Aarushi Talwar

These maybe the reactions from your friends and relatives when you jobless TV addicts were sitting in front of the screens thinking you knew the Aarushi murder case better than the CBI and were the next recruitment of Scotland Yard because your version of the story was the most convincing.

What is disappointing, is not the fact that you, a common man, were making your assumptions. But what is frustrating is the very fact that you became a part of it.You are not at fault because you just demanded for your daily doze of news on the day of the murder and the following days of investigation. But the way the Television and print media cooks the news and makes it digestible for the public is the most disgusting thing one can think of. For them, it is their way to be sold.

But is it just about being sold ? The whole purpose of media is to sell? Do they forget the have moral responsibilities? The whole case became a freakin’ joke! It was all about TRP all this while. An IPL Match played by Kings Eleven Punjab is believed to have lesser TRP ratings the day this sensation was on TV (Economic Times, 2008). Why do these people forget that it was one family among thousands and thousands in our country which lost one of its young members? Why did it become just delivering the best recipe for the same dish all the while?

And this led to rumours, pressures, and varying opinions all around. Experts/lawyers from all around the country were “the thing” on news channels making their analysis for hours and hours as to how the whole murder took place and how such a fool-proof planning was executed. Where were the parents of our children? Why didn’t anyone come up and say “to hell with your recreations, let the poor soul rest in peace!”. Why was the only thing that was stopping them from speaking and making judgements – commercial breaks?

It went on as a joke till the very end. No one being convinced by CBI’s story and making sure they were heard before the case was in the court. And eventually the investigation teams ended up making it a mess.

If this is freedom of expression, we don’t need it! Please don’t give this in the hands of people who don’t know how to use it.