Jats and the Indian Media

[sonalisingh]

Hi Folks:

One thing that has always bothered me is how the Indian media always seems to single out Jats. For instance, we never hear of "Brahmin leader" Vajpayee, but you'd constantly read things like "Jat leader Devi Lal".

Recently, a Haryana Jat won Mr. India (??), and wherever I read the news it was made very obvious that this person was a Jat. Had the winner been from any other community you'd never hear that he was a Brahmin/Bania/ or whatever.

Just look at Sehwag for another recent example. Everytime I read articles that use phrases like "The Jat lad", "The Jat batsman" and so on.

These are a few of the obvious examples that I can recall. But Indian media seems littered with such examples. Since these can be found across a whole variety of publications, one can't even say that "so and so journalist" is a bigot. Such references are pervasive across publications.

My immediate reaction is very negative, that we are always singled out. In most cases the news reflects us in a negative light, though I guess that is not always the case (as is the case with Sehwag and Mr India). When it is used in a politcal context, it is invariable negative.

I was wondering what other Jats think about this. Do you think that this is blatant castiesm and reflects biases against us ? Or do you actually think that this is good ? Obviously the word Jat is well recognized amongst all Indians. Here in California, even people from the south are well aware of who Jats are (though very often the image is not positive). So in some ways the media is helping market us.

How do you folks see this ?

[sejwal]

Hi everyone,

Yes, I am agree with you that how the media is freely using "Jat" word to define characteristics of a single person. Although the media is aware of it. Despite of it , they are using it for a single hero. However this word denote our whole community.

Definitely sometime it plays a negative approach. It should never be used by media. Why dont they use similar words for other. A single person cant reflect the image of all. If Mallika Sharawat / Sehwag is doing good then its is ok. But when got out at zero then it reflect the zero image for all JATS. Similarly if Mallika is doing nude roles, Sehwag is not playing well then representing them as 'Jat". Then no one of us would like it. Which will goes negative for us. The people, who does not know much of us, may take it as nature of Jats.

But fortunately media might not aware about that Mallika is also a Jat. Otherwise it may start using as Jat girl.

No doubt Jats are always great in every field. But I will strongly critise it , the way the media is using it.

We do'nt require such media support. This is really a unprofessional approach of reporting.


Shakti Sejwal

[varuntomar]

The bias against Jats in the media is so strong that some references really hurt. I remember one newspaper mentioning Chaudhary Charan Singh as one of the few OBC chief ministers of UP and that was long before Jats were declared OBC anywhere. During Kargil war a Jat village(i guess it was sirsali ) in Baraut region was mentioned as a rajput village while refering to a shaheed.

[ajmer]

[quote]Jats are always great in every field

This is just wishful thinking. I wish we were there.

Folks, I don't see any issue with the media. Media is just a reflection in most cases. So I won't worry too much about it. What is needed is that we need to focus on our community (mainly with our individual efforts - even if it is for our families and close relatives) and increase the awareness and chances of success and everything will just follow.

What we need is more leaders and visionaries.

Thanks.

-ajmer

[navingulia]

badnaam honge to kyaa naam na hoga?
ha ha ha
that was on a lighter note.
well, being a Jat is great.
the younger generation these days take a lot of pride in it. The word JAT is put on T-shirts, jackets, mobikes.
There are a lot of people proud of it.
There are a lot of people jealous of it.

Media?
Well Sonali Jee, personally I feel Jat leaders and Jats have got a much better deal than others.
See, Bihar Laloo, Gujrat Modi, Mayawati

I have never seen negative publicity of Jat leaders on national news.
Haryana also fortunately gets a better deal than other states.
I differ on this, I feel Jats get a better deal.

[rksehrawat]

It is indicative of the fact that the jats, whom the so called educated society used to think as backward, rowdys foul-mouthed, till recently, have arrived in a positive way. A jat is a jat, is a jat, admit or not. So, why to worry if they admit that we are jats. Nobody can dare to take pangas with jats. Nobody can harm them, unless the jats themselves permit it. So don't worry.

[rajoura]

Mukhalfat Se Meri Shaksiyat Sawanrti Hai,
Main Apne Dushmanon Ka Bada Aitram Karta hoon.

