Op-eds of The New York Times, The Washington Post, Gulf News, The Guardian and others are mostly written by Modi-hating Indians like Rana Ayyub and Swati Chaturvedi.
Western media is woke on everything under the sun, but remains deaf, dumb and blind to other cultures, especially the Eastern countries’ sensibilities.
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Grreat article! Exactly the reason why so called liberal hyphenated news outlets are losing credibility for so many people. And then they are surprised why so many people do not trust them.
Hello Killi Jolsiya uncle, I am a hindutva supporter and in love with fascism. Adolph and Benito are my biggest heroes and I want oppress minorities like them. I want to establish Brahmanism and Hindu supremacy. I also want the constitution to be replaced by Manusmriti. I want your views on it and also ask your help to complete my ambition. Jai fascistvaad 卐 jai hindutva 卐
Hindutva people are the biggest jokers and clowns this country has ever produced. Whatever nonsense and lies yall spew won’t change my mind. Yall are a scared, slimy and cowardly bunch of people. Constantly complaining about Islamic invasions that happened 400 years ago because yall were too useless to defend yourselves. That’s the hard truth whether yall like it or not. It’s very easy to act tough now when you have the mob and government behind you. And don’t hide behind some made up pre islamic Hindu glory like Vedic aviation unless yall want to start a career in comedy. Hindus are good and peaceful people but hindutva has put their name in the mud by basing its platform on lies and deceit. Call me a jihadi, pakistani whatever lies you want but it’s not gonna erase the truth.
Dude, Chill! Nobody cares what you think. In any case, you sure having a grumpy life.
My stupid blogger….You have wasted too much time on hindus….Hope u have the will & courage to learn something evil intentions of islamic or muslim invasion of the other communities in India….It’s easy for you to bark against majority hindus in India but look at the arrogant and stupid intentions of muslim minority in india…..Forget about india, after covid19 the world has acknowledged islamic drama globally…..Except u….U seem to be supporter of half boiled egg like Raul Vinci or tukde tukde gang…..I hope u understand…..So better come out of the illusion that india is pro congie…..liberandos like u have been exposed and now have been shown the exit door……
In your reply you have used the following :-
1) attacking your opponent instead of his argument.
2) giving so many arguments that opponent isn’t able to answer them all.
3) dismissing your opponent on the basis that he is from a different group of people.
4) making a totally logical argument into a emotional argument.
All of these are the ways not used by the wise looking for truth but idiots who are looking out for themselves as these makes the entire argument meaningless which means argument can’t continue in any meaningful direction and while wise people sometimes unintentionally use these ways to win an argument the amount used in this argument suggests that you intentionally used them and thus proven you are a stupid person.
We keep hearing crap like “Nazi”, “fascist” et al. India has absolutely nothing to do with that. That’s entirely on Europe and Christians. India’s history has Islamic invasions and British and Portuguese colonialism, not Nazis. Irrelevant.
kili josiyar (translated : parrot card reader (a la tarot) – has all the time in the world going over(key)board posting against every other post…may be he/she is getting something out of this exercise… 🙂 🙂
btw there is an old interview (pre 2014) where the swati mentioned in these comments is seen going similarly overboard in her adulation of Mr Modi…almost entreating him to tell the world that he is gonna be the next PM of India…
it can be safely said for all those who take sides with those who call themselves journalists and create these tirades in western web pages/paper pages that nobody takes them seriously… they come they rant and they go…repeat loop. GDP, Jobs, agrarian discontent, education, poverty …these are just labels that they keep chucking around senselessly… because they have no idea what they are talking about… @ home we have phds in “cinema studies” and “African studies” (whatever these areas of study involve!!! ) complaining loudly that there are no jobs… how in the world can so many students of these sort of studies get jobs ? and when they start talking about GDP… GST… FDI… it is plain they have no idea what they are talking… and there are 🙂 🙂 all over…
Bro…dude…whoever… we in india have learnt to switch off when we hear the following: 1. narrative…2. the devil is in the details…3. two wrongs do not make it right…4. persecution complex… 5. stop this Whataboutery… 6. get out of your echo chambers… and the list only grows with each SM minute…
We now live with many people’s ignorance… misinterpretation … some peoples’ award winning indlish literature… ha ha laughable stuff… may be now america and these indians who write for american outlets should give someone(from India that is – bollywood preferably) the Oscar for some sort of movie related action… direction… music… anything… then a billion ears and eyes will start taking this “commentariat” (that’s a new word ready to switch me off) seriously… oh…what a waste of time…
Jaya avargale: Romba Romba thanks for the comment and the special attention given to me ! I am flattered !
I tried very hard to comprehend what message you were trying to get across through your comment. But I must admit that I had to give up – even though I know what GDP, jobs, poverty and so on are. Perhaps I may not have opened as many books as erudite people like you might have. But nonetheless, reading your comment makes me want to cite you:
“..what a waste of time ..”
PS: Thanks for explaining my pseudonym to the many gaurakshaks from the “chappathi belt” who probably have been left vigorously scratching the groins trying to make sense of it
Nailed it . But the foreign media is choosing this Islamist and radical left because it’s suits there bias and propaganda and not for getting hits in India
Many Hindutva espousing, gaurakshak supporting, Modi-can-never-be-wrong breed of commenters here assume that since Indian media is largely a paid media, that would apply to media everywhere in the world. And that journalists who write in prestigious publications like the New York Times, The Guardian, The Economist etc. are of the same calibre as “journalists” like Arnab Goswami and his Hindutva spewing ilk. Far from true.
Facts on the ground create news. Journalists report these facts and attempt to relate it to a relevant context. No smoke without fire that is. As a long time reader of these English language publications as well as many French and Scandinavian publications, I am pretty certain that India’s image is largely created by India’s political class. And often, by their lumpen, violent underbellies. No amount of obsfucating can hide the fact that lynching of Muslims by gaurakshaks and other thuggish organisations allied with the BJP such as Bajrang Dal, Hindu Yuva Vahini, Vishwa Hindu Parishad is a fact in India. It can’t be made to disappear.
Sometime ago, another illustrious Gujarathi called Morarji Desai proclaimed from every rooftop and every soapbox he could find that he drank his own urine. When he went to the US in the late 70s, the press had a field day reporting about the “Desai cola” – much to the embarrassment of Indians. Then as now, Indians were angry that India’s image was being tarnished by a hostile foreign media. And then as now, the press was merely reporting facts – kinky though they were !
“Desai cola” has now been replaced by “cow cola” and Gandhian Morarji Desai has been replaced by anything-but-a-Gandhian Narendra Modi. When the PM and the BJP espouse, endorse and evangelise the Savarkarian and Golwalkarian ideology of hate called Hindutva, is it any surprise that the world outside takes notice of this?
The PM, the BJP, Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra and the many commenters who blindly support violent Hindutva need to realise that outside India, in countries and platforms where serious journalism is the norm, there are no Arnab Goswamis to sing praises to the violent, vile ideology called Hindutva. That narrative is not under the PM’s control.
But facts on the ground are very much under the control of PM Modi. He could have chosen to rein in hate-mongers like Adityanath, Tejaswi Surya, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Sadhvi Uma Bharthi and their ill. He could have stopped following murderous gaurakshaks on Twitter. He could have met the families of Muslim men lynched so brutally by the BJP ideology of hate. Alas, the PM chooses not to. So why blame the foreign media?
I may be wrong but u come across to me as a beef eating , hinduphobic, Malayali Christian, with heavy bias against hindus culture ,history ,herritage , and violently anti modi , and a selective cherry picker of incidents to suit his / her narrative and a rabid promoter of love jihad , rice bag conversion, terrorism , forced conversion of hindus , and annihilation of BJP RSS workers in Kerala , just because u take it Christianity too seriously and put it above nationalism , and ur religion has made u a frustrated ,mad bigot. Dont worry bro, we know Kerala will turn into a graveyard of hindus like Kashmir in future and u can celebrate a duopoly of Christians and Islamists in Kerala demography in future decades. I can demolish all ur bigoted ,one sided arguments (ramblings) of “Hindutva, golwalker, pm modi, lynching , BJP MPs , Arnab a bad journo” and other stuffs. But 1) I won’t waste my time in convincing a vile, racist , hateful brainwashed, hinduphobic bigot , who puts his religion above nation , reason or logic and loves his country getting tarnished by low IQ ,Liars like Rana ayub whose books gets rejected in SC and openly tweets lies, hate speech against hindus, viruent messages against India’s army majors . 2) Kerala is too small a state, which already is sinking into a hot bed of CATHOLIC ISLAMIC terrorism. In national context too it doesn’t matter much what a bigoted mallu has to spew against India or our pm. So keep ranting on comment section. U DONT MATTER.
Before insulting hindutva or golwalker, remind urself what sort of lurid , dastardly incidents of rapes taking place in Catholic churches of Kerala followed by the plight of victims being threatened and arm twisted to stay quiet. So clean ur own mess first rapists. Then blabber on hinduism ,which u r too stupid and ill informed to talk about. And about lynchings, MORE HINDUS ARE GETTING LYNCHED BY MUSLIMS IN RECENT MONTHS, but media that u follow won’t report it. Yeah I can rattle off the list of victims in recent years, the latest being Rohit Jaiswl of Bihar being brutally slaughtered by MULLAS inside a new mosques . Couple that with incidents of stone pelting at Mandirs, hindu processions, targetted harassment of hindu girls, hindu households in muslim majority areas ,leading to forceful exodus of hindus in areas like Kairana , Malda etc. Also remember, how muslim cow smugglers have killed numerous cow rakshaks in North india. Ican keep giving specific examples WHERE MUSLIM EXTREMISTS targetted innocent hindu community in a whole range of events and incidents. But since u have brainwashed by one sided news papers u won’t accept.
WHY KERALA CM NEVER VISITS HOUSE OF BJP RSS ACTIVISTS KILLED BY MUSLIM EXTREMISTS OF CPI? Why is he silent on FIR lodged against Sudhir Chaudhary for showing truth only ,by a leftist worker? Why is he silent on rape victims of churches.?? WHY SHOULD THERE BE A PLACE CALLED “GAZA STRIP” IN KERALA? WHY IS CM INACTIVE ABOUT RISING RADICALISATION OF KERALA YOUTH?? Why KERALA KEEPS PRODUCING RADICAL ISLAMIST ELEMENTS LIKE LADEEDA SAKHALOON, AYESHA RENNA?
Hinduphobes like u don’t Have guts to utter a word against single source tabligis, single handedly responsible for COVID crisis (30% cases) . U r nothing but a scaredy cat pussy when it comes to speaking against”radical islamist” hell bent on fulfilling their dreams of a ghazwa. Finally if u believe Rana ayub ,someone whose book get trashed everywhere, who believes Kahmir is a contested territory, indian army are rapists,kashmiri terrorists are freedom fighters,POK is azaad Kashmir , CAA is anti muzzzlem and unconstitutional, Muslims of Kashmir were short changed by abrogation of Art 370 or Ram Mandir verdict BY SC was a “gift to hindutva mob” , then my friend, u may be indian by birth but really really , u r a obscured clueless uniformed prejudiced “ANTI NATIONAL”
Utsab: Care to tell us which fluid fuelled your fact-free braying – Desai Cola or Cow Cola?
Utsab made excellent points about Hindus/BJP workers/RSS workers killed in Kerala and elsewhere. And all you could come up with is a silly remark. Hindus are certainly victims, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Ha ha ha….Mr.mallu cola….Your kerala’s communists days are numbered….Bjp has entered in kerala and will win this election….And once bjp comes all of you and your jihad lover followers along with the ones joining terrorist organisation lives will be in trouble…..And this must happen to teach jihadi like u a good lesson….
You are wrong.
Care to explain why I am wrong Mr Adarsh Ranjan? Thank you Sir.
