Wednesday, November 24, 2010

How to spin Bihar results 101 by LiC

This is for anyone who thinks LiC has integrity, though being a biased journalist.
How does anyone honorable tip their hat if the group they ideologically support has been beaten, thrashed beyond the point of recognition in an election?
That's not the approach cHindu and its "fearless" leader LiC take when Nitish Kumar lead NDA alliance swept the Bihar polls. The margins of victory in all regions of the state across all communities was a surprise to most pundits. LiC however presents a biased view painting Nitish Kumar as some sort of "secular" hero of the masses.
In the place of the casteist vote-bank politics of Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal, he offered the people a new vision, the hope of economic growth and sustained development. Chief Minister Kumar spent the last five years trying to steer towards development one of India's most socio-economically backward States. At the end of his first term, he could report success in building infrastructure facilities, investing in school education, boosting medical care in rural areas, and cracking down on crime. For the people of Bihar, who endured 15 years of stagnation and deterioration of law and order under Lalu-Rabri rule, this was a welcome change. Not surprisingly, the 2010 election saw renewed voter interest, and a surge in the participation of women voters. Mr. Kumar not only cut into the support base of his political rivals; he also seems to have won over sections of the hitherto politically indifferent.

Of course managing the victory without taking potshots at the BJP was irresistible.
But the BJP, with its deeply divisive agenda, could also have been a serious electoral handicap. Mr. Kumar shrewdly kept his distance from controversial BJP leaders without damaging the alliance.

Any responsible journalist would have kept the focus on responsible governance and the failings of Lalu and company. Or for that matter the "leadership" shown by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress who were nearly wiped out in the state. But LiC chooses to gloss over these facts. Its sad that someone so experienced chooses ideology over ethics time and again.

4 comments:

CodeNameV said...

I was expecting this one from N.Ram. My anticipation proved right. What a loser!

Notice, no word on CPI(M)'s hilarious statement "Bihar reults disappointing". To call the results disappointing is an understatement. If one reads carefully, this result is clear statement that CPI(M) will be kept out of sight for at least one more election. But of course, card carrying communist editor would turn a blind eye to it!

Thyagarajan said...

Instead of bothering about the Victors the LIC should have focused on the losers, the major amongst them being CPM, who had drawn a zilch. Is it probable that the citizens of Bihar and this Country are growing tired of this breed who have no deliverable yet insist on being venerated for their archaic idealogies.

Dirt Digger said...

CNV, Thyagarajan
haha yeah CPM is getting its hat handed by the electorate. Their policy of complain about everything and do nothing will be exposed in WB and we will be rid of them completely.

kuttychathan said...

For the last five years, the chindu has never said a word about the good work done by Nitish. Atleast now, it was forced to praise his record, in the editorial.