The Hindu - End of a love affair !
I am a sad man today.
Coming to Bangalore, one of the best things that I got introduced to was, The Hindu, newspaper. Apart from having a lot of quality content, what I liked most about it was its social and cultural commitment. It is a paper which feels so connected to things around it. After TOI, it felt good not to find front page covered with all the sensational news which 8 out of 10 times would be related to sex or women or something like that but with things more important. And good and informative articles on the editorial pages always forced me to think. I didn't always agreed with them but I found myself thinking about them and questioning my assumptions and believes. It was a healthy process.
Yesterday night I came to know about what all happened in Bombay with the medical students. The belligerent Arjun Singh was all over the news channels . But even after watching all that, I wanted to read it all in the next day's newspaper. There is a kind of satisfaction associated with print media that news chanels can never provide. So I waited for the Monday morning Hindu.
And look at today's Hindu (or try their website). The front page carries the news article about Arjun Singh's statement. That's it. No protests, no strike nothing. On page 12, you will find news about student's hunger strike but no clear mention of the strike called by IMA. I checked last 2 days' papers, the lathi charge in Bombay gets a mention in an article on page 12, no front page. On the page 3, the Bangalore Protest is covered but with no context to other protest reports.
I felt shocked and betrayed. This is the paper I trusted. To which I asked everybody to convert to. I do not expect them to always say things or express opinions that I agree to. But I assumed an honest attitude that is not afraid of belonging to some ideology but which is rational and balanced. They call themselves India's National newspaper. I think they need to wake up to the sensibilities of a lot more people before claiming that.
It is often that I have found useless articles on TOI front page while important news items completely missing. But then I know that TOI really believes that all the crap they publish is really the way to go. Hindu on the other hand carries a much more mature and respectful image. Such ommision coming from them can be nothing but intentional, motivated by political leanings. It wouldn't have felt bad if they had reported it and written in the editorial that this is nonsense. That way they would have left the choice of decision on me. But instead they chose to make that decision for me and block the news.
I am really heartbroken and sad today. I really am ! It is my apeal to everybody who reads Hindu, to please send a letter to the editor or atleast a note of dissent to let them know how you felt.
Comments
--himanshu
this is what i got from ur another blog.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
DPS Dhamaka!!!
"...Just out of curiosity I turned to indiatimes.com. There the news on the rail accident was not all present. Then ...Times of India site, ..national newspaper...there also the DPS dhamaka ...editors of these sites think DPS rubbish is more important to the people of the nation and the Indians living abroad than the news on rail accident...I find it very disgusting and humiliating.
"
Dear friends please spend some time to read this. U can make a difference.
As u all guys know that there have beeen lot of protests going on against the raise in reservations. All of us stuggle for months and years to make our dreams come true; No body in the government is bothered about that. This new policy of govt ll be a major road block in the development of our nation and creation of a caste free society. I want to share some developments occurring here with respect to this issue.
Abt 2 weeks back the Students Union ( SU ) of AIIMS ( UGs and Interns ) started the protests. they held peaceful march. Their main demand was to meet Honbl. Arjun Singh and to express their concern regarding the hike in reservations. What they got in return. Water canons, tear gas shells and Lathis. Some of the interns who were beaten were my friends and i could see their injury marks. Worse, some were girls. Sad isnt it ? Well next few days due to their constant struggle they could get to meet Dr Arjun Singh. No positive response was obtained. He however promised that before sending the bill to cabinet, he would inform the SU. The students continued to boycott their classes. Other medical colleges of delhi also joined. We Resident Doctors of AIIMS however were not actively participating. We wore black badges and attended few rallies.
12 th May saw a new beginning. Our medical students were brutally assaulted by Delhi police. Injured were brought to AIIMS. Fracture hand bone, head injury, blunt trauma abdomen with intra-abdominal bleed; > 300 students were manhandled including girls, stuffed in buses and taken to police station. I remember the dialogue from RDB. This incident will prove to be a final nail in coffin for our Congress Govt. At around 3 pm the Resident Doctors Association ( RDA ) of AIIMS announced an indefinite strike. All Junior Residents ( Acad or Non-acad ) & Senior Residents boycotted. Protest rally was organized that day.
13 th may was the worst day in the history of our Indian Independence and so called Democracy. Medical Students of Mumbai were beaten like animals. Infact animals also are never treated like this. Every body would have witness the brutality of the Mumbai Police.17 - 18 year old medical students were beaten up. Future of our country treated like this? And these are the same Police Men who come to our OPD and ask for peferential treatment. Shame on them. And listen to what Bhujbal said on TV. I thought we need a real RDB now. This incident triggered the suppressed fire in each and every individual. We at AIIMS went on INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE from 14 th morning joined by medical students from MAMC Delhi, Lady Harding, RML Hosp, Rohtak Medical College . Slowly the fire spread to diferent states of our country. You know what happened in Blore. Calcutta, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Gujrat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala boiled in protests. Students of Delhi University ( BSc BCom...) also joined the strike
The hunger strike in AIIMS continues. More than 100 students and residents are sitting in the heat since 14 th morning just on plain water. Believe me we slept in the open last night empty stomach. Its only when rain started pouring we had go inside the audi and slept there.
The IMA has announced comlete medical bandh today ( 15 th may ). Doctors from all over delhi have come to AIIMS and are holding protests. IITs and IIMs have joined the strike. Even patients and their attenders were of full support towards this cause. One man said," My father is admitted in NS department and is fighting for his life and death, but i declare that i have no objection with ur strike. I support ur movement and the cause for which u re fighting. Our country needed this."
All of us know what is right and what is wrong. Having said that i feel that each one of us should follow our conscience. I ve written this message because i felt there are many of who might not be aware of the exact situation. I request each one of u to please forward this to all ur friends, Medicos or Non-medicos. Every common man needs to be aware of the injustice and should be involved in this effort.
This Movement will be a revolution in our independent country and will be the most significant event after the British Rule. It ll be the cause for the rewriting of Indian Constitution where just and meritorious people are not singled out and put to taste the adversities and someone else enjoys the benefit.
The government cannot hide its inadequacies in providing equal opportunities to the under priviliged in rural areas by increasing the reservations. They have ruled the country for so many decades and if in this time they are not able to provide equalilty in primary and secondary education for in dian citizens they cannot mask their failure by providing reservations at each and every level. Its ridiculous. The whole issue of reservations was a political gimmic of the present govt to garner votes.
Its time that things are not taken for granted by any one. Let it be a senior minister police or anyone else. Whole of our nation needs to get aware of the amount of hardwork and sacrifice we put to achieve our dreams. We should not allow anyone to make a mockery of our struggle in future.
Thank U Friends.
Dr Kiran,
Junior Resident,
Internal Medicine,
All India Institute Of Medical Sciences,
New Delhi
JV here, I have mailed you. Please check it.