I hope you guys will understand this

[anilkc]

pehle kud padh likh lo, fir media ko padhana.

[sonalisingh]

anil chaudhary (Jul 28, 2004 09:54 p.m.):
pehle kud padh likh lo, fir media ko padhana.

Kuuch baat jami nahin Anil. Aapka kya khyaal hai. Kab tak padhaee poori ho jayegee aapki ?

[sonalisingh]

(duplicate)

[sonalisingh]

Sonali Singh (Jul 28, 2004 11:55 p.m.):
The media and the writers of our history are the most potent force in shaping who we are percieved to be by ourselves and all our future generations, let alone outsiders. Taking a "I don't give a hoot" approach is seriously detrimental to our community.

Those who do not exert influence on the media, as well as those who let others write their history for them are forever at the mercy of those who do have control over these mediums.

I simply do not agree with taking a "we are brave, no one can do us any harm" (etc) outlook.

[danarambeerda]

Sonali ji aapki ye kali photo kuchh ajeeb nahi lagti !!!!!!!!


With best regards

[dayvraj]

I was wondering what other Jats think about this.

Have better things to cater to , than to squander my time and opportunities over these nonconsequentiual , irrelevant and not concerned issues.


Do you think that this is blatant castiesm and reflects biases against us ?

Dunno , don't care and in case it is then are you really such a gullible and simpleton who needs to be explained - A society gets only what it deserves.


Or do you actually think that this is good ?

Actually it's good from the jat community's point of view .A bad name is better than no name .


Obviously the word Jat is well recognized amongst all Indians.



HAYN ? YOu've zapped me here .TRust me it isn't .HOw much of India did you travel before jumping to this comforting conclusion .


Did my college from pune and trust me dearie many folks in the hostel were like - who are JAts .JAts atleast in my college were known mostly to people from the North and not to the ones from Orissa , Andhra and down south ( pun on down south , inadvertent).THey are known down south but just to the aware ie the ones who have travelled a lot and have been a part of north india at some point in life or have known some jat personally.


Sonali ji aapki ye kali photo kuchh ajeeb nahi lagti !!!!!!!!

HAan ray , fotu dekhte hee nu laage kee sakal chudaailon kee hore mijaaj parion kay .

[anilkc]

Meri padhai tab khatam hogi, jab sabhi Jat padh likh jayenge aur Indian media mein chaa jaenge.


Sonali Singh (Jul 28, 2004 11:48 p.m.):
Kuuch baat jami nahin Anil. Aapka kya khyaal hai. Kab tak padhaee poori ho jayegee aapki ?

[sonalisingh]

Dana Ram Choudhary (Jul 29, 2004 09:44 a.m.):
Sonali ji aapki ye kali photo kuchh ajeeb nahi lagti !!!!!!!!


With best regards


Sorry Dana Ram. Aapkay standards kay mutabik nahin hai. Main socch rahee the
yeh kaali photo laga her apnay imperfections or blemishes ko dhak loon....aapko aetraaz na ho toh....

[sonalisingh]

For some strange reason, I was expecting a more rational and thought out response from Dayvraj. But I guess he must have had a hangover from some other thread related to drinking (he he he). So a bit dissapointed.

* Sonali rolls her eyes and looks bored with Dayvu. *

[quote]Dayvraj (Jul 29, 2004 10:20 a.m.):
I was wondering what other Jats think about this.

Have better things to cater to , than to squander my time and opportunities over these nonconsequentiual , irrelevant and not concerned issues.

[mbamal]

Dayvraj (Jul 29, 2004 10:20 a.m.):
JAts atleast in my college were known mostly to people from the North and not to the ones from Orissa , Andhra and down south ( pun on down south , inadvertent).THey are known down south but just to the aware ie the ones who have travelled a lot and have been a part of north india at some point in life or have known some jat personally.

Couldnt agree more..Only if one is really interested in knowing about other communities..one tries to travel and make frnds from other parts of India. Otherwise his/her views are based entirely on what he/she hears around him/her or what he/she sees in movies. e.g. To many of my frnds in delhi, everyone coming from south (Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu,Andhra,Kerala) was a "madrasi" or "maddu".

