Blasts, kids’ death covered prominently by global media

Patna,(BiharTimes): Two back-to-back incidents in Bihar got widespread international coverage in the recent days. Not only that the global media is closely following the developments and waiting for the government’s response on both.

Newspapers, radio stations and television channels of South and East Asian countries gave much more prominence to July 7 bomb blasts in Bodh Gaya as some of them have overwhelming Buddhist population. Not only that they are following up government action in this regard. They were a bit surprised as to how can the sanctum sanctorum be left virtually unprotected.

Nine days later, on July 16, more than 50 children of a primary school in Dharmasati-Gandaman village under Masrakh block of Saran district fell ill. Twenty-three of them later died.

As those killed were tiny tots, and not elderly people, it evoked world attention. Television channels like BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera etc as well as most international newspapers carried the news as well as photos quite prominently.

Be it Washington Post in the United States and Guardian in the United Kingdom or any other dailies of various other countries all covered the tragedy.

Manoje Nath, retired IPS officer now in England where his daughter lives, rang up BiharTimes after reading a detail story in the Guardian there.

The newspapers and channels are also following up the story. They even organized panel discussion. Even the BBC radio held a discussion in this regard.

Like in the bomb blasts so in the death of so many children in one go questions are being raised over the state of affairs in Bihar. The general impression till now had been that Bihar is a better administered state, but these two incidents badly dented its image.

As those involved were kids they got more media coverage than even the massacre of Dalits or communal or caste violene taking place anywhere in the country.

The lack of compassion by the ruling class is being questioned. Why is it that the chief minister Nitish Kumar had not uttered a single word on the issue, not to speak of visiting the village or Patna Medical College and Hospital. All these issues are being discussed both in the national as well international media.

Unlike in the past this time the media is even questioning the manner in which the Bihar’s education minister, P K Shahi, tried to wash his hands of by hinting of conspiracy even before a probe has been done. It suggests that he is trying to influence the investigation and forcing those who are probing to come to this conclusion.

In this global village it does not take much time for the media to make or mar the image of any state or personality. Bihar needs to do something good to improve its image which has suddently taken a beating.