Ram Admits the Truth

Check out the Reader's Editor's comments today. He cites all the grievances that readers have had about the Hindu's coverage and then allows the Editor-in-Chief to explain. N.Ram appears to have admitted to many of the allegations made against the Hindu. Here are his comments:

We have an arrangement with Xinhua. We have also used western agencies and PTI. The violence reported and confirmed editorially was by Tibetan discontents, some hundreds of them. The Chinese authorities seemed unprepared at first but moved to stop the savagery in Lhasa and violence in some Tibetan areas. The riots were easily overcome. The violence in Lhasa, by every account, was by protestors, who included monks. No specific incident of violence by the police or paramilitary forces has been reported by any credible news source or eyewitnesses.

The comments in the column fail to look critically at the abundant editorialising in the guise of news. If the content in The Guardian, The New York Times, and Western news agencies is analysed, the problems of professional news reporting on the Tibet developments can be better appreciated. They were full of editorial judgments and loaded phrases and were often inaccurate (such as death toll). Their websites published wrong photographs or photographs with wrong captions. The Dalai Lama’s statements were edited because he is a separatist and tended to justify the savage and murderous riots in Lhasa. Not many letters were received other than what we published.

No particular instance is cited of an erroneous report in major foreign newspapers. While I cannot vouch for every paper, I do know that the New York Times has stringent requirements for verification of the truth of material to be published. Also what does he mean by 'No specific incident of violence by the police or paramilitary forces has been reported by any credible news source or eyewitnesses'? There have been numerous reports of peacefully protesting monks being incarcerated but then again, these are in newspapers that the Editor-in-Chief has already concluded to be biased. So has the Hindu done any original reporting from inside Tibet or reported any eyewitness accounts? None that I have seen so far. So what is the chief source of reliable news for Mr. Ram? Xinhua, the official organ of the Chinese Communist party!

The editorial policy on why no other letters were published was left unaddressed. Also I wonder what is the job of the Reader's Editor if the Editor-in-Chief decides both on news content and editorial policy? Just to read readers' comments and report to the latter?

More archeological finds in the Marxist Valley

for your reading pleasure

---------------------

More and more archeological finds in the Marxist Valley. The
inhabitants are not only technically advanced, capable of making their
own bombs, but also getting killed in that process:
indianexpress.com :: CRPF finds eight more graves near Nandigram

The CRPF on Thursday found eight graves in the CPI(M) stronghold of Khejuri adjacent to Nandigram, three of which might contain human remains. CRPF sources said the three graves found at Mansinghber on Thursday evening could be of women as torn pieces of saree and bits of bangles and a necklace were found from there. Five empty graves were located at Sherkhan Chowk. A 25-member CRPF team have cordoned off the graves. Earlier, the CRPF had found five graves in a field bordering a nullah on December 18 at Sherkhan Chowk, the sources said. A PTI correspondent, who went to the spot on Thursday, saw burnt wood and portions of bicycle tyres lying around the shallow graves. Local people alleged five bodies of CPI(M) supporters killed while making bombs at a house there on October 28 were burnt at the spot and buried for a night before being taken away. Anup Patra and Sukdeb Patra, both CPI(M) supporters and residents of the village, claimed 19 Marxist supporters had been killed while making bombs at the house on October 28. The bodies were taken away in two vehicles by Marxist supporters, he added. One of the vehicles, with five bodies, offloaded them at the field where they were doused with kerosene and cremated, Anup said. That same night, the bodies were dug up and taken away, he said.

However, Chindu is modest in its reporting:

The Hindu News Update Service

A CRPF assistant commandant on Friday visited five empty graves found near Nandigram and posted some personnel there for interrogating local people.

Assistant Commandant Arindam Mukhopadhyay, chief of CRPF's Gokul Nagar camp, visited the graves at Sherkhanchowk in the CPI(M) stronghold of Khejuri adjacent to Nandigram.

The CRPF has set up four camps in Nandigram.

Why is there left-wing extremism in leftist paradise?

This is the supposed to be the state which has implemented pro-poor policies in the traditional leftist model. And the left has been in power for over 30 years now. Why then do we have leftist extremism in West Bengal? And whom are these terrorists fighting for when there are no poor people.

