[Reader-list] Please Think Before You Write the Subject Line

Sat Aug 23 15:37:10 IST 2008

Being in journalism is onerous task, a heavy responsibility to society in democratic life. To be impartial in reportage is biger duty to society, without bias or partisan considerations. That is the precise reason now, the press council is toothless tiger, and now a national Broadcasters body is formed to be responsible in reportage in visual media.

 In democratic life, the society respects media and judiiary most as they are normally percived as omni-potent to eradicate and make aware of the ills in society,and if some "journalists " become mobsters in their reportage, the mobs have their own way of dispensing the justice as we see the channel offices vandalised/?

 Regards.

----- Original Message -----
From: Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
Date: Saturday, August 23, 2008 3:11 pm
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Please Think Before You Write the Subject Line
To: sarai list <reader-list at sarai.net>, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com>

> Dear Pawan
>  
> Shivam has very graciously apologised. That must be acknowledged 
> and accepted. Even if one does it in silence. 
>  
> I would also say that in this post Shivam has not "expressed 
> support for the separatists".  
>  
> Shivam has tried to (now) explain and thereby justify the use of 
> the word "terrorism" when he wrote "Hindu Terrorism". One could 
> disagree with the argument given by him. I certainly do.
>  
> You think otherwise, but for me what Shivam writes is important. 
>  
> Shivam is from the Media, he writes extensively on Kashmir. He is 
> one of the voices in the rest of India who (when not recognisably 
> Kashmiri Muslim) get endowed with the presumption that they are 
> free of bias and prejudice. What Shivam writes therefore becomes 
> important (for me) whether it is in a Newspaper or a Blog or on a 
> list like SARAI.
>  
> It is important to keep track of any such voice, that has a 
> limited understanding of Kashmir, or an Anti-India slant to it's 
> commentary/reportage and interpretation of events, or a 
> bias/prejudice (cloaked as it may deviously be to suggest 
> otherwise). Such voices have a willing and 'ready to believe what 
> you say' audience. If you ignore them, you allow them to establish 
> their misrepresentations as "facts". 
>  
> Kshmendra
> 
> --- On Sat, 8/23/08, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> From: Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Please Think Before You Write the 
> Subject Line
> To: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Saturday, August 23, 2008, 1:21 PM
> 
> And the apology would have been incomplete without re-asserting 
> the support
> to separatists................
> Doesn't matter anyway......your writings are as much important to 
> us as the
> import of apples from Cambodia.
> 
> Pawan
> 
> On Sat, Aug 23, 2008 at 1:15 PM, Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्
> <mail at shivamvij.com>wrote:
> 
> > Dear Shuddha,
> >
> > I admit I should have been more discreet and that in both cases, my
> > comments did amount to vilifying a community ("Hindus" and
> "Kashmiri
> > Pandits") and apologise for both.
> >
> > However in the case of "Hindu terrorism" I want explain my
> intent. On
> > this list and elsewhere even non-violent protests in the Valley are
> > resulting in the Valley's Muslims being called 'terrorists'.
> The
> > problem here is not one of vilification, but that once you have
> > labelled someone using violence for political purposes a 
> terrorist you
> > have explained away everything there was to explain. The 
> condemnation> of violence becomes the condemnation of politics.
> >
> > It was to that sort of loose usage of the word "terrorists" that
> I was
> > rhetorically responding to - meaning to say, that if 'Hindu' mobs
> use
> > violence, then that too, should be brushed aside as "terrorism".
> > Instead, we have been sold the "Jammu is burning" line as if
> someone
> > from outside Jammu had set it on fire.
> >
> > However, I ought to have explained as much while posting the news
> > report on the attack on the Jammu Congress leader's car and the 
> threat> to his life and not merely have left a provocative yet 
> lazy one-liner
> > in the subject line.
> >
> > I completely agree with you when you say:
> >
> > > Arguing against the oppression that is carried out in the Kashmir
> valley
> > by
> > > the Indian state does not mean that we have to vilify any 
> community.>
> > Once again, apologies.
> > Shivam
> >
> >
> > On 8/22/08, Shuddhabrata Sengupta <shuddha at sarai.net> wrote:
> > > Dear Shivam.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I was saddened to see that you had written "Hindu Terrorism in
> Jammu" in
> > the
> > > subject line of your recent post. Also, I think your remark 
> about KP
> > > "sanskars" in a previous post were not in good taste, I was
> saddened to
> > read
> > > them.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Arguing against the oppression that is carried out in the Kashmir
> valley
> > by
> > > the Indian state does not mean that we have to vilify any 
> community.And
> > > even if communities get vilified in this debate by some of its
> > participants,
> > > I expect you not to reciprocate in kind. As a journalist whose 
> work I
> > > respect, I expect much better of you.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I must point out to you that nowhere in the report  that you had
> > forwarded
> > > does it say that a 'Hindu' mob attacked the Congress
> politician, or that
> > > they were raising 'Hindu' slogans, (even if we assume that
> they were
> > > nominally Hindu) it merely says that they were raising
> =27Anti-Congress,
> > PDP
> > > and NC" slogans.  And a mob attack, though reprehensible, is not
> an act
> > of
> > > terrorism. To say it is to mirror the tactics of those who poison
