I read a news report in one of India’s leading national newspaper (online edition) which in no way makes a new story. Still it forms the front page headlines, just because AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi figures in it.

The news items states that, “AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi shared with people of his constituency the abject poverty of a woman named Sunita from Amethi”. The news story further mentions how much Mr Gandhi was moved by the poverty of Sunita.

The purpose of this news report is nothing more than providing media coverage to Rahul Gandhi. In a country which is grappling with so many serious problems, and has so many burning issues, I wonder why media houses waste their space on news stories with zero information and with zero social values.

Can this news paper state the exact point of making this story a front line news.

(1) Is it that the abject poverty in India is a breaking news? Definitely not. Hundreds of people commit suicide every year because of poverty and hundreds of them face the same fate involuntarily. There is hardly any effort by media houses to bring such issues to lime light and make them national issues.

(2) Is it that the news paper wanted to draw reader’s attention to the abject poverty? It did not seem so after reading the news article. The story could have covered some account of her sufferings in Sunita’s own words and would have covered some statics on people living under same conditions as Sunita. But the only point which the news story highlights is how deeply Mr Rahul Gandhi was moved by Sunita’s poverty.

The news item also carries a photo of Mr Gandhi, instead of carrying some image which might reflect the “abject poverty” which this news item talks about.

Though the story is aimed at projecting Mr Gandhi as a generous soul who has been deeply moved by some one’s poverty, to me (and to any rational reader) it only reveals how ignorant Mr Gandhi is with the roots & problems of our country.