The Hindu : Front Page : Chief Ministers call for strengthening intelligence

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said the State Government had sanctioned recruitment of 4,000 constables.

He said a major security threat faced by West Bengal was left wing extremism in the districts of Purulia, Paschim Medinipur and Bankura. The three border districts were the worst affected by Maoist activities.

Compared to other states, West Bengal had witnessed less violent activity from the left wing extremist (LWE) groups. However, a front organisation of the LWE activists named the Gana Pratirodh Manch had carried out propaganda against the acquisition of land at Singur and a new area of Maoist activity was discovered recently in and around Nandigram.

Communist lies by repeated assertion

Communists probably think the whole world reads only Chindu.

The Hindu : National : Yechury takes a dig at Advani on Nandigram

The violence that followed in Nandigram was due to them(maoists) for which the BJP was criticising the CPI(M), he added. Mr. Yechury said 36 CPI(M) cadres were killed in the violence .

Faithful dog barks for its master

Even after the blood bath at Nandigram, Chindu says only "a section of the people" opposed the governments plans. Such "journalistic ethics" are reserved exclusively for Bengal and definitely not for Gujarat.

The West Bengal government had to abandon the plan to set up a chemical hub in Nandigram owing to opposition from a section of the local people but that will not affect flow of investments for the industry, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here on Thursday.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/07/stories/2007120759441700.htm

Fwd:An Open Letter to The Hindu

An Anonymous reader shared this Open Letter.


An open letter to The Hindu on its Nandigram coverage

We are writing this open letter to the editorial board of “The Hindu” to express our dismay at your coverage of recent events at Nandigram.
Most of us are regular readers of your paper. We have appreciated your balanced coverage of topics such as the Narmada Dam, Gujarat or the Agrarian Crisis. At least in our eyes, your principled reportage of these issues (and numerous others) has lent your newspaper an unusual degree of credibility. We believe that your paper’s articles carry enormous weight in moulding public opinion and policy.
It is therefore a cause of collective concern when this credibility gets damaged. We are particularly disturbed by the editorial titled “The Challenge of Nandigram” (12th Nov. 2007) which displayed a marked slant. Even granting merit to the editorial’s contention that the state government had to take steps to restore governance in the area, it seems beyond dispute that the methods adopted to do so were inherently incompatible with the rule of law in a democracy. We cannot comprehend how a full length editorial could completely fail to take note of the unchecked violence by the CPM cadres, the curbs that were placed on independent reporting, the attacks on reputed activists like Medha Patkar, all of which seem to have been facilitated – or at least condoned - by the state. None of these well documented events have any place in a society governed by law, and should have occasioned strong comment. We failed to see any critical editorial acknowledgement of these events, even after the chief minister had practically admitted having operated outside the law through remarks such as being “paid back in their own coin”. This stands in marked contrast to the way the governor has been singled out for supposedly impolitic remarks. This selective silence opens the Hindu to the charge of being partisan in its outlook.
We also notice that, unlike many other issues of similar gravity, there has been a marked absence of centrepage articles on this topic.. One would have expected The Hindu to flesh out the differing points of view on this issue as well as the dimensions of the human tragedy. By choosing not to do so, The Hindu abdicates its responsibility to its readers for fair and balanced reporting.
We would hate to see The Hindu be identified as a newspaper purveying party propaganda. It is important that the integrity of the newspaper be above all question. An erosion of The Hindu’s credibility would be an immeasurable loss for journalism and for society.
Your Sincerely,
Academics from Harish-Chandra Research Institute Allahabad, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay/Kanpur/Madras, Institute of Mathematical Sciences Chennai, Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mumbai.

http://sanhati.com/front-page/543/

Naxal R releasing Nandigram CD

How can you expect this guy to have any objectivity when he openly supports CPM.

The Hindu : National : Insight into missing dimension of Nandigram

“The film captures the complex situation and makes a powerfully successful attempt to fill some good part of the gap. What is shocking is the manufacture of consent for the indictment of the Left Government in West Bengal and demonisation of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the CPI(M). All kinds of people landed there without any thought about the implications of what they were doing. There was just one-sided grief, completely ignoring the plight of 3,500 people who were forced to become internal refugees,” Mr. Ram said.

