33 - pranay parab - orissa violence - tv

8/7/2019 33 - Pranay Parab - Orissa Violence - TV

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MEDIA STUDIES

PROJECT


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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor Sudha Ravishankar for giving us this project to help

us know more about the media. We would also like to thank maam for giving us new

group members to work with. We would like to thank each other for co-operating and

working together as a team.


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PORTRAYAL OF THE VIOLENCE

IN ORISSA BY THE

TELEVISION

Covered By :

Pranay Parab

Roll No. 33

S.Y.B.M.M.

Bhavans College(Andheri West)


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INTRODUCTION

The Television or the TV is often referred to in popular culture as the Idiot Box as it

supposedly has the power to turn human beings into couch potatoes and also

sometimes rather unintelligent people into celebrities. The way in which it covers

news events is a story in itself. For now, lets just focus on how it portrayed the

violence in Orissa. Let us take the example of three TV news channels. These are

NDTV, NewsX and BBC.


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NDTV

Kandhmal: Panic-stricken villagers hide in forestsAugust 31, 2008, (Kandhamal)

This bulletin showed the fear in the eyes of the people. Both Hindus and

Christians were hiding in forests during the nights for fear of their lives.

Orissa violence spreads, curfew clamped in JeyporeAugust 31, 2008, (Jeypore, Orissa)

This bulletin showed that the situation in Orissa was grim and that violence

had spread from Kandhmal to Koraput. Curfew had been clamped in Jeypore after

abusive posters were put up on a college wall against Christians and Christianity

leading to clashes.

Dalit-tribal rivalry behind Kandhmal riots?September 01, 2008, (Kandhmal)

This particular news bulletin tried to determine the perpetrators of the attack

on Swamiji. They speculated whether it could have been caused because of the rivalry

between the dalits and the tribals.

Uneasy calm prevails in KandhmalSeptember 01, 2008, (Kandhmal)

A string of bulletins showed Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik (who spent

two days in Kandhmal reviewing the latest situation) claiming that the violence in theriot-hit areas had been largely contained due to heavy deployment of police and

security forces in the troubled areas.

SC directs Orissa govt to submit report on

KandhamalSeptember 03, 2008, (Bhubaneswar)


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All day the NDTV bulletins showed that the Supreme Court had directed the Orissa

government to place by Thursday its report relating to steps taken to protect lives of

people belonging to the Christian community in riot-hit Kandhamal district. The apex

court also asked the state government to put on affidavit whether any permission was

granted to VHP leader Praveen Togadia for his proposed Yatra carrying the ash of

slain leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.


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NEWSX!

VHP leader,four others shot dead in Orissa.August 24, 2008, (Bhubaneswar)

The initial bulletins on NewsX portrayed the facts of the crime, as said by the

police. At least five people, including a top leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad

(VHP) were shot dead in an ashram in Orissa's Kandhamal district by an armed group

during Janmashtami festival celebrations on Saturday.

About 30 armed men struck at the ashram in Jalespata under Tumudibandh

block, 127 km from Kandhamal's district headquarter town of Phulbani at around 9.15

pm (IST) and sprayed bullets, leaving VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati and four

others dead.

The dead in the attack in the district also included VHP's Laxmananda

Saraswati, Arupananda, Chinmayananda and Mata Bhaktimayee and an unidentified

person.

Kandhamal: Toll rises to 14, curfew relaxed30 August, 2008, Kandhamal

A lot of news reports all day highlighted the condition of the people in

Kandhamal. The death toll had risen up to 14.

Orissa: Maoists claim responsibility, warn of more

attacks31 August, 2008, Kandhamal

According to reports, Maoists had claimed responsibility for the killing ofSwamiji. It was unclear whether they had actually done so. It appeared as if they were

just using the opportunity to spread fear among the people.

Situation tense in riot-hit Kandhamal2 September, 2008, Kandhamal

According to fresh reports, violence had resurfaced in some areas of

Kandhamal. The tension was high in the region and hence curfew was redeployed.


