. Endorsements of candidates, for example, has an established tradition. Perhaps it's just that people are becoming more aware of it (the hidden agendas, etc.) now.

Ever heard of this guy? Marshall McLuhan - Google Search

sayak83 · May 29, 2018

Vinayaka said:
I try to read at least 3 stances on the same article these days. That and stay detached if it doesn't affect me personally. This has been going on since media started. Endorsements of candidates, for example, has an established tradition. Perhaps it's just that people are becoming more aware of it (the hidden agendas, etc.) now.

Ever heard of this guy? Marshall McLuhan - Google Search

Interesting person. Not heard of him before.

paarsurrey · May 29, 2018

Sunstone said:
Excellent OP! Remind me to name my very next illegitimate child after you., Sayak!

Your OP brings up perhaps the single oldest use of organized religions -- their use to control the masses for the benefit of an elite. It is arguably the greatest function for which religions became organized in the first place. Or so it is written in the holy scriptures of my own religion -- The Sacred Tome of Mystically Resonating G-Strings.

The founders of the revealed religions had nothing to do with the politics or power, they won the heart of the people with their personal example. Case for study:
Buddha left power twice.
Please
Regards

Valjean · May 29, 2018

Everything has an agenda, but some are nefarious.
Exposing the mechanisms of an authoritarian political movement is good for the people, bad for the tyrant hopefulls.

Vinayaka · May 29, 2018

sayak83 said:
Interesting person. Not heard of him before.

In Canada I studied media in high school. Good teachers teach to read between the lines. Heck, most people don't even know media is profit driven, and that is dependent on advertising. They put on a good disguise though.

Vinayaka · May 29, 2018

Valjean said:
Everything has an agenda, but some are nefarious.
Exposing the mechanisms of an authoritarian political movement is good for the people, bad for the tyrant hopefulls.

Problem is that in polarization, its always the other side that is an 'authoritarian political movement'.

Valjean · May 29, 2018

Vinayaka said:
Problem is that in polarization, its always the other side that is an 'authoritarian political movement'.

Which is why you need to actually compare their platforms to the authoritarian profile, rather than just listen to the propaganda.

Vinayaka · May 29, 2018

Valjean said:
Which is why you need to actually compare their platforms to the authoritarian profile, rather than just listen to the propaganda.

Indeed. Much harder from afar. Of course all governments do have some authority. That's just part of the job, and we elect them to do that. I'm not sure how polarized Indian politics is. Can't be much worse than the US.

Sunstone · May 30, 2018

paarsurrey said:
The founders of the revealed religions had nothing to do with the politics or power, they won the heart of the people with their personal example. Case for study:
Buddha left power twice.
Please
Regards

That's kind of naive. You are not even addressing the majority of the earliest organized religions in Sumer, Egypt, the Yellow River Valley, the Indus River Valley, the Inca, the Mayan religion, etc. Instead, you mention one notable exception. Nice, but proves nothing.

Vinayaka · May 30, 2018

paarsurrey said:
The founders of the revealed religions had nothing to do with the politics or power, they won the heart of the people with their personal example.

That's almost laughable if it wasn't so sad.

Amani_Bhava · May 31, 2018

sayak83 said:
India is a vibrant democracy, yet it ranks a measly 130 in press freedom index. Now, an investigative undercover operation has unearthed the nexus between politics and media organizations that is rampant in the country. In this investigation, an undercover journalist posed as a member of a right wing Hindu group and made deals worth 300 crore to 500 crore for running covert programs that seek to polarise and communalize the people on fundamentalist Hindu lines, so that the right wing can get more votes. All major media groups were happy to make the deal, including how to launder illegal money in the deal.
The story barely reported by Indian media

I think its a good and cautionary example of how religion is being professionally twisted to serve narrow agenda by rich and power hungry groups, and how the press is happy to sell itself if the money is right.

India has a rich and vibrant democracy .. India has free press and journalists are free to travel to any corner of the country and report on anything.

There is no reason to believe that India ranks 130 in press freedom just because a foreign watchdog said so.

You do not have to convince people to be anti-Muslim .. and right wing Hindu (whatever that means) .. most already are.

Why should anyone pay Rs 300 crore ($45 million) for something that is available for free.

Note to Sayak - I am not a right wing Hindu or Hindutva leaning political party supporter .. I do not support any political party .. however the current government is the "cleanest dirty shirt" .. and more than that Pakistan knows that if it tries something like Mumbai 26/11 attacks our XII Corps consisting of at least four mechanized and armored divisions will have crossed over into Multan, Pakistan before the terrorists finish their work.

If they go nuclear we shall go nuclear too .. we shall go back by 200 years .. but they will cease to exist altogether.

Our parent's generation broke Pakistan in two. Our generation owes it to the nation to break Pakistan in four.

