<p dir="ltr">“Yes, I’m a vulture,” a top anchor and senior journalist said on an Indian primetime news show this week. </p>.<p dir="ltr">She prided herself on being compared to a ‘vulture’ (gid in Hindi) because according to her, “..In Hinduism, vultures are representative of the God Shani (Saturn) and also a symbol of getting justice (sic).” </p>.<p dir="ltr">And what was the ‘justice’ she was referring to here? The ‘arrest’ of Rhea Chakraborty – as vindication of the ongoing media-led investigation into the untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput. </p>.<p dir="ltr">First, sincere apologies to vultures. These birds already face a threatened existence despite their crucial role in keeping our ecosystem safe. Truly, they do not deserve such comparisons. </p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>Picking and pecking at what is left</strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">What the news anchor stated, however, is worth examining further. For, ever since Rajput’s death, the bare bones of the incident continue to be sifted through and picked clean. Every day, every hour, every minute, in fact, every second, we, as a society (willingly or not), continue to be consumed by the death of Rajput and the life of Chakraborty. </p>.<p dir="ltr">Her personal chats, messages and screenshots are sifted through, picked out and held up as ‘truths’. They are considered infallible proof of her involvement in Rajput’s death. Never mind there are only allegations and accusations. Everything she has ever done is being used in a systematic campaign against her. She was finally arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, allegedly for organising drugs for Rajput. </p>.<p dir="ltr">Other than the Central agencies that have been probing her without uncovering any clinching proof of her role in Rajput’s death so far, there has been a horde of those metaphorically digging into Chakraborty’s flesh and blood to build a larger narrative about her character. For example, Madhu Kishwar of Manushi magazine tweeted on August 24: "More than this fortune huntress, mafia moll, Rhea Chakraborty, I marvel at her father, an ex-army officer--using his own daughter as sex bait to trap rich men & eliminate them after gobbling up their money! Sadly, the glamour world is full of such sex baits." </p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>The bare bones of our society</strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">What drives people like Kishwar to malign a young woman and her family in this manner? For that matter, what makes hundreds of thousands of faceless, nameless men and women, young and old, peck at Chakraborty relentlessly? What makes them send her rape threats and death threats, what leads them to dissect her character based on her clothes, her photos, her texts, her messages? All in the name of #JusticeforSSR?</p>.<p dir="ltr">Why do we, as a society, feel so threatened that we circle around and condemn young women who prove themselves capable and successful? Rajput was lauded for rising from a small town in Bihar and making it big in Bollywood. His looks, his energy, his drive, his ambitions led him to move on from a TV soap (and a long-time girlfriend) to bigger screens and other relationships. But these were and are, seen as positives. </p>.<p dir="ltr">Chakraborty, however, gets only negatives. She and Rajput lived together as consenting adults. Yet, she is derogatorily called a ‘live-in’ (in Hindi, a ‘keep’), a gold digger and worst of all, someone who took Rajput away from his family. Rajput is always the hero, pure and blemishless; while Chakraborty is spat at metaphorically, as the one who led him astray. Was Rajput not responsible for his own actions, his choices, as tragic as they may have been? </p>.<p dir="ltr">Today, as a society, we have already pronounced Chakraborty guilty. We continue to consume the never-ending cycle of news-as-views, based around his death and her life. In fact, a report on The News Minute observes that viewership has exponentially risen for those channels that are doing sustained and relentless ‘Sushant coverage’. Meaning, the pecking out and picking out will not stop any time soon.</p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>Circling in power play </strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">That’s not all. More than viewership ratings, there is political play in motion. The case has become a battleground between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, erstwhile alliance partners and now political adversaries. The investigations into the case by Central agencies, including the probing of Chakraborty, are believed to be attempts to undermine the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra.</p>.<p dir="ltr">Then in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due in October 2020, parties in the ruling National Democratic Alliance are pecking out every aspect that will be of use to them. Through campaigns and by releasing collections of Rajput’s popular songs. And interestingly, parties are also handing out masks and stickers plastered with Rajput’s face and that incorrigible and endearing smile of his. Lest we forget, this is a pandemic after all.</p>.<p dir="ltr">Rajput’s undoubtedly tragic passing should have led us to re-examine ourselves and what we view as ‘success’. And perhaps change our thinking around mental health. Unfortunately, it has merely brought out the worst in us, as a society. </p>.<p dir="ltr">And as for the actual vultures going about their business, haven’t those birds been maligned enough, already? </p>.<p dir="ltr"><em>(Divya Sreedharan has over 20 years' experience working across newspapers, magazines and digital media. She writes/blogs on gender, ageing and urban lifestyles and also teaches journalism)</em></p>.