THE RESERVATION ISSUE has led to protests from various organisations, educational institutes and individuals. On Wednesday the students of five medical colleges of Delhi demonstrated against the proposed reservation by the governments of India. The students had to face water canons from the Delhi Police during the protest.

 

The leading newspapers of the city have covered the story well on Thursday, as they generally do. I saw the front pages of The Times of India and the Hindustan Times. A particular picture on the front pages of both the newspapers has taken more space than the news about the protest. The Associated Press–picture has become news in itself. Everyone in my office is looking for today’s newspapers. People are talking about the picture and not the issue. Some are praising the cameraman and some are critical of him. This picture has a young, completely drenched girl facing the camera in a pose that reminds me of some rain dance sequence from a Bollywood flick. The pose may have been a coincidence, but the picture is on the front pages and I do not understand why the major newspapers have placed this picture there. Are they presenting a piece of news or just leveraging on the picture to increase circulation?

 

A few questions come to my mind. What might be the editorial intentions behind putting the picture on the front page? Was the moment of clicking intentional on the part of the cameraman? What does the girl in the picture feel now, after it has been served to every household? And, what is more important: the picture or the news?

 

I pondered over these questions and I feel that these newspapers are meant for mass circulation. They are always on the lookout for some sensational news. If they do not find sensational news they make it, and if they are not able to make it they complement a story with a picture, so that the story eventually becomes sensational.

 

I do not want to say anything about the brave girl. And now, something about the cameraman: if he has done this intentionally then he is a very skilled photographer.

 

At the end, what becomes popular is the picture of the medical student, but the cause for which the medical students braved the water cannons and the police has been lost.