By Arré Bench Sep. 22, 2020
In an attempt to present the “other side” news agency ANI interviewed four farmers from Kanpur who voiced their support in favour of the bill. However, Internet Sherlocks were on the job. Users pointed out that most of the farmers seemed to be wearing the same gamcha and were seated near the same tree.
Protests have been raging against the Farm Bill in large parts of Punjab and Haryana. While some digital publications have picked it up with enthusiasm, the issue is still playing second fiddle on TV to the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The Government has struggled to convince even some of its own allies, including the Shiromani Akali Dal, on the merits of the bill.
In an attempt to present the “other side” news agency ANI interviewed four farmers from Kanpur who voiced their support in favour of the bill.
Kanpur: Farmers in the district welcome the new agriculture reform bills.
"We welcome the farm bill but the central govt should think more about the farmers. They should exclude the role of middlemen & take steps to ensure that farmers don't commit suicide," say farmers. pic.twitter.com/SpzAKItsQx
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 21, 2020
However, social media found the interviews suspicious and in the times of Internet Sherlocks, there’s no hiding away. Pratik Sinha, founder of the fact-checking website Alt News pointed out that although ANI made it seem like these farmers were from different areas of Kanpur, they were all sitting around the same tree. He also pointed out that the same gamcha was being used by multiple people in different ways.
ANI's tweet would make it seem like these are farmers from different parts of Kanpur district. Actually, they're all sitting around the same tree.
And how does one ascribe the same quote to multiple people? https://t.co/eFwrO04W8L pic.twitter.com/v3eCzeUpIN
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) September 21, 2020
Appreciation poured in for whoever was directing this spectacle.
ANI photographer displaying god lvl photography skills.
"Aye, you sit in this angle, YOU will sit in that angle, take this gamcha and wear it on your head, you put that it around your neck. OK amazing."
— Meghnad 🔗 (@Memeghnad) September 21, 2020
Is that a farm? Or is that a park?
ANI Went to a Park ( Look at the Gate ). Picked some “Farmers” who told them they welcome the Farm Bill and gave insights on excluding role of middlemen pic.twitter.com/YKhjeGomT2
— Joy (@Joydas) September 21, 2020
For many, it brought back memories of Dibakar Banerjee’s Khosla Ka Ghosla. In a famous scene from the movie, Khurana (Boman Irani) visits a land for “inspection”, where Khosla’s father (Anupam Kher) and some of his friends from a theatre group wear the typical red gamcha and pretend to be labourers to make their act seem genuine.
Dear ANI, ye Khosla ka Ghosla mein ho chuka hai. pic.twitter.com/VFNtOOHcau
— Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) September 21, 2020
Don’t know why Reminds me of the Scene in Khosla Ka Ghosla where Boman Irani goes for Plot Inspection and meets the “Labourers” https://t.co/xSJiSHxFao
— Joy (@Joydas) September 21, 2020
To be fair, at least they did their homework.
Dibakar Banerjee did it first https://t.co/Va9DFQGXDJ pic.twitter.com/19YCmPFztM
— Sahil Rizwan (@SahilRiz) September 21, 2020
One social media user also pointed out that a tea drinker Shashank, who had been earlier interviewed by ANI during demonetisation looked eerily similar to one of the farmers being interviewed in Kanpur.
Borrower from someone's FB wall.
Can @smitaprakash explain? And/Or refute! pic.twitter.com/6edBYaFbt3
— Brig Sandy Thapar (retd) (@sandythapar) September 22, 2020
ANI Editor Smita Prakash responded to the criticism stating that “the copy paste artistes don’t know fact from fiction”. She claimed that the picture is not of the same person.
You are the one who is a copy paste artiste who doesn’t know fact from fiction and accuse others without verification. The pix is not of the same person, Mister Thapar.
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) September 22, 2020
Vaibhav Vishal pointed out that all the farmers being interviewed look like “fancy dress farmers”, with brand new gamcha and ganjees. “This may not be a reflection on your journalism, you are doing good work, but you do need to question your team!” he added.
Come on, Smita! Even if he is not the same guy, the man does look like a Maganlal Dresswala manufactured fancy dress farmer, with a brand new gamchha, ganjee and all. This may not be a reflection on your journalism, you are doing good work, but you do need to question your team!
— Vaibhav Vishal (@ofnosurnamefame) September 22, 2020
Smita Prakash stood her ground and said “Sorry (not really) that a farmer, among the millions in this country, doesn’t fit your Bollywoodian image of a starving emaciated kisan.”
Sorry (not really) that a farmer, among the millions in this country, doesn’t fit your Bollywoodian image of a starving emanciated kisan
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) September 22, 2020
While the accusations continue, the ANI Editor is clearly standing behind her story and interviews.
Just another day, in the Indian news cycle.
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