When a public
figure, whom millions of people consider their ideal and inspiration, takes a
step, it worth a million steps as people starts taking similar steps. In this
context Aamir Khan and his Satyamev Jayate successfully
demonstrates the celebrity power to a corruption and hopelessness ridden
nation.
Needless to say the aforesaid programme is not totally ‘social’ per
say, it is more than a commercial program with double advantage of making image
of Mr Khan along with the financial gains. But the issue of this article is not
about the programme and its beneficiary, but the mindset of the mass and the
media is main issue.
For a man of celebrity status, It is easy to make issue out of
everything. But for a non-celebrity but expert of social matter, neither common
man nor media is bothered. With name Satyameva Jayate, a
great thinker, political activist and author Shri B Shantanu have been voicing
against the evils of politics and governance since years, yet media find no
time to highlight the concerns raised by him. The thoughts and ideas of Shri B
Shantanu have been awakening young minds some of these are - On “The Idea
of India: Reconstructing a National Identity” and Message
for the Young.. and On
Politicians and Morality..
But
our media is celebrity centric! The western media, which are emulation source
of Indian media, often give space to the individuals who work for national
cause. However, here only the crown matters for them. Even if by chance Indian
Main Stream media mentions such efforts, they would do it in insignificant
ways.
Since
years, activists and researchers are writing on water conservations. I am
tweeting on this since years. Even some blogs
and articles but who cares about well thought and serious effort to solve
the problem.
On
female feticide hundreds of activists have devoted their lives against this heinous
crime since decades, but on this matter, only Mr Khan was highlighted. The
ways, he tossed the issue of caste, again was not with an intention of social
cause, but to gain the crown.
Needless
to say, Aamir’s version of truth is stereotyped
and only one sided. I agree with the author in that write up - Satyamev Jayate should be about many-sided truths – not
just one.
It
has become a natural tendency for masses to emulate the celebrity. Often media do
portrait the brighter side of celebrities. But the effect to masses convey from
the both aspects of celebrities. And the public life of a celebrity is personal
only within limits of his/her bedroom. Beyond that every aspect can influence
million of people.
In our
society, we don’t abandon older wife in order to gain over younger one;
specially when there are kids in the family. But it is needless to say that the
mentality and media purposefully ignoring this negative aspect of his
influence.
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