Is media Sensationalizing a normal incident?

Todays entry into Media Hall of Shame is the article ‘Dalits fined for daring to drink water from tap’ by IBN which purposely highlight discrimination against Dalits.

According to the IBN article

In a shocking incident in Rajasthan, three Dalits were fined Rs 45 thousand by a Panchayat for daring to drink water from a public tap.

So if we read between the lines the headline conveys -

1. Dalits were not allowed to drink water from this public tap
2. When they dared to drink they were fined Rs. 45,000 by panchayat

IBN continues with a bizarre statement

These Dalits have been discriminated against not just by the upper castes, but also by Muslims.

Do IBN have any proof to claim that these dalit were discriminated by upper caste Hindus also? Or is IBN of opinion that every Dalit in India is being discriminated by upper caste Hindus? One would expect IBN to backup such claims with proof. It is shocking to see such sweeping statements which can cause disharmony in the society from a national media.

Also, in such incidents one would have expected IBN to publish story from both sides point of view. 

Further investigations reveals totally different side of this incident

This incident was reported by Hindustan Times as  Dalits fined for fighting for water with Muslims in Bikaner

So if one were to go just by headlines HT wants us to believe that Dalits were fined for drinking water with Muslims! Surprisingly even though both IBN and HT stories were reported by two different reporters even with totally different headline the message is similar which makes one wonder about the motives. HT reports

The upper castes, it seems, are not the only ones who discriminate against Dalits.

Again, why drag upper castes into this Incident? 

But unlike IBN, HT did publish a detailed statement from victim which let lets cat out of bag

“We were drinking water from the public tap used by our Meghwal caste. Gheesu Khan (another villager) was filling his pots nearby. Some water splashed on to his pots and he started fighting with us. He then called the sarpanch, Gope Khan, who fined us R15,000 each.”

This completely changes the picture. So unlike what IBN (and even HT)wanted us to believe

1. These Dalits did use this tap regularly. In fact the victim himself says that this tap was used by meghwals. So unlike what IBN wanted us to believe there was no need for them to ‘daring to use’
2. A fight started due to splashing of water and not because dalits took water from this tap
3. Actually, I think the fight started because the victims took objection to accused filling water from their tap!
4. Lastly, the fine was for the fight! not for filling water!

Its shocking how media has blown a small fight over water splashing out of proportion!

IBN News

Hindustan Times news