The Great Indian Backstabber

A backstabber is someone who stabs a knife in your back. and the reason your back is turned towards them is because you trust them. Sometimes, the betrayal turns out to be far more painful than the wound itself.

So, who is the backstabber I'm talking about? our very own news channel, INDIA TV!!!

It all began with a small piece about the family of an Indian. This person had become very famous doing what he does best; beating up people. He had won accolades for his performance in the United States. Slowly, the news about this great Indian ambassador of sports gained momentum. Gradually, news about his latest exploits became part of the daily fixture. If you haven't yet realized which personality I'm talking about, here's a clue: WRESTLING. Yes, the great KHALI was India TV's pet. Other news channel were taken aback by the sudden surge in INDIA TV's TRP. They also joined the bandwagon and Khali became the new prime-time superstar.

All this while, I was cursing India TV for laying the path for a new superstition. WWE stands for World Wrestling ENTERTAINMENT for a reason. It is just an elaborate setup. The participants are not wrestlers but skilled athletes. My cries were wasted on laymen who celebrated triumphs over Undertaker and Batista. It is said that a lie told a thousand times will become the truth. People readily accepted Khali as a great wrestler. India TV made him a star with pirated videos of his fights (courtesy: YouTube).

For almost six months, Khali was the ruler of prime-time news. Aaj Tak and Star News had fallen for the bait; hook, line and sinker. Khali dominated these channels. He even appeared on Aaj Tak to wish the viewers a Happy Holi. And then, the Ides of March did what they do best. Brutus betrayed Caesar.

India TV did an elegant volte-face. With the panache of a deadly assassin, India TV started showing videos depicting wrestling as a sham. For an entire week, hours were dedicated on describing how fake blood is used for effect, how to throw opponents without breaking their neck, how each wrestling match is fixed etcetera etcetera. Its as if India TV was trying to save us from worshipping a mythical monster. Now, Khali was Public Enemy #1. But what about the thousands who prayed for Khali's success? What about the naive millions who spent sleepless nights thinking about the injuries to his interpreter thinking it was all real? It was India TV which brought Khali into limelight. It was India TV that was washing its hands off the matter. Sheer brilliance!

I thought the media could not sink any lower, India TV easily proved me wrong. Aaj Tak and Star News had been hit below the belt. Both were left red in the face. But at what cost? Millions of viewers trusted these channels to provide them with important information. And what did they do? Glorified a stage artist when even vital issues were left in the lurch. In a bid to outdo each other, the unsuspecting viewer was taken for a ride.

The news channels that fell into India TV's trap are not innocent. But what the people at India TV have done is UNFORGIVABLE. They have played with the trust of millions. Only an apology can clear the air. Frankly, I don't think I will be ever able to trust them enough to accept their apology.