Corruption, money power and muscle power are but three facets of the hydra-headed monster that has come to grip our society. You realise this as you watch PTC News reveal a case of brazen manipulation of the law by a Zirakpur-based transport company. Its owners owed three months’ salary to a driver of one of its petrol tankers. Instead of paying him the paltry amount, they framed him in a theft case. Charged with stealing a tanker, the driver turned to the media for help. Daljit Singh, a PTC News journalist and social activist — known for his intrepidity — investigated and found that the tanker was actually not stolen. The red-faced police are now “looking into the matter.”On Tirchhi Nazar’s sets former national hockey captain Pargat Singh revealed how corrupt the system has become. “No opportunity is lost to make money through foul means, while the players suffer,” agonised Pargat. On Straight Talk KPS Gill sardonically observed that we as a nation are not comfortable with excellence.
Budget 2010 led to animated discussions on its pros and cons in such talk shows as Masle, which made an attempt to contextualise the Budget to Punjab’s economic scenario. On the other hand, Khabarsaar solely focussed upon Punjab’s economy. The panellists pointed out that if the rampant tax evasion could be checked in the state, its economic profile can improve phenomenally.
Moreover, increased and relatively unfettered cross-border Indo-Pak trade can help generate substantial revenue. They lamented that the state has taken the easy way out — proliferating liquor vends. Revenue from liquor sales forms the backbone of Punjab’s budgetary structure. But the panellists ignored the profligacy of the state’s rulers when it came to sanctioning perks and pays for themselves.
There was much violence on the small screen last fortnight. One is not talking of the usual stuff like crimes of passion, murders, agitations etc, depressing though these are, but of the more horrible kind — violence with a political message where innocent people are killed just to send a signal to those in power. The increasing Naxal violence was spine chilling enough when the beheading of Sikhs by the Taliban in Pakistan increased the horror quotient. Heart-rending scenes of grieving kin of the killed only darkened the gloom.
Khabarsaar’s next episode discussed Naxal violence in detail. While its political aspects were not ignored, the panellists focussed on the socio-economic dimensions. They admitted that our governments — both at the Centre and the states — have become insensitive to public opinion. Peaceful protests do not have any effect on the powers that be. Contrast this with the times when Gandhiji’s mere going on fast used to send alarm bells ringing right from New Delhi to London.
Now, unless protesters burn public property and a few lives are lost, even the media does not take notice. Is it any wonder that our society is becoming increasingly violence-prone? There was a general agreement that one of the vital steps to pull the polity back from the brink would be to make governance more responsive and transparent. Any takers?
Sports has always been a vital part of the Punjabi culture. Hockey, wrestling and kabaddi have constantly been popular in the rural areas as have been various track events as well as bullock-cart races and sports of endurance and physical prowess. The recently concluded Kila Raipur Rural Olympics of Punjab proved the Punjabis’ love for physical culture to the hilt wherein men and women participated. PTC News, as usual, was in the forefront of telecasting all the events live, following up with edited and abridged recordings later on in the evenings and the following days after the events concluded. Zee Punjabi, too, showcased the events in its sports round-up slot.
