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Op-Ed OCTOBER 15, 2021 | The Indian Eye 18

indian prisons, media role and the maharaja

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

hile releasing prisoners for a complete moratorium on
in view of the Covid-19 Covid vaccine booster doses
Wpandemic, the until 2021 end, has this week
high-powered committee man- recommended them for immu-
dated by the Supreme Court of nocompromised people. This
India to decongest prisons did is because of emerging data
not invoke the health vulnera- about their higher risk of break-
bilities of prisoners but recalled through infections after stan-
the crimes they were accused of dard immunization. But the ad-
committing. It is also common visory also makes clear that it is
knowledge that the experience intended for countries that have
of incarceration in Indian pris- maximized two-dose coverage.
ons does not depend on the With around 30% of adults dou-
crime individuals are accused of ble-vaccinated so far India has
committing, but on the social sta- artists working on a model depicting the Goddess Durga killing coronavi- some way to go, even if second
tus and power of the prisoners. rus with the vaccine, in Guwahati (aNi) doses are really picking up pace
Both these seemingly uncon- now. What it must not delay is
nected realities reflect one prin- old media dharma. The symp- Infosys as “anti-national”, the the immunological research
ciple — that legal practices and that will enable making an in-
discussions in the public sphere toms of the abdication of their worst insult for anyone trying to formed decision about booster
continue to privilege the princi- duty are too well-known for me do business in India. shots, for the new year.
ple of retribution as justice over to list them here. The causes of So, what defines a national- The importance of local re-
this condition that require our ist business in India today? The
rehabilitation. This lack of com- attention. Independent media ability to toe the government search bears underlining. Is-
passion may arise from the fact require financial independence line, pick up the pieces of com- rael and the US for example
that a disproportionate number for media houses. The costs in- panies that successive govern- don’t use the same definitions
of prisoners in Indian prisons of severe disease, and this may
come from Muslim, Scheduled volved are so high that it is no ments have ransacked over the explain why a large number of
Caste and Scheduled Tribe com- longer possible in our time to years, or a staunch belief in the double-dosed Israelis have been
munities. Because of the abject even dream, let alone think, of Swadeshi mantra to the exclu- found to be hospitalized with
a financially self-sufficient me- sion of every other tenet of do-
poverty and powerlessness of dia. Gone are the times when ing business? All of the above, Covid-19 but very few Ameri-
most of the accused from these the print media was ruled by probably. cans. So, borrowing the findings
groups, they have little access the editorial and opinion desks. There is little doubt that the of either country could be inapt.
to quality legal representation With Covaxin of course, there
or aid. They languish in pris- If, on top of the acute finan- relationship between the NDA are no international studies to
ons without bail for periods cial uncertainty made worse government and India Inc has rely on. Finally, all Indian sero-
even longer than the punish- by the worldwide pandemic, been fraught with challenges. surveys should disaggregate data
there is the fear of intimida- On the one hand, this govern-
ment mandated by the law they tion of media workers and the ment has not been able to shake by vaccination status from now
are accused of violating. Many trolling of opinion writers, it is off the label of being in cohorts on. In the UK the React study
suffer continued incarceration that tests 1 lakh blood swabs for
even after securing bail, simply not surprising that the media with ‘Big Business’, or, more Covid-19 antibodies every six
for the lack of surety or inability like to fend for their own safe- specifically, being arm-in-arm weeks, has been able to place
to pay cash bail. ty. Electronic media ventures with two big business houses the varying protections enjoyed
are costlier and, for the same from the Prime Minister’s home
Ghazala Jamil, Indian Express reasons, tend to plunge more state. This has often led to Op- by the unvaccinated, partially

saving dEMocracy willingly for their own safety. position charges of ‘suit boot ki vaccinated and fully vaccinated
-- G.N. Devy, The Telegraph sarkar’, and more recently, pub- on a timeline, helping make the
n democratic countries, the case for booster shots. Strong
media are expected to flag is- govt vs businEss lic ire against the corporatiza- data builds strong policy. India
Isues of interest, seek answers, tion of farming. Try as it might, must use the current disease lull
and form perspectives around he hype around the Tatas the government has been un- to gird up research that will be a
able to shake off the perception
them and orient people’s re- riding in like a knight to of being benign to these busi- reliable guide at the right time.
sponse to the functioning of Tsave Air India seems both ness houses. -- Editorial, The Times of India
public representatives. Barring ironic and hypocritical. The --S. Bhattacharya, The Quint Every week, we look at what
several courageous individuals same apoplectic reaction was ev-
and a few honorable media or- ident when the income tax por- the top commentators in the
ganizations, the electronic and tal built by Infosys faced glitch- vaccinE boostErs Indian media are talking about
and bring to you a slice
print media in India have clearly es earlier this year. A right-wing The World Health Organi- of their opinions and comments
moved far away from this age- mouthpiece had again dubbed zation that had earlier called

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