Majority of christians in kerala are syrian christians they don’t proselytize or convert anyone by giving material benfits like some proestant denomination doing in other states. And what about rapes and sexual abuse by Saddhu’s, swami and hindu Baba’s. Buddist monks and musilm Imams. So if someone did something bad don’t say everyone are like the bad one. Whatever you written is completely wrong
The question is why is the foreign media so fascinated by this violence. And if they are going to be fascinated, at least show the Hindu victims of lynchings and riots. Oh and for Jolsiyar, India never had a very good image in the West. It was mostly poverty, starvation, squalor, injustice, inequality et al. So where is your remark about India losing its positive image coming from? There was no positive image, except among some highly sophisticated writers. India’s image has not taken a hit because of Modi. It’s better now, than ever before.
Obviously, that was a very feeble attempt at humor…. It only showed the mindless, lockstep sentiment of the Jihadi Mindset.
How long are Muslims going to play the victim until they realize that everything bad that is happening to them is of their own doing….BACKWARD IS AS BACKWARD DOES…
My conclusions after studying the Islamic jihadist doctrines over the years: ——— Allah is not God. Allah is Mohammed’s penis. Mohammed was a slave to his monstrous lusts for unbridled sex, total domination of others, and sadistic bloodletting–primitive urges all produced by his insatiable hormones. Islam demands that every human, without exception, must become a slave of Allah, too, just as the murderous pervert, Mohammed, himself was. As a goal for humanity, nothing could be more ugly, ignoble, or degenerate. Islam is evil to the core and deserves not one scintilla of respect.
Cry more Jiahaddi.. Yes, no one expects Mughal(or whatever they were) invaders to give back the wealth they took away from here. There are written and archaeological facts that India had immense wealth at that time and everyone was Indic (but facts do not matter if you’re a pinchure owner) Sikh Gurus were beheaded cause they didn’t want to convert. You can deny all the history you want but it’s evidencial fact. Yes India at that time was never of expansionist attitude so military equipment were not good enough if someone attacked. But today we are aware, this is Hindu (Indic meaning Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains) land. We will restore the utmost holy sites and wont let ISI/ISIS/Al-Jazeera stooges like Rana Ayyub, Arundhuti Roy to succeed.
Why does the liberal media rile the right week media so much? They have their views and every right to them. Stupid term ‘champagne socialists. ‘I consider myself a liberal thinker and I don’t glug champagne every day nor do I come from a wealthy background. Learn to allow other people’s opinions sir and stop dubbing them as lies.
Had u been liberal enough u would have openly embraced his views . That’s where modern self proclaimed liberals have turned themselves into laughing stocks. They never allow the same freedom of opinion to their ideological opponents that they demand
Theyer practice what they preach. They have a tendency to assume they “know it all” .kind of liberalism that Congress or left espouses. Double standards and hypocrisy is the reason why liberals are called “libtards ” these days. Selective outrage and selective silence is what has also contributed to their losing credibility. Let me give some recent examples.. Swara Bhasker types outrage with Boys locker room but prefer silence with girls one. Khan market gang literally shakes the world when a criminal muslim is beaten to death. But in recent months, there have been a spate of hindus killed ( I believe u follow some indian media too) but they are suspiciously silent. Then take fundamental Islamists like arfa Khanum types , according to them JSR is Communal chant but olla hu uber is patriotic. Or those magazines which preaches us that burqah is liberating and a womens choice but a dupatta is patriarchal domination on women. Or for example those movie reviews which state Tanhaji is a “trash hindutva” project but “Aryavart is chillingly true “. Or say when Arnab Goswami or Sudhir Chaudhary gets targetted , people like u or Dhruv Rathi celebrate , but turn it face and lecture on decreasing press freedom when a congi slave like Varadarajan gets notice served. Or for that matter those like Vinod dua who idolize Nehru and curse anyone raise valid criticism of him ,only reason being ” u can’t criticise someone after death” but the same guy dua in another video of his ,after Atal Vajpayee death asked us “Why can’t we criticise someone after death?”
It is this kind of apparent double standards that makes librals as librandus, which I will call you too . Now since I have completely Pulverized u, u can hide in some hideout. Good bye
Hah another crazy Malayali beef eating hinduphobic Christian, brainwashed by local Malayalam media whose only job is to demonise modi and BJP. Uncle ur stuck in the past where it was believed that pm modi was complicit in “riots ” not “pogrom” of 2002 , started by a muslim person , who there a gas stove inside the train. It’s they who started it and casualties were from both sides and when casualty is from both side it’s not pogrim. It’s pretty basic uncle , ok boomer? What uniformed bigoted fools these malayalis are wow. Now lets come to the present. Supreme court have absolved him from any kind of complicity in that incident. Now Even supreme court must be lying isn’t it? What a hateful prejudiced uncle tom u r. Keep burning ,India doesn’t care. Don’t cry for central aids during disaster . No quarters given no quarter asked.
Finally Nehru spread love? Are u dumb or Outta ur mind? He is the guy who arrested so many journalists and actors and producers during his rule , who were critical to his views. And his crime doesnt end there. He had issue with Vallabh Patel , plus he is the single responsible guy for Kashmir crisis. I M only 23 , and I seem to have more facts than so called “literate Mallu uncles ” like u. So much ignorance , so much prejudice, so much bias , so much lies , so much posion ?? Hahaha. Keep burning keep burning. Kerala is going downhill with rising Islamic terror. They won’t spare u too. Today they r ur bedfellows. Tomorrow they will massacre u, like they r doing else where. And plz get back to 2020 From 2002. Even staunch anti modi propagandist like Rajdeep sardeshai have appologised. More elements like u hate himz more popularity he keeps gaining. Keep
Utsabd Banerjee: Thank you for informing us that you are 23 years old. Reading your puerile rants, I thought you were just 3 years old.
It’s the one-sidedness and lack of balance or nuance, that is most repellent. “Lies”, well I suppose sometimes. But these media are usually clever enough not to lie.
What is there to love Modi? His political genesis, his claim to the position he is in today was in evil. Pogrom 2002 under his watch.But for this evil he would not have been here as PM.Why blame others for not “loving” Modi. Evil can breed only evil. He appealed to the evil in the people and won over them.that is much easier than winning over with love as Nehru did
Unfortunately, in a country as heterogeneous as India, identity politics, particularly the identity politics of religion can yield significant payoffs. Bal Thackeray exploited the “Marathi Manoos” identity and deployed his thugs against “kaala madrasis”, Biharis, North Indians, Muslims and later even against Gujaratis . The DMK plays a similar game in Tamilnadu. Likewise, the BJP fought the 2019 elections on primarily a religious agenda. Perhaps the only exception to this trend in India maybe Kerala where the BJP’s unique brand of religious hatred came to a naught.
In any case, then CM Modi’s Gujarat Model of hate and polarisation is being extended to the whole of India. Muslims & Christians today, God alone knows which group will be the next target in this vile BJP project of setting up Indian against Indian. One hopes the country remains intact.
Your comments here are setting up a preemptive argument Of I told you so. Usually it is a reaction that people like Rana Ayub wait for to write about. Like regular screams from the loudspeakers into our homes ,people Blocking public spaces for prayers regularly.Sometimes animals are being slaughtered as sacrifices in residential areas in front of children generally not of the same faith. This is offensive. Standing up to it is termed as targeting a particular community. People Are seeing through this and are becoming more expressive. Religion is archaic.
Many here feel that English media press is not the widely read one. But its US, UK and France who lead the opinion war and shape it for the Western world still. France has quite a few English speaking people and its channels too telecast English programs. NYT, WAPO, Economist etc are much widely read than other European ones. The target audience too is different and the purpose for which its done too is well defined.
I like the fact that Abhijit chose to write in a web magazine thats part of the cabal and Shekhar Gupta the shameless editor published it!
Not so long ago these same Western media outlets were writing articles about Prime Minister Modi which would have put Shakespeare’s love sonnets to shame. Now like jilted lovers they abuse the PM. Everyone has an agenda and they support or denounce on the basis of whether someone will serve or not serve their agenda.
Oh, so you think the change in attitude has nothing to do with the actual performance of Prime Minister Modi? Sorry, but many people pinned their hopes on him – his promises of development, no corruption, etc – only to have those hopes crushed.
Excellent retort Ms Sandy Tatham.
Alas, for the members of the Modi cult, the man is a Messiah who can never go wrong. Indeed, the more violence PM Modi unleashes on Muslims, the greater his popularity becomes. After the Godhra pogroms of 2002, when the Bajrang Dal, the RSS, the BJP and other lumpen organisations of the Sangh Parivar went about raping, pillaging and burning innocent Muslims under the watch of then CM Modi, his government was dismissed. But he won the subsequent elections with a thumping majority. Clearly identity politics, especially exploiting religious identities for political gains pays big in India.
The danger now is that the Gujarat model is becoming and indeed being made the norm for the whole of India, especially North India. The creation of a Hindu Pakistan is well underway.
One thing is clear from this piece. The writer perhaps is a member of Bootlicking Club of India. And thinks the entire world press has ganged up against a person, under whose watch, Gujarat saw its worst manslaughter and rape. Shame!
The Print editor’s contempt for the left is also equally clear. Today the so called Left has managed Kerala much better than BJP has managed it’s states. And in human indices, it is head and shoulders about the rest. But in the Print’s eye only the champagne carrying left is visible. Why? When has Shekhar Gupta last had a kind word for the Left? In fact, there’s been enough praise lavished on Advani even after Babri. Why? People who accuse others of being modi haters must examine their own sense of heightened objectivity.
RANA AYUB & SWATI CHATURVEDI DO NOT OPERATE IN FRENCH, DANISH, NORWEGIAN, SWEDISH
Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra is concerned with the shenanigans of the Rana Ayubs, Swati Chaturvedis and their anti-national op-eds in leading English language newspapers like the New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post and so on. In the worldviews of Mr Iyer-Mitra and his many supporters in the comments section below, these congenital Modi haters allied with the liberal English language media are the sole reason why India gets a bad rap internationally. Everything in India is hunky-dory for minorities and Muslims who don’t fear for their lives. Indeed, Mulims regard gaurakshaks as Good Samaritans ! Why then this storm in a gomutra lota ?
Clearly, for Mr Iyer-Mitra and his ilk, facts on the ground don’t matter. To them, state supported violence against Muslims as well as a discriminatory political ideology called Hindutva have nothing to do with the negative press India receives. Everything is the fault of these bloody leftie journalists – uppity women to boot – such as the Rana Ayubs, Swati Chaturvedis, Arundati Roys and so on. These anti-nationals have single-handedly tarnished the reputation of Bharat mata, fabricating stories about discrimination and violence. Accordingly, the lynchings of Mohammad Akhlaq, Junaid Khan, Tabreez Ansari, Pehlu Khan, Riyazuddin Ali, Abu Hanifa etc. never took place. The families of these men are living happily ever after.
Maybe the English media is biased. But what about media in languages other than English? Surely, they are not the happy hunting grounds of these lefty journalists with an anti-nationalistic bent of mind? Surely, the French, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian media, bereft as they are of these anti-nationals must have great news about India? Alas, that is not the case Mr Iyer-Mitra.
I speak all the above languages, besides a smattering of English. I decided to check out the press in the non-English speaking world and what they think of India. Here are some headlines quickly translated to English.
FRANCE
Le Monde, 19. Dec 2019
L’Inde est en train d’institutionnaliser la discrimination des musulmans
India on track to institutionalise discrimination of Muslims
Ref: bit.ly/2YHts3U
Le Figaro, 12th April, 2019
Inde: le chef du BJP veut jeter les immigrés illégaux à la mer
India: BJP head wishes to throw illegal immigrants in the sea
Ref: bit.ly/3chT2jH
_____
SWITZERLAND
Tribune de Genève, 26th Feb 2020
Le bilan des violences augmente à New Delhi
The scorecard for violence points upwards in New Delhi
Ref: bit.ly/35LBPwA
_____
SWEDEN
Aftonbladet, 16th Aug 2019
Tufft för oliktänkande i Modis Indien
Difficult for those who think differently in Modi’s India
Ref: bit.ly/2zr89Zy
_____
NORWAY
Aftenposten, 19th March 2020
Hatet er oransje i India. Og det sprer seg raskt.
