CNN-IBN SPECIAL | THE ARUSHI POLL
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Arushi-Hemraj murder: India gives its verdict
Published on Sun, Jul 06, 2008 at 07:20, Updated on Sun, Jul 06, 2008 at 08:00 in Nation section
Tags: Noida Murder, Arushi Talwar
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Over the last month, the murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl Arushi Talwar and her domestic help Hemraj has captured public imagination. The case goes to the heart of India’s middle class society and raises several troubling questions.
What is the nature of contemporary media -- Has it ceased to be absolutely responsible? What is the nature of the police force -- Is it unable to investigate modern crime? What about the relationship between employees and employers -- Has that broken down with the household? And what about parents and children -- Do they inhabit completely different universes now?
An Outlook-CNN-IBN Exclusive Opinion Poll tried to gauge the public mood on the murder case. Over a thousand respondents from six cities took part in the survey.
CNN-IBN conducted a special show to reveal and discuss the findings of the poll. The panel comprised of former IPS officer Kiran Bedi; Editor-in-Chief, Outlook magazine, Vinod Mehta; a close friend of the Talwars, Masooma Renalvi; clinical psychologist Dr Nishreen Saif Poonawalla; Editor, Marie Claire magazine, Shefalee Vasudev, RJ, Radio Mirchi, Saurabh; and Editor-in-Chief, IBN7, Ashutosh.
Media Sensationalism: Has the media sensationalised the Arushi murder case?
Parents
Yes: 77 per cent
No: 23 per cent
Teenagers
Yes: 67 per cent
No: 33 per cent
Masooma Renalvi, who’s been very critical of the media, initiated the discussion by pointing out even though media played an important role in the Arushi Talwar murder case, it went way beyond reporting the facts. She accused the media of reporting wrong facts and sensationalizing the case.
“In the first week,” she said, “media showed the photographs of Talwars’ brother and his wife as Arushi’s parents. As for sensationalizing the case, a few days ago, a tabloid performed a lie-detector test on Dr Nupur Talwar and published the transcript. The next day, a TV channel dramatized the test. Dr Nupur, however, told us that the nothing mentioned in the transcript was true.”
But there have been many instances — such as the O J Simpson case in the US and the Madeleine McCann case in the UK — where the media played a vital role.
Vinod Mehta, however, took a slightly different stand. He said there have been cases where the media has gone overboard. “I accept the fact that media is in the business of selling but sometimes we have to ask ourselves is there a laxman rekha here?” he asked calling for self-imposed restrictions.
Shouldn’t the Talwar family, then, have been more forthcoming with the media? Shouldn’t they have given the right version to the media?
Renalvi defended that initially the Talwar family didn’t talk to the media because they were told by the police not to do so, lest they hamper investigations. “They are a normal middle class family who are not used to criminal investigation or the media. The media was writing about on the basis of the information leaked by the police while the family was still obeying the orders of the police. They started speaking out only after realizing that the whole thing had turned against them,” she said.
When Nupur Talwar gave interviews to media channels, there was a counter-productive reaction to that. There was a feeling that she wasn’t grieving enough. In that sense, was it wise for her to come on TV?
“It was a period of mourning and grief for the Talwars,” Shefalee Vasudev replied. “The family responded in a very haphazard, bizarre way — they were, as Masooma said, misled by certain advice and they were not able to handle the crazy media attention. It’s hardly a case of accusing Dr Nupur Talwar. She lost her only child.”
Role of the Media: Will the role of the media directly or indirectly interfere with investigation and justice?
Parents
Yes: 69 per cent
No: 31 per cent
Teenagers
Yes: 71 per cent
No: 29 per cent
Ashutosh pointed out that it was unfair to target TV media alone as there were many lead newspapers too which carried stories related to the Arushi Talwar as the lead almost every other day for a month.
He also underscored the need to not look at the Talwar family as the victims. “Let’s not try to gain sympathy for the Talwars. According to the Noida police, they are the prime suspects in the case and till this day even the court has not granted them bail,” he said.
Renalvi clarified that she wasn’t trying to garner sympathy for the family. “My point was that media reports had factual errors and that the case was sensationalized. Media cannot assassinate the character of a murdered girl till the investigation is going on,” she said.
One of the police officers, who was transferred, said that police and media are in partnership in crime investigation. But whatever the media does, at the end of the day, does it focus unnecessary attention on a case?
Kiran Bedi replied that Arushi’s murder was a very simple forensic case. "Had there been a police officer who knew how to handle media and the crime scene well, he could have kept the media completely out. All he needed was a yellow tape around the crime scene, saying do not cross the line.”
Police and Media: Is the police department out of sync with today’s world and therefore does not understand the mindset of the common people?
Yes: 70 per cent
No: 30 per cent
Bedi said that even though the Noida Police were being bullied, they shouldn’t have given into media pressure. “They shouldn’t have like CBI. CBI is taking its time — they may or may not be able to solve the case. The truth is, you can’t solve every case because sometimes the evidence is simply not there,” she said.
Bedi also highlighted the need for professional public relation managers for the police department. “Not everyone is a communicator,” she said and added, “Why should the IGs or the DGPs be handling the media?”
But when the police mention things like ‘honour killing’ or ‘immoral e-mails’, doesn’t that indicate a lack of cultural preparedness, that they cant deal with urban, modern criminality?
Vasudev disagreed with the statement. “There are a lot of policemen from urban areas and they have completely rural mindsets. I think the question we should be asking is whether the police are culturally programmed to the changing urban scenario? But which one of is constantly culturally programmed?” she asked.
