Violence in Bangalore, Or The Fine Art of Mis-reporting

Thanks Sandeep, here in Singapore we were all wondering whats going on and of course we rely on such "eminent" channels as NDTV and CNN-IBN on cable as well. This article does what blogging is meant to do, provides an alternate news reporting of sorts,from people on the ground, who tell it what it is like and don't need the hype to drive up their TRP rating. This again exposes the leadership in India as having no real vision about the Country and resorting to cheap (expensive to the taxpayer, though) methods of inciting trouble between people. Good reporting Sandeep.

Very true, Its sad people trust the media, and wonder when this country will stop playing minority politcs ...

I am posting this for the second time.

It is very unfortunate that the biggest supporters of Sangh Parivar now is in the IT industry. I am sorry to say that techies who stay in ivory towers have no deep understanding of the what is happening in the society. They simply hate the Congress (who liberalised the economy and ultimatly paved the way for the IT boom)and accuse them of Muslim appeasement.

I would like to add that I am a devout Hindu and I don't like the militant nationalism practised by the Sangh Parivar. Interesingly, the CPM and RSS have many things in common like a common enemy (Capitalists and Minorities respectively) and their inhuman practie of silencing their enemies, a majority of them belonging to the poor sections of the society. (The CPM and the BJP have never raised a finger against the rich. It is the ordinary shopkeeper who suffers the most).

Coming to Bangalore violence, my doubt is why did the police gave permission to the People's Front to hold an anti-Saddam rally through communally sensitive areas that too on a Friday?Why did the police top brass advise the Cabinet about the possibility of violence in the city after a suspected terrorist was recently held in Bangalore? The places where violence erupted last week had a history of communal violence. So why did the police allow the rally through these areas?Why was the VHP/RSS posters pasted in the same communally sensitive areas?To promote secularism? When every soul in Bangalore expected retaliatory violence on Sunday why was there no preparation on the part of the police to deal with this?Why did not the Hindu leaders ask their supporters not to indulge in violence on Sunday?

All this means that there is more to the violence that erupted last week. It has become fashionable for the supporters of Sangh Parivar and the CPM to throw mud at the media and the judiciary when things fail to happen as per their wish. Also, techies in India have no right to question the credentials of media agencies like the Reuters, as they work in a more democratic manner than the IT companies they work in. Techies don't have any idea about how the media works. Journalists have a better idea of the society than the techies, who mostly derive their knowledge about Indian history from vituperative blog posts.

Wow Ram, you make us techies from India sound like we work in undemocratic companies and are being tortured by the dictatorial management! Let me tell you that is far from the truth. Just as you say that we techies do not know how the media works, lemme tell you that it's possible that you do not know, or know very little, about how the tech industry works.

Anyway, you say journalists have a better idea of the society, well that may be true. But they also have their editors who have their own agenda to push through. So a journalist will end up reporting what his/her editors wants them to. Maybe I'm wrong, since I'm a techie with very little idea about how the media works. :)

Sandeep, that was a good point you brought up. Why was the People's Front given permission to take out a rally 2 days before the Hindu meeting. I remember seeing banners and poster for the Hindu meet long time back. And Saddam was executed last week of December. Where was the People's Front for so long? Why wait for almost 3 weeks to protest? This seems to be well timed event just to create communal violence.

Two elements came into play here- Stupidity on the part of Muslims for holding a protest rally for a mass murderer and animalistic anger on the part of Hindu activists for acting on a rumor.

Hooliganism knows no religion and religion knows no common sense!!

BTW, glad you are safe..better to stay away from the sensitive areas for a while

Hi Deepti,
you might afford to be safe but those sisters who live in the very sensitive area unfortunately are not. worst part of the riot is what media has not reported is that maltreatment of women by muslim rioters. I am surprised but nobody has reported what you will hear very commonly in Bharati nagar that several girls might have raped on friday at least 3-4 girls were seen to overpowered by mobs and they were taken into houses by goons ..what happened in those houses can be a guess at best ...surprisingly as per this blog, sunday riot also appear to have started by muslims throwing acid on hindu women!

(Hi, there is no way to view the preview a second time in this blog.)