[dayvraj]

Main socch rahee the
yeh kaali photo laga her apnay imperfections or blemishes ko dhak loon....aapko aetraaz na ho toh....

Kaash kee meri shonu dawling kay chehre pay chaychak kay kuch aur daag hote , chaand toh voh thee hee sitaare bhee saath hote


For some strange reason, I was expecting a more rational and thought out response from Dayvraj. But I guess he must have had a hangover from some other thread related to drinking (he he he). So a bit dissapointed.
* Sonali rolls her eyes and looks bored with Dayvu. *



Shoooooonu dawling yesterday I had eaten an insane root which prisoned my reasons and tum samajhti kyu nahin ho in haathon kay chaalon nay jeenaa dushwaar kar rakhaa hai .Lekin tum kyaa samjhogee - Jaa kay pair naa phate bewaai , vaa kyaa jaane peer paraai :-(

[akdalal]

There should be no harm in media writing jat before any story/writeup on jats.

In 1987, when I joined the engineering college (MNREC Allahabad), there was bajaj scooter ad - You just can't beat a bajaj.

I wrote on my t - shirt - YOU JUST CAN'T BEAT A JAT

Believe me - My Jat seniors asked me what do I mean by it, I told them that we are in a competetive world and everbody should know who and what we are.

They agreed to my explanation and to my surprise many of them used the same slogan on their t- shirts and it bacame a famous thing.

So -No harm. Its always a +ve publicity.


Cheers!!!

[dayvraj]

One thing that has always bothered me is how the Indian media always seems to single out Jats.

Seems you have been having sleepless nights tossing and turning in your khatyaa consumed with the above botheration but on the otherhand such a trivial thing had never occured to me - REASON - itwasn't worth occuring .

For some strange reason, I was expecting a more rational and thought out response from Dayvraj. But I guess he must have had a hangover from some other thread related to drinking (he he he). So a bit dissapointed.
* Sonali rolls her eyes and looks bored with Dayvu. *

Hence you were able to give a rational presentation of your cogitations .I unwillingly and forcibly tried a baby bit to think about it and this is what I gotta say -

I don't think that the Media singles out Jats. Almost all news will identify ppl either by religion or caste in indian newspapers.
For example, if a man died in care accident in India the news will printed as " A 26 year old Sikh man was killed in a car accident" instead of " A 26 year old MAN was k..."

When Kalaam became president, every headline highlighted the fact that he is Muslim. The same thing with the new PM.

In India, whether we like it or not, we all are used to highlight one's religion or caste.

Its a Christian or Catholic High School, never just school.


Its a Parsi charity hospital and never just a hospital.


Its always a Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar and not just Sharad Pawar.

So I dont think there is any singling out of Jats.

In the hope and wish that Sonali is mature enough to come to this conclusion, I decided to just put in a Sunday mood reply.

[jatrix]

hi sonali....
well.... i dont think jat word has ever been used in bad sense by the media. it's just to give an essence and flavour to the news that it is used. as we all know jat... in a way symbolises a lot... a hard headed , tough, uncorrupted , down to earth ,philanthrophic and ultra pure male / female.......
so if they say " jat lad veeru..." it simply is to emphasise on the fact that he has inherited all the above mentioned qualities...along with watever else.... in one way they state that 'coz of being jat he could do that........
as simple as that....
so dont get panicked by baseless assumptions...n stay chilled
naresh
iit chennai

[anujkumar]

The stereotype of Jats in Indian public,
the branding of Jat's by British as martial caste
Jat regiment in Indian army..
basically a profound image, compared to other communities.. (i would like to compare it with .. bengalies, bihari's, gujju, etc.. rather than other castes.. as none anyway have such a strong image..)


is all journalist want exploit to ring some bell in readers mind, while they use it.. for Jat's who make news..

On the other hand, in most cases it find highlight in the derogatory sense when used in "caste" perspective.. for like intercaste violence, as a vote bank.. etc..

So it's a question of whether we want to portray Jat a merely as caste or strong community contributing to the nation.

So let media evolve with a new definition of Jats..