The week that was full of Tejpal and Aarushi

Too much news to digest in the past one week. While the nation has been greedily laying its eyes on the two yet most sensational cases ever- Tarun Tejpal sexual assault and Aarushi-Hemraj double murder- a major news(at least in my eyes) was sadly ignored.

More about the ‘major’ news later. First, let’s see how the media has focused all its energies on the Tejpal and Aarushi case.

While I do not consider rape a trivial matter, I personally feel a crime committed by Tehelka’s editor has received more limelight than its fair share. In Mumbai alone, there were two different rape cases reported last week. One was of a minor girl’s rape in an auto rickshaw and second was a rape case registered by daughter against her father, who assaulted her for 11 long years.  Are these two cases not horrifying enough? Yet, they took a back seat because a spiced-up rape case which involved politics and media had snatched all the heat.

Tarun Tejpal, if convicted, has committed a grave crime and his actions have already caused multiple effects on Tehelka and on the employees working there. The media pressure has resulted in resignation of managing editor Shoma Chaudhury. However, engulfing ourselves just around one rape case is a bit uncalled for.

The second breaking news is of course of the life imprisonment sentenced to Dr Rajesh Talwar and his wife Nupur Talwar for the cold-blooded murder of their daughter Aarushi. The case has bewildered everyone since 2008. While there are several other unsolved murder cases in our country, this one swiped away everyone’s attention for two reasons- failure on the part of CBI to establish a clear crime scene sooner and the perplexing nature of the crime.

After the judgment, newspapers and news channels discussed the 26 circumstantial evidences that pointed towards the duo and debated whether justice had indeed been delivered. Various possible angles and theories were drawn in public forums. Media devoured so much into the case that something as personal as Aarushi’s character and her relationship with her parents was scrutinized like public assets.

News distorted and blown up- is not what journalism is about.

 While these two cases were flashing on every news channel, an incident of mid-day meal was pushed on the back seat. A whopping 493 kids fell ill after consuming mid-day meal in one of Mumbai’s school on October 25. While the nature of illness was not severe, it was dreadful to find out how government fund for children is being misused.

This is the first time such a large number has been affected due to mid-day meal. Maharashtra, currently, has the maximum cases of illnesses reported due to mid-day meal since 2004 in the country.

While the government has sanctioned  25 per child for one day’s meal, these students were given baked cupcakes worth 7-10 rupees. You may wonder about the remaining amount? My guess- either the school or the NGO appointed to serve the food has pocketed the difference.

It is a shame that we are failing to provide quality food to children. The Bihar fiasco(death of 23 odd kids) is still fresh, and this incident just shows how much ignorance this scheme is soaked in.

When I met the students and they discussed how unhygienic the meals were, my brain started fuming. According to guidelines of mid-day meal, baked items or chikki are not permitted in meals. The school or the NGO was not only breaching the guidelines, it was in fact preparing a recipe for malnourishment. Forget provision of hard-cooked meal, these kids were given either a bun-maska or chivda or a single banana for lunch. With no one to monitor, these kids were deprived of basic nutrients essential for their growth.

I wonder why an issue of such a big magnitude failed to capture media’s attention- because it concerned low-profile school going children or because there was no masala in it or simply because it was not a multi-crore scam?

In my limited understanding, a mid-day meal affecting almost 500 children is of equal importance. And issues of the voiceless need to be reported with greater focus because the ones having a voice will any how make sure they are getting heard. However, the poor will continue to suffer in silence.