> every
> > > discussion on these matters (all over the world) by adding the 
> prefix> > "Islamic" to terrorism. It is as ridiculous to talk about
> Islamic or
> > Hindu
> > > terrorism as it is to speak of Islamic of Hindu agriculture or
> mining.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Crowds in the Kashmir valley often raise, "Anti Congress, PDP
> and NC
> > > slogans" and they are generally Muslim crowds, and sometimes
> they set
> > fire
> > > to vehicles and ransack homes. Just as it would be totally
> inappropriate
> > to
> > > tag such an episode as an instance of "Muslim" terrorism,
> so, too I think
> > it
> > > is totally inappropriate and uncalled for on your part to tag this
> report
> > > with the headline "Hindu Terrorism in Jammu"
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > This kind of rhetorical grandstanding does not help anyone, 
> and I
> would
> > urge
> > > everyone, especially Shivam, to be restrained and thoughtful while
> > > forwarding posts.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > best,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Shuddha
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 22-Aug-08, at 3:17 PM, Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्
> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Jammu: Protesters attack Congress leader
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > 22 Aug 2008, 0045 hrs IST,TNN
> > >
> > >
> >
> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jammu_tense_protesters_attack_police_station/articleshow/3389045.cms
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > JAMMU/SRINAGAR: There was no let up in violent protests 
> against the
> > >
> > > revocation of forestland transfer to the Amarnath Shrine Board on
> > >
> > > Thursday, as senior Congress leader and former J&K deputy chief
> > >
> > > minister Mangat Ram Sharma had a narrow escape when protesters
> > >
> > > attacked him at Bhagwatinagar in Jammu. ( Watch )
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > SSP S D S Jamwal said Sharma was attacked while he was 
> visiting a
> > >
> > > doctor with his grandson. "Protesters attacked his vehicle with
> rods
> > >
> > > and stones," he said. Sources said a cop saved Sharma from the
> > >
> > > rampaging mob and whisked him away on his scooter. Raising
> > >
> > > anti-Congress, PDP and NC slogans, the protesters set three 
> cars in
> > >
> > > Sharma's cavalcade on fire. "Later, the mob also torched a
> nearby
> > >
> > > police nakka," a police officer said.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Sharma has been at the receiving end of the Amarnath 
> protesters; mobs
> > >
> > > have twice attacked his house in Jammu's upmarket Gandhi Nagar
> > >
> > > neighbourhood. Day curfew, meanwhile, was lifted from Jammu and
> > >
> > > Udhampur districts, while it was relaxed for varying periods 
> in other
> > >
> > > areas of the province. Curfew was reimposed in Jammu after violent
> > >
> > > protests on Wednesday, the third and final day of Shri 
> Amarnath Yatra
> > >
> > > Sangarsh Samiti (SASS)'s 'Jail Bharo Andolan'.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Authorities relaxed curfew for three hours in Kishtwar town, the
> scene
> > >
> > > of communal clashes on August 12 that left two people dead and
> several
> > >
> > > others injured. "Curfew was relaxed for 11 hours in Samba,"
> a senior
> > >
> > > official said.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > A large number of people turned up for Samiti's scheduled
> "funeral
> > >
> > > ceremony of Union government" programme in Jammu. Reports from
> across
> > >
> > > Jammu region said similar processions were carried out "to
> register
> > >
> > > protest against Centre's silence over the Jammu agitation".
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > The Valley remained largely peaceful for the third consecutive 
> day,> >
> > > after 10 days of violent street protests against the alleged 
> economic> >
> > > blockade left at least 22 people dead.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Police resorted to teargas shelling and mild baton charge to 
> disperse> >
> > > protesters at Munawarabad in old Srinagar. "The protesters were
> trying
> > >
> > > to march towards United Nations Military Observers' office,"
> an
> > >
> > > official said. He said no one was hurt in police action.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Students continued to boycott classes and took to streets. "The
> > >
> > > indiscriminate use of power proves that New Delhi wants to 
> suppress> >
> > > Kashmiris," Rafiqa Akhtar of prestigious Women's college
> said. She
> > >
> > > said college students' protests prove that even youth are against
> > >
> > > "imperialism".
> > >
> > > _________________________________________
> > >
> > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > >
> > > Critiques & Collaborations
> > >
> > > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe
> > > in the subject header.
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe:
> > > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > >
> > > List archive:
> > > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> > >
> > > The Sarai Programme at CSDS
> > >
> > > Raqs Media Collective
> > >
> > > shuddha at sarai.net
> > >
> > > www.sarai.net
> > >
> > > www.raqsmediacollective.net
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > National Highway - http://shivamvij.com/
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe in the subject header.
> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with 
> subscribe in
> the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-
> list 
> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> 
> 
>  
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with 
> subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-
> list 
> List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>