" In a shocking incident, a minor girl lodged a Police complaint against a senior journalist of a local daily." reads the opening line of a news report on page 3 Col.1 that is tucked in the centre fold of Sakal's Gomantak TIMES. If you are not an avid newsbug, it will escape your atttention. Perhaps, the shocking part was that another 'senior journalist' assisted the little girl to file the complaint. What does a poor little Bihari maid servant know about Child Labour[Prohibition] Act and Goa Children's Act, 2003? Or, for that matter, how may educated adults living in Goa know where the Panaji Police station is and how to find the Women and Child Protection Unit? Shocking!
The last line of of the Navhind Times report on page1 reads, " Meanwhile it is learnt that the forensic test at Goa medical College, Bambolim, had found no evidence of sexual assault". This is one line that none of the non-Dempo newspapers seem to have reported. Perhaps, it is an exclusive report, a journalistic scoop. For the oHERALDo, either the event has not occurred or it is not news worthy. It is , perhaps, the only newspaper NOT to report the case. Mais papista do que Papa? The length and position of the news reports may vary in the two[ NT and GT], but the single column headlines are identical, "Molestation case against journalist." Both the newspapers also do not name the "senior journalist". Do journalists really think alike. Another peculiarity of the reports is that theMarathi newspaper "Goa Dhooth", which is allegedly an organ of the BJP, uses the logo created by English newspaper Gomantak TIMES for Rape reports. The connection is possibly through the Chief Editor who once worked for Dainik Gomantak, the marathi sister publication of the S.G. TIMES. The vernacular newspaper reports are bolder and name the 'senior journalist' as Editor Arun Sinha of the Navhind Times. In fact, the Goa Dhooth [ meaning "Goa Messenger", not to be confused with Sigmund D'Souza's periodical in English] has a headline that reads " Molestation of Minor maidservant: Crime registered against Arun Sinha.". It shies away from naming the "English Newspaper " that he edits. So does the Devnagri newspaper 'Sunaparant." The CRG will obviously be circumspect. Laxman Joshi served in the Editorial team of the Gomantak [marathi] while the husband on the Director of CRG served in Gomantak Times, [then owned by the Chowgules]. It surprises me that the Bailancho Saad that wanted the 5 Art College students castrated does not have any surgical aspirations today in a similar case. Or does this girl not qualify because she is a brown skinned Bihari or Jarkhandi whereas the Art College chick was at least half German..and white skinned to boot. I am looking forward to seeing their protest letter, even if it does not get published in the Navhind Times which, with apologies to Remo Fernandes, is now truly suffering from "Navhind Times Blues". Perhaps, Dr. Willy's to blame for engineering the defections of BJP stalwarts.....and Arun Sinha is suffering from collateral damage at the 'tailing pond' of politics, journalism. Irrespective of the merits of the case in the judicial process, it is certain that Mr. Arun Sinha will better appreciate what a trial by the media means to a common man. In the Goa Art College rape case, there was a quick conviction of the five boys by the 'kangaroo court' set up by the so-called journalists who passed off gossip as "investigative journalism". Arun Sinha, by consent or by default, lorded over one such 'court' in the Navhind Times. In the Pratima Gaokar case, too, we had quick judgements. Today the shoe is on the other foot. The problem with allegations is that, even if they are proved false or malicious at a later stage or one gets acquitted by a court of law, the label somehow sticks. If Arun Sinha is left off the hook by the court, he will be accused of using influence. If he gets convicted, there will not be anyone to sympatise with him. He is almost in the shoes of Adv.Dayanand Narvekar, the then Speaker embroiled in the ******Haldankar case. Few recall her name or face. Adv. Narvekar is forever linked with the Molestation. Even Dr.Willy's funeral room humour, "Molestation? There is no Mollem station, only Collem station." has long been forgotten. The revised Act and rules forbid identifying the victim girl[ whether she is actually a victim or not is academic to the disclosure rules] Arun Sinha's name will forever be linked to molestation. Whether he grabbed her, pawed her or simply slapped her for disobedience, there is no escape. He was alone in the house with a minor girl. that in itself is a major offence if the minor is not related to him. Sexual relations count for nought....or for a lot! The term "senior journalist" is normally the monopoly of a non-newspaper Editor whose columns occasionally stand out ....like sore thumbs. It would be nice if a newspaper editor is called just that, newspaper Editor. I do not know if Editors are members of the Goa Union of Journalists [GUJ] or just the Editors' Guild. It will be nice knowing how things stand. There is no need to Mr.Arun Sinha's reputation. It cannot go any lower than this. C'est la vie. "Char dis sasumai'che, char dis sunhe.che". The era of red-faced journalism has begun. There is more to come. Plagiarism , for one. Journalistic prostitution [euphemistically called PR] for another. In the era of dog eat dog , anything is possible. Viva Goa. Miguel Braganza