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BBC

India clashes denounced by Pope27 August, 2008, Vatican City

The following is an excerpt from a news bulletin on BBC :

The Pope has condemned deadly violence between Hindus and Christians in

India's eastern Orissa state, which has claimed at least 11 lives. During his weekly

Vatican address, Pope Benedict XVI said he was "profoundly saddened" and called

for communities to try to restore "peaceful coexistence".The killing of a Hindu leader on Saturday sparked the violence.

Christians have suffered retaliatory attacks, despite police saying Maoist rebels were

to blame for the killing.

"I firmly condemn any attack on human life," Pope Benedict told a crowd of

pilgrims on Wednesday. "I express spiritual closeness and solidarity to the brothers

and sisters in faith who are being so harshly tested."

He labelled the death of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati as "deplorable". Hewas shot along with four others in an attack in the Kandhamal district of Orissa.

Catholic schools in India protest29 August, 2008, New Delhi

A string of bulletins showed the peaceful protest by catholic schools in India. The

protest was to oppose the violence in Orissa.

India Christians shelter in camps01 September, 2008, Bhubaneswar

A lot of shows portrayed the pitiful condition of Indian Christians in Orissa, who were

driven out of their own homes for fear of losing their lives. More than 10,000

Christians were living in refugee camps in Orissa after anti-Christian violence in the

area.


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PROGRAMMES

Headlines Today

31.08.08, 8:30pmRam Madhav (Senior Executive Member, RSS) vs. Father Babu Joseph (CBCI

secretary)

NDTV India

Muqabla

30.08.08, 3:00pm

Ram Madhav (Senior Executive Member, RSS) vs. Father Dominic

Emmanuel(Manager, Delhi Catholic Center)

NewsX

Fine Print

Prof. Mahapatra (JNU) and Babu Joseph & Jay Panda(BJD MP Orissa).

2200hrs 31.08.08

Basically these programmes served the purpose of removing the blame from the

Hindus. The media had extensively blamed the Hindus for the violence.


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Conclusion

The media in general blamed the Hindus for the violence. The violence was

condemned internationally and in most places, due to the media portrayal ofChristians as being innocent, they were sympathised with. The portrayal of the Orissa

riots on TV was more or less sensationalised. It has become a trend in electronic

media now. Instead of portraying what can and should be done in the area, the media

focused more on what had not been done. It portrayed the whole event as a horror

story rather than reporting it without the unnecessary dramatization. Many a time this

leads to further violence in the area, instead of helping spread awareness about the

event.

What has been done has been done. We, as media students, must notice all of what is

happening right now and must pledge to make the portrayal of events by the media

much better than what it is now. We all, as Indians, can see the lighter side of any

situation. Sarcasm is our forte. We can smile through even the worst of storms. So,

when we make fun of the media, we must remember that soon we will be a part of it.

We must remember what we made fun of and try and make that thing better. We

might like to say that the media is just the money and a bunch of lies. But, we must

change that if we feel so. After all, we are the future of India. How can we treat our

motherland so badly???

Finally, we all must remember a very old and famous quote.

Where there is a will, there is a way.


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Name Janmejay SinghRollNo. 13Bhavans College SYBMM

Violence in Kandhmal district of Orissa as covered by Print

Media (Newspapers)

The print media has played the most important role in communicating the

incidents of violence that broke out in Kandhmal district of Orissa. In Kandhmal, a

VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and four of his disciples were brutally

murdered. The Maoists of Orissa claimed that they had done it, but in any case the

incident triggered Hindu-Christian clashes in Kandhmal and many violent events

ensued.

One observation made about the reports of media is that they have focused on

the consequences following the death of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and not on his

death itself. Some theorists claim that this was pre-planned by VHP, RSS and the

other Hindu organisations while others say that the underlying cause is the battle

between Hindus and Christian converts over reservations in educational institutions

and government jobs.