<p dir="ltr"><em>Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">“Yes, I’m a vulture,” a top anchor and senior journalist said on an Indian primetime news show this week. </p>.<p dir="ltr">She prided herself on being compared to a ‘vulture’ (gid in Hindi) because according to her, “..In Hinduism, vultures are representative of the God Shani (Saturn) and also a symbol of getting justice (sic).” </p>.<p dir="ltr">And what was the ‘justice’ she was referring to here? The ‘arrest’ of Rhea Chakraborty – as vindication of the ongoing media-led investigation into the untimely death of Sushant Singh Rajput. </p>.<p dir="ltr">First, sincere apologies to vultures. These birds already face a threatened existence despite their crucial role in keeping our ecosystem safe. Truly, they do not deserve such comparisons. </p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>Picking and pecking at what is left</strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">What the news anchor stated, however, is worth examining further. For, ever since Rajput’s death, the bare bones of the incident continue to be sifted through and picked clean. Every day, every hour, every minute, in fact, every second, we, as a society (willingly or not), continue to be consumed by the death of Rajput and the life of Chakraborty. </p>.<p dir="ltr">Her personal chats, messages and screenshots are sifted through, picked out and held up as ‘truths’. They are considered infallible proof of her involvement in Rajput’s death. Never mind there are only allegations and accusations. Everything she has ever done is being used in a systematic campaign against her. She was finally arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, allegedly for organising drugs for Rajput. </p>.<p dir="ltr">Other than the Central agencies that have been probing her without uncovering any clinching proof of her role in Rajput’s death so far, there has been a horde of those metaphorically digging into Chakraborty’s flesh and blood to build a larger narrative about her character. For example, Madhu Kishwar of Manushi magazine tweeted on August 24: "More than this fortune huntress, mafia moll, Rhea Chakraborty, I marvel at her father, an ex-army officer--using his own daughter as sex bait to trap rich men & eliminate them after gobbling up their money! Sadly, the glamour world is full of such sex baits." </p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>The bare bones of our society</strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">What drives people like Kishwar to malign a young woman and her family in this manner? For that matter, what makes hundreds of thousands of faceless, nameless men and women, young and old, peck at Chakraborty relentlessly? What makes them send her rape threats and death threats, what leads them to dissect her character based on her clothes, her photos, her texts, her messages? All in the name of #JusticeforSSR?</p>.<p dir="ltr">Why do we, as a society, feel so threatened that we circle around and condemn young women who prove themselves capable and successful? Rajput was lauded for rising from a small town in Bihar and making it big in Bollywood. His looks, his energy, his drive, his ambitions led him to move on from a TV soap (and a long-time girlfriend) to bigger screens and other relationships. But these were and are, seen as positives. </p>.<p dir="ltr">Chakraborty, however, gets only negatives. She and Rajput lived together as consenting adults. Yet, she is derogatorily called a ‘live-in’ (in Hindi, a ‘keep’), a gold digger and worst of all, someone who took Rajput away from his family. Rajput is always the hero, pure and blemishless; while Chakraborty is spat at metaphorically, as the one who led him astray. Was Rajput not responsible for his own actions, his choices, as tragic as they may have been? </p>.<p dir="ltr">Today, as a society, we have already pronounced Chakraborty guilty. We continue to consume the never-ending cycle of news-as-views, based around his death and her life. In fact, a report on The News Minute observes that viewership has exponentially risen for those channels that are doing sustained and relentless ‘Sushant coverage’. Meaning, the pecking out and picking out will not stop any time soon.</p>.<p dir="ltr"><strong>Circling in power play </strong></p>.<p dir="ltr">That’s not all. More than viewership ratings, there is political play in motion. The case has become a battleground between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, erstwhile alliance partners and now political adversaries. The investigations into the case by Central agencies, including the probing of Chakraborty, are believed to be attempts to undermine the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra.</p>.<p dir="ltr">Then in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due in October 2020, parties in the ruling National Democratic Alliance are pecking out every aspect that will be of use to them. Through campaigns and by releasing collections of Rajput’s popular songs. And interestingly, parties are also handing out masks and stickers plastered with Rajput’s face and that incorrigible and endearing smile of his. Lest we forget, this is a pandemic after all.</p>.<p dir="ltr">Rajput’s undoubtedly tragic passing should have led us to re-examine ourselves and what we view as ‘success’. And perhaps change our thinking around mental health. Unfortunately, it has merely brought out the worst in us, as a society. </p>.<p dir="ltr">And as for the actual vultures going about their business, haven’t those birds been maligned enough, already? </p>.<p dir="ltr"><em>(Divya Sreedharan has over 20 years' experience working across newspapers, magazines and digital media. She writes/blogs on gender, ageing and urban lifestyles and also teaches journalism)</em></p>.<p dir="ltr"><em>Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.</em></p>