Promiscuous journalism

Moin Uddin

I took an interview of the famous Nepali Female Singer Anju Panta, two years ago – while I worked in a radio.

I started with general question and then later asked about her life and the struggles in musical field and what made her rose in the height of musical success?

She never let me feel that she is a celebrity singer, indeed I felt that she is a close friend of mine who is sharing her inside thoughts and views and her sufferings to me like a good friend shares the problems when they are in pain and they need someone to hear their words.

 I felt I was her friend – the listening friend.

She had struggled from the beginning and had taken lessons in music since her early days.

She rose into limelight when she sang the song "Na Birse Timilai Na Paye Timilai" written by Bipin Kiran and the music was composed by Mahesh Khadka. Everyone praised her.

Though she was successful in her musical career, but her conjugal life was not as good as it should have been.

She was tortured mentally and physically. She told me all by herself where she was accompanied by her daughter in the studio.

I still have that raw interview.

I was speechless listening to her sayings, I only was saying Ani (and) and she would continue.

She first broke the news to me that she had converted her religion and is following Christian.

Though we didn't air that statement thinking this word if presented to the audience can have a giant quandary and there may arise a religious battle and people may look her with the hatred eyes – So, I talked with my seniors and we made a decision to drop the idea of on-airing it.

After two years our fear came true.

 The media highlighted that she didn't want to sing a song containing the words of Hindu goddess's which brought her into controversy and the so called fans of hers and the haters are putting their harsh comments on her.

Did anyone asked or tried to research that why she converted into Christian?

She was a Hindu and what compelled her to put down her ancestral religion and opt towards the Christian religion. What made her the devotee of that religion?

The audiences goes with the flow of media wind, if media says she's good than they all praise her and if not then she's bad.

I asked her why she converted her religion and she said she got peace in it. Her problems were solved when she prayed to Jesus.

What one needs? What sufferers want? It's all about the beliefs and the answer to the problems and she got her problems solved.

Why do people like each other, despite knowing that person is not so good or powerful and is against the perception of their parents to let them to get married?

Why a girl takes a huge risk and marries a guy she loves? Why business tycoons invest in a share market, which is not performing well?

It's all about beliefs.

s/he believes and have a faith that the risk they are taking are worth as it'll give a better result, these risk takers are far sighted and sees something precious that the general  people find it ordinary.

We are raising our voice for freedom –freedom to live, speak, eat, and talk and so on. Then, why Anju Panta is being dragged into controversy for using her freedom not to sing a song?

Why is so much hate towards her?

It was her choice. It was her statement. We need to respect her decisions and forget everything what she said or did.

If we keep on sticking in those words, which she said in a studio and the people also the media transformed her words into different avatar and presented it into the media. Creating lots of hate talks towards her. Whose fault is that?

Our country is secular, where the people of different religion followers live in a harmony.

There isn't any history of conflict between Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, etcetera in our country, Nepal.

We were living in accord and we'll live joining hands and helping each other in needs.

We will share happiness in joyous moment and provide a shoulder when our brother and sister of different background are in grief.

Due to some irresponsible person and the media houses, without thinking the consequences that would arise by publishing or broadcasting the news can create mayhem among different religious groups and destroy harmony and cause a war.

Media person should act in an equilibrium way and should not favor between any sides.

They should remain as a catalyst and present the facts in such a way that must justify the truth and our Nepali Media persons are turning deaf ear in all energy to ruin the life of others for their own popularity.