It’s an irony that for a few bucks, the newspapers have put the lives as well as future of common people at risk. While they mint money from such ‘misleading’ and ‘mischievous’ Ads, they still raise questions on politicians and celebrities for vising the Babas and take their blessings. Who make these Babas? Who promote them? It’s our media only. Being the fourth pillar of democracy, they are accountable to common people more than anyone else.
Even as ‘Sarathi Baba’ controversy is going murkier every passing day and new revelations are being made by the media itself to show how people were fooled by the self-styled godman, there is no let up in publication of such Ads in most top daily newspapers in the state. A single line appeal to the people to verify the facts before using any services promoted through advertisements, does not make sense.
If ultimately it’s left to people’s discretion only, then the cases of forgery and cheating will be on the rise. Questions are being raised how people could not nail the lies of Sarathi Baba, who claimed miracles such as generating ‘Bibhuti’ from air, getting milk from a cement cow and delivering honey from his feet. Then, what about these Classified Ads shown on newspapers? The so-called Babas in these Ads have thrown an open challenge of Rs 50 lakh to anyone, who proves them wrong. Did the newspapers even try to verify the facts before accepting their Ads?
Social responsibility of the media increases manifold after the expose of Sarathi Baba. They are being hailed for helping people attain freedom from the clutches of a fraud. Now, the onus lies on them again. Can they take a vow not to accept any such misleading Ads from Babas and other individuals and organizations, who have a single point agenda of minting money by encashing on people’s emotion and problems? The ball lies in their court now.