Hate is orange coloured in India. And it is spreading quickly
Ref: bit.ly/2WgjkgP
_____
DENMARK
Politiken, 15th Dec 2019
Indien vil indføre lov, som diskriminerer muslimer
India to introduce laws that discriminate against Muslims
Ref: bit.ly/3bgyFCn
Admittedly, the vast majority of Indian journalists writing for a foreign audience write in English. Likewise, most Indian readers confine themselves to the English speaking world. But a large chunk of the world does not use English, particularly in Europe and even more so in France. And when India’s image in this non-Anglophone world is also at its nadir, it must reflect the sordid facts on the ground. It reflects the violence, discrimination and religios intolerance that one in the past associated with Pakistan and not India.
In 6 short years, the Modi led BJP government has squandered the vast reservoir of soft power that India had accumulated over decades, including under the previous BJP led Vajpayee regime. And soft power does not emanate from a 56 inch chest or from the rabid screaming matches of India’s wannabe Göbbels and the face of Indian journalism today – Arnab Goswami.
Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra’s preposterous theory that India’s image abroad is created by a few Indian female journalists is completely shattered when one looks at the world beyond the ambit of these ladies.
And finally, in the humble opinion of this simple clerk operating out of a corner office in an obscure corner of this world, these brave Indian women journalists and writers have the gall, the spunk and the balls that the Arnab Goswamis and Abhijit Iyer-Mitras so visibly and sorely lack.
In fact, there is nothing to comment or write about the Modi and his party other than to applaud the emperor’s cloth.
Excellent observation Mr Venu P !
Now-a-days, one needs to look at various traditional media to triangulate and decipher the truth. Pointing to various vernacular media does not support one’s argument. Too many people working in some obscure corners of the world know the truth about what Abhijit Iyer has written. I endorse his comments about anti-India foreign media aided by Indian cabal. Arguments cannot be won by labeling.
Mr RJ: Thanks for the response.
Pray tell us what the hell is “traditional media to triangulate and decipher the truth” ? Media accessible only in English? Is truth something that can only be told in English? Not in French or Finnish? Or Arabic? And care to explain to simpletons like me as to what “triangulate” is ? A novel litmus test for detecting the truth ?
Additionally, when you, like India’s colonial masters condescendingly refer to indigeneous and commonly spoken languages as “vernaculars” unworthy of being considered in a debate, you do put yourself among the ranks of the champagne swilling classes don’t you ?
And in any case, facts on the ground are shaped by the activities of your thuggish gaurakshak friends and their political backers, not by recalcitrant, anti-national journalists – women to boot – and a hostile foreign press. When murderous thugs are aided and abetted by men in high positions like that violent monk Adityanath, BJP bigwigs like Tejaswi Surya, Jaynt Sinha, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, PM Modi, Amit Shah and their ilk, is it any surprise that the press writes about it ? When journalists like Gauri Lankesh get murdered by Hindu right wing groups like Sanathan Sanstha that derive their legitimacy from the BJP whilst at the same time affording the BJP deniability why blame cabals?
At the end of the day, people like you refuse to acknowledge that Hindutva terror is an intended and deliberate facet of the BJP. The question then is: Why do educated people like you endorse it ?
You need burnol
“these congenital Modi haters allied with the liberal English language media are the sole reason why India gets a bad rap internationally”
Absolutely, its not like the western Media bothers to listen to Regional Language media of Indians to get to the grassroots of everything. They just lean on the little Liberal stooges they’ve groomed using their Liberal ideology, like YOU for ex.
“Clearly, for Mr Iyer-Mitra and his ilk, facts on the ground don’t matter”
Quite the contrary, Iyer is suggesting that the FACT of how India is viewed globally MATTERS, something you liberals don’t particularity give a damn about in your “Crusade” against some Hindu Boogeyman.
“state supported violence against Muslims”
No such thing ever happened in India.
“uppity women to boot”
OH NO, we can’t say anything about women.. HOW dare we? PATRAICHY MISSSONGY…. is what i would say if i was a lefy coward lol I treat Women&Men EQUALLY like a true Gender Equality person. I don’t care if you’re a woman or a man, its what you DO&SAY that DEFINES YOU. Arundothi roy is a known NAxalite Supporter, i should let her off the hook because she is a woman? NO
“Accordingly, the lynchings of Mohammad Akhlaq, Junaid Khan, Tabreez Ansari, Pehlu Khan, Riyazuddin Ali, Abu Hanifa etc. never took place”
Isolated incidents of crime happen all the time, it is you lefty India haters that take these incidents and make it seem like its the advent of next Hindu-Muslim Civil War..
“And when India’s image in this non-Anglophone world is also at its nadir, it must reflect the sordid facts on the ground”
NO it does not, its just that the ENTIRE western World follows the same cooked up narratives.
“In 6 short years, the Modi led BJP government has squandered the vast reservoir of soft power that India had accumulated over decades”
Soft Power is coping mechanism for the defeated, I’m no BJP supporter but i’d like India to be AGGRESSIVE and ASSERTIVE as a Nation. BJP is doing exactly that, i hate modi personally but i can’t help but support him because he’s better than spineless cowards like Manmonhan and Rahul. I like BJP’s ZERO compromise policy towards Kashmir.
“beyond the ambit of these ladies”
Stop hiding behind the Sarees of Women to shield your Western Imported Cancer ideology from Criticism, you COWARD Liberal! Your Liberal ideology is the brainchild of racists from 19th century, its a fact..
“in the humble opinion of this simple clerk”
You were anything BUT humble in this hate filled spiel of yours. As for me, i don’t need any women or Arnab to speak for me, i defend my culture, my dharma, my people UN-Apologetically.. Unlike you, i don’t drag the reputation of my nation to ground to defeat some petty ideological opponents in India, unlike you i care about India’s dignity.
It gets to a point where one becomes numb with indifference to the fact free, tone deaf & one dimensional views dripping of the pages of the NyTimes, Guardian or the Economist. The Guardian refers to a recently killed terrorist as merely a “rebel”, the Associated Press writes on privacy fears over Aarogya Setu app “ in a country with no data privacy laws”, The NY Times covered the Citizenship Amendment Act as if a pogram was underway in the Country, The Economist for all its revered history openly asked Indian voters to throw their lot in with Rahul Gandhi…it’s non stop barrage of idiocy. Quite frankly I’m not as perturbed anymore as I once was, life goes on, they lost their credibility and whilst I still read them, never take anything at face value.
Ms Sugandi: You claim to continue to read the NY Times, the Guardian and The Economist despite their “fact free, tone deaf & one dimensional views”.
You remind me of almost all GOI officials: When the want facts, they don’t check Doordarshan or for that matter any Indian channel. They go straight to the BBC. Several high ranking officials from my own family in the GOI admit to doing that tacitly. Whilst in the past, one could be reliably sure that monopolist Doordarshan would be a few hours behind a BBC or a CNN to tell you breaking news, these days, one has many a Doordarshan clone through the phenomenon of paid news. A sting operation a few years ago revealed that almost all Indian newspapers were willing to publish flattering and indeed inflammatory news for a price. No wonder that India today is placed at an abysmal 142 out 180 countries surveyed in the Reporters Without Borders Index of Press Freedoms, ref: https://rsf.org/en/ranking_table And yes, India is ahead of Pakistan which is ranked at 145 !!
I now understand why you prefer to read the NY Times, the Guardian and The Economist despite their “fact free, tone deaf & one dimensional views” !
Leave what says and who says, simply if election happens , who again get the Votes, we all knows, then who cares for the outsider. Some people, always be there, who wants to take credit saying against the wind. They never praised anyone in the world . We have to that much of courage, to praise someone for his work.
Mr. Abhijit, how much are you sold out to this foreign media. I’m a foreigner but in love with your country and respects to a PM like Modi. Learn to be an Indian first as you are lucky enough to be born there!
So a men belittling foreign media over its consistent anti-India stance is “sold out to foreign media”?
Mr. Abhijit, how much r u sold out to this foreign media. I’m a foreigner but in love with your country and respects to a PM like Modi. Learn to be an Indian first as you r lucky enough to be born there!
“This article smell slike a distinct case of sour grapes.
Tennis pros often complain that Roger Federer gets preferential treatment – the biggest courts, the best times. The fact is, that he’s the person the fans want to watch most. So he plays where the most people can fit in, at the time most people are free to watch. Therer’s no other bias at play!
Similarly, prestigious foreign publications publish articles and op-eds from people the readers want to listen to. In addition, the people you’re sour about also have that elusive thing called spine. The newspapers know that their opinions will be free, independant and immune to pressure.
So, no, they would’nt want fake, biased articles from the likes of Arnab Goswami or you.
Modi’s problem is not the articles, but the policies and decisions that fuel them. Take the Delhi riots for instance. Everyone can see that the state forces were biased, that Muslims bore the brunt of the violence, as well as the following arrests. So it’s natural they would want an op-ed ny Rana Ayyub who spoke of the exact same sequence of events a few decades ago. And what do you mean there’s no proof. People have openly admitted to state support for their violent acts in Gujarat – on camera. That it wasn’t proven was only because the system was gamed by Modi. Delhi is the perfect case in point!
Mr Subin: A well written, hard-hitting comment, reflecting my own views as well. You hit the nail on the head when you so accurately summarise the issue:
“Modi’s problem is not the articles, but the policies and decisions that fuel them”
You might also want to have a look at my comment about what the international press in non-English speaking countries has to say about India under ruler Modi. One can be certain that “anti-nationals” such as Rana Ayub, Swati Chaturvedi, Arundati Roy etc. do not write for the French, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish press and yet India gets flak.
After all, when Ajay Bhisht, the vile “Hindu” monk and UP Chief Minister unabashedly calls Muslims the “green virus” and exhorts his followers to resort to violence against Muslims, you don’t need Rana Ayubs and Swati Chaturvedis to tarnish India’s image. Additionally, the fact this savage man’s incendiary statements are very likely done with the approval of his bosses in Delhi & Nagpur is something that cannot be hidden from the world. And Bhisht is tipped to succeed Modi !
The Modi government has only itself and its tacit approval of violence against minorities to blame for the bad press it receives outside India. But alas, Mr Iyer-Mitra, brought up in the hallowed Indian tradition of paid news cannot fathom that.
I find it hilarious that some people claim foreign news papers are balanced in their views about india. This means they really don’t like india, it’s civilisation and contributions. But heck who cares about them, india has changed for good. If not the gandhis would not have lost Amethi. Indians are getting to know their real history, which none of these news papers have courage to confront. The lie about human rights, secularism and appeasement is all visible to Indians now. The agenda driven lens is off.
On what parameters has India changed for good Mr Naren? Employment & inflation? Press freedoms? Safety and security of minorities, particularly Muslims? Lynchings have gone down? Religious tolerance has improved? India’s image abroad has improved? Muslim countries where Indians work are happy at the BJP’s anti-Muslim rhetoric ?
Care to elaborate from facts on the ground rather than Hindutva and BJP propaganda Mr Naren?
What your so called minority Muslim(although they are now more than twenty crores from two and half crores in 1947) have not freedom and security.They are opening converting marrying non Muslims girls, openly throwing stones on medi cal staff,blocking the roads in the name of freedom of opposition.What you want more for them.Secondly no Muslim countries have courage to challenge modi India.Are you aware?
Mr Rakesh Chaturvedi: You pontificate:
“no Muslim countries have courage to challenge modi India.Are you aware?”
Well, like the vast majority of blinkered, blind Modi bhakths and scrotum scratching Hindutva intellectuals, you too are obsessed with Islam and Muslims. And in your saffron tinted worldview, India’s greatest dangers are posed by Muslims, external and internal.
Have you forgotten about a country called China which thrashed India militarily in 1962 ? And continues to thrash and annihiliate India in virtually every economic activity? And is now allied with several Islamic countries? So care to check with the Gujarathi geniuses who rule India control your intellect and get back Mr Rakesh Chaturvedi ?
