To say that Friday's mob attack on the offices of Headlines Today carries the signature of the Sangh Parivar is to state the obvious. Leave aside the openly pro-Sangh placards sported by the rampaging protesters, the vandalism follows a pattern of aggression only too familiar. From the destruction of the Feroz Shah Kotla cricket pitch in 1999 to countless attacks on film crews, art galleries, and, in particular, the works of M.F. Husain, intolerant elements in the Sangh have given vent to their anger far too often for anyone not to be able to recognise their brand of violence. (At a different level, who can forget the trauma of December 6, 1992, when trishul-waving saffron hordes set upon journalists covering the dying moments of the Babri Masjid?) In the latest instance, the news channel — which, paradoxically, has been anything but unsympathetic to the Sangh's ideology and politics — was targeted because it telecast material that allegedly linked personages belonging to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party to acts of terror against the Muslim community. The channel also claimed to have uncovered a 2007 plot to assassinate Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
It can be nobody's case that the findings of investigative journalism should be treated as conclusive evidence. But equally, there is no denying that the Hindutva terror trail is inching towards the heart of the Sangh. Police investigations over the past couple of years have zeroed in on a shocking story that not too long ago was dismissed as a figment of secular fundamentalist imagination. Today that possibility has become disturbingly real with evidence in a string of terror attacks — among them the Mecca Masjid and the Malegaon blast cases — pointing to the involvement of the Hindu Right. Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare was closing in on this terror network when he was killed by the 26/11 terrorists from Pakistan. The pace has since picked up, and as much is evident from the RSS's admission that one or two of its minor functionaries could have been involved in the cases. Clearly, the high priests of the Sangh do not wish to relive the aftermath of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination when the RSS was banned and pushed to desperate straits. The BJP is in all manner of trouble, politically speaking. The Sangh has sleuths snooping around in its backyard. Hooliganism against the media — in the latest case, against a media organisation that cannot be labelled antagonistic — is the last thing the twosome needs right now.
Keywords: mob violence, intolerance, freedom of expression
Comments:
There are too many frustrated and uncivilized elements in the Sangh who are encouraged by the BJP. This attitude will be the undoing of the Party, which will at this rate never win an election.
While the mob attack on the offices of "Headlines Today" TV channel has to be strongly condemned as the editorial has done, one doesn't have to be a RSS supporter to say that it was wrong on the part of the TV channel to go about catigating the RSS on the basis of evidence not yet legally proven and for it to suggest that RSS is a "terrorist" outfit in shows after shows. The electronic media has a long reach and has a capacity to quickly and effectively spread all types of news and comments. This power should not be misused by it.
Freedom of speech is the fundamental right which has to be aptly respected by parties like RSS. The recent act of throwing stones on a media office just underlined the necessity to ban these organisations which spread communal riots and create disharmony in the society.
Utterly deplorable..
The sangh parivar should resort to other means of expressing anguish rather than indulge in such violent acts.
It is more deplorable that such acts go unchecked time and again.
Doesn't the Maharashtrian government know something called law enforcement?
Goverment should protect the printed media.Media is the voice of people .They are the pillers of democracy.It is the duty of the Goverment bring the culprits to justice and they should be punished. RSS is doing the same thing again and again. Who is going to stop them?
Avery good article.not only for the sangh parivar but for other political parties also.They should learn to behave properly sooner than later.
Media should keep some value before giving false news. Now a days it is easy to create propaganda against any person or organisation, if you have a media.
But that does not justify violence. RSS and BJP should have thought of better ways to express their disagreement. They could have had a discussion in a talk show. The acts like this weaken their image in public. I think that was why BJP lost in the last election.
Sir,
The Hindu right is in a hurry to make its mark. With its political fronts, read the BJP and the Shiv Sena, in a shambles, the lumpen elements within it have no patience for democracy and its methods. 'Now or never' seems to be their only guiding principle.
With no concrete political programmes to guide them, the Hindu right is finding anarchy to be an attractive proposition. That is why they are targeting weaker constituents of the populace to rouse passions. They should feel very bad about themselves.
The attacks on media are highly deplorable and it is a sign of increasing frustration in the sangh parivar cadres. But what is equally shocking is the role of state governments is protecting the fourth pillar from such vandalism. It appears as if the state governments are hand in glove with these perpetrators of hooliganisms. Whenever there is an attack the law enforcement agencies are the last ones to come at the scene!! So what exactly is the government doing?
Any act of violence has to be condemned by all law abiding citizens. In most cases people are provoked with false propaganda. The propaganda people (media) need to show restraint and have good supporting and convincing data to reason their views. The data has to be such, it should stand in court of law. Only media fraternity is concerned with attacks, common man is not concerned, he knows Headlines Today sting was not convincing enough to require condemnation. By the way I didn't see any editorial from The Hindu on death punishment awarded to a Iranian women accused of adultery. At least for the humanity sake 'The Hindu' should have expressed its displeasure.