The viper with the double-tongue

Karat accuses Congress of inaction during Babri Masjid demolition. And BJP is accused of "action" during Gujarat riots. Strangely, CPM is not faulty on either counts for the Nandigram genocide although it was ruling the state and was directly responsible for the genocide.

The Hindu : Front Page : Don’t equate Left with communal forces: Karat

Accusing the Congress government at the Centre of ‘inaction’ when the Babri Masjid was demolished, Mr. Karat said that while the ‘culpability’ for the incident lay primarily with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bharatiya Janata Party and Hindutva forces, the Narasimha Rao government was “also culpable and complicit in letting this dark, dastardly thing happen.”

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee warned against the RSS, which never supported the Indian independence movement and has no belief in either the Constitution or a democratic government.

Communists acting as British stooges during India's Independence struggle is well-known and documented. What an irony, Buddhadeb is blaming the RSS.

Anti-imperialist opposes WB govt's oppression

Every one, except Chindu and the hard-core CPM cadre are condemning CPM's holocaust in Nandigram. Try Buddhadeb and N.Ram in Prague, anyone?

The Hindu : National : Rally against U.S.’ ‘imperialist policies’

On Nandigram, Mr. Clark said the “brutal aggression by the government” was a great tragedy.

2000=2500

Suddenly, the number of people killed in Gujarat has become 2500. How convenient. And it is being termed "Genocide" and not "pogrom" anymore.

The Hindu : Front Page : Don’t compare Godhra to Nandigram: Yechury

This was nothing but trivialising the serious issue of state-sponsored genocide in Gujarat, in which more than 2,500 people were killed.

Chindu parades more intellectuals to support Nandigram holocaust

How much more Leftist can these "intellectuals" get?

The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Chomsky and other intellectuals on Nandigram

The balance of forces in the world is such that it would be impetuous to split the Left. We are faced with a world power that has demolished one state (Iraq) and is now threatening another (Iran). This is not the time for division when the basis of division no longer appears to exist.

Maoist presence only a bogey: Medha

Medha Patkar, touted as the supreme secularist during Gujarat riots, has physically reviewed the situation in Nandigram. She confirms our strong suspicion that BUPC is not a TMC or Maoist outfit as consistently projected by Chindu.

The Hindu : National : Maoist presence only a bogey: Medha

Ms. Patkar, part of a people’s delegation that visited Nandigram, told journalists here that the bogey of a Maoist presence was being raised to justify the “subjugation of rebellious villages in the area.”

Releasing a report of the team to the media here, she, along with
journalist Sumit Chakravarty, said they did not find physical evidence
to back the accusations. “In Sonachura we talked to at least 150 to 200
people, both from the CPI(M) and the Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh
Committee(BUPC). Not one of them mentioned armed resistance by the
BUPC.”

She said it was clear that no matter how it was projected, this was
not a Trinamool Congress versus CPI(M) fight. “The BUPC is not a TMC
outfit. Nor is it a Maoist outfit. So this is not a Left versus
ultra-Left issue. The BUPC consists of angry villagers from Nandigram
who have rebelled against CPI(M)’s oppressive ways and its bullying
tactics to take away their land [for Special Economic Zone

Nandigram is state-sponsored pogrom like Gujarat: NHRC

By the same yardstick, Nandigram is state-sponsored pogrom just like Gujarat. NHRC confirms this. Can we now get Manmohan to call it a CPI(M) holocaust. Let us try Buddhadeb in Prague.

But look at how Chindu is supporting the perpetrators of Nandigram holocaust. The contrast in Chindu's treatment of Gujarat and Nandigram is so striking.

The Hindu : Front Page : Left resents NHRC Chairman’s remarks

Their objection was to certain observations reportedly made by the NHRC chief wherein he expressed concern over rights violations in Nandigram.

Fwd: The challenge of Nandigram

n.ram twisting in his knickers is hilarious. chindu has suppressed the
hooliganism of the red raiders. and no mention of that secular darling
medha patkar being beaten up by the super-secular red raiders. have a
look at this picture showing the red raiders on their war path.