The event has been covered by most major newspapers all over the country,

such as Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Indian Express, DNA, Mumbai

Mirror and many others.

Most of the newspapers have projected the news from a pro-Christian point of

view, while some have portrayed it as a clash between the two communities. And so

far as the point of views from the representatives of the two parties is concerned, the

Christians blame the Hindus for what has happened and portray Christians as the

victims, the Hindu parties claim that the fights were at an equal level and neither party

is solely to blame.


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TOI (Times of India) has portrayed the news with more affinity towards the

Christians, and claim the violence as the work of some Hindu fundamentalist groups

(presumably VHP and RSS).

An extract from an article in TOI

Orissa has been on the boil since Saturday when Swami Laxmanananda

Saraswati, a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and four others were

killed at his Jalespata ashram in Kandhmal district.

His killing triggered violence in the state against the Christian community by

some Hindu fundamental groups.

The Hindu has focused on the event as being the fault of VHP and the Sangh Parivar

(RSS). And Indian Express focuses more on the claim of the Maoists and on the

Orissa CM Naveen Patnaiks take on the matter.

One major newspaper which has attempted to look at the events from a different light

is Hindustan Times. An extract from HTs article Inside Kandhamal, Orissas

communal cauldron is -

Wed, 03 Sep 2008

Why is Kandhamal Ground Zero in Orissa's communal maelstrom, burning for the

second time in eight months?

Though the latest spark was the murder of saffron leader Swami Laxmanananda

Saraswati, the underlying cause is the battle between Hindus and Christian converts

over reservations in educational institutions and government jobs.

The good side is that there have been many peaceful protests and HT and TOI

especially have focused on these. And the best thing is that both the local and national

media have portrayed the events responsibly, and have not been the cause for

triggering more violence.


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PORTRAYAL OF ORISSA VIOLENCE IN THE RADIO

BY :

AMIT GAWANDE

ROLL NO. 08SYBMM

BHAVANS COLLEGE

Riots grip India's Orissa region

BBC Radio

Four people have been killed in armed clashes that broke out between Hindus and

Christians in the Indian state of Orissa at the weekend.

Now a total of at least eight persons have been killed in the spiralling communal

violence sparked by the killing of an eminent Hindu leader.

Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was killed on Saturday night.

Seven of the eight deaths have taken place in Kandhamal district, the epicentre of the

communal upheaval.

The incident took place at Barakhama village in the afternoon as rival groups attacked

each other with guns and bombs. Those killed in the clash included a woman.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said: "Four bodies were found at the scene of

the clash at Barakhama. But the identity of the deceased is yet to be established."

Making a statement on the incident in the State Assembly, Mr Patnaik said a small

contingent of police personnel present there had done "its best but could not prevent

the violence".

Reinforcements have now been rushed in and the situation brought under control, he

said.


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The chief minister announced compensation of 200,000 Rupees ($5,000) for the next-

of-kin of those killed in the violence.

Hindu woman burnt

Two people were burnt to death in Tiangia village in the district after rioters set fire to

their houses last night.

One person had been burnt to death at Rupagaon village on Sunday night.

Arson and burning of Christian religious places continued on Tuesday in Kandhamal

despite a curfew in all major towns and prohibitory orders in force throughout the

district.

Even a Flag March by paramilitary forces did not deter the rioters, who went on a

rampage setting fire to churches, vehicles and government facilities.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the woman who was burnt to death in an

orphanage in Bargarh district yesterday was a Hindu.

"We have verified the antecedents of the woman and found that she was a Hindu,"

Sambalpur DIG YB Khurania said.

Initial reports had suggested that she was

Woman killed in Orissa orphanage

Voice Of America

Swami Saraswati - killed on Saturday

Police in the Indian state of Orissa say suspected Hindu extremists have set fire to an

orphanage run by Christian missionaries, burning a woman to death.