And have you forgotten that India thrashed China in 1967 at Nathu La? And continues to thrash China in democracy, freedom and the primacy of the human spirit and soul? If such things can be measured. That China is not admirable, and if it is taken seriously, it’s not for good reasons.
india has a good leader, who is not from Lutyens, Khan Market or convent schools. This is a major reason why that crowd doesn’t like Modi. Their liberalism, as such, doesn’t extend to Modi or people who don’t speak polished English
Well He Got Arrested, These People Don’t. In my region the Jan Aushadhi Kendre has been a big hit in selling lower price generic medicines, Ayushman Bharat Cards Too , Village Lady was able to conduct her eye operation in the rather high costing private hospitals.for free . all the transformers in our area have been replaced with the new ones that do not burn out. We are now almost getting 24 hrs electricity which was just 8-12 during Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav times. local crimes are reducing many mobsters have been encountered. Constant cleaning activity by swach bharat team also takes place weekly. the NPS Pension Scheme is also epic. All In All Its A Great Journey . Looking forward to 2029.
The only reason national media (with honorable exceptions) is not doing the same is that it is either bought or coerced. Any one allowed to tell the truth will say that same – that BJP policies are anti-democratic, anti-minority, anti-poor, anti-women, irrational and increasingly anti-national.
Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the BJP’s policies is that the very unity of India has been compromised by the fact that an ideology of hate viz. Hindutva dictates domestic and foreign policy. And alienates many domestically as well as outside the borders of India.
The BJP forgets that India is essentially an administrative entity of the East India Company and later the Crown which lumped together some 600 odd princely states that dotted the region. As such, the exit of the colonial masters resulted in the division of this region into 2 countries and later into 3 when E.Pakistan became Bangladesh. The cohesion of this vast geographical unit cannot be taken for granted as the BJP & RSS believe.
India, like Pakistan consists of regions that are “held together” as opposed to having “voluntarily come together” to form a country. That the country has largely held together, despite the many movements that have tested national unity is perhaps the greatest achievement of the Congress. And no, I am no supporter of the Congress or the Gandhi dynasty. But perhaps by a combination of both accident and design, the Union has largely held, despite Sikhs wanting an independent Khalistan, Kashmiris wanting out, various parts of the North-East in turmoil, language conflicts in the South, religious conflicts everywhere, caste strife all over the country and so on. You only have to leave India to see that most Indians come together, not as Indians but as speakers of same languages. Indeed, there is severe animosity and suspicion between Indians from various regions even when they are abroad. Nation building in India is still unfinished business and very much work in progress.
The much ballyhooed Gujarat model never had to deal with issues such as national unity – something the two bearded Gujaratis who rule India don’t seem to comprehend. Additionally, unlike the state of Gujarat, the country called India has to operate in an international context and has to deal with a wide array of international actors and interests. Thus calling Muslims as termites to be thrown into the sea or anointing a rabid, vile, violent “monk” as CM of a large state is bound to attract attention overseas. When the state not only looks the other way when its citizens are lynched and when the murderers are garlanded by Ministers and followed on Twitter by the PM, the image of India sinks to lower levels than that of Pakistan.
Facts on the ground cannot be concealed in 2020. Especially when one of the facts is fascism.
Are you the one getting ₹2 per comment?
Modi is violating human rights and has spoiled Indian image in the world. It’s a question mark on democracy. If you call this a democratic india then what would dictatorship be like. These newspapers are showing the world the true image of India and I congratulate them on their stance. Indian lobbying have tried to buy them but failed and now they have started to use social media against them but the world knows the Indian BJP and RRS supremacy policies and agenda. I support print midia for highlighting humanitarian atrocities committed in India by BJP and RRS. They’re telling people that India is for Hindus only
Well friends let me inform this to all the readers that I have been working with a national media house and know most of the people working for The Print.
By now you all must have understood by looking at the type of contents of The Print that even a school kid can write a better story then them. And yes you all are correct that most of the so called “journalist” from The Print are those who were rejected from all the reputed news agencies and rational media houses because they were not qualified or intelligent enough to become a journalist at all ( Some even don’t have genuine academic certificates ). So they formed their own news agency called The Print ( BIRDS OF A FEATHER , FLOCKED TOGETHER ) . And they were financed by some Anti Nationals and opposition parties to be used as their mouthpiece. The motto of this news house is to write negative things against the government and certain communities because if they don’t do so then they will die out of business , reason being no one reads to their b___s____ news .
So friends just ignore what ever they write ( NEVER ARGUE WITH FOOLS BECAUSE FIRST , THEY WILL BRING YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVELS , AND SECOND THEY WILL BEAT YOU WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE ) . They are any ways going to become beggers in time to come as I know they are struggling to keep up with everyday expenses.
Modi is violating human rights and has spoiled Indian image in the world. It’s a question mark on democracy. If you call this a democratic india then what would dictatorship be like. These newspapers are showing the world the true image of India and I congratulate them on their stance. Indian lobbying have tried to buy them but failed and now they have started to use social media against them but the world knows the Indian BJP and RRS supremacy policies and agenda. I support print midia for highlighting humanitarian atrocities committed in India by BJP and RRS.
Another blind BJP supporter…and he will fight to destroy, and or simply will not allow anyone sharing opposing opinions. BPJ is the new Nazi Party, and these type of guys are its promoters.
You basically haven’t understood the article from the get-go. It is criticizing the consistency in the anti-BJP stands of some “liberal” foreign media and the absence of any sort of counter-opinion. In other words, it seems like these outlets are increasingly taking political stands against the BJP instead of providing space for opinion on both sides of the spectrum.
Indian Media have an inferiority complex! They like to portray India as the worst nation in the world in all respects, any other nation is better according to them, they never have the spine to criticize any other country!
This poorly written piece is diatribe at best, with little substance to dignify it as an opinion. One can only wonder at the editors of the Print, as one presses the unsubscibe button.
The visceral images of India’s poor trudging back in soaring temperatures is sufficient to reveal the underbelly of the nation and the hollowness of our leaders. The illegal detention (at the behest of builders) of hundreds of workers by the Karnataka Government which cancelled the very trains scheduled to take them home is proof of the lowest form of crony capitalism.
Instead of confronting these utterly tragic issues, the writer – if we may call him one – seeks to distract readers with hypenationalism (the neologism is deliberate) against a disillusioned Western media that once feted Modi and his cohorts as the new outriders of neoliberalism.
Foreign vs. Desi media ? You cannot shut the door in global village, thanks to sceince. News go out and come in. If only development is all around, news will focus on development story, debate on pros and cons of development, corruption in project and so on. But if hatred overtakes development what is left, an environment of suspicion, criticism, fodder to media both foreign and desi to indulge in endless debate on it. Now it is also joined by social media. Cycle is complete. We all are developed now.
Adv. Shakil Akhtar
Supreme Court
9717214471
Your English and Writing skills reminds me of Jolly LLB advocate scolded by Judge??
Whatever you want to write and whatever the world wants to they can write but Modiji is came for the India from the India and will live for India and to showcase the world its soft power potential and win the world with peace and parallely destroying the bad things from India, you may change people’s narrative about Modiji but no one can change Modiji’s narrative about India and their people. This era will be called as NAMO’s era. Surely he is writing history, you may not feels so but he is…?.
“Modiji is came for the India from the India and will live for India and to showcase the world its soft power potential”
By all accounts, the one thing that the NaMo regime has squandered is India’s enormous reservoir of soft power. Yes, soft power stemming from nearly 7 decades projecting India’s image as a tolerant, secular democracy where people of all faiths rub shoulders, generally in peace. India’s brand was bolstered by figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, non-violent protest, cultural exports like Indian cuisine, Bollywood, yoga, tourism and so on. And as someone who has been living in Europe for long, I have benefitted colossally from this lovely India of image as a tolerant democracy. So much so that may of my Pakistani colleagues would masquerade as Indians to avoid the stigma of being identified with the mullah managed, exporter of terrorism that their country, Pakistan has become.
All that has been demolished by a Gujarati graduate of Delhi University with a pogrom under his belt and a penchant for a fascist ideology of hate called Hindutva. No Mr Deoghare, just as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan exported fundamental Islamism, Modi too has exported rabid Hindutva beyond the borders of India and has ruined India beyond recognition. Today, Hindutva ideology and a gaurakshak type mentality has permeated the diaspora. You see NRIs talking the language of Yogi Adityanath and spewing hatred against non-Hindus in the very countries they earn a living. And running afoul of local laws.
No Mr Tejas Deoghare – not only has your beloved NaMo wasted India’s soft power resources in such a short span of time, he has also lowered India’s image to that of Pakistan. Due, in no small measure to fawning, uncritical bhakths like you.
There was a time wen Modi came on cover page. That time foriefn media was for him. Wen real facts r coming out in the open or rather skeletons r coming out of the cupboards…people understood the hate MONGERS of India. Don’t blame the media now!!!
One more aspect of these Champagne socialists that you have missed out.Money.Lot of money is going into these publications.So these “avenues” are indeed cash cows for them.
Absolutely rubbish article fit for swarajya and Opindia type of platform. I am not sure if and The Print has also joined their league. Someone somewhere has to write about the true picture of the government otherwise godi media is just bootlickers only.
Reading through the comments , i realized that those supporting authors view just have no other comment on anything mentioned in the article.
Those opposing authors views are just attacking the authors motivation. None of them has logically critiqued the article.
People are just consuming news like junk food.
This is true as the target audience of these Foreign journalist is in the Home Country.
I am an Indian fluent in French, Italian and living in Chennai for last 25 years and I must say that not a single article has been published that shows India/Indians as normal civilized country.
I should say it is “Because ” or “Thanks to” to various factors : 3 things made in India : Mother Teresa, Slum Dog Millionaire and Taj Mahal( Tea or the monument) are synonymous with this Crowd.
Even in the Case of Covid 19, they said thanks to China and Covid ,Indian PM does not have to worry abt the Economy.
And the Elephant among them: The Economist :Since 1991 till date ,there is no mention of India as a soft power. It is this :5th Arm of west that India needs to wary of .
Firstly because their pointing our facts. Secondly. Habe u ever condemned yogis speeches about raping dead women after dragging them out of their graves. Kashmirs not a part of india and never was. India how ever was an integral.part of india.also coined the name of jewel in the crown. Stick to india.leave kashmir
Not true sir, Modi was praised several times by The Economist and WSJ. There is a “groupthink” phenomenon developing in India today and not long ago we use to characterize Pakistan that way!
We are not civilized, when will you understand. We were civilized when we were actual Hindus. The Brahamanical society is new to Hinduism, it has fiddled with the Hindu philosophy of Karma and painted lie around it. Buddhism and Jainism are offshoot of actual Hinduism or rather the purest form that exists now.
The current Hinduism is a corruption of thought and human values, don’t know how it got corrupted but Brahamans and upper cast are the symptoms and show and tell that everything is messed up in current Hinduism. Are you really blind to what’s happening in India. The country decided to move forward but these leeches of upper cast won’t let it move ahead.
Do you think that corruption in India is exported, no it’s because of Hinduism. Just like the western religions are materialistic (in bad sense). Wake up were are not civilized. Only few countries in Europe are civilized. But we are the bottom on the way to become a fanatic state like some we know.
Which French newspapers do you happen read Mr Ganesh Narayanan ? Much of what you write makes no sense and looks like the ranting and raving of a crazed Bihari gaurakshak …
Easiest thing is to blame others instead of looking into a mirror. Modi and co have to accept valid criticism from world media. After all, India is largest democracy in the world.
Certainly. But one needs to be clear about what valid criticism is. If it’s just baseless allegations, there’s no point attending to it. This is something RaGa does all the time.
If it is press that is asking, it must be backed with evidence. People are the readers and they are quite well informed these days. Hence the allegations made through press needs to be more solid than just following some rhetoric.
