Star anchor Ravish Kumar’s resignation from NDTV India on Wednesday as the Adani Group moved ahead with its effort to take over the news channel prompted a barrage of memes, cartoons and satirical videos bemoaning what many social media users believe is a narrowing of media freedom in India.
The Ramon Magasaysay Award-winning news anchor used to host the programmes Hum Log, Ravish Ki Report, Desh Ki Baat and Prime Time.
“Few journalists have impacted people as much as Ravish,” NDTV said in a mail to its employees. “This reflects in the immense feedback about him: in the crowds he draws everywhere; in the prestigious awards and recognition he has received, within India and internationally; and in his daily reports, which champion the rights and needs of those who are under-served.”
NDTV is seen as the last independent TV news outlet by many users.
Here is a selection of responses from social media users.
Some suggested that Adani had made the purchase at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
However, with Ravish Kumar’s exist, it would seem like the buyer had made a worthless purchase, suggested Rakesh Ranjan.
Two video satirists claimed that the Adani move would not result in the terrible end that liberals feared.
The day after his resignation was announced, Kumar explained his decision in a long statement on his YouTube channel.
He asked viewers to uphold the values of democracy and said that the ecosystem of journalism is being destroyed. “However, everyone is also busy claiming they’re doing fair journalism, especially those who are working under the same forces that are trying to trample journalism,” he said.
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