The mob reportedly ordered people out of building before setting it alight.

But the woman - a cook at the orphanage - was thrown into the burning building when

she tried to stop them from attacking the children.

Local Hindus went on the rampage after the killing on Saturday of one of their

leaders.

His supporters suspect Christians were responsible, but the police believe he was

killed by Maoist rebels.

The religious leader, Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati, was at the centre of

controversy late last year.


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Hindus accused Christians of attacking him and police were called in to restore order

in the ensuing violence.

Hindu extremists have targeted Christians in Orissa before. Nine years ago an

Australian missionary and his two sons were burnt alive by a mob that set their car on

fire.

Thousands homeless after Hindu-Christian violence in India

Voice Of America

2008-08-29

At least 3,000 people, most of them Christians, are living in government-run relief

camps after days of Christian-versus-Hindu violence in eastern India, government

officials said.

The government said that many people were also living in the jungle without any

shelter and security because of the tensions, which erupted in violence after a Hindu

leader was killed Saturday. At least 10 people, most of them Christians, have been

killed since.

Christian community leaders say that at least 1,000 Christian homes have been set on

fire since Monday, rendering more than 5,000 people homeless.

Many of those living in the jungle were without food or water, said the Rev. Dibakar

Parichha, a priest at the Roman Catholic church in Phulbani, a town in Orissa State.

Father Parichha said that about 90 places of worship, including small churches and

prayer halls, had been burned down. Local officials said the figure was about 20.

The violence has occurred in Kandhamal, a district in Orissa State that has a history of

communal and ethnic clashes. The latest conflict started Saturday night, when

unidentified armed men stormed a Hindu school in Kandhamal and killed the Hindu

leader Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his followers.


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The police suspected that Maoist rebels were responsible. But Hindus blamed

Christians. In the retaliatory violence, 500 houses were burned. All nine towns in the

district are under a curfew, and the police have license to shoot. At least two people

have been killed in violent reprisals in other districts of Orissa, including a woman

who died when an orphanage was burned down.

"We are supposed to take drastic action against whosoever indulges in violence" said

R. P. Koche, the police chief in Kandhamal District. The local police force has been

reinforced by 2,500 paramilitary troops, he said. The district magistrate, Dr. Krishna

Kumar, said the situation was tense but under control, and that more then 200 people

had been arrested.

On Wednesday, during his weekly address at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI said, "I

firmly condemn any attack on human life," and said that he was "profoundly

saddened" by the violence in Orissa. He called the killing of Saraswati "deplorable."

To protest the violence against Christians in Orissa, more than 40,000 Christian

educational institutions across India will be closed on Friday in compliance with a call

by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and other Christian denominations.

Five more prayer halls damaged, Curfew on in Jeypore

All India Radio

Jeypore/Bhubaneswar: EVEN as the situation returned to near normal in Kandhamal,

tension spread to more areas in Koraput district on Sunday

There was no relaxation in curfew in Jeypore town which witnessed clashes on

Saturday five more prayer houses were attacked in Koraput, Borrigumma, Kundra,

Kotpad and Kundra blocks of the district. Jeypore town and nearby areas witnessed

a series of arsons and road blockades. Measures initiated by the district committee for

maintaining harmony between the communities failed as the peace committee


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meeting was boycotted by the B JP, VHP and their sister organisations. Chief

Minister Naveen Patnaik told media persons that the situation is under control.

Demonstrators clashed with police several times in Jeypore town where paramilitary

and State Armed Police have been staging flag march since Saturday evening. Supply

of essential commodities, including milk, was affected in Jeypore where curfew has

been imposed since Saturday Official sources said two companies of paramilitary

forces and 12 platoon of Orissa State Armed Police (OSAP) have been deployed in

troubled areas. DIG Sanjeev Panda and District Collector R.K. Sahu are camping to

monitor the law and order situation.

33 - pranay parab - orissa violence - tv

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