Media and Nepal relief

The lashing out against the Indian media, especially by Nepal-based Twitterati, is unwarranted and uncalled for (“ >Quake-hit vent their ire on Indian media ”, May 4). It is only because of active media coverage that the world has got to know of the scale of the disaster. Nepal should appreciate the Indian media for a very proactive role in re-establishing the emotional links between Indians and the earthquake victims.

Th Luwangamba,

New Delhi

That the visual media in India lacks sensitivity is well known, proved yet again by its coverage of Nepal’s trauma. What is disturbing in the dog-eat-dog scenario of competition is the way silly questions are being asked in the name of interviewing the poor and in stark contrast to the way the Indian Army and other Indian NGOs are extending help to them in the hour of need. It is unfortunate that the Indian media always has TRP ratings in mind unlike the Western media which have a human face to their coverage.

A.V. Narayanan,

Tiruchi

The reason behind much of the anger is that the media has been presenting Nepal as a province of India. Also, to say that the “Nepal government has virtually thrown its hands up, showing up its incapacity to address the severity of the problem” (Editorial, May 4) is insensitive. No government official or minister in Nepal has issued such statement, verbal or otherwise. With such negativity, India cannot win friends in its immediate neighbourhood, much less in Nepal.

Laxman Pant,

New Delhi