Tuesday, December 02, 2008

My sister's ire

My sister Suparna sent me this email below. I didn't watch much TV through the course of the weekend, relying mostly on the Internet for news updates. But this is clearly a subject that has angered many Indians.
--------
This is what I've been feeling about the press which I wanted to share. I've sent it to TOI as an opinion piece. Probably will get trashed as cyber junk being anti press but whatever.

The incident in Bombay is heart wrenching. But what is infuriating me today is overdramatised journalism. I am not trying to undermine the plight of the victims or the survivors or even a regular person on the street viewing every object with skepticism. But TV creates instant history and impacts more people than any other media. This is a strength and at the same time a great responsibility. In our urge to fill in 24/7 channels, we are doing what must not be done, intruding. Is it important for me sitting at home to know which window on which floor a person is getting evacuated from, or which door was used by a commado team to enter? Or is this information I want to keep as far away from the terrorists inside as possible?

We all enjoy the freedom of the press, it is something to feel proud about and I won't deny that it is good to know what is going on at every second but there has to be a line drawn. Why should a police man have to tell you to not go beyond a place, or say 'I cannot divulge that information". Are we not insightful enough to realise that without wasting their time??

The second thing I want to point out is that there is anger about politicians and some ministers specifically but is that really the only problem to be addressed. I saw 'We the People' with Barkha Dutt talking about the Mumbai Tragedy. I was extremely unimpressed with the choice of panelists. They consisted in majority of Bollywood celebrities who with all due respect may be great in their field but don't know squat about policy making or social studies, ethnic studies, intelligence or any of the other pertinent issues involved in this discussion on terrorism. Hearing them talk is like having a coffee room discussion with a bunch of friends who get all their information and knowledge from television and know practically nothing about the dirt and grime of the issue. At this moment I as a citizen don't want dramatic statements from Simi Garewal or Kunal Kohli but analytical break down of the problem by social scientists, researchers, policy advisors or people who have devoted their lives to understanding these issues. Please do not fool me with meaningless banter.

I have spent the aftermath of the tragedy waiting for an analysis that was not sensationalized. Vilasrao Deshmukh taking his celebrity son to the venue? Tell me is this an issue at all? Would anyone care if his son was not a Bollywood star? Has anyone asked about the other guy walking behind him? Why are we wasting our time hearing things like this?

I just want to say that a lot of the statements that are being made by people who are clearly not experts are very extreme "Don't pay taxes", "Eradicate camps…even in China", do these people know what they are talking about? A war kills in figures that will make the Mumbai tragedy look like a road accident. Please be careful in who you quote. A right to opinion is part of our democracy but a right to discretion is a right you must exercise for a healthy attitude in the public you influence so easily.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

elaborated realise lothian gandhinagar documentthis frameworks depthb mellon amount genre eighth
semelokertes marchimundui

Anonymous said...

The information here is great. I will invite my friends here.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

It is possible to manage a short local move on your own., vpn port dd wrt. Heritage artifacts and a lot of rare stuff are housed in this great place. It is normal to get warm when charging or normal use. vpn ras einrichten. The best feature is that you can hire the dedicated game application development services for your customized needs also. vpn not working ios4

Anonymous said...

However, much of this is because of the fact that there's less cartilage between the bones of the woman's foot and her joints and ligaments are softer and additional flexible. This type of passive solar heat system is designed to heat the water you use in your home with sunlight., internet via proxy. Hundreds of people who are tired of taking drugs and tired of body aches and pains are joining the bandwagon. fvs cisco vpn client

Anonymous said...

This was the conservative viewpoint of food as a main requirement., vpn issues using cisco anyconnect. It increases the level of comfortability of the confined interior of home and office. How hot does the machine get when in use for long periods of time? proxy server list. Sometimes their scents could make us feel dizzy or sick. vpn windows openbsd

Anonymous said...

You can try all these wigs and choose the best according to your face., http tunnel. Candidates are however, determined based on their own efficiency within the entrance examinations. This is genuinely a gift from the heart. linksys vpn router issues. When taking sildenafil citrate, the consumption of fatty foods keeps it from being metabolized in the liver and the excessive consumption of alcohol causes an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous imbalance in your blood pressure and heart rate. mac os leopard 10 5

Anonymous said...

The new feed has been created for your pets. microsoft access for mac os x

Anonymous said...

Some believe that rubbing the scalp with an onion before shampooing may actually stimulate hair growth…your mileage may vary! freeware proxy download

Anonymous said...

