There was a time, when I would wait for the TV program “We the People” . I became a fan of Barkha Dutt and recognized her as the much needed voice of the common man. I revered he daring efforts when she went battleground Afghanistan to keep us up to date when the Afghan war broke out. I used to quote her in discussions and talks.
I feel let down.
So do others. She has not only lost my trust, but has created skepticism in my mind for anything that I hear, see or read in the media. every journalist looks as if doling out manufactured reality.
I could not believe my ears when I first heard the Niira Radia tapes. As mentioned, I felt let down. But did I feel offended? Yes and No.
On the second thought, what Barkha and other senior journalists did was not a criminal act in the eyes of the law. It was for sure a foolish act. What made it criminal was the broken trust of the people. We the People, who thought these journalists to be our voice, felt the stabs in our back. Someone whom we thought was fighting on our side was suddenly seen conspiring with and facilitating the opposition camp.
I am not sure if Barkha and Vir can be brought to book, but they do owe me an apology. I know, the apology will not bring back the broken trust, but thats the least they can do.
