Did Kamra Have to Borrow From Arnab’s Playbook to Counter Him?

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

Video Producer: Aparna Singh

Yes, Arnab Goswami’s style of journalism has been described as divisive, sinister, taking jingoism to a new level of shrill.

Yes, Arnab Goswami abuses people on his TV shows he heaps of insults on politicians, activists, even countries that he doesn’t agree with.

Yes, I find a lot of Arnab Goswami’s brand of journalism distasteful. I believe it is doing this nation a lot of harm.

But do we need to deal with Arnab Goswami by borrowing from his own playbook?     

On an IndiGo Airlines flight on Tuesday, 28 January, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra heckled Arnab Goswami. You’ve seen the video and read the story after which IndiGo Airlines banned Kamra from flying in their airline for six months.

And after Aviation Minister tweeted an informal advisory for other airlines to also ban Kamra, most Indian carriers have done just that. Excessive for sure as expected, maybe we could call them ‘Godi’ Airlines? But let’s return to Kunal Kamra.

“The hear is stupid,” says Kunal in a note written soon after the incident, and I agree. But if you are fighting the good fight, my friend, can you and I afford to be stupid? No, we can’t, is what I believe.

Whom does Kunal Kamra speak for? Asks Padmini Vaidyanathan, who’s written a blog on the incident for The Quint. And she reminds us that Kamra’s views, his brave and intelligent humour, his cutting satire gives a voice to many of India’s voiceless and disenfranchised. And I think Kamra knows that.

While some of his fans approve of the heckling, some have found it to be in poor taste. And for those fans who didn’t approve, it would make sense for Kamra to pause and reconsider.

There’s this saying – ‘Kehne waalon ka kuch nahi jaata… kamaal to sehne waale karte hai.’

Roughly meaning that it’s relatively easy to attack someone with words but a lot more noble to walk past saying nothing if you run into Arnab Goswami in an aircraft.

Yes, Kunal Kamra has faced a lot of trolling, a lot of abuse, even death threats for being critical of India’s right-wing. Some would argue that a lot of the hate that Kamra has faced has been fanned by journalists like Arnab, who routinely describe critics like Kamra as ‘anti-national’ and a part of the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ and so on.

So, Kunal ko sehna bhi aata hai and some would argue that his outburst on the aircraft was his helplessness finally acting up. But Kunal – your voice is powerful. What you say about Rohit Vemula and on several key issues as a counter to the narrative of Arnab Goswami is reaching a vast and growing number of people. If Arnab Goswami has his platform, you have yours too – YOU ARE BEING HEARD.