The atrocities against the civilians in Lhasa has been covered by the media from the outside with the PRC doing its best to make light of a serious situation. Most world leaders have chosen to keep quiet and monitor, given the ominous threats from the Chinese who are sensing the impacts to the Olympics. But Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US Congress decided to take action into her own hands and met with the Dalai Lama.
The article is reported here in the Chindu.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/22/stories/2008032259661200.htm
Ms.Pelosi demanded an outside investigation. Calling the Chinese action in Tibet a
Of course the Chindu not hampered by any statement by a US politician decided to publish not one but two counter statements by different Chinese officials here,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/22/stories/2008032258120100.htm
and here,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/22/stories/2008032259651200.htm
The funny part is the use of quotation marks in the second article. While the intent of Chindu is to make light of the Tibetian accusations, it actually blows up on their face. Read this line for instance,
Please employ some proof readers with some skill Chindu, please!
The article is reported here in the Chindu.
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/22/stories/2008032259661200.htm
Ms.Pelosi demanded an outside investigation. Calling the Chinese action in Tibet a
challenge to the world’s conscience
Of course the Chindu not hampered by any statement by a US politician decided to publish not one but two counter statements by different Chinese officials here,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/22/stories/2008032258120100.htm
and here,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/22/stories/2008032259651200.htm
The funny part is the use of quotation marks in the second article. While the intent of Chindu is to make light of the Tibetian accusations, it actually blows up on their face. Read this line for instance,
China also showed a documentary about the violence in Lhasa, capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, which “clearly” showed that the incidents were “masterminded and organised by the Dalai [Lama] clique.”
Please employ some proof readers with some skill Chindu, please!
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13 comments:
I am captivated by your style and arguments.Yet let me play Devils advocate.The bloggers here are from a narrow social spectrum and these young men do not know the depths to which the political scum of our land can descend.
These scum can whip up violent secessionist movements that can find resonance in some communities and states like TN or Punjab.
Are the communists playing a moderator's role in the indian polity?
I have nothing but contempt for the Hindu,yet there has to be some reason for this irrational behaviour.
Anonymous,
Thanks for your comments. It is an interesting viewpoint you bring here and we would like to hear more.
I would agree with part of your argument that we are probably from a similar social milieu. But I've had the good fortune to interact with some interesting minds from T.N.Seshan to Subramaniam Swamy to Ponmudi and Anbumani.
There are 2 good but unrelated points you raise.
These scum can whip up violent secessionist movements that can find resonance in some communities and states like TN or Punjab.
and
Are the communists playing a moderator's role in the indian polity?
I'm unable to find the common thread between these 2 statements and it would be helpful if you could elaborate on your train of thought and provide more input.
I am certainly not a 'young' blogger. "Narrow social spectrum" is as much of an euphemism as the so-called Dravidians' cheap verbal jugglery ("those who came through the Khyber pass").
DMK gave up any semblence of secession (even the dubious concept of "state autonomy") once it got copted into power (and other) sharing at the centre. It is unlikely to give up power and almost unlimited, associated perks for separate Dravidastan(even if it means playing with "communal" BJP).
The present top brass of Chindu doesn't exhibit any "irrational" behaviour ("perverse", may be). They seem to have more than a political liaison with the DMK. BTW, did the Chief ever openly question/criticise Mu Ka for hobnobbig with BJP? After all, both claim to be 'secular' to the core!
Chief got drafted into the Marxist orbit decades ago when he became a disciple of the trade union leader V.P. Chintan, in the early seventies, when Chindu was still "The Hindu".
Some well to do folks have fancy for certain things. Some turn to "social service" and some turn to "communism and secularism" to keep themselves busy. When you get a century-old media institution to go along with, it becomes a heady cocktail, with disastrous consequences (such as blatant Hindu phobia and blind Sinophilia).
anonymous, thats a good euphemism. I've heard similar ones, some more crass than others.
But to pull in the various thoughts, there are few central aspects which are common.
Power, Money, Ideology and Information.
When someone controls all four like the Communists in WB, the state generally degrades.
You are right Mu Ka and his sons follow a similar stratagem but they dont have control over Information. But are more flexible on some other things.
In the case of Chindu and DMK, its a marriage of convenience. Chindu was never a huge DMK supporter prior to 2003. In fact, I remember Chief preaching about an alliance of secular parties to defeat the unholy combination of BJP and MuKa, several times.
Probably the tipping point was Amma's misadventure to allow her thugs to enter Chindu.
Could you please elaborate on your statement?
The present top brass of Chindu doesn't exhibit any "irrational" behaviour ("perverse", may be).
There is still not a single letter, op-ed or editorial in the Chindu on Tibet. I know that Ram has received the patronage of the Chinese govt. in the past but that seems insufficient to explain his continued obeisance to the PRC. I wonder whether there are other unknown commercial reasons for this.
For example, the Hindu sided with Eenadu in a dispute with the AP govt. a few years ago arguing that journalistic liberty was been affected. It even tried to involve itself as a party to the dispute in the SC. It projected the whole matter as a principled struggle for freedom of speech but later it turned out that the Hindu actually had a business arrangement of some sort with that paper which it had not revealed.
I had sent the following letter to the Hindu about the CPM statement on Tibet. But the letter has not been published. I am appending my letter
--------------
From: Ranjith
Date: March 18, 2008 12:03:18 PM
To: letters@thehindu.co.in
Subject: Internal affair ?
