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Bhairavi Singh
So it's been three days since the "March for Tolerance" took place in Delhi, turning into a nightmare for me, but the hate hasn't stopped - from those who were marching for tolerance. Shortly after the March, organised by the RSS's cultural wing Sanskar Bharti, and led by Anupam Kher, I have been called (on Twitter), a ''dalal', "paid journalist", ''prostitute'', ''bimbo'', "saas bahu heroine'', ''bitch'', ''someone who should be spit on'', ''sent to Pakistan to be beheaded'', someone who ''stage-managed a protest to increase (Twitter) followers". Whew! Social media and the tolerant are outraged by me.
Two days and some thousands of tweets later, the hate and intimidation continues - I have maligned the reputation of this country, I ought to pay for it, after all.
Just to set the record straight, I don't think the organisers were at fault, nor Anupam Kher himself - there was nothing wrong with holding a tolerance rally, a counter-protest...every citizen has the right to protest, support a cause, or not to support, voice his/her concerns, disagree - just as it is mine in a free-thinking society.
But I had committed a huge offense - I asked questions (on live reports so it can be cross-checked) that didn't agree with some in the crowd who were there to support ''tolerance'' and set the record straight by taking head-on those ''spoiling the reputation'' of this country.
Our biggest fault is we didn't capture everything on camera. It's a real tragedy as now I'm being called a liar too.
It first started when we arrived at the March, there were many, many people, lots of women, lots of families, but as I walked towards the large circle of people, a woman my mother's age started yelling at me and my cameraperson - ''Oh you party channel, you corrupt journalist, get out of here. I won't let you stand here, and you better find a new job as you will need one very soon." We smiled, told her to be tolerant, not for a second did we think we needed to capture this - it was just one person in a large crowd, how did it matter? We were there to do our work, not capture aberrations after all.
Next, a bunch of people were angry with me for asking were all those returning awards frauds? This was my question after a comment from a speaker that "award wapsiwas politically motivated."
I had committed my first sin, many would follow subsequently, adding greatly to my journalistic education. An hour later, I was called a prostitute as someone walked passed me while I was recording a piece to camera. As a journalist, you learn to ignore stray comments, but how much is enough?
This finally enraged me. I called him out but he had left by then. A crowd gathered, some tried to console me, others murmured disapproval of possible faults I had committed - by then I was shaking, my friends from the media encircled me as they told others to back off, but it wasn't over - our lady who had cornered me earlier jumped in again, called me a liar without any context and left. By then I was in tears, but we chose not to film all this, my colleagues told their camerapeople not to shoot either. An error of judgement is what it seems like now. It was done to protect me, to protect my privacy, no reporter wants to be seen crying on air...but by that night of Saturday, November 7, we realized how many times we would be asked to prove ourselves.
At 3 pm, just after I finished another live report where I mentioned being heckled in the course of talking about how the creative world was divided between those who supported this march and those who supported award wapsi, and how both sides were accusing each other of political leanings, when I realized that despite the video footage of a part of what I had encountered, I would be asked for harder evidence. What happened next had never happened to me before. I was heckled, shouted down, gheraoed and warned to leave the spot.
I had offended everyone, hence there was no redemption for me - tolerant India would not accept a divergent view...they were angry...they had to act. Act they did.
I was surrounded, informed that I had abused an old woman, and slogans were chanted against me. Since no one was ready to hear me out, I decided to walk. I tried to attempt providing the context, explaining that it was I who had instead been shouted down all morning and attacked. But I was followed by a whole group of 50 to 60 people until I reached the police barricade, where I was rescued by my friends in the media, my crew and the police.
I was told by a few young men who crossed the barricade that I had brought it upon myself by instigating the crowd with my report.
And just to clarify - I was not the only one heckled, there were other journalists as well who were heckled. Seeing some of the anti-media sentiment Mr Kher also appealed to the crowd not to attack the media, pointing out that the media was there to cover the event and its cause.
Here is an example.
It was not just NDTV reporter who was heckled and had to be escorted out by cops. Aaj Tak's Mousmi Singh as well.#MarchForIndia: Aaj Tak reporter heckled : India, News - India Today
Sruthijith (@sruthijith) November 7, 2015
Also, I'm not a ''Hindu hater'', a charge leveled because of this tweet by me.
Being proud Hindu means terrorising anyone who says anything @AnupamPkher I was abused, heckled, pushed by educated people and a mob
Bhairavi Singh (@Bhairavi_NDTV)November 7, 2015
I posted this in response to those at the rally who asked me, "Are you not a proud Hindu, why do you hate your own, and why such 'minority love'?''
I have been confused. How do you fight outrage - with more outrage, lies, insinuation, attacks or silence? For those who advised ignore it all, silence is a form of agreeing that you are guilty, but giving an explanation is conflated with a confession of guilt.
Should I ignore these sort of attacks?
@Bhairavi_NDTV well I am sure in Pakistan they will simply behead you for wrong and untruthful journalism . Death with stone
D Tripathi (@DineshTripathi)November 9, 2015
@gitithadani i call the NDTV goondas. Dogs and bitches tried their best to foment trouble today but miserably failed
Sudhir Prabhu (@ksp2000)November 7, 2015
@Bhairavi_NDTV how much you were paid to create a problem an show negative news of successful#MarchForIndiaBhairavi Singh op Twitter: "Being proud Hindu means terrorising anyone who says anything @AnupamPkher I was abused, heckled, pushed by educated people and a mob"
अंजली (@AnjuNagarajan)November 7, 2015
@Aish17aer@AnupamPkher@Bhairavi_NDTVaish ji why didnt u spit on her face,cheap soul bahiravi, shame on her parents yukkk
अनमोल-singh (@anmolrsingh)November 7, 2015
My final contention - you may disagree with what I say, but should that be licence to attack me, harangue me, threaten me and use the safe distance of social media to abuse me?
(Bhairavi Singh is a senior correspondent and anchor with NDTV 24x7. She reports on politics, crime, social and human interest stories.)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Story first published: Nov 10, 2015 22:51 IST
Im the Journalist Abused at March of Tolerance - NDTV.com
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