----------
http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/12/stories/2007111259681200.htm

The allies of CPI(M) were more critical of that party than CHINDU.
Actually, ganashakti may not do a better job than this.

The commies are getting a (heavy) dose of their own medicine and no
wonder they find themselves in a fix. More than the "Challenge of
Nandigram", the Chief seems to be desperately searching for the
"Villains of Nandigram".

And he has a bagful: "The Central government, which depends on the
Left for survival" ; the Governor, who "does not seem to have learnt
any lessons" and who is "speaking out of line" ; the Maoists who "have
resumed their armed campaign of terror" ; Mamata Banerjee
"ever-willing to give chaos a chance" and who is "saying that her
party would paralyse West Bengal indefinitely" etc. etc.

The poor Governor, who has been previously hailed by Chindu for his
"secular" credentials, now takes a severe whipping by the Chief (more
than half the editorial has been alloted to deride this Gandhi). And
finally as a saving grace, the suggestion to CPM to "restrain its
cadre from any campaign of reprisal".

Posted by Anonymous to The Chindu at November 11, 2007 10:20 PM

Nandigram never occured, cries CBCNN

The Hindu : National : All-party meet on Nandigram on April 22

the West Bengal Government has arranged for yet another all-party meeting there on April 22.

The operating word being "yet another".

Large parts of Nandigram remain inaccessible to the police and the local administration

Truth by repeated assertion. That age-old communist way of manufacturing "authentic" history.

The last all-party meeting, convened on April 3 by the local
authorities, was boycotted by the Trinamool Congress-led Bhoomi Ucchded
Pratirodh Committee. Representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party
ransacked the venue of the meeting

Put all blame on the opposition, no matter what.

A comrade exposes his cadre

Some pretty damning information on CPM is available in this article. Nandigram is not the first time CPM has implemented a pogrom.



IndianExpress.com :: Party games

The story of Alipurduar goes back to January 10 1987, twenty years before Nandigram. On that day, UTJAS had organised a rally of what they estimated to be about 50,000 people in Alipurduar, the headquarters of Cooch Behar district. As the rally started, they noticed something unusual: The police was nowhere in sight. Soon the rallyists found themselves surrounded by and under attack from the armed cadre of the CPM. The rally was dispersed as unarmed protesters were beaten and chased. The police surfaced, only to arrest the victims, once the party cadre had finished their job.

Following the Chinese

N.Ram comes out with his pet-theory that everything good that India is doing is by "following the experience of China".



The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : A partial solution

Following the experience of China, SEZs were conceived of as a quick fix to get over the problems...

Converting farmland for industries is not a concern because ***drum roll*** China did it.

even when all the 234 formally approved SEZs come up, they will take up just 0.1 per cent of the cultivable land. On the other hand, they are expected to attract investments of Rs.300,000 crore and generate four million jobs.

That is exactly why the communists threw all industries out of WB and Kerala.

An important component of the policy should be the rehabilitation of
farmers and farm labour, who will be unsettled from their traditional
avocations.

Like shooting them down as the CPI(M) did in the Nandigram pogrom.

CPM launches "false propaganda"

Unhappy, my foot. The party of the gulags.

The Hindu : National : CPI (M) Central Committee unhappy at loss of lives in Nandigram police firing

Nandigram breaks down

According to The Chindu, a reputed national newspaper known for its disenchantment with propaganda, Nandigram has been turned into hell by Trinamool Congress. All other newspapers think it is CPM indulging in a pogrom.



The Hindu : National : Efforts for peace in Nandigram to continue: Home Secretary

Large parts of Nandigram remain inaccessible with roads dug up and bridges broken by activists of Trinamool Congress-led Bhoomi Ucched Pratirodh Committee. There were, however, no reports of any fresh attempt to snap road links, Mr. Roy said.

Jyoti Basu for industrialisation

The never ending charade of the CPM hypocrisy.



The Hindu : National : Basu: we will overcome Nandigram problems

...the industrial drive in West Bengal will go ahead with the support of people, according to veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu.

What did Jyoti Basu do towards the industrialisation of West Bengal? Let the statistics speak. The state's share of total industrial output in India was 9.8% in 1980–81, declining to 5% by 1997–98.