In spite of failures world over of regimes of communists the left oriented journalists are still trying hard to fight a loosing war of debate and analysis, may be they became psychic and unable to digest the glory and success of Mr Modi
Mr Narendar Matha: The bulk of the press outside India is appalled over the Modi government’s treatment of minorities. They include media from both left of centre as well as right of centre publications. And despite what India’s paid media tells you, facts on the ground cannot be made to vanish in 2020 and they will always reach the rest of the world. Indeed, the successes that then CM Modi had in concealing the viciousness of the Godhra pogroms under his watch cannot be replicated easily in 2020. Thus, the Mohammad Akhlaq (RIP) lynching in 2015 made international headlines, much to PM Modi’s chagrin. So much so that he eventually was forced to confront the issue with a statement, limp and deflecting responsibility from his own persona though it was.
As regards your claim about the “glory and success of Mr Modi”, well, you need to remember that India’s domestic opinion of the man has surely been created by various media campaigns and a paid, pliant press. Of course, people like you might eagerly lap up the hot air emanating from Arnab Goswmani’s orifices but the rest of the world begs to differ. After all, the man was denied a visa to much of the Western world wasn’t he ?
There were brown sepoys during colonial times and nothing has really changed for India in the 21st century. These sepoys specialize in serving to their white massas regurgitated slop that help to reinforce the neo-colonial stereotypes and religious prejudices that lie just below their pale skin. It is essentilly a subcontinental phenomenon as one doesn’t find chinese sepoys (eunuchs?) avidly serve Western interests in this manner or in these numbers.
But it is a Pyrrhic victory for these champagne leftists and Islamists because their strident, one-sided and palpably biased reportss, which may earn them pieces of silver, is rejected by the majority of Indians with whom Modi’s popularity has never been higher. We have had the examples of the shrill concerted attacks about church burnings initially, beef lynchings subsequently, and now Islamophobia, that predictably rise to fever pitch ahead of national elections only to vanish after showing how marginal, ineffectual and out of touch with reality they actually are.
And their unrelenting negativity only results in even some liberals sympathizing with their targets. Even Manu Joseph, as left liberal and parochial as they come, felt compelled to comment about the one-sided and terribly biased coverage in the Western press of the recent Delhi riot. What it does to the current generation of Hindu youth now exposed to so many sources of facts and history that were previously suppressed or squelched will only exacerbate the divide; and they are the majority.
Writer talks about clicks of People opposing Modi but look at audience in comments. Same people you ll find in other Indian news sites. Why dont they ask for anti Modi articles for clicks ?
NYT, Washington Post have reporters based in India. They see the ground reality and report it but are not afraid of Mr. Modi as rest of India media is. Please Limit yourself to Swarjya or OpIndia as Other places you ll get real news.
Sir, if you have chosen to discount the “foreign media” in one generalized swoop you have succeeded. However, it is a specious analysis. The Wall Street Journal, which I subscribe to in addition to others, is known for it’s balanced reporting. Allsides gives it a center to center-right bias. The same paper wrote very positively about PM Modi and his party a few years ago, moreover, over the years the mood has shifted. That shift has occurred in many publications across the political spectrum. Instead of shooting the messenger, perhaps the BJP should take note, but would they?
It’s an interesting article. The author has completely left out these news papers critique of their own country’s leader and is obsessed with Modi bhakti. This article is nothing but a further evidence that some people do believe in elite vs non-elite. It’s sad that the author has completely succumbed to his biases of demigod he worships. The news paper like NY Times and WaPo have time and again proven that they are mostly by partisan, although they are liberal they don’t cover alternative facts. The author is completely devoid of any social understanding, because he cannot see that Trump US and Modi in India are completely playing communal and class politics. Articles like these are so blind to existence of truth that all they see is a bias. Hopefully when the tides will turn voices like this authors would drown out with the alternative facts. No one actually cares about India in US or any where in the world.
To others , don’t be afraid of minority when you are the majority, it just shows how coward you are. Remove Bhraminism and castism from the county if you have courage. Pathetic excuse for an existence.
Also to elaborate on “No one actually cares about India in US”. If the countries government does not care about it’s poor then why should one care about them. Look at what your god wrought upon poor people, from demonetization to the latest fiasco of leaving thousands stranded in middle of no where.
You are very triggered and if you have ever been to India you must know the debates here. Indians Don’t need to cared about by west and what do mean “nobody cares about India in US?” US’s whole fucking economy revolves around country like India. Every detail about India matters because India is the 5th largest economy and then if you’ve been an Indian then be respectful to the welfare system of India which provides subsidized education and if not you then your father must have benefitted from this so called “rotten” system here in India.
Liberals like you are the leeches sucking the real meaning out of the word. Effing woke dumbass.
The ismein(Brahminsm.caste.class) exist n universal manifested or latent. It’s habit to put everything on a communal clour when it’s for hindustan rather something hard n true about the other religions. Conversion appeasement approach is viewd negative to secular. The truth that it’s majoritain hindu maintains n promote secular credentials and nationalists view promote n improve it. The Western media is silent on conversion lynching of sadhus and so many incidents. The comments of Western media is simply because it’s a right wing government and pro-nationslist ideology and hv new thought n vision setting aside the sterotypic colonial approach n sentiment. Not simply looking into what others say rather what India needs n thinks
Good read. There could be other reasons for why we get to see solely negative coverage of India in supposedly “liberal” media outlets — white man’s perceived burden to safeguard democratic and liberal values globally, misunderstanding or disdain for Hinduism or apprehensions of the Western elite as Asia once again takes the centre-stage in the World Economy and the balance of power shifts.
Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra pontificates:
“BJP-ruled India has an op-ed shaped global problem”
Clearly, this worthy, like the many fawning, sycophantic “journalists” belonging to the paid journalism tribe such as India’s answer to Nazi propaganda Minister Göbbels Arnab Goswami seems to have forgotten the maxim:
“There is no smoke without fire”
Honestly Mr Iyer-Mitra, are journalists writing stories in foreign publications solely to smear the BJP and without any basis in facts? Isn’t it true that the vicious and deadly BJP ideology called Hindutva that now has taken root in India entails discrimination and violence against Muslims? Is your fellow traveller Arnab Goswami’s take on events the gospel truth ? Don’t you think that ordinary, completely law-abiding and patriotic Muslims would feel insecure in a country where the Home Minister calls them termites? And are you so bloody naïve as to think that 2 Indian journalists are the sole reason why the BJP and its current Hindutva implementers led by PM Modi get a bad deal in foreign media?
Go pour yourself a stiff peg of gomutra Mr Iyer-Mitra and jump into the Ganges. The Gangajal might even ward off COVID 19 – after all your beloved BJP wants to allocate funds for research into the curative properties of said effluent and rotting corpse rich liquid.
So what irritates you is BJP and hindus use gaumutra and are promoting it, which in fact should not be a concern to anybody as it does not encourage violence and only insunuates that the animals must be loved The gaumutra and hate towards cow people is a popular motif in jihadi messages. All this leads us to believe that gaumutra will ultimately bring out the real face of closet hate mongers. So the hindus are on correct path
It’s not Muslims feel insecure but it’s a strategy by few so-called seculars n progressive left for political interest induce this. If press is so imparital the issues must hv been placed in it’s context n perspective. Lynching of sadhus. Conversion of Hindus by Christian missionraries. Introduction of modern education in madarasa. Triple talaq law. Article 370 etc etc. It’s a new thought a new vision not that of reference approach to state kalidas as India’s Shakespeare rather the reverse. When Western say it is progressive when the current govt. BJP it’s not easy to digest. This is simply a bias
Mr Shishir Kumar Grahacharya: Thanks for the response – to the extent it can be called a response to the issues I point out in my post. For, like Mr Iyer-Mitra, you too beat about the bush and talk about everything under the sun – barring the sordid effects of Nazism lite a.k.a. Hindutva on minorities and the bad press it receives in the wiser world. Yes, Hindutva is a violent, deadly, malevolent ideology that tarnishes India’s image no end although it is warmly embraced by your ilk lock, stock and barrel. And like Mr Iyer-Mitra, you too obfuscate by sallying forth with all sorts of ir-relevant digressions and distractions.
But these digressions are persistent in the Hindutva narrative and let me address 2 of these.
Lynchings
Tell me Mr Grahacharya – Who is in greatest danger of getting lynched in Modi’s India – Hindus or Muslims ? What do the statistics show ? And more importantly, what is the state response to lynchings ? Protection of innocent Muslim cattle traders or Union Ministers garlanding your marauding, bloodthirsty gaurakshak buddies?
Conversions
Although I am personally against the dis-respectful conversion activities and exploitation of poverty by Christian missionaries, equally relevant questions are:
Why are the missionaries successful, especially with poor and lower caste Hindus ? Don’t missionaries step in when the state neglects the poor ? And who but caste Hindus are responsible for violence against lower caste Hindus & Dalits? For instance, who was responsible for the brutal thrashing of Dalit cattle traders in Una, Gujarat? Any surprise that upper caste Hindus create fertile ground for opportunistic missionaries?
From a legal perspective, missionary activity is protected under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution:
“Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion”
Want to tinker with Art. 25 and open Pandora’s box Mr Grahacharya ?
As regards your claim that Muslims do not feel insecure in India and that all this negative publicity is the handiwork of progressives and seculars, well, the facts don’t bear you out Mr Grahacharya. There have been sharp increases in lynchings and acts of violence against Muslims after the BJP came to power and more so in BJP run states. What is much worse is that police and the state machinery openly side with the violent, lumpen wings of the BJP and do not protect the victims. You can get the statistics here: https://www.thequint.com/quintlab/lynching-in-india/
During the Godhra pogroms of 2002 under then CM Modi, whenever hounded Muslims approached the police for protection, they were rebuffed with a terse:
“We do not have orders to save you”.
What was once a Gujarati phenomenon, is today becoming the norm in most of North India and in all BJP run states. If you are a Muslim, your life is worthless. And that state sponsored violence cannot easily be concealed – even without a Rana Ayub or a Swati Chaturvedi writing op-eds in American and British newspapers.
The Print should ban your comments based on your foul language and personal attacks. Pathetic hateful behavior.
Mr Vj Rang: Thanks for your response.
No foul language or four letter words were used in my post – I never need to resort to that. Yes, sarcasm, facts, an oblique statement linking loudmouth and the face of Indian journalism Arnab Goswami to a similar figure from Nazi Germany have been employed. And I have suggested that Mr Iyer-Mitra adhere to the prescription for curing COVID that his paymasters in the BJP have written out: Gomutra & Gangajal !
That apart, I do not see a single counter-argument in your response. Just, the usual knee-jerk reaction of a bhakth when arguments get the better of him: “Ban him”.
Pathetic !
Your piece was written better than Mutra’s, I mean … Mitra’s.
Thank you Mr Jivan !
Haha what a meltdown. U got to be an intolerant mallu ,from down south Kerala to harbour so much hatred and illfeeling towards hindus . Beef eating Rice bag convert spotted who posts and gloat beef pics on twitter just to mock hindu sentiments, something they can never do with Muslims. Have guts to make derogatory remarks against prophet ?? Hell no. No 1 in terrorist export. No 1 in love jihad . No 1 in political murders . No 1 in forced conversion . Widely believed that Kerala is the next Kashmir.
Simple. They are not F e k u s like the Indian press.
You guys should ease up on the vocabulary a little bit. For an average indian with not the best english who’s reading this article at 4 am it’s gets kinda hard.
In their desperation, the champagne socialists are making the case for Modi. Being a liberal I too find the articles in Wapo, NYT, and BBC strange and out of line rants. No wonders liberals like us see the ground vanishing and credibility shrinking fast! These people are doing more harm than good to the liberal cause.
I agree that they are not good enough to report or share objective opinion about india.
Rana Ayyub has problem when arvind kejriwal asserts his religous identity ( her tweets after kejriwal won Delhi), but no problem when some people assert religious identity. ( AIMIM or when someone from Assam said they cant say Jai hind or something because of Islam). It is absurd that she has problem with Arvind Kejriwal showing his religious identity.
But i think writer is wrong that they hire this people cos they have social media following that gives more clicks to their websites. I think Washington Post and NYT wont run adds , they use pay wall.
