Biased coverage dominates Chindu

The writers of this blog have promoted discussions as a way to end all problems as Don Vito Corleone has long suggested. However the recent actions by the Chindu thirsting for vengeance against the mobs who attacked Christians in Orissa almost makes me puke on the screen.
Let us see the incidents by timeline,

1. Swami Lakshmananda, renowned human rights activist and vocal anti conversion supporter is murdered under suspicious circumstances.
2. Mobs riot and burn down churches and other institutions.
3. State government tries to bring the situation under control but fails.
4. Central government warns the State by issuing Article 355.
5. Riots continue and the State is unable to stop the violence.
6. LiC from his high horse in Anna Salai demands Navin Patnaik to protect the Chrisitans in an editorial.
   

Before we go any further, I would like to clearly state that the actions of the mob are not being defended by this blog.

The Chindu has provided expanded coverage to this situation treating it like a mini-Gujrat, perhaps to please its 'secular' bandwagon. There are at least 6 articles in yesterdays paper including the editorial which refer to this, like
CBI probe into nun's rape, Patil threatens Orissa State Govt., Two killed in violence in Orissa, Congess condemns violence and so on...

There are many questions which should be asked that are being swept under the rug questions like,

• Why was Swami Lakshmananda fighting against anti-conversion? Who were the culprits who murdered him?
• Why were the tribals and Dalits taken advantage of by missionaries to be converted to Christianity and where do the missionaries get their money from?
• How is it that the Maoist guerillas who commit so many atrocities in that and neighboring states get away?
• What are the ties between Sonia Maino and the Christian missionaries and their parent organizations whom she allows in so many states?
• Why is the police being made the scapegoat for this and so many other recent incidents?
  

The Chindu lead by its inept LiC appears to be stuck in analysis paralysis.
It decides to jump to conclusions without doing proper analysis.
I would recommend thinking deeply about this incident and ask the proper questions.

Chindu on two educational initiatives

Two self-made billionaires, two philanthropic initiatives. Chindu appreciates one and ridicules the other.

The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : A B-school to empower the poor

But the Legatum centre is in stark contrast to MBA schools where graduates generally aim for well-paid jobs in consultancy or industry.

“We have a very successful fund here,” says Mr. McCormick. “If we wanted to just make money, we’d keep all our investments in the fund. But we’re looking to invest in people, ideas and situations. We want to build the intellectual capital of developing nations.”

The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Vedanta University: a flawed pipe dream

While it is always a good deed when one of the world’s richest men takes an interest in higher education, it is unlikely that Vedanta University will achieve the desired results, no matter how much money Mr. Agarwal spends on it.
Given the contemporary realities, one cannot be very optimistic about Vedanta’s chances for success. Let us hope that those funding the project will have the foresight to anticipate the problems and maximise the chances for success.

I noted at the time that the tone was condescending on Vedanata and was showcasing Chindu's inherent bias. Compare the two articles above and judge for yourself.

Double standards in punishment. The 'privileges committee' issue.

Recently the venerable Mr. Somnath Chatterjee the Lok Sabha Speaker decided to punish disorderly conduct by 32 MPs to the House privileges committee. A vast majority of the MPs belong to the NDA and after some days of protest, animated arguments the parties worked to a compromise, with the Speaker withdraws the motion. This is not a unique incident of Parliamentary disorder as can be observed by anyone following Indian politics.
However The Chindu as is whim decides to rap the NDA for its unproductive attitude and gives a sermon on conduct. The article can be read here,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/07/stories/2008050755111000.htm
At the outset, let me declare that I'm in no way saying that the actions of the NDA members was correct or that their behavior was becoming of a Parliamentary member.
The same attitude is seen at any legislature from the Lok Sabha to any state legislature assembly. When the assemblies were created, the founders laid rules on elections, processes and functioning but not very specific rules on who should be elected. Hence the overall population of the various assemblies is filled with undereducated, uneducated people often with criminal records. Ergo the behaviour of such people.
Somnath himself is no stranger to these acts, having been a leader of the Communists in filibustering through sessions and in 1989 was suspended for misbehavior. (Refer to Indian Express for more details).
He has been more considerate of his party members during their various antics when as a Speaker he should have been impartial.
All this is not discussed in the Chindu which conveniently ignores the facts that the Communists have lead such acts over the last 20 years and decides to wave the finger at one party alone when all the others were equally to blame for such a condition. It decides to sermonize with statements like,

Members of the BJP, usually the noisiest as well as the most disruptive — 22 BJP MP's were hauled up in the latest case — sat with their fingers on their lips in a signal of defiance against a presiding officer who had dared to discipline them.

And like this one,

What is the value of a promise made to a presiding officer whom the BJP MP's have disobeyed and insulted in the past, never missing a chance to accuse him of bias and on occasion even calling him a dictator?

Is asking for fairness in treatment a bit too much?

Prices and People

Chindu comes out strongly on the burning issue of inflation. The first article has a Congress leader complaining about inflation. The second one captures peoples' reactions to rising prices. Genuine concerns indeed.

When Manmohan asked political parties (read CPM) to avoid scaremongering, Chindu presented the CPM point of view and reported the Opposition's support to CPM. Later, when Congress edited BJP's advertisement on rising prices, the news item has not even been reported by Chindu. The Congress is acting in its autocratic ways to gag BJP but there is not outrage by Chindu and no sermons on freedom of speech.

Selective coverage and news distortion are all a part of Chindu's political agenda.

The Hindu : Front Page : Price rise hits Andamans household budgets

Sanjay Chaudhary, general secretary of the Congress party in the Andamans. “We are used to higher prices and our threshold of tolerance is pretty high, but now we are being pushed beyond limits,”

The Hindu : Front Page : PRICES & PEOPLE


Maria Selvam

Maria Selvam, housewife, Bamboo Flat: “All our earnings go
towards paying for food and provisions. Where is the question of paying
for our children’s education? Cauliflowers, when available, cost Rs.
60-Rs.80 a piece. Tomatoes and carrots cost more than Rs. 60 a kg. Even
fish, which was cheapest, is now selling at much higher prices.”

Change the TV campaign, EC asks BJP

The ad features leader Sushma Swaraj speaking in Kannada, blaming the Congress and the Central Government for rising prices.

The party says the EC has beeped out all references to the Congress and the centre in the ad. The ad has been released with the beeps on local Kannada channels.

Chindu joins CPM in rebuking Manmohan

A few days ago, when the PM rebuked CPM, Chindu reported the issue as if the PM warned the Opposition on CPM's suggestion. Now, Chindu is reporting Yechury's statements to give a different twist. Suddenly, the "entire" Opposition has turned into an angel, supporting the "sensible" demands made by CPM.

The Hindu : National : Manmohan's remarks callous: Yechury

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday took strong objection in the Rajya Sabha to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement issued on Friday that asked political parties to eschew the temptation of politicising the misery of people (on price rise).

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said the statement was issued after the meeting of a Left delegation with Dr. Singh here on Friday. “As a political party, we have every right to raise people’s issues. It cannot be described in such a callous manner.” The entire Opposition, including the Bhartiya Janata Party, associated with his observations.