Also, try talking with other patients present at their clinics. hotkeys network connections xp. Just make sure that you only get high resolution images for brochure printing so that there is not deterioration in quality once printing starts. nfl network commericals

Anonymous said...

This disorder prevented normal kidney function, which diminished the body’s immune system to fight off the effects of gadolinium. own name server

Anonymous said...

So please, try to print as much as you can. One of the best things about using networks online is that most of them are free to use and allow you the ability to post and update links and other information easily and quickly. oracle net protocol error. A bad stance will direct with a poor again golf swing, downswing and adhere to through. Holidays have been instant aspirin which is stressbuster and which relaxes your mind and body and rejuvenates you to endure routine and face new challenges of life., aim 2 game server. In fact, some of them even suggested that the recovery progress of this method is even faster if incorporated with other medications. server applica

Anonymous said...

With the new form of digital learning, higher education is economical and easy like never before. Nothing like being visible in many sites and pages to advertise and get your message across., remote controlled plane. This is because no animal byproducts are used in these items. how to write an irc client

Anonymous said...

Most of live insects are already dead. remove access security v

Anonymous said...

You can always do it yourself or hire a printer. We should explore interest in the work. il miglior software p2p. You cannot hide your teeth in between the lips; people will take notice of the discoloration eventually. Certainly the crisis in the housing market, while it has slowed the sale of houses on the other has helped us understand what the needs of those who buy a house and features that this must have to successfully enter the market real estate., realtek rtl ethernet controller driver. A protocol is basically just a list of methods. mountainsmith network

Anonymous said...

This is because any corporate decisions they make will one way or another affect you. controller area network can bus canbus

Anonymous said...

Women should not ignore ruptured complex ovarian cyst and it’s symptoms as it is not normal and can create complications. Do you want to learn how to cross dress?, access is denied to remote agent check the login account. The reason behind the popularity of the stone flooring surrey is the shear benefits that it offers. telstra big pond adsl

Anonymous said...

But the story doesn't end there. Below are 5 simple tips that should help you print brochures beautifully with a budget., htttp protocol. I believe she will buy replica handbags online and fall in love with these replica handbags. acereader pro deluxe network .

Anonymous said...

Also noted at higher risk of developing depression are teenagers, separated or divorced women, and women with a history of more than one abortion. Surely, cheap medical insurance is needed by everyone., chicago field museum virtual tour. We bring the tree home, make some hot cocoa, pull out all the boxes of ornaments and enjoy each others company the rest of the day while decorating the tree. ramsey load cell

Anonymous said...

Researchers find that we can get adequate amount of nutrients just through the average amounts of food., adsl 8 port router. Then what are you waiting for? Body builders, on the other hand, do not need abs machines as they already use pulley machines when they do their crunches. client riche. Generally happening after a woman turns fifty, it can start as early as a woman’s forties or even later than the usual age of fifty. charms com redfoxygirl private

Anonymous said...

Avoid to eat liquorice when eating carp; or else eat them at the same time would lead to die. Either we will have to stop losing or start winning to keep our chances bright. sql server 2000 memory allocation. Ultimately hunger or lack of food is a political making which should be ended through political ways. But these products have not proven its worth at all., yale software vpn. Also, think about where the inputs are. proxy list program

Anonymous said...

I'm truly enjoying the design and layout of your blog. It's a very easy on the
eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here
and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?

Fantastic work!

my web-site :: permanent hair straightening

Anonymous said...

Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post!
It is the little changes that produce the most important changes.

Thanks for sharing!

My homepage; recycling facts

Anonymous said...

Hi there, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if
you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can suggest?
I get so much lately it's driving me crazy so any assistance is very much appreciated.

My site; coconut oil for hair

Anonymous said...

This site was... how do I say it? Relevant!
! Finally I've found something that helped me. Cheers!

Take a look at my web-site; diaper rash home remedies

Anonymous said...

I have read so many articles or reviews on the topic of
the blogger lovers but this article is in fact a pleasant piece of writing, keep it
up.

Have a look at my weblog :: tattoo removal cream reviews

Anonymous said...

An intriguing discussion is worth comment. There's no doubt that that you ought to write more on this subject matter, it may not be a taboo matter but usually people do not discuss such topics. To the next! Best wishes!!

my web site dry scalp treatments

Anonymous said...

There's certainly a lot to find out about this subject. I really like all the points you made.

Feel free to surf to my blog ... Diarrhea remedies