Akanksha Saxena
ISPP and summer intern 2009

Picture this- A group of youngsters gather together in a park, solemnly alone and avoiding the prying eyes of the antagonists, played here by the state machinery, to organise book reading sessions. Allegorically, these secretive book-lovers dread the hedonistic society that has given up reading and a meaningful way of life. The state which prevents thoughtful and scholarly pursuits, burns the books (form of media) to encourage mankind to indulge in wasteland of human thought, probably to ascertain and reinforce hegemony.

Set in a rather plaintive coefficient of imaginary world of 1990’s, Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel- Fahrenheit 451 paints a shocking picture of the dystopian era where critical thought through reading is prohibited. The temperature at which the book paper catches fire is 451F. The firemen burn them as a ‘good deed for the humanity’. Cinema genius François Truffaut adapted the novel in his 1966 film by the same name.

The grotesque imagery and mayhem in the book as well as its adaptations find startling semblance to the world that we reside in today. Burning of books is symbolically related to the idea of a strong urge to control the textual or any kind of biography of humankind, practised vehemently but covertly by the symbols of power. The representation of truth is blurred, distorted and twisted to an extent that it partially (sometimes wholly) annul the factual events.

The media conveniently ignores issues that require formidable and immediate concern.  Many developmental issues never see the light of the day. The cut-throat rat-race in TRP era of broadcast news and publicity garnering sensationalism rules the roost. It’s appalling to note that about 25 lakh people in Manipur are hit by the closure of national highways. Prices of essential commodities including rice, pulses, flour, diesel, petrol and kerosene are skyrocketing.

Manipur has been in turmoil since April. An indefinite economic blockade is enforced on Manipur following the conflict between Nagaland and Manipur over council elections. It’s further aggravated by involvement of separatist leaders. Neither government is taking any immediate steps to ensure safety and end economic blockade, nor is media paying heed to the crisis involving two states of India. Commoners are unaware of the situation there.

The behemoth responsibility of impartiality by print media is also subsided by the trend of advertorials. Advertorials not only propel a brand (person/commodity/ideology) they also masquerade editorial content. Business of news space which belongs to objective news is an infringement of the trust that the reader places in the newspaper. It makes the news lose credibility. Most people cannot distinguish advertisement presented in the form of news content. Dissemination of the content, accurate or otherwise, is on the whims and fancies of the media gatekeepers.

Truth is something someone is trying to hide, rest all is advertising. For instance, in the case of reports regarding Aligarh Muslim University, in the past three years of V-C Prof. Abdul Aziz’s tenure- the university has seen more than 145 student suspensions over various issues ranging from lack of student body to holding democratic protests against general corruption. AMU was in news for Professor Siras controversy (the gay professor who was caught on camera having sex with his partner and suspended. He later committed suicide). The students’ fall-out on the issue of alleged culpable suicide committed by Siras and subsequent opposition on surveillance in campus (installation of CCTVs) became vocal and made the authority paranoid.

The bearing is clear: the age-old institution is trying hard to save its legacy by indulging in strict regulation only to end up committing more mistakes and jeopardizing future of several of its students.

This and many examples of regulation and state control reinforce what Bradbury went to elaborate the meaning of his book in a 2007 interview, saying specifically that the culprit in Fahrenheit 451 is not the state – it is the people.

We may ponder over the ‘railways third class (unreserved) compartment syndrome’ that we all suffer from. As long as we are out in open we object and powerfully protest for the rights that are due onto us i.e. opening the door. As soon as we get in the compartment (system) and become stalwarts, we resort to everything possible to keep the door shut making impossible for others to enter.

That’s precisely is what is leading to dystopian ends.