We all know that there is ongoing farmers agitation in India. Well, day by day, this farmers agitation is spreading and inspiring people to participate. Farmers are protesting for their rights and there are some serious concerns over the new farm laws. Farmers’ only demand is that the government should repeal these laws and bring a new law for “Minimum Support Price (MSP) Legalization.” That means that MSP will be legalized across the country and farmers will get MSP on their crops. Our topic is related to this only.
There is clearly a ‘Trust Deficit’ between the Government of India (GoI)) and farmers. They are not ready for talks, because their demands are something else and GoI is negotiating but not repealing the new laws. After a series of talks between these two parties, farmers now just want an answer in ‘Yes or No.’ Due to the rise of farmers’ agitation, right-wing media houses have now started defaming it.
Media houses are running shows on these protests with some derogatory remarks on them. For example, words like Khalistani, Tukde Tukde Gang, Pakistan and China have hijacked the protests and more. Farmers are really upset by the nature of India media and their derogatory remarks on them. They have even boycotted some news channels like Aaj Tak, Republic Tv, Zee News, India TV and Times Now. They did not allow reporters from these media houses to come there and cover protests. This shows how there was a ‘Trust Deficit’ between the media and farmers too.
But what can be done now? How will farmers really spread their stories? One day, a group of 4 youngsters were discussing a Facebook post in a trolley, at the Singhu Border. An old man, sitting next to them, quipped: “You people are educated, please tell me what is written on this post.” That is where the idea of ‘Trolley Times’ occurred. The farmers’ own newspaper, this means “By the farmers, For the farmers.” The other reason behind the idea was, of course, to curb negative or hate stories about farmers and show the reality from the ground.
There were so many reporters on the ground. There was an army like amateur photographers ready for contribution. They soon came out with the first edition of this four-page bilingual paper and it had a print run of 2,000 copies. The trolley became their editing desk. “Looking at the response, we are going to print 10,000 copies of the next issue,” says Ajaypal Natt from Mansa, a physiotherapy teacher. He, along with Surmeet Mavi, Gurdeep Singh and Narinder Bhinder, developed this idea. The name was like an instant hit and they picked it up without giving a second thought.
The style of the newspaper is conversational. Its format is like that of a discussion going on in a village or any commonplace.“We want it to read like the discussions taking place in village sath (common place),” he says, adding “we have a platform now to counter all kind of trash being dished out by some sections of media”, adds Natt.
The first issue of the paper carried Bhagat Singh’s quote on the struggle, photographs from the epicentre of the struggle and story of a woman farmer, Gurmail Kaur, who died during the protest.
The very first article gave the message of unity, struggle and victory. The Punjabi as well as English version paper was simultaneously launched digitally on all social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. This is a huge thing which farmers did on their own.
But do you think this is something we should be and especially Indian media houses should be proud of? As an aspiring journalist, I think that this shows the shameful and bigotry journalism which our national media houses are indulging in. Farmers don’t trust their false propaganda and thus, they ended up by launching their own newspaper. Launching a newspaper is appreciable, perhaps this shows the pain. People are doing the job of journalists. “Media is not portraying us well” has been said by many farmers over the years. Why did people not focus on this line for years? Indian Media is not portraying us well too. I feel that almost 90% of the media houses have shifted to one side. But we are still blind.
Well, there is hope. The hope of a better future in Indian journalism. People should speak against the false propaganda running 24/7 on news channels. Aspiring journalists and veterans in journalism do feel the pain. The level of journalism which Indian media houses are practising is worrisome. Farmers found their own way to fight hate and false allegations of media houses and politicians. Will we be able to find a way to fight this vendetta?