Haneef Saga: What has gone wrong with the Media?

U. Mahesh Prabhu

From ‘Dr. Evil’ to ‘Hero’s Welcome’ Dr. Haneef has passed through a process of great upheaval at the end of which he is today nothing lesser than a ‘Champion’ for an international cause. He is at last proved ‘not-guilty’ by the Australian Judiciary, though he comes to India with his Visas standing cancelled. 

The jubilation is all out for him and is also set to make few thousand bucks for him by telling his story of what he may say, “I was made the Scapegoat”. Forget that can you believe that a petty statement of his like “My daughter is an angel” has made it to the front page of a premier daily? Which normal and affectionate father would not say that? The question to ask is: What makes Haneef a matter of stupendous attention by the mainline medias 

Was he a warrior at the border or the one who had a face to face with the militancy that which has taken over millions of lives since past several decades? Has he as a doctor made any new age life saving drug discovery? Did he uncover any tangle of web of antisocial elements? Did he, at least, give away any information that could uncover further truths about the Glasgow bombings? No, he has done just nothing. Then why are these fanfares, glories and all the applauses? Just because: he proved himself innocent? What so great again? There are so many criminals across the world, including India and Australia, who do that by the legal moves. Let me make it clear: I am neither here to say that he is a culprit nor to say that he is not. I am here exclusively to shake the heads of those medias who are acting as if having lost their senses. 

For past 27 days the media has given him a front page. His tears until his jubilation everything has been in the limelight. What has any body gained with this? What precedence has been set? 

All it seems is that though a ‘devout’ Muslim, with trimmed moustache and long beard, he is not into terrorism and that’s why he has to be hailed? What nonsense! Do they expect to say that other than him every other Muslim is a terrorist? It may not what they want to make out of it, but that’s what they have exactly made it. 

Lets take the case of Gujarat Riots where Narendra Modi and his government were depicted by these medias as a ‘Terror’ in himself. Even when the judiciary decreed him and his ministers ‘not guilty’, those journalists continued with the same attitude against him. Why so? If the fundamental, as the present, talks on the probability of their links, then in which Haneef was a suspect has already been established – moreover by himself and his wife. Why this double standard? 

Two weeks back my friend and mentor M J Akbar asked in his ‘Byline’, which happens to be the name of his weekly columns, “Is the world under siege by Muslims or is Muslims who are under siege by the world?” I am taken by surprise to this question. Isn’t that still clear to these people? Or is it that such of a kind is an attempt to confusion the people who know what the truth is? 

The fundamental value on which Journalism stands and which is completely forgotten is that of information without manipulation. Those medias don’t just follow it but even given their own decree. Do they think that they are beyond the Judiciary? At least, that is what one has to understand when they give the titles like “Hero’s Welcome” 

If you are to ask me: Will that make any difference? Take my words – Absolutely not!

The ultimate truth is that: Haneef has become the ultimate beneficiary of this mess of the medias. As per inconclusive reports he has already made few millions out of the interview he lent to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

By the way, Congrats Dr. Haneef, you might have spent 27 days through hell behind bars in the Australian Jails but you are sure to be in the mortal heaven in few days time, irrespective of your confirmed links with Glasgow terror suspects.

Alas! Media has yet again set a wrong precedent – if not bad.

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