Dear Roshan, you have admitted that you don't know much about how the media works. That is evident from your comments. I would like to add that I have worked in the media for over 10 years and I very well know that no editor will ask journalists to twist news reports according to their whims and fancies. Your charge is absolutely ridicolous. I reiterate that techies don't know anything about the strict code of conduct and ethics followed in the media. So it's better not to make absurd judgements on the way media works and publishes stories. I think the Sangh Parivar supporters were heart broken not to find their viewpoints in the media. I can understand their sentiments.

And Roshan I am also working in the techie industry and I know what is happening there also. By spending 50-60 hrs in a week at the office itself where is the time for techies to get the other side of the story or ponder over balanced reporting and all?

I also did not understand how Jaffer Sharief was going to be benefitted by thwarting the Hindu meeting? Why was the Saffron posters still not removed from the city's main streets? And how many Hindu techies have lost their chances in the IT industry because of the minorities?

Abhijeet, to me it seems that miscreants use religion to indulge in violence and a female relative of mine lives in Frazer Town and we were pretty worried about her on Friday.

Ram,
you say that media is most professional then can you tell me why virtually no news channel reported violence on friday. when CNN IBN had discussion on bangalore in India-360, I thought the presenter had no knowledge that there was any violence on friday, naturally he kept discussing if BJP had any agenda in this...at least in this particular case Sangh Parivar has stepped in as reactionary force ...unprovoked violent action by muslims on friday made retaliation by sanghis on sunday look justifiable. Indeed in such cases its not wrong if section of hindus look upon sangh parivar as their protector ,(even though i dont like sangh parivar) its sad reality that media is so partial in report riots. Bangalore riot is classical example , on friday when vandals were ruling streets news items reporting it were either not present or too small , enter sanghparivar on sunday and suddenly everybody started discussing it.

Mr Ram,

Pls read Times of India Bangalore (Saturdays edition). Only one News paper had the guts to write the truth.
My question to you is why fridays supporters were carrying swords and knifes.
Most of the planned violence start after Friday prayers.
Going back to the history of Muslims there entire life sacrificed for destroying other religions. It is truth which is difficult to swollow.

Kumar is right. On Saturday the Times of India alluded to the Friday's march as the reason behind the violence. On the same day The Hindu did not point a finger at any one for causing the violence. Today, the Times of India carries an interview with Jaffer Sharief, who refutes all charges levelled against him. If TOI was totally sure about who and what caused the violence, why was the need for an interview today?

The TOI also did not ask another relevant question. Why was no action taken on the Karnataka High Court order on rallies? Read this link http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/20/stories/2007012024340300.htm.

"...Muslims there entire life sacrificed for destroying other religions..." Again this is a totally pro-Hindutva comment. Let me say that all Hindus are not militant like what RSS wants to be, and not all Muslims have terror designs. Such sweeping indictments of any particular community is unfair and immature.

It is also very surprising that the author has not responded to any of the comments posted here. Very strange indeed.

Ram,
Reason why any burning of karnataka is profitable for Jaffer Sharief in particular and congress in general are simple. more violent riots will obviously projected by media as muslims suffering as media does for each and every riot no matter whats reality , this will indirectly put pressure on Central leadership to do 'something' for Bangalore muslims , this something in political lingo means giving some reprentative a ministerial berth. This can be given as reward as more violence in Bangalore will put noncongress state govt under pressure , in particular JD-S who depend on minority votes will suffer more as alliance might get cracked up as Gowdas might not afford it any longer.
This is tried and tested game in indian politics latest example is Malegaon riots which led to change in muslim ministers in Maharastra

Abhijeet's comments simply echo what supporters of Sangh Parivar have been saying. It does not have any factual correctness. If Gowda is totally sure about who caused the violence, then why is the delay in registering a case?

>>It is also very surprising that the author has not responded to any of the comments posted here. Very strange indeed.
My dear Ram, you must understand that the "author" has a life of his own outside of blogging. That he'll be pressed for time. That he won't always be at the computer. That he might be out of town for days. That he also has a RIGHT to remain silent. That he'll reply eventually.

Thanks for understanding, and your points shall be taken up.

Deepti,

I'm safe and thanks a ton for your concern.

Thanks anyway for the reply.