Even as fellow journalists in Bengal have been under attack allegedly by cadres of Trinamool Congress, it seems that the recently elected president of Editors Guild of India has consciously chosen to remain silent. Instead of condemning the violence, he was busy whining about airports making him to scratch cards to avail free Wi-Fi.
How many years before our airports grow out of this nonsensical nail-scratching business for wifi! pic.twitter.com/DfjQzmBdb1
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) May 14, 2018
The silence of these self-proclaimed flag bearers of independent and inclusive media is neither uncommon nor surprising to many. Shekhar Gupta was recently elected as the president of the Editor Guild of India, the institution which comprises of the elites of Lutyens Delhi. Their hypocrisy is evidenced by the fact that while they scream the loudest about upliftment of Dalits and Muslims, they have never had a Dalit or a Muslim President.
Shekhar Gupta, instead of raising his voice against the attacks on journalists in West Bengal, chose to whine about having to scratch a card for WiFi at an airport. Not only that, he was also busy playing chef, where he was testing out blossoms to be used for certain recipes.
Can you identify these blossoms? Clue: sambar and golgappas will not taste like themselves without it pic.twitter.com/yEYbDG3KHl
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) May 13, 2018
Social media called out Gupta’s silence over political violence in Bengal and his bias towards certain political parties.
Bengal is burning; polling booths captured; voters intimidated; journalists attacked, many hospitalised; reporters hounded; news agencies bullied.
Meanwhile, the President of the Editors’ Guild, tweeting merrily, has a set of pressing questions. (h/t @kiranjankalar) pic.twitter.com/BNWRxffo5x
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) May 14, 2018
@ShekharGupta too busy criticising exit polls; @sardesairajdeep last sighted sampling dosas in Bengaluru; @sagarikaghose busy compiling thesis on balloons filled with a certain fluid; @BDUTT checking headmaster records; @fayedsouza says it’s just a “mess” ..should I go on?
— Sudhish (@iamsudhish) May 14, 2018
Some people even questioned the entire Lutyens industry and called out their insensitivity to the burning of West Bengal.
Not only the Election Commission but the entire MSM news reporters aka @sardesairajdeep @ShekharGupta @PrannoyRoyNDTV @rahulkanwal who were on steroids during Karnataka elections are in hibernation. No one will dare to do ground zero reporting because it’s Mumtaz Banerjee state.
— Menace (@Sacrilegious77) May 14, 2018
#PanchayatElection West Bengal
Thanks for asking question@sagarikaghose @sardesairajdeep @Nidhi @abhisar_sharma @ShekharGupta @BDUTT pic.twitter.com/q6UdDlk0Zc— Ashwini Anand?? (@ASK_1828) May 14, 2018
Earlier Gupta has been called out not only for peddling fake news but also for his arrogance. He faced backlash for supporting a Pakistani Journalist’s hatred towards the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Coincidentally, editor of Mirror Now, Faye D’Souza, who was also caught propagating fake news in the past, was countered for playing down the violence in Bengal by referring to it as merely a ‘mess‘.
West Bengal has been gripped with terror during these elections. Many theorised. that the ensuing violence was owing to the surge in Bharatiya Janata Party’s support base. TMC workers have been indulging in unabated violence and It seems like the so-called intellectuals are working in tandem by choosing to remain silent.
