Just to add, using violence to intimidate new outlets is not healthy for a functioning democracy - specially on such small issues. This illustrates what I have been trying to point out in my earlier email. How are these people any different from the Taliban across the border - and is their political dominance a future we seek for our children. Just like the Republicans in USA, they use the bogey of fear/ cultural insults to nurture fear and hatred. As i said earlier, they are the mirror of the fundamentalist christians and muslims who have brought our neighbors and middle east to a state of social and political collapse - with untold dead and maimed, lives destroyed.
Nachiketa *NDTV Office Attacked by Right Wing Group * NDTV Correspondent Saturday, January 19, 2008 (Ahmedabad) A group of 15-20 people calling themselves the Hindu Samrajya Sena ransacked NDTV's office in Ahmedabad for airing an SMS poll on Bharat Ratna with famous painter M F Husain as a contender. The members of the Right-wing Hindu group barged into NDTV's office, broke furniture, destroyed studio equipment and even smashed the air-conditioners and other electrical fittings. One of the staff member, who was in the office at the time, was attacked and beaten up with hockey sticks. The attackers plastered NDTV's office with poster and banners describing the channel as traitors and demanded an apology. The same group had threatened NDTV two days ago. It is believed to be affiliated to the Shiv Sena. The police took more than an hour to respond to the incident despite phone calls. However, they have finally registered a case. *Disapproval* BJP today expressed its disapproval over the attack on the office of NDTV by the little known outfit. ''Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. Such things should not happen,'' BJP President Rajnath Singh said. Singh said he was confident that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will order a probe into the incident and take appropriate action. ______________________________________________ On 1/19/08, Environmental Protection Group Orissa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Since it was my mail that started Akhandhind's reaction and further > recations, I would just like to point out that I have been directly accused > of lying by Akhand "*Hence for you to ply your lies in this manner on this > forum does not give credibility to your lies but also denegrates the forum > itself *." > > The problem that I see it is that this forum is being hijacked by right > wing hindutvavadis, and any effort to counter then is countered by > diatribes. We have seen this pattern occur in public life in India, and in a > more sophisticated manner in USA, where some of the people who circulate > this propaganda are based. This is a time tested method - and open forums > like this are a target. They have their own listserves - very deceptive - > for intance- I get mails from a listserve called "DalitFreedomNetwork" from > where a "Reverend D' Souza" send strong Hindutva messages mainly targetting > christians (and often quite effective messages, I must say). This seems > to be reasonably well planned- and is not so innocent. > > THus Kandhmal riots have elicited a massive propaganda effort by these > orgaisations to justify and create fear/apprehensions - by distorting > reality deliberately and mischievously. Unfortunately, they are enough > extremists/ violent history in Christianity and Islam to provide fodder to > these people in a game of tit for tat. This is a sure prescription for > disaster and mayhem - and lead to killing of innocent people and destroying > of lives. > > regards > > Nachiketa >
