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Kargil and the Media
Dear Sir,
The Kargil was fought and won and is no longer a front page item, in
fact not even a news item. So what has happened to the families of the
brave soldiers who laid down their lives for us? Why does our country
not remember our soldiers, except when in times of need?
It is easy to blame the Government for this dismal state of affairs.
But surely the media must share some of the blame. During the war, news
organizations went overboard in their coverage of the war. But, five
months after the war, there is no mention of our brave Jawans. Is it
not the responsibility of the media to remind us of their bravery, to
remind us of the tragedy suffered by their families, so that we Indians
realise the suffering caused by our "chaltaa hai" attitude? Only by
constant coverage of the grief and suffering will we realise how much
we get from our soldiers, considering how much respect we give them.
It is indeed a joke that a fall in stock prices on Wall Street becomes
a headline in our newspapers, but individual stories of courage and
suffering are relegated to the back pages, if at all. It is obvious
why there is a shortage of skilled officers in the armed forces - there
is more coverage given to a bunch of overpaid and spoilt cricketeers
than the unknown soldiers.
It would be a great favour to the future of this country if you and
other news organizations make it a point to publish atleast once a week
a story about gallantry or a story about a Jawan's family.
Sincerely,
Vikram Ramnath
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