For one tooth we want the complete jaw (no more caving in to US political pressure to maintain peace as we saw during Mumbai 26/11)

Our current government is capable of carrying this out. Knowing that I sleep better at night.

namaste

Amani_Bhava

sayak83 · May 31, 2018

Amani_Bhava said:
India has a rich and vibrant democracy .. India has free press and journalists are free to travel to any corner of the country and report on anything.

There is no reason to believe that India ranks 130 in press freedom just because someone with a Caucasian/Christian name said so.

You do not have to convince people to be anti-Muslim .. and right wing Hindu (whatever that means) .. most already are.

Why should anyone pay Rs 300 crore ($45 million) for something that is available for free.

Note to Sayak - I am not a right wing Hindu or Hindutva leaning political party supporter .. I do not support any political party .. however the current government is the "cleanest dirty shirt" .. and more than that Pakistan knows that if it tries something like Mumbai 26/11 attacks our XII Corps consisting of at least four mechanized and armored divisions will have crossed over into Multan, Pakistan before the terrorists finish their work.

If they go nuclear we shall go nuclear too .. we shall go back by 200 years .. but they will cease to exist altogether.

Our parent's generation broke Pakistan in two. Our generation owes it to the nation to break Pakistan in four.

For one tooth we want the complete jaw (no more caving in to US political pressure to maintain peace as we saw during Mumbai 26/11)

Our current government is capable of carrying this out. Knowing that I sleep better at night.

namaste

Amani_Bhava

Yes well, you would be a right wing nationalist at least. I do not agree with your political views, but this is not the place for it.

Amani_Bhava · May 31, 2018

sayak83 said:
Yes well, you would be a right wing nationalist at least. I do not agree with your political views, but this is not the place for it.

Can you define the terms "right wing" and "nationalism"?

Why should anyone patriotic get called a redneck in USA and right wing nationalist in India?

I have never voted for anyone who runs on a "Hindu platform" .. nor will I ever do so .. but since when is it wrong to be proud of ones race and nation and religion?

You brought up a topic about political views .. and now you say this is not the place for it!!

namaste

Amani_Bhava

sayak83 · May 31, 2018

Amani_Bhava said:
Can you define the terms "right wing" and "nationalism"?

Why should anyone patriotic get called a redneck in USA and right wing nationalist in India?

I have never voted for anyone who runs on a "Hindu platform" .. nor will I ever do so .. but since when is it wrong to be proud of ones race and nation and religion?

You brought up a topic about political views .. and now you say this is not the place for it!!

namaste

Amani_Bhava

Actually I did not bring any politics into it. I provided an example of a case where media was caught red-handed in agreeing to promote a politicized and divisive brand of religion for money in India. It provides an example on how news media can readily sell itself to promote a politicized brand of religion to the public. Are you telling me politicization of religion is not a global problem that the world in grappling with? Indeed, the violence of the partition happened because religion was politicized. Therefore the solution for preventing further violence is the depoliticization of religion, all of them. That is the context of this thread.

You are free to take this test and find out yourself if you are right wing or not.
The Political Compass
I do not consider the label right wing nationalist a pejorative term, anymore than saying someone is a left wing universalist. Redneck is a racist term, I do not use it.

Amani_Bhava · May 31, 2018

sayak83 said:
Actually I did not bring any politics into it. I provided an example of a case where media was caught red-handed in agreeing to promote a politicized and divisive brand of religion for money in India. It provides an example on how news media can readily sell itself to promote a politicized brand of religion to the public. Are you telling me politicization of religion is not a global problem that the world in grappling with? Indeed, the violence of the partition happened because religion was politicized. Therefore the solution for preventing further violence is the depoliticization of religion, all of them. That is the context of this thread.

You are free to take this test and find out yourself if you are right wing or not.
The Political Compass
I do not consider the label right wing nationalist a pejorative term, anymore than saying someone is a left wing universalist. Redneck is a racist term, I do not use it.

I have long back ..

Score
Economic Left/Right: -7.13
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.67.

Far left of center as far as economics go and centrist as far as social values go.

Politics and religion have always been bedfellows .. from time immemorial .. but to pick up and parade a particular questionable score sheet from an unknown western organization .. saying we are 130th in press freedom seems unpatriotic and uncharitable.

You forgot to mention that -

"The so-called report claims to be based entirely on so-called ‘sting operations,’ but it is actually a case of doctoring of content and falsification, as no media organisations named in it agreed to any illegal or immoral activity and no contracts were signed."

Cobrapost's sting on media groups based on doctored content and falsification - Times of India

Some media houses were willing in principle to push an ideology is all that the sting claims ..

Doesn't one of the world's most watched tv news networks push uber liberal ideology .. with two gay anchors dominating three - five hour prime time? Crying their hearts out about criminal El Salvadoreans being deported back? Is that not dangerous bias .. for a news channel to show sympathy for criminals who are deported back to country of origin?

News is always biased .. what is new about it ..

namaste

Amani_Bhava

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