[Reader-list] Fwd: kashmir pictures

Sat Aug 16 11:18:42 IST 2008

Dear Kshmendra
Not trying to enter your interaction with Mahmood, but when you say that "no person of any serious intent would put the poser whether 'all press is communal'", you may be far from the truth. I don't think Mahmood was reacting only to two photographs. One is witnessed to biased reporting and prejudiced image-making of particular communities in our mainstream media EVERY DAY. In most cases, people don't realize this because they don't belong to the community that is being victimized. And many a times, there are subtle things in a write-up or TV reporting that tell how prejudiced an editor or writer is. These subtleties also affect the common readers in an adverse way. Mahmood was probably reacting to a subtlety like that, but there was much past bitterness behind his reaction.

I would like to invite you to see some of the following reports to say that media bias and prejudice exists. And I am not talking only about bias against Muslims. It could be for other minorities too - for tribals, for women, dalits...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_bias_in_South_Asia
http://www.sabrang.com/gujarat/statement/report.htm
http://indianmuslims.in/biased-media/
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020414/edit.htm
http://indianmuslims.in/is-indias-english-media-communal/
http://www.indiauncut.com/iublog/article/singur-media-bias-or-media-ignorance/
http://mediaindiablindspot.blogspot.com/2008/01/racial-prejudice-against-north.html
http://www.indiaprblog.com/2006/12/is-indian-media-biased-in-favour-of.html
http://www.countercurrents.org/comm-sikand150906.htm
http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=332
http://calamur.org/gargi/tag/media-bias/
http://www.thehoot.org/web/home/searchdetail.php?sid=88&bg=1
http://bocs.hu/india/taran-khan-disstn.htm

--- On Sat, 16/8/08, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd:  kashmir pictures
> To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>, "mahmood farooqui" <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com>, rahulpandita at yahoo.com
> Date: Saturday, 16 August, 2008, 9:55 AM
> Dear Rahul Pandita
>  
> I do not know who Mahmood Farooqui is and I do not care. I
> do not know who Rahul Pandita is and again I do not care.
>  
> What Mahmood 'stands for' and how that
> "standing" finds expression in the private space
> in which you know him is a matter between you and Mahmood. I
> have commented on Mahmood's post in this public space
> SARAI.
>  
> Mahmood put a 'poser' in SARAI asking whether
> 'all press is communal'. He based that
> 'poser' on the basis of a rather
> strange interpretation of photographs in 3 Newspapers. I
> pointed out that 'strangeness' to him. I put
> counters "posers" to him, which he ignored.
>  
> To start with, no person of any serious intent would put
> the poser  whether 'all press is communal' on the
> basis of a single day photographic coverage of a single
> event from just 3 newspapers. 
>  
> Whether you understand or do not understand the not so
> subtle differentiations, I stand by what I said. I
> interpret Mahmood's "poser" (with the
> background for that "poser") as being seemingly a
> reflection of his himself being communal and seemingly
> trying to instigate communal feelings.
>  
> Kshmendra Kaul
>  
>  
> 
> --- On Sat, 8/16/08, Rahul Pandita
> <rahulpandita at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> From: Rahul Pandita <rahulpandita at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Fwd: kashmir pictures
> To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>,
> "mahmood farooqui"
> <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com>
> Cc: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
> Date: Saturday, August 16, 2008, 7:19 AM
> 
> Kshemendra
> 
> I don't know who you are but I know who Mahmood is and
> what he stands for.
> The most unfortunate part of this whole debate is that
> people like you are
> resorting to personal attacks. For God sake, don't
> throw shit around. If
> Mahmood is communal like you have said, then I am Ariel
> Sharon. 
> 
> Let us put a stop to this madness. If you have to express
> your feelings, please
> do it in a decent way. Let us at least respect a platform
> like sarai. Passions
> are alright but let us not turn into Ashok Singhals and
> Ladens. 
> 
> Rahul Pandita
> 
> 
> --- On Thu, 14/8/08, mahmood farooqui
> <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > From: mahmood farooqui
> <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com>
> > Subject: [Reader-list] Fwd:  kashmir pictures
> > To: "sarai list"
> <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Date: Thursday, 14 August, 2008, 7:57 PM
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: mahmood farooqui
> <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com>
> > Date: 2008/8/14
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] kashmir pictures
> > To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
> > 
> > 
> > Thanks Kshemendra, I can't say I am getting the
> answers
> > but the responses
> > are making me think.
> > 
> > Best,
> > Mahmood
> > 
> > 2008/8/14 Kshmendra Kaul
> <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
> > 
> >  Dear Mahmood
> > >
> > > Whether 'all press' is communal or not,
> you
> > certainly are. You are trying
> > > to instigate communal feelings by suggesting a
> > communal slant.
> > >
> > > Times of India and Hindustan Times showed
> photograph
> > of a hoodlum
> > > attacking a policeman.
> > >
> > > Inquilab showed the photograph of a person
> injured by
> > police firing. If
> > > this person was a part of the mob attempting to
> break
> > the law and/or
> > > attacking the police, then the injured person was
> a
> > hoodlum injured by
> > > police firing.
> > >
> > > What is communal in all of this? You are the one
> > making it communal.
> > >
> > > There was confrontation between the police and
> law
> > breaking hoodlums in
> > > Kashmir and in Jammu. What makes either situation
> > communal?
> > >
> > > Which is the 'communal' one between two
> kinds
> > of photographs, one where law
> > > enforcers are shown as being attacked by law
> breakers
> > and another one where
> > > law breakers are shown as having been hurt by law
> > enforcers.
> > >
> > > Perhaps if you had furnished the captions
> accompanying
> > the photographs, one
> > > could make a call on which newspaper showed a
> > 'communal' tinge
> > >
> > > Kshmendra
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- On *Wed, 8/13/08, mahmood farooqui
> > <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com>*wrote:
> > >
> > > From: mahmood farooqui
> > <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com>
> > > Subject: [Reader-list] kashmir pictures
> > > To: "sarai list"
> > <reader-list at sarai.net>, "Aamir
> Bashir" <
> > > unattore1 at gmail.com>
> > > Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 12:33 PM
> > >
> > > Yesterday, nine Kashmiris were allegedly killed
> in the
> > valley because of the
> > > police firing.
> > >
> > > Today, in the Bombay editions of the Times of
> India
> > and Hindustan Times,
> > > there is an identical image of a policeman being
> > attacked by a Kashmiri.
> > > There are no images of any Kashmiris being killed
> or
> > attacked by the police.
> > >
> > > The Urdu daily Inqilab, however, shows a Kashmiri
> > injured by the police
> > > firing.
> > >
> > > Is it simplistic to say that all press is
> communal?
> > >
> > > Is the poser itself simplistic?
> > > _________________________________________
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> > >
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>       
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