Terming it as insensitivity at its peak, Bedi said, “Public is equally insensitive of police issues, inadequacies, and police is becoming insensitive about public issues. Now is a case of mutual insensitivity and both are feeding into each other and both are losers.”
But how can a police officer, who’s in charge of the case, get the name of the girl and date of the crime wrong?
Pinning the blame on absence of communication skills, Bedi answered the police officer was overwhelmed. She said the police officers are just not used to reaching out to the media.
Ashutosh, however, emphasised on the need for the problem to be the solved from the top. “Most small-town police officers will obviously be baffled if they are suddenly confronted with 100 cameras. Noida Police should not be judged on whether or not they got the name right or wrong. The Home Ministry should ensure that they are trained and provided proper exposure,” he argued.
Have you done police verification of your domestic help?
Yes: 11 per cent
No: 89 per cent
Does the rather dismal percentage indicate that even though the relationship between the employer and the employee is rapidly changing, somewhere the employers are not able to come to terms with it?
Dr Nishreen Saif Poonawalla replied that the trend was indicative of India’s changing culture. “Earlier the domestic help used to be someone you grew up with,” she said.
Saurabh, however, asked whether verifying a domestic help ensured that the candidate does not have criminal inclinations.
Bedi agreed with Saurabh and said,“ Beyond the verification, we have to keep watch. If your staff is being visiting by the wrong people, shouldn’t you keep a watch as the master? If he’s getting into bad habits, should you not know? Verification is no proof that a person’s conduct will be good.”
Does the older generation understand what the youth of today feels or wants?
Yes 52 per cent
No 48 per cent
Vasudev said the transition in the society is happening for every generation.
“There is a cultural gap but we are also squeezing it. There is a transition at the younger generations' end, at the middle generations end and also at the older generation who are the mothers and fathers of the parents of today. There is a deep pull and push. It is not going to be resolved by understanding mobile phones and SMSs only,” she added
Mehta blamed the broken family for the tragic murder of Arushi and said parents have lost the art of communication
“A silver lining in this horrible Arushi murder case is that it has opened our minds to how in post-liberalisation India family life in middle class and upper middle class has broken down. It is largely because parents are unable to communicate with their children and they are unable to communicate not because they don't want to communicate but they don't know how to communicate,” the Editor of Outlook said.
Poonawalla agreed with Mehta and said, “When we say spend quality time with your kids, parents say define quality time. ‘What does that mean? Watching TV together?’ It has disintegrated to such an extent that people don't know what communication is? We really need to bridge that gap quick and fast.”
Renalvi argued that Talwar family was not a broken one as it is being made out to be.
“Arushi was a very close friend of my daughter and I have known her for nine years. I also saw her relationship with her parents. I can tell one thing that communication had not broken down between Arushi and her parents. Giving the digital camera and discussing where to have the birthday party shows what a close-knit family it was. It was not a dysfunctional family as it was made out. It was a very caring family,” she said.
Ss should parents be vigilant on their children and about their company and activities?
“Being alert, watchful and vigilant is anyway our duty. But also allow space to the child. There should be balanced parenting,” Bedi said.
Does this case show how deeply in transition Indian society is in?
“It has shown us the face of media - both good and bad. There has been tenacity in media. It has churned and spun public opinion a great deal. The roles of family, police, verification, and security issues all have been raised. This case held up a mirror in many ways to us,” Vasudev said.
Ashutosh argued that the no one should jump to conclusion and blame the domestic helps for the crime.
“Can there be a story more sensational than where the father is a suspect? The unfortunate thins is that we have assumed that the domestic helps - the Krishnas and the Rajkumars - are the real killers. We are trying to give a certain benefit to Dr Rajesh Talwar. The point is as Massoma Renalvi is saying that is was a very well knit family and had no communication gap, they why was Arushi killed? There was something wrong in that family. There was something wrong in that house. It is not a black and white story. It is a grey story. There are a lot of grey shades, in that family, in that house and also in the media,” he said.
Bedi wanted everybody to be more sensitive when a crime takes place.
“The message of this case is people, the media and the police all three must get sensitive to the value of preserving a crime scene. They must not trample over it. The people, the media and the police all destroyed the forensic evidences at the crime scene. If a crime happens we must stay away and let the police do its job if we want the culprits to be caught,” the former IPS officer said.
Mehta added, “For me the moral of this story is for parents that if you don't have the time, don't have children. If the domestic help is going to look after the children, it is criminally irresponsible to have children. If you cannot devote time to them be like me and keep a dog.”
Saurabh, speaking for the younger generation, said, “Kids need information and there are many sources available. The dialogue has to be there between parents and kids.”
Are Indian parents aware enough to seek counselling?
Poonawalla said, “Counselling if done correctly with the right personnel can do wonders. It can save a family, a broken marriage or a broken relationship. It is the duty of parents to seek counselling.”
Should the family be seen as victims?
“I will say as a parent that I would like the truth to come out. All of us would like to know the truth. Media is playing an important role and this information will come to us only through media. Media is a pillar of democracy. What we need is sensitive and sensible reporting. We need safeguards in media where there is some accountability. Lets have the truth out and let us have an accountable media,” Renalvi said.
Shefalee said, “Had it not been the media many issues would have not come out.”
Ashutosh gave the final comment. He said, “This is one case that has hurt us because this is the first crime of new India.”
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