In india there is some attack on media. Gov is not assaulting media, but there is attack, when they fire journalists and stop ads . why is he not talkig about indian media , not being fair? Shows his bias.
The interest of reading papers is devindeled due to biased reporting and low level reporting. So called journalists always bring “freedom” freedom of speech and religions. Ayyub type can never understand what freedom is for none muslims. I dont want to bring religion into it, thede broadsheets are one sided money oriented lie spreaders. Because west and US are interested keeping Pakistan on their way geographically opperesser ali, the press will never give news in favor of India. Modi is kicked left right and centre by Muslims paper jeorneolist always take anti Modi side
Modi trying to save India from becoming Muslim country helped by Arabs. West is already gone that way.
Almost the entire article is spot on. Except the part where the author says that it’s only eyeballs on the website that they are after. I think, if these western newspapers were to publish an article from say an Arnab Goswami etc. they will attract far higher eyeballs as per the current scenario. So it’s not just the eyeballs, it’s also alignment with their own ideologies … Which is currently anti Trump (anti right) and therefore they align perfectly with anti right left liberal gang of India.
You got it western media are leftist mostly and congress pay them big bucks to make them look good
The entire western media, and certainly the ones mentioned by Iyer-Mitra, is a giant echo chamber. They all say the same thing, over and over again. There is never any positive, balanced, subtle, nuanced, erudite article coming from their pages. The story “religious hatred grows during India’s covid-19 pandemic’ was repeated ad nauseum. Not a single article about any Indian effort or achievement. It’s pure colonial rubbish.
New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, all big names. What about Pulitzer Prize? Its board has now questioned India’s very legitimacy over J&K! “In a major controversy, the Pulitzer Prize board has questioned India’s legitimacy over Kashmir, calling the valley a “contested territory” whose “independence” was revoked and “executed through a communications blackout”.” “This year, the US-based Pulitzer Prize for best feature photography has been awarded to three Associated Press (AP) photographers — Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin from Kashmir and Channi Anand from Jammu, “for their striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout”.” Have “the likes of Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra” influenced the Pulitzer Prize board also? And who has influenced the US State Dept? It says, its official view is that, the LoC is the defacto border between India and Pakistan, in stark contrast to India’s claim that J&K is an integral part of India. Does it listen to Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra, while disregarding what Modi and Jaishankar have to say about J&K? Out of about 200 countries in the world, how many support Modi/Jaishankar’s claim that J&K is an integral part of India? And what about Indian-origin lawmakers in the US, like Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, and Kamala Harris? They all are critical of India’s policies in J&K, and CAA, NRC, etc. Just about a week ago the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), mandated to monitor religious freedom globally on Tuesday asked the State Department to designate 14 nations, including India, as “countries of particular concern”, alleging that religious minorities are under increasing assault in these nations. Even the UN has objected to the CAA. Why? If Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra are so influential that they influence these great newspapers and people, then don’t you think India should listen to them too? You should be questioning why Modi/Jaishankar have failed to convince Modi’s chum Trump and his honcho Mike Pompeo that J&K is an integral part of India. Instead, you are wasting time talking about Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra.
Why should they? There are psychological reasons, none of them good, that those Indian and Indian origin individuals “question” India over Kashmir. It’s because they want to be seen as superior to India, for one. Career advancement is another, as is the desire to be seen as politically correct. . As for the religious freedom nonsense, the criticism of the USCIRF is really only resentment that India doesn’t grant Christian missionaries and evangelists full freedom to carry our their conversion activities. There is not, never has been, a problem with ‘religious freedom’ as such, in India. The Hindu religion accepts different images, and modes of worship, as well as paths to contemplate the divine. Lastly, India doesn’t need validation from the US government, media and commissions for its policies. But it will refute these entities’ grossly one sided,, arrogant and mindless criticisms.
You seems to have lots of time to write a lengthy comment. So where is the question of wasting time.
Kya bola hai bhai ne, “Let’s be clear, though. In this day and age, there is no money for serious research. Falling media revenue means that cheaper opinions will always be prioritised over expensive facts.”
We can see your article and understand the falling revenue of the publisher.
Hahaha. Very savage. This cost reduction seems to be happening in most Indian “news” publishers
Iyer-Mitra’s article drips with angst at not being invited to the Khan Market gang’s cocktail parties. Keep trying a bit harder bro, you will surely get the leftovers some day.
Cheap shot. The Khan market and Lutyens group, is quite alienated and out of touch with the sentiments of most Indians.. What about Iyer-Mitra’s astute observations?
Naturally eagles would visit and capture pictures of a vast place, which hitherto proved to be a veritable graveyard, ensuring constant supply of corpses. Frustrated by the sudden, abrupt stoppage of that supply, they released the images of the graveyard, clearly conveying the message, in which state they really wish to see the province. Those who clapped for them here laid bare their real wishes.
Brilliant article and a slap on the leftists. Couldn’t agree more how Modi benefits more from such putrid, one sided, media pukings by leftists like Rana Ayyub, the sight of whom would make any cockroach orgasmic.
Wonderful article.
Writer has removed many of my misgivings about how come these Western big news channels permit of lies of Rana Ayyub likes.
Now the clouds are thinning.
BTW, publishing this article has redeemed the print, as both point of views are getting place here.
The country has never seen such hatred, vengeance and division crested by a few power hungry individuals, and they say Corona has taughtvtmem a lesson,, NONEVER,, such chsracters will never change and this is the plain truth, no need of external media to proove it , But they dont know,,,,,,,, As you Sow,,, So shall you reap
Truth hurts. Ur brain have been conditioned to believe whatever hyperbolic lies, misinformation, half baked truth , that u read in the newspapers mentioned above. Hence u r brainwashed to the extent that as soon as someone challenge ur views by exposing how these agenda driven newspapers work and why they choose cheap op ed writers, rejected in India, suddenly the only option u r left with is to shrug it off as “cheap article”. U r a Victim of yellow journalism. I rarely read these papers and whenever I read their “India” articles , the amount of manipulative lies they push through is plain horrible. Just read their series of trash articles on Kashmir or caa
This itself is am article which is weaving a n arguments without facts. The author virtually is using unsubstanciate statements and criticises the left liberal for not arguing with facts on their side. Forget Rana Ayub if you like but to claim the Swati Chaturvedi or Ramachandra Guha is writing without facts or logic, to say the least is laughable. Swati’s book is full of screen shots. if those are fake why are people not suing her? Let the author cite and prove.
Hey, don’t get offensive after reading it, particularly when he has already mentioned the truth in his article,
“Let’s be clear, though. In this day and age, there is no money for serious research. Falling media revenue means that cheaper opinions will always be prioritised over expensive facts.”
Publisher’s revenue must be falling so they took cheaper opinions over expensive facts.
Swati Chaturvedi’s articles are pure demagoguery. There is nothing thoughtful or thought provoking in them, just hysterical rants and raves against Modi and the BJP. When does one read an article of hers in the “Gulf News”( or anywhere) and then think to oneself ” That was very incisive, balanced, nuanced and well researched”.
Agreed Swati Chaturvedi is goodi medi of left but is there any one equal to Ravish Kumar in the left camp? Still Swati is not bhakt of left, she has some brains to criticize left when they mess up. But right is full of right guys who never do wrong.
Mr Varun Shekhar: You bleat:
“Swati Chaturvedi’s articles are pure demagoguery”
So how would you characterise Arnab Goswami’s shouting matches ?
The very fact that Arnab has many different guests on his program, and incorporates or anticipates the criticism that he and Republic TV face, itself puts him way above Swati Chaturvedi. Chaturvedi is pure anti-Modi and anti-BJP negativity, without any counterbalancing. She has nothing nice, uplifting, incisive or positive to say about India, forget political parties and personages.
The so called socilists in the foreign country has seen India as a slow developing nation past seven decades inspite of having the potential. due to the policy adopted by the Congress party, they have even decided that this nation Will be ruled by the present minorities in decades to come. All of a sudden the BJP came to power and they have changed the nation’s history within six years. To add further they have taken action to stop the minorities from further adding their numbers. This has irritated thease guys and started all kinds of nonsensical statements from the foreign lands, who has no buissiness to interfere on our policy matters or anything the value. Jai Bharath.
An ill written school-boy essay, by a ‘twice born’ epsilon-minus oaf.
I challenge him to a debate, on any topic, at any time and place of the iyer’s choosing.
The question is, are those media balanced, objective, nuanced and well researched? Do they impress people with their erudition and/or insight. The answer is absolutely not.
Modi seems to have closed your shop.
well said ; “These foreign journalists don’t want answers; they seek validation of their pre-existing views.”
Narahantak Modi is a laughing stock. His electral strategy simple, create islamophobia and gain power.Itseems There is a U.S. PR firm which gets him the image makeover for millions of dollars. His supportes (langoti bhakths) conveniently forget his promises in which his success is ZERO.
Abrogation of article 370,caa,nrc .doctored babri verdict all are the coverup.
He is Indian version of another lunatic DoLand Trump ?
There are other phobias- India-phobia, Hindu phobia, Hindutva phobia and Modi phobia. So called Islamaphobia has justification, because Islamic terrorism is massive and global. India has been hard hit.
Modi is smarter than the all Modi haters put together.
Mr ak.dev: I guess a Delhi University education, a few decades of running around in khakhi shorts and a lathi and a deadly pogrom on your CV make you a lot smarter than most other men. At least in your opinion.
Theres a mistake in the title…it should be CHAMPION, not CHAMPAGNE.
What does distance (“20 minutes away from K street”) have to do with choosing an op-ed writer in this day and age??!! The writer could be anywhere…
Also – “serious experts” – really? From ORF etc? Now you make me laugh again…
But you do end on a wistful/tragic note – part of which I can sorta agree with – “social media has essentially taken us back to the Athenian Agora period when Socrates was condemned to drink hemlock. There is no room for nuance or building bridges.. ” – Sad indeed…
You worm!
You almost redeemed your sins in your last article.
I’m sorry but you need to crawl right back into your hole again!
But stay blessed!
Om shanti!
Very well articulated article, I follow Mr. Abhijit regularly only his columns& you tube , I am surprised The Print under Shekhar Guptha, who is a leftist , allowing Abhijit to express his views !!!
Good article.
“Yarn Spinning”? Indian media except for a few has lost all credibility by continuously playing their flute for the govt. And when some people on ground bring the truth you instead of logically disproving them rely on “left narrative” building to support your argument… This has been a waste of space.
For every domestic outlet that leans pro-government, there is one that is blatantly anti-establishment. Don’t know what you are talking about.
“For these leaders, the more extreme the virtue signalling, the easier the election contest, which I have written about earlier. In a way, The New York Times and The Washington Post are ensuring Modi’s re-elections by such strident content ” I really do not think even 1% of indian voters ever read these articles
I wouldn’t place blind faith in any media. Unless you want to grieve for maths-teacher-turned-rebel Riaz Naikoo, that is!
It’s hilarious when someone describes Narendra Modi as a right-wing politician.
The man desires nothing more than extreme control of the citizens by the State. He has a penchant for big government, high taxation and distributing “free” stuff. Further, he dislikes the intelligentsia, free markets and freedom of speech to the extent that he has pushed laws against these.
All these are the traits of a socialist. Except, in his case, instead of appealing to the labor class, he tricks the massive middle in to believing that he is savior of Hindus.
Excellent piece though… The Print as usual giving everyone a chance.
“The man desires nothing more than extreme control of the citizens by the State. “…..that IS, my boy, in lay man’s terms, “a right-wing politician”….LOL….you missed it didnt you…..
Sure son, Putin is a right wing politician. So was Mao Zedong. How about Kim Jong? He’s been teaching you… You should know. Pol Pot perhaps?
Anyone?
Unless you wish to disown your ideological brothers for a brownie point, please do me not attempt to respond.
Excellent , well said , there are a few in CNN as well , who always capture mumbai slums & project that as India doing badly
Excellent. These authors may be spitting venom against Modi in WP, NT etc. but their impact on electoral politics back home is limited. Here the left ecosystem is not the kind of traction which it used to get some years back.
