> That was what DNB was so incensed about to ask the populace to demand >judges > to convict. That unfortunately could not be more undemocratic a process. > It amounts to inciting a lynch mob.
I went back to the second article by DNB, and nowhere did I find him to be inciting furious mobs into lynching or even demanding that judges summarily convict the 'suspects'. I will read it again, to make sure. Maybe it was in his first installment. > >Its only recently, that the media has shown some back bone and are > >dealing with issues head-on. > That is an assessment that could not be further from the truth. Only > the asleep would make that complaint. I really might have been asleep, but even then nothing in the past (I/J) has hit me in the face that would have given me a jolt & woken me up. Recently though, there have been a number of people like DNB who are willing to write. Now, I am not saying that people in Assam were obvlivious to the corruption around them, but writing about it, without gingerly skirting around issues, is only a recent phenomenon. This new trend is not only welcome, but also desirable. > Many are civil cases that have to wait its turn, sometimes thirty > years down the future. We all know that there are many problems with the system of governance and even in the justice system. And these need to rectified/improved. But even given this doom & gloom situation, what one would expect of people and of the media is to make changes in their responses to such things. These obviously, cannot be responded in violence, they have to be done within the framework of the society. Keeping quiet, and let things slide by, or reacting violently and chasing elusive dreams of an independence (as if that would solve these problems) are really illogical & passe in this day and age. So, given this scenario, what is your solution? --Ram On 4/25/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Am not sure why anybody would be so dead against investigative journalism. > > *** It is not about opposition to investigative journalism, but about > it being touted as the solution to defective dysfunctional > governmental systems. No amount of investigative journalism could > substitute functioning institutions of democratic governance. I/J > cannot prosecute or judge. At most it can expose some covered up > misdeed. But such misdeeds still will have to be investigated, > prosecuted and judged, before the guilty could be held accountable. > At any event, there are hundreds of thousands of blatant criminality > right out in the open that remain unresolved, or if resolved with > no-one being held accountable. > > That was what DNB was so incensed about to ask the populace to demand judges > to > convict. That unfortunately could not be more undemocratic a process. > It amounts to inciting a lynch mob. > > Unfortunately the problem is with investigating, prosecuting and > judging and enforceable laws that are not riddled with loop-holes. > Without these no amount of I/J will bring anyone to justice. Remember > Tehelka? Tejpal was imprisoned, and they almost wiped out Tehelka, > and that inspite of an international outcry. > > >Take the Barnali rape/murder case. The newspaper coverage, > >galvanized a public >outcry, culminating in the prosecution and > >conviction of the culprits, and all >this in a matter of just 4 > >months. > > *** This is not an example of effective I/J. It was a heinous crime > out wide open in the public view. The widespread publicity helped > push for a speedy investigation. Perhaps the police got lucky to be > able to find the culprits and enough evidence to persuade the judges. > > But not all cases are as heinous. And a crime that does not get such > publicity is still a crime. If it does not get justice, it still > remains a failure of governance. Besides, not all cases of corruption > qualify as CRIMINAL cases that could be given a priority hearing. > Many are civil cases that have to wait its turn, sometimes thirty > years down the future. > > >So, Journalism does have a positive part to play. > > Nobody is disputing that. > > >Its only recently, that the media has shown some back bone and are > >dealing with issues head-on. > > That is an assessment that could not be further from the truth. Only > the asleep would make that complaint. > > At 9:02 PM +0000 4/25/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > > > ** And now we have yet another great idea: > >Investigative journalism to the rescue. > > > >Am not sure why anybody would be so dead against investigative > >journalism. Whats wrong in exposing corrupt officials, mismanagement > >and what have you? One can call for reporting that is NOT a > >witch-hunt or is not biased, but to abhor the very idea is > >intriquing, to say the least. > > > >Investigative journalism is nothing new, nor is it a brain-wave of > >some goofy NRA. It exists quite well in India (as in other parts of > >the world). This type of journalism has its merits, even in Assam. > >Take the Barnali rape/murder case. The newspaper coverage, > >galvanized a public outcry, culminating in the prosecution and > >conviction of the culprits, and all this in a matter of just 4 > >months. > > > >So, Journalism does have a positive part to play. All these years, > >for the most part the media in Assam have always stepped gingerly > >when dealing with corruption or mismanagement by the Govt. Its only > >recently, that the media has shown some back bone and are dealing > >with issues head-on. > > > >--Ram > > > > >From: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >To: [email protected] > > >Subject: [Assam] Now for Investigative Journalism > > >Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 07:55:13 -0500 > > > > > > > > >I am amazed by all the fine ideas being generated by our friends to > > >make desi-demokrasy accountable and transparent. > > > > > >Allow me to enumerate them for posterity: > > > > > > ** People need to become more moral. > > > ** People need to elect the good people. ( Obviously desis > > > have a problem in figuring out who is good and who is > > >bad, unlike > > > all these fine wise folks of Assam Net) > > > **Assam better produce some good leaders, or else ( the inference > > > here would be that those other states in India must have > > >good > > > leaders, how else are they doing so much better than Assam?) > > > ** NGOs are the salvation. Assam needs more good NGO's. (With > > > enough of them, the dysfunctional GOs could be dumped and > > > we will see Assam prospering and living happily ever > > >after) > > > ** And now we have yet another great idea: Investigative > > > journalism to the rescue. > > > > > >I am quite sure DNB will be tickled to death to read about these > > >fine interpretations of his litany of kharkhowa woes by some of > > >Assam's best. > > > > > >I am quite sure Tarun Tejpal of Tehelka would be too. Maybe it would > > >not be that good an idea to show it to him, without checking if he > > >has a heart condition. It might kill him from laughter. DNB himself > > >could be driven to write a testy article on kharkhowa reading > > >comprehension, considering how the Sentinel's efforts on educating > > >the clueless on the state of Indian govt's. transparency as > > >demonstrated by the pathetic toothlessness of the "Right to > > >Information" laws; laws that are routinely enacted, ritualistically, > > >only to be discarded and even perverted once the rites are over; did > > >not register on this august body of fine > > >Netters. > > > > > >Yours Sarcastically. > > > > > >cm > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Assam mailing list > > >[email protected] > > >http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > > > > >Mailing list FAQ: > > >http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > > >To unsubscribe or change options: > > >http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > > _______________________________________________ > Assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > Mailing list FAQ: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > To unsubscribe or change options: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [email protected] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
