It is rare to see general masses cry for a journalist and erupt in happiness when a happy bail order news comes for him. Journalists are not cricketers, at least never as popular as a Sachin Tendulkar or an M S Dhoni. Yet Arnab’s bail order has evoked the same level of emotional response.
The SC order to grant interim bail to Arnab Goswami has precipitated strong emotions among the masses, which is historic for the entire country. No other journalist has evoked such mass support in the recent times. We do not know much about late journalists like Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, who too have now turned into historic icons. However, in recent times, Arnab Goswami must be the only journalist who has reached such pinnacle of popularity.
And some credit for his popularity must go to Maharashtra government which treated him shabbily, and to other TV channels, media houses and TV anchors, who were yellow with envy at the success and popularity that come his way and either blabbered nonsense or chose to remain silent at his incarceration and persecution.
It is tough to admire your fellow competitor journalist or anchor. However, there is some grace needed and expected from all professionals. Sachin’s teammate Sourav Ganguly knew and accepted that Sachin was exceptional, although he himself was no less iconic. Arnab’s rivals too should know and acknowledge that despite his loudness, he does have some exceptional qualities. And those qualities are what makes him so popular.
Those qualities can be emulated by anyone, any journalist or anchor person, as those qualities come free. You only need to have an eye to identify those qualities.
And those qualities are – to stand by your people, your fellow countrymen, your nation, your co-workers and your convictions, and to speak for them unabashedly.
You cannot stand by the ideals of Pakistan and expect popularity in India.
Arnabs are rare phenomena, that are a result of expression and outpouring of emotions from an highly emotional Indian population.
These same emotions had once created a Gandhi out of a Mohandas and a Lok Nayak out of a Jai Prakash Narayan. Some times such emotions have even pulled down governments and autocrats too.
You may not find it all logical. But this is how India is. This is how Indians are. They will always side with the underdog of the moment, of the year and of the century.
Only the underdog person needs to go down fighting the right battle, like a Maharana Pratap or Maharani Laxmi Bai.
Arnab has not reached that stature. But he has left other fellow journalists far behind in popularity. Thanks to the targeted persecution he has been subjected to.