The problem is not that we have many sickulars and anti nationals writing in foreign publications but there is hardly any worthwhile right winger who can consistently write well and take them on, even if it is in the local media. In any case, an ordinary Indian voter has understood the game of sickulars and if Modi fulfills their basic expectations from him, he would continue to win elections. However, for Modi, it is essential that he changes the economic structure of India and removes all cobwebs of the past socialistic controls on economic activities so that Indian economy grows rapidly and consistently over a period of next 10 years. Sickulars can continue to write and make money and foreign publications can continue to publish but lose money.
I hope you are grieving for the maths-teacher-turned-rebel Riaz Naikoo then!
“The champagne socialists”, a nice coin developed to give an identity to the liberals who see democracy and free media eroding fast in India. Pages can be written about it. But in short; the Indian media very structured to spew anti-Pakistan rhetoric so profusely that even the think tanks don’t shy away from it. India has been promoted as a Hindu country where people of other religions are considered second rate citizens; a la RSS and BJP. Money walks the walk in Indian media as few of them own most of it. The biggest democracy has failed India and also the region. I am not Indian nor a Pakistani. This is my humble opinion.
This columnist is a shallow, surface guy. THE PRINT shouldn’t indulge such authors. There is something called “rooted in the soil”, which is what a sincere socialist must be. Whether she or he has a taste for Lassi or Champagne can be a thing of importance only to a fellow like this columnist. Nehru, a “champagne” person was a genuine socialist compared to a sham, the present incumbent “fakir” ; Brezhnev used to get his suits stitched in Paris. People who are better read than me can cite many more examples.
The news paper delivery in US is by the paper wrapped in a one time use plastic bag thrown in your driveway. Most of the papers are free and go directly to trashcan except on weekend when the sales and discount adds are seen.
In this news paper culture, for the few who might want to read or have nothing better than to read the paper the op-ed space can be attractive, it is essentially a political pondy which means nothing other than filth.
Who writes these op-eds ? These are basically frustrated journos themselves or journos on the pay rolls of frustrated politicians.
Since 2014 a considerable numbers of both have suddenly lost their relevance and are now counting on the payback time from the GORA jurno friends, who were extensively wined and dined at the cost of tax payer in the good old days.
I see no justification in calling Rana a “champagne socialist”…..During this pandemic she has been constantly in loved in relief efforts for the poor
But the point on “the more extreme the virtue signalling, the more easier is the election contest” is one that makes a lot of sense.
But if taken as a gist, then this opinion piece is more of a rant.
Rightly said. Even in between they put some facts also people will not able to notice and ignore. Whatever they do with their narratives, mainly consists of false allegation, half-truths & try to sensitize the issue under the lenses to make it big. So, naturally the politicians especially leaders like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and of course our own PM Narendra Modi who can play the victim card & get elected. These Red wine, Cheese club will gape in surprise.
The Times or the Post publish opinions from all sides as long as they are factual and rational. They do not publish tabloid-ish opinions (such as this author’s). They vet even the opinions, not just the articles. As a result, most Indian right-wing writers get filtered out with just a simple smell test. The people who make it are the likes of Guha. The author likely considers Arnab Goswamy as the epitome of journalistic integrity and intellectual honesty. and perhaps, he should stick with that class of low brow tabloid journalism.
No they don’t. They are very selective in their information. When for example, do you read about any achievements by India during this Covid-19 crisis. ie the people who have recovered, the virus free zones, the production of Indian made PPE’s, kits, medicines and other items. Or any human interest stories like the full recovery of the 82 year old who was in dire straits at one time; the use of Indian trains as shelters, individuals who have given food to those in need and so on.
The analysis just touches the surface of the deep problem only.
There are more aspects to it than just no. of clicks or champagne socialists.
1. People of anti-India sentiment (i would say Pakistanis and western left-liberals of Columbia University type) have placed themselves in key locations of these publications. They do not allow adverse comments, articles to their partisan view get published. More importantly, they remain behind the curtains. To test this hypothesis, just try to put a negative comment on article or praising India with coherent and valid reasons and get it published in them.
2. The named op-ed writers are just hired mercenaries which they themselves do not realise to the harm they are causing to India. These mercenaries keep getting their compensatory awards, scholarships etc. They are awed by opportunity to have global readers which they don’t really deserve.
3. The deep-seated and fundamental reason is racism and Hinduphobia of Western countries. They do not want India to grow and take away resources meant only for these western ‘Exceptionalism’ countries.
4. Deutsche Welle is one more such sinister media.
So you claim that the articles published in these publications do not have any basis in Indian reality? Today’s India is being shaped by the mercenaries of Hindutva – the Mohan Bhagwats, Narendra Modis, Amit Shahs, Jayant Sinhas, Adityanaths and so on. They aren’t exactly the paragons of tolerance are they? And what is wrong in calling a spade a spade ? After all, the RSS from which the BJP derives its ideology was based on the Nazi and fascist ideologies of Hitler and Mussolini and the BJP implements a version of that same violent ideology. Indeed, your buddy Adityanath has suggested that the corpses of Muslim women should be pulled out and raped hasn’t he? So why get ashamed when people write about it ? Wht get upset that the UAE and the wider Islamic world threatens India economically?
You keep telling yourself that buddy
Why isn’t there any positive story from India during this epidemic, nor any acknowledgement of achievements of the government? Why is terrorism against India downplayed, while terrorism against the US, UK et al is considered the real thing?
I keep reading about this acheivements of India in pandemic? What exactly were they? Hundreds of millions left on the mercy of NGOs and individual Indians. A PM cares fund which is private and can’t be audited nor it’s constitution be checked by anyone. CSR funds can’t be given to state govts only central govt can receive it. Even today shortage of PPE . Test kits are still not available in enough numbers. Thousands emerged in bus stations, railway station multiple times in multiple cities. Poor who can’t feed themselves are asked to give 3 times train fare. RS 500 deposited in bank accounts not poor which most can’t access or know or remember to operate.
Casual handling of travellers before lock down with passengers made to wait more than 12 hours . Bodies of people who died of heart attacks in gulf forced to fly back as govt which gave permission couldn’t make or did not bother to tell the employees at airports receive the bodies. Doctors who died after years of social services denied cremation and burial in multiple states. Many patients dying because they spend days running from hospital to hospital. Please tell me the acheivements?
Take a look at the Indian media. Beside glorifying the current rulers and denigrating every one else, they don’t seem to have any other agenda. All that we read these days is state sponsored junk. Mercifully there are journalists who can still give unbiased reporting.
Vernon Oliver, it’s not good to glorify any party or government- whether the Congress, TMC, Janata Dal, SJP, BSP, CPI, AAP or BJP. And definitely not China
Under the circumstances, political economy, when great super power like USA, put Mr. Narendra Modi, our Hon. Prime Minister, as person non-grata and refused him diplomatic visa, which is sufficient to nullify the merits, authors are trying to hide all the facts, incidents, pogrom of Gujarat riots, and also promoting India in to a majoratarian state on the mandates of RSS, it’s think tank.
All viewers comprises of three major categories, viz. left wing; right wing and an unbiased class, which believes and expect any government should be hold on barriers and ambit of Constitution and taxpayers purview.
An ancient proverb on journalism, media could be helpful to all classes of pen, “There is no Tax on language”! (Arabic proverb).
The fact of the matter remains that democracies are defined by perceptions. We like it or not, India has become a hunting ground of liberal-haters because it is perceptibly and in reality become more polarized.
There is some grain of truth in what the author says. But the most significant truth in this article lies elsewhere. The truth is: For all democracies, opinions and perceptions matter most. It is definitely worth considering why only narratives of polarization are circulating about India in the Western press? Not because it’s a battle between the ‘experts’ and the ‘click-baiters’. The answer is not just that western media ‘prefers’ Modi haters but also how they see their own roles as champions of a secular modern value apparatus. Much of that is questionable of course because this self image is tied to the wider self notion of the Western media as a watchdog and vanguard of modern world.
Also, these media, in true colonial style, have an incredible sense of entitlement and accessibility toward India. They see India as an easy target to hit out at, for every vice on the planet.
Foreign media is being paid by Congress and company who has looted the treasury for a long time.The Congress party loves Muslims but cannot get elected so they find foreigners to spread lies.
This is a remarkable article. Not because of the content. The content is just rambling opinion. But the thought process. Don’t be fooled by the absence of the names such as Arnab G, Sudhir C, and other govt sponsored and protected people. Sure, it tells you what the right wing intellectuals are talking as learning. But the real sneaky things is another trick that the article plays. It tries to create an equivalence between a stalwart such a Guha and the rabid, bigoted, govt propagandist.
He tries to bring Guha, Roy, who have criticized everyone in the past, to the level of partisan bootlicking done by Arnab and others!
Those writers like Guha and Arundhati Roy are rabid propagandists against India, Modi and Hindus. Roy hasn’t acknowledged one achievement of the Indian government in this covid-19 outbreak. Arnab Goswami does have guests on his show who take a counter position, and they have their say. But he trounces them all. Also, ‘government protected people’ can easily be used to describe the cabal of Leftists, Communists and Secularists( so called) who dominated and controlled the discourse in India for decades. Well, their day is passed, or at least way down.
I wonder why Arundhati’s opinion matters to the West? She is a book-writer for God’s sake.
Bang on, each and every point is so well explained.They are not journalist,the likes of Swatis and Ranas are agenda driven women working for themselves at the cost of malignning country’s name.They will be go down the dust soon.
The writer is a victim of his own mind. The RW will hardly understand what he is trying to say (except for the Modi reference) and the Left-Libs will never invite him to their fun champagne parties. Rana knows her audience, and her audience knows her. And she is also smart. The writer however is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and quite lonely as well. General public doesnt give teo hoots anyway!
Yea, and your “general public” gave the largest mandate to current govt. Lets ask again who’s living in cuckoo land .
Aw, don’t be blinded by the loneliness of Rana which in itself, is a by product of losing one’s own conscience and making victims out of the common man for absolute monetary benefits.
But aren’t we all victims of our own mind? You seem to have a lot of disdain for the “RW”.
The author ‘researcher’ should also scratch his brain further to explain why the mighty STATE apparatus – that unabashedly pounds select HR /Opposition targets mercilessly – is not ACTING against all the writers demonized here for spreading lies and falsehood against the ‘true patriots’
Because of articles like this – full of sound-n-fury, devoid of facts and laced with personal bias – signifying nothing. If the right-of-centre was able to put up a reasonable intellectual response instead of propaganda and trolling, a lot of people would have listened.
Have ‘Dhairya’ to declare yourself…
It gives a strength to what you write. But, unfortunately, you are away from the truth.
You think lot of people are not listening? :O
No he, Iyer-Mitra, makes several legitimate, and correct, observations. The proof that the Washington Post asks for any Indian claim, versus the absence for a claim made by Rana Ayyub. Secondly, and this is a particularly erudite point, the international media like the WP, NY Times, BBC, Guardian, Huffington et al, do not go to India seeking answers, or to do rigorous research, rather they seek confirmation of their pre-conceived notions and biases.
Stop lecturing as Anonymous i.e. fake. Even rats don’t like to be Anonymous.
Intellectual response to writing of likes of Rana Ayub? There is nothing other than agenda and propaganda in her writing.
Its called an “opinion” piece idiot.
A comment so full of facts and wisdom.
Agree totally. No one is speaking up for Hindus in an intelligent way. Instead we are getting endless articles in the West that are increasingly not distinguishing between Hindus in general and the rioters and rabid, cow-urine-drinking idiots. Various Indian Muslim and left-wing writers have declared war on Hindus. Forget NYT, even Nikkei Asia and Wired magazines now have the same sort of articles that highlight only violence and superstition among Hindus. These articles are intentionally written in a way that does not distinguish between ordinary devout Hindus and the extremists. What would be the reaction in the West if every devout Muslim was to be called a jihadi? The fact that Modi & Co. have run the Indian economy into the ground doesn’t get any respect for India or Hindus either. Modi’s tenure has only gone to show the intellectual poverty of the right-wing in India. Over the past 6 years, India’s standing in the world has taken a deep nosedive.