Dear Editor,
CPI(M) refuses to comment on Tibet issue as it is an "internal matter of China" and they condemn U. S. report on Nandigram as it is an internal affair of India. But in the past CPI(M) Polit Bureau (PB) has issued comments on internal matters of other countries, like Nepal. A PB press release dated 7 April 2006 denounces the "crackdown" by the King's regime in Nepal against the "movement to restore democracy". That statement also asks the Government of India to interfere in the Nepal affair. Isn't that a clear double standard?
(I have deleted my postal address and email id, when pasting here)
pilid,
You have hit the nail on the head with your analysis. The unholy relationship with PRC is the exact reason why Chindu is not publishing any editorial or news focusing on the any opinion other than Xinhua's.
It's as though they want to prove their loyalty to their communist masters by means of blind obedience and systematic whitewashing of any news which is against the official Chinese version.
Your point about Eanadu, proves that Chindu's journalistic principles can be bought for a price. Keep posting such eye-opening facts.
ranjith,
Will a dog bite its own master's hand the one that has been feeding it? A very biting yet relevant letter posted to Chindu. I doubt if it will be published.
The Nepal story is a tragic incident. The Nepal Govt. does not have the required power and financial resources to fight against such miscreants posting rabble. Hence Chindu and its CPM comrades will do anything to support Chinese brutality and hide the truth from the readers.
What they are hoping is that intelligent people have moved on from just depending upon newspapers to publish the facts.
I do hope that you keep sending emails to Chindu, as I have to see how long they can keep up with a blatant lack of journalistic principles.
I am from madras.I was a devotee of AIADMK and amma for a good many years of my long childhood.I was not affected by the swamigal episode.
The Hindu's espousal of DMK seems reasonable to me now.The TN congress,is in the most charitable view,a group of scoundrels.The BJP is a non starter.The AIADMK is held captive by Dinakaran.From the viewpoint of national stability,karu has to be endured till his death.
The Communists have played a useful role as an interlocutor between the mainstream and violent seccesionist groups in the past,when socialism was the state policy.HKS Surjeet played such a role in Punjab.On the other hand,some analysts have suggested populism,socialism,communism encourage tribal ethnicism.The relation between economics and politics is complex.Similarly,in TN,during the nation building face,the CPM was preferred to the reactionary tamil parties.
In TN,the communists have not taken an open anti-india or anti-hindu or anti-brahmana line.I believe much of the anger of the former devotees of the Hindu,many of whom including myself are brahmanas by birth,is because of the U turn of the Hindu's editorial policy.Many of these former readers are convinced of the religion of nationalism.I am not doubting this sincerity,but most of them are sons of govt officers or similar such background who are looking at the situation from a 'privileged' viewpoint..Some one like N.Ram would have far greater contacts and would have had interaction with people from different backgrounds ranging from congress to DMK and also the 'elite' of madras.It is possible that N.Ram with his pseudo idealistic background became convinced that all political parties,other than CPM,were after power and money.
While DMK had the support of tamil intelligentsia,realistically N.Ram could never be a part of that.BTW,NRam cannot speak Tamil fluently.Astonishing,but true,shows his privileged background.No way could he be a kamal Haasan,a chaavi,sujatha or a maalan.
So the next bet is CPM.There have been a few simpleton and dedicated brahmanas like PRamamoorthy in CPM.
Giving credit to NRam as basically a decent human being,after all he writes about cricket,MS,RK Narayan and a lot of decent stuff that Hindu publishes on science and literature,for this pseudo idealistic privileged dandy who cannot speak tamil fluently,an atheist in an iyengar family,who cannot accept the political situation of the day,who has no loyalty to india,it does not seem incredible for a pseud to dope on china and communism and to attract more such pseuds around him.
The reponse to chinese atrocities has been muted in the west.The western governments have not raised any hue and cry.Let us face it,no one wants to anatogonise china.The BJP has not done any sabre rattling on china.The chindu,the mouthpiece of the govt,has toed the official line.
da,
It is incorrect to say that the west has been muted in its response. justa day ago Nancy Pelosi blasted China, the next day the German foreign minister castigated China and warned that it cannot brush anything under the carpet. John McCain has gone on record condemning Chinese repression. The president of the European Parliament too has come down hard on China. The problem is that Chindu never reports these and unsuspecting minds jump to conclusions(just like you have). This is precisely why we run this blog.
da presents certain soothing explanations.
If the West(I believe you imply the western press too) is muted in response why is China blocking all the media from Tibet? Tells me they've something to hide and are not telling everything.
Chindu is not toeing establishment line, since the establishment is utterly confused about its response as other newspaper colums tell us. Chindu, on the contrary, is quite decisive in its stance about China.
Perhaps why others don't want to anatagonise China is because it can consume Tibetan lives. But that hasn't stopped criticizing them, unlike the vocal Comrade Renmin who has his lips shut.
Remember, China is a country that machine-gunned its own people, in its capital's public square no less.
devil's advocate,
Excellent analysis on Ram's background. True, N.Ram is a fish out of water in most circles in Madras.
As you put it,
this pseudo idealistic privileged dandy who cannot speak tamil fluently,an atheist in an iyengar family,who cannot accept the political situation of the day,who has no loyalty to india,it does not seem incredible for a pseud to dope on china
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