In the recent past Pakistan had been through a serious political crisis in the form of shortage of wheat flour which Pakistan’s overambitious media nicknamed “Atta Buhran”. Our brave media anchors who are these days, passing through difficult times, dropped from the status of darling of government high ups to almost obscurity considered this an opportunity of showing their muscles against the government and hoping to ignite a national crisis which would ultimately culminate in the toppling of the government. I can understand their agony because this naïve prime minister has stopped taking these anchors on foreign visits and giving them extra times and money and most prominently stopped cajoling them publicly. I fully agree with these frustrated anchors for trying to cash every opportunity of government’s failures or even government’s embarrassment like Maulana Fazl’s caricature as Azadi March. However, I must agree they did not play their game smartly. Not only they failed to focus on their targets so diligently, they were far less persevering in their efforts. Having full sympathy for our anchors (I have sympathy for all who fall from grace), I have some valuable advice for them.
I remind my anchors to learn from a similar atta buhran of year 1789 which successfully culminated in toppling of the French monarchy. Let us compare the role of the great journalist John Paul Marat (Marat as he is commonly known) with our drawing room anchors.
Unlike our anchors Marat was seriously focused on his goal; toppling the monarchy. Through his newspaper, “L’ami du peuple”(Friend of the people) and posters on streets (which can be compared with today’s talk shows) he was gradually poisoning the minds of general public. He maintained close contact with the masses who were suffering. Our anchors are basically drawing room journalists. I did not see any of them ever mixing or talking to common people who were suffering because of Atta buran. That’s why they could not make themselves as messiah of the common man. On the contrary Marat was in close contact with common and down- trodden masses. It is the masses and not the white collared journalists who trigger the revolutions. Marat had been in close contact with the people of lowest order, like Antoine Simon, the cobbler who played a prominent role in the toppling the French monarchy.
The crucial atta buhran of France was in fact initiated by Marat. On 4th October 1789, when Marat was convinced that he has succeeded in poisoning peoples mind against monarchy, he played a calculated game. Through Simon and other low- class members of the Jacobine Club, threatened the bakers of Paris not to bake any bread for tomorrow. On 5th October 1789 the mothers of Paris did not get any bread to feed their children. Members of the Jacobine club started telling them that there is no bread because flour has been locked by Queen Maria Antoinette. This was another clever move by Marat. He knew that in spited of his toxic propaganda, it was not possible to grow hatred against the King. Whenever the king appeared people raised the slogan “vive Le Roi” (Long Live the King). So, he directed the hatred towards Queen Maria Antoinette. When huge no of women, 80% of the crowd on Paris streets massed on the streets, somebody raised the slogan, let us march to Versailles palace where Maria Antoinette had locked all the flour. All those on the street majority of them women, started marching on foot towards Versailles palace. Hunger of their children has so much ignited the hatred that Maria Antoinette who was called so far as Madame Deficite (blaming her for all the financial problems of France) became Chieene Austric (Austrian bitch) in their slogan. The move was so clever that when General Lefayette (The army chief) requested for action, Louis XVI refused saying “how can I order firing on women). That day was the beginning of the fall of French monarchy.
Our subject is not French revolution but to tell our anchors that although the ambition of Hamid Mir, Mohammad Malick, Fahad Hussain was the same as that of Marat, they cannot succeed even in a decade because they anchors are filled of false pride, overwhelmed by the praises showered by Nawaz Sharif and Zardari but they cannot motivate the public because they are completely disconnected from the masses. I will mention a few salient points for their own perusal.
Our journalist are completely disconnected from mases. Their ambition is to rub their shoulders with prime ministers and presidents.
They will keep on praising the corrupt politicians so long their pockets are filled. They think that they can make and control public opinion just by talk shows.
They are completely disconnected from the masses. We will not find a single show discussing the real problems of the masses. They will either praise some politicians or oppose some. It did not take much time for the public to know that they are puppets of some and opposing some for personal reasons.
When the people see that they criticize Imran Khan even on his Ehsas programme or his successfully presenting Pakistan’s case internationally, then people will not trust them even they are correct in their criticism.
They think people are so naïve when compare Imran Khan with a leader who required a paper slip to say the simple things like “Mr. President, Pakistan welcomes you and Mrs. Obama.
There was a time when there was only one channel PTV. Government had all the opportunities to broadcast their lies with impunity. The came multiple new channels and smart anchors started exposing the lies of the government. These were the golden time of journalism in Pakistan.
But soon the corrupt politicians started purchasing the media houses and the journalists consent. We saw journalists becoming extremely rich in a vert short time. One burning example is that of a journalist given a petrol pump in Lahore on monthly rent of Rs. 15000. On its first public auction the petrol pump was rented for Rs. 4000000 per month. Even after their lies, and dubious behavior are exposed I did not see any remorse on their attitude.
They are still busy praising their mentors and giving date after date of the end of Imran Khan’s government.
Recently the fortune gave them another opportunity in the form of corona. They were so vocal criticizing every move proposed by Imran Khan. So much so that they did not hesitate praising Narendre Modi for his stupid total lockdown resulting in Indian workers marching on foot to their homes more than 1000 KM away.
Then came their lifetime opportunity when a report from Imperial College UK and later endorsed by WHO that Pakistan will be global hot spot of corona resulting in about 30000 casualties per day. What a relief for our opposition leaders and armchair anchors. Unfortunately, their dreams fell flat and Imran Khan emerged as triumphant with his policies.
Now our anchors will wait for any other catastrophe like flood or earth quake and started preparing their venominous talk shows in anticipation.