India's Paid Media

The secular Indian media, especially the electronic media, are trying to outgun each other to flaunt their secular credentials in their portrayal of the 2002 riots in Gujarat. Its been ten years since the riots took place. I will not do a post-mortem  of who's right and who's wrong. 

The self-styled guardians of our secularism - NDTV, TIMES Now, CNN IBN, The Hindu, The Hindustan Times - are busy raking up the ghosts of the Gujarat riots. All they rant is how the Muslims were killed, how Muslim women were raped, how Muslim homes were burnt down.... and on they rant in endless debates, with conscience-keepers of our society -  Brinda Karat, Javed Akhtar, Manish Tiwari, Abhishek Singhvi, Suhel Seth, Teesta Setalvad, and other 'secular' folks.

Why don't Barkha Dutt, Prannoy Roy, Rajdeep Sardesai, Sagarika Ghosh, and Arnab Goswami ever raise questions on the 

(a) role played by Congress party leaders in the 1984 Sikh Riots in Delhi, which saw the deaths of more than 3000 Sikhs, in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination by her Sikh bodyguards;

(b) plight of the Hindu Pandits of Kashmir who are living like refugees in their own country after being driven out by Muslim terrorists and hardliners;

(c) ethnic cleansing of Hindus and Christians in Kashmir Valley by Muslim radicals;

(d) evangelical activities carried out by Christian missionaries in several parts of India, especially in large parts of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Kerala;

(e) farmers' suicides in Andhra Pradesh, the so-called 'rice bowl of India', because of the nefarious policies of the Congress government.

Yes, there are several other uncomfortable questions that are never raised on the Newshour, Big Fight, Question Time India, Face the Nation. 

Selective amnesia on the part of the Indian media is sowing seeds of hatred between different communities. What the media in India is peddling is half-truths and lies. They act more like spokespersons of the Congress and less like protectors of public interest.

To hell with public interest, as long as I get my kickbacks and paid holidays, seem to be the silent refrain of the secular media houses. So much for 'whatever it takes' to 'experience truth'. 

Tuesday Reads - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

• The probability of an attack on Iran’s nuclear programme has been increasing. But the chances of it ending the country’s nuclear ambitions are low, says The Economist. In this context I suggest you read my February 11 article, The Explainer: Will Israel attack Iran? on the much-debated Israeli plans for an attack on Iran. 

• Wikileaks has released thousands of secret emails belonging to Stratfor, a private intelligence agency which is often described as a "shadow CIA".

• Rahul Gandhi's Lost Widows are haunted by debt and starvation in Vidharbha. This is an old article but is highly relevant today. (India Today)

• "Incalculable dangers if Greek plan is rejected", warns Germany's Angela Merkel. (Bloomberg)  

DC's Subhani has an interesting take on the prospects of a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh. 

Monday Reads - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

Sudhir Tailang, cartoonist at the Asian Age, caricatures Union Minister and Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal's ridiculous statement that if the Congress does not come to power in UP then it will ensure that there is President's Rule in the state. The minister's assertion only reflects the contempt with which the political parties in general and the Congress in particular hold the citizens in general and voters in particular.

• 10 Things you didn't know about Drones. (FP)

• The myth of the eight-hour sleep. (BBC Magazine)

• Foreign investors tired of corruption in India. (ET)

• It's tough being a woman in a man's world. (The Hindu)

Sunday Reads - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

Its been eleven days since I last blogged in this space. In this time, I have given three webinars (web seminars) on the Korean peninsula, Japanese economy, Indo-Pak relations (with focus on Kashmir), What if Assad of Syria goes; Iranian nuclear ambitions (with focus on Israeli plans to attack Iran), and FDI in multibrand retail. All in all, been busy doing some really interesting work.

Let me continue the Best Reads Series. We resume with a funny take on the double game the Russians are playing in the Syrian crisis. This cartoon comes from First Post.

• The end of the Oil economy, as we know it. (AlJazeera)

• Hamas dumps Syria's Bashar Al-Assad. (Reuters)

• Stages in building a nuclear weapon. (NY Times)

• Massive corruption in liquor trade in AP. (Outlook)

Wednesday Evening Reads - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

On Feb 11 I wrote The Explainer: Will Israel attack Iran?. Since then there have been bombings targeting Israeli diplomats in New Delhi, Tbilisi (Georgia's capital) and Bangkok. These attacks have been blamed by Israel on Iran. 

In view of the international sanctions against Iran, here is an interesting infographic from Reuters. 

• Now play Angry Birds on Facebook. (CNN)

• Disillusioned Maoist fighters of Nepal. (BBC) 

• The rise or fall of the American Empire. (Foreign Policy)

• Greece heads for record books as economy slumps (Reuters) 
  
  
  
  
  
  

Valentine's Day Reads - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

Valentine's Day gifts for Syria's dictator Bashar Al-Assad from China's Hu Jintao and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. (The Globe and Mail)

• Narendra Modi's critics are fighting a lost battle. (First Post)

• Is Syria's unrest spilling over into Lebanon? (AlJazeera)

• Is China's economy wobbling? (Bloomberg)

• Iran prepares suicide boats for attacks against U.S. navy. (Reuters)

Monday Morning Reads - The Best of Politics, Economics, & Ideas

Let me begin the day with a topical DC cartoon.

• Pakistan's perilous journey to the future. (Economist)

• India needs manufacturing boost. (Economic Times)

• Expanding China-Africa oil ties. (Foreign Affairs)

• Icelanders avoid inbreeding through online incest database. (TIME)