This man is as partisan as the people he excoriates. The fact is that the Modi Government supports the RSS which is obviously and undeniably anti-Muslim. And to Mr. Iyer-Mitra that is an initiative worthy of his support.
The article is not about what a political party or a NGO thinks about religion of peace . Its about how leftist are detached from reality .
Why are muslim enrollment in RSS schools increasing every year then?
Yeah, Mitra is just another hack who resorts to whataboutery, as you said, just like the partisan ‘journalists’ he’s against.
And he wants journalists to take information from Heritage? The right wing think tank behind all American wars? And Mitra is a fellow at the Institure of Peace and Conflict Studies!
This man is totally full of waste.
Indians have a voter card and they know whom to vote. Rest doesn’t matter. Let them malign India’s image in the extreme hatred of one man but public know how to press the EVM button.
The EVM button itself knows how to get pressed.
It was IMPOSSIBLE for the BJP to win UP so soon after the Demonetization, and that too with such numbers.
But hasn’t the BJP lost elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh? Were the EVMs tampered with then? As for the 30-35% vote, that’s true of all parties that have won elections. Just because a party you don’t like benefits from the 30-35% vote, doesn’t make it illegitimate. Cheap, silly argument
But what if the EVM itself is tampered ?
I wonder why the EVM is only suspected of being tampered when BJP wins an election?
36% halfwits voted this regime in. Just 36% are brainless bhats.
How do you know it responds correctly.
The foreign media bias is not something new. Correspondents of foreign media houses seem to have used the mask on their eyes instead of mouth and nose during the current fight against COVID-19.
Most of the arguments of the author are weak, not sustainable.
5 years back the same western media was gung-ho on Modi & expressed high hopes on him to lead India to a bright future. Their views have changed to disappointment. It is not just US & British media, even DW, Nikkei, Al Jazira are no different.
It is not just Rana whom author has picked up selectively. There are plenty of others who write in international media. Ashutosh Varshney, Salil Tripathi, Sadanand Dhume, Sonali Ranade, AshokSwain, Pankaj Mishra, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Barkha Dutt, Shashi Tharoor, Milan Varshney, Samar Harlankar ,..BJP has a severe shortage of such intellectuals who can sell their view.
India has not only world famous journalists but global economists like Kaushik Basu, Nobel laurette Amartya Sen, Raghuram Rajan, Arvind Pangarhia, Gita Gopinath Arvind Subramaniam- none seems an admirer of Modi government. A few of these run away from positions in Modi government.
‘’ cheaper opinions will always be prioritised over expensive facts.’’ True in general but less true for some who have relatively higher credibility & hence respected world over. They are mostly in democratic capitalistic western world. These are the media this author is targeting, ignoring the pro government sold media at home. Also remember, governments including Indian government spend a lot of money lobbying in USA, UNO,…so money for propaganda should not be problem for governments.
Claim of a sovereign government (like Balakot) is a far more serious than claim of an individual journalist like Rana Ayyub, hence needs a lot more scrutiny by any serious media.
Courts need conclusive legal proof, which journalists like Rana Ayyub cannot provide, particularly against powerful politicians who can manage witnesses & enforcement agencies. In a court, a guilty is innocent till proven guilty, does not mean he is definitely innocent. On the other hand, honest journalist try tobring out what politician try to hide even if it cannot be proven in court. If he/ she peddles fake news against a politician, he/ she certainly risk of being arrested/charged for the same. Ever otherwise he/ she risks being harassed for some other cooked charges. US media has been attacking President Trump most viciously though nothing could be / will be proven in court. However the democratic institutions in USA are more strong in USA which gives media the courage.
Just taking on the Balakot reference for now( and ignoring your other remarks) the ridiculous claim in some media was that the Indian Air Force only hit trees. But the IAF dropped between 5-12 bombs, even if all of them missed,, they wouldn’t leave dents on trees. There would be large craters or mounds. Where are the remnants of the bombs? They’re in Balakot, in that compound that was obliterated from within. The structure itself was not demolished( which is the argument the nay sayers use), but the inhabitants, between 300-500 were killed. Terrorists and fundamentalists of the JEM.
I do not understand your argument. Who is that ‘some media’ that said Indian Air Force ‘only hit trees’, who are the so called naysayers? You post does not provide their names . You may ignore them & read only credible media. Strategic institute of Australia analysed satellite pictures of large fresh crates & concluded that all targets were missed by same distance, indicating a technical error. They noticed fresh craters or mounds. Indian politicians claimed 300 plus causalities without any supporting evidence which you believe & repeat the number as 300-500. Social media showed in India large no of bodies & claimed them to be the Balakot catch which when investigated by fact checkers were found to be an old earth quake victim photo from Pakistan.
The strikes killed hundreds, while leaving the building intact. Pakistan shot down an Indian plane, that was part of a small contingent that successfully thwarted any Pakistani damage against India. The INDIAN AIR FORCE( not just the government) has 100% confirmed the success. So has an Italian journalist. It’s not just about Modi, it’s about India’s need to retaliate. Don’t make everything into party politics.
The physics of those bombs itself refutes the Pakistani and BBC/Reuters et al positions. The Spice-2000 bombs the IAF dropped would not leave craters. They would penetrate the earth, and throw up large mounds of earth. So whatever those craters were( probably explosives testing by the terrorists), they were not the result of missed IAF bombs.
Mr Varun Shekha: That is garbage and propaganda dished out to you by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar media outlets. The Balakot strikes were unnecessary and were carried out mainly for electoral purposes and to bolster Modi’s chances of winning the 2019 elections. What si worse, they also revealed many of India’s inherent military weaknesses.
Here si the scorecard for jingoists like you:
– The strikes killed nbobody and did no damage
– Pakistan shot down an Indian plane and captured the pilot
– The IAF indulged in frinedly fire and shot down one of its own helicopters.
Indeed, independent observers and defence analysts from NATO countries debunk much of that Modi propaganda. Not that facts matter for people of your ilk …
False. Three independent Indian TV channels confirmed the success of the strikes. The IAF have certified it. An independent Italian journalist lady says there were definitely major casualties in Balakot
Champagne (and caviar) socialists and liberals are a real problem. It is they who have allowed the rise of the distorted avatar of the Right Wing – of which the author is a leading example – to a degree where RW is used as a pejorative whereas it was once a viable vibrant and constructive ideology.
At a time of crisis when the RW should have shown us with action how they are infinitely superior to the lefties and the liberals, they are blundering about and MSM both in India and West will naturally highlight these shenanigans. So shoot the messenger especially the Western media because their validation is what the Indian RW really craves and throws a tantrum when denied.
Dhume will be disappointed that he did not make it to list of author;s favorite think tank people – might it have something to do with the fact that he turned from ardent Modi fan to critic.
Since this avatar of the RW suffers from a deep and persistent inferiority complex, most of the author’s faux intellectual superiority is spent trying to gaslight the readers – his favorite “experts” can only be understood by the technically minded, the masses are dumb. Then the usual trope of Khan Market gang – how unoriginal. The irony of a glorified shock jock masquerading as a serious commentator lamenting the death of nuance and importance given to extremist viewpoints is downright hilarious.
India’s image and soft power have taken a battering because of missteps, incompetence and hubris of this govt and its supporters. Much worse is yet to come and no amount of deflecting the blame on agendas, conspiracies and other blah will save the Indian RW. You wanted polarisation, you got it. Now deal with the downsides.
Useless and baseless article no stuff but seems like a bhakt rather than a journalist or a writer. People of india don’t get influenced by any foreign media so better be quite take your prize from your bosses and out.
There is neither any coherent nuance nor any genuine facts to support your what can be clearly called as a rant. truth is bitter my friend. Foreign media does what it does. everyone works with an agenda and vested interest.There is nothing called unbiased media. in the whole rant except for the fact that the GOI gives importance to westernmedia’s opinions.there is nothing substantial to refute the claims of the author. It only shows that You are deeply offended because he attacked what you consider to be sacred or pious.
Its true that there are a certain hiccups in handling of this pandemic. Obviously it could have been handled better. But again the PM is surrounded by bureaucrats and he relies on them heavily. He doesn’t use of his ministers for feedback as he relies on bureaucracy for that too. That is a major flaw. Its quite easy to throw a wide range of incoherent and mutually incompatible plans and solutions at the govt and foul mouthing it for not implementing them as if they can order the govt. Govt has its own restrictions, economical restrictions we cant just go ahead and print money. we are not USA.
Coming to India’s soft power, clearly u get your info from these champagne journos. People focus more on the optics. You may like it or not optics shape peoples opinions. its true that there may be ppl who take these champagne socialists seriously. but again the whole world and media are heavily polarized as pointed in the article. You cant please everyone at the sametime. Moreover nobody gives a damn about what they publish. They failed to influence their own countries election. Lets not give them and their whiteman’s burden undue importance. Peace
cleverly you start the comment with LeLI bashing , but the crux and the end especially typically reeks of “Champagne (and caviar) socialists and liberals” left idoelogy stench !!!!
The leftist “champions” of justice are too coward to even call out the unfairness of 370 for what it was. They’d rather play appeasement games and let thousands die till eternity than get called islamophobes . But oh no , everywhere else? “We care about women and LGBTQ rights uwah!”. Screw that kind of political correctness .
Ah yes, same old “everything is nazi, islamophobe ,bigotry” mumbo jumbo the western left has been pedalling. Thanks to fools like you all, RW keeps winning elections around the world. Don’t presume yourself to be “I’m not with either one of them”. You are .And they call you a c*ck out there.
Exact opposite of what you said and that would be the exact truth, well done my friend for turning your head exactly 180degress.
A very fine article. Catches the thoughts of people who read anti India leftist/islamist(who are very subtle in their approach) foreign press feeded by anti modi and anti bjp (only because bjp takes few aspects of our culture seriously) propaganda animals masquerading as journalists..
They need to singled out and their faces needed to be shown to public.
Very true, but author himself appears awed of these left wing media outlets and exaggerates their influence over indian minds.
Narendra Modi is doing well in political matters but abysmally in economic arena and that will decide his fate in 2024. Even his supporters need jobs/opportunity. That is what counts and not testimonials/certificates from any left wing or right wing analyst.
The champagne socialists, as you call them, have something else apart from the ability to write good english. They have a good back story, or a unique point of view or a body of work that gives them credibility. Just the ability to craft grammatically correct sentences and a coherent paragraph is not sufficient . You do have a unique point of view but now your view has become mainstream. Mainstream is boring.
The interest of reading papers is devindeled due to biased reporting and low level reporting. So called journalists always bring “freedom” freedom of speech and religions. Ayyub type can never understand what freedom is for none muslims. I dont want to bring religion into it, thede broadsheets are one sided money oriented lie spreaders. Because west and US are interested keeping Pakistan on their way geographically opperesser ali, the press will never give news in favor of India. Modi is kicked left right and centre by Muslims paper jeorneolist always take anti Modi side
Modi trying to save India from becoming Muslim country helped by Arabs. West is already gone that way.
What credibility does Rana Ayyub have?
Iyerval,
Although the reasons you cited are true, but they have no significance.
Two significant reasons are
A. International papers (Authors, Editors) are not part of the Indian class system. While Indian Andh Bhakth benefit themselves by writing Pro Modi article.
B. As of now, present govt has not invested in buying international media houses. May be the current cost overweigh the benefits.
But author’s grievance is genuine. Western media by and large represent the same classes in their countries that are trying to keep dominance here. Hence some kind of support was called for.
The Western media is very colonial, condescending and presumptuous with respect to India. Criticism is fine, but it should be incisive and balanced, something that makes you sit up and say “That was very well expressed and researched”.
Grreat article! Exactly the reason why so called liberal hyphenated news outlets are losing credibility for so many people. And then they are surprised why so many people do not trust them.
Hello Killi Jolsiya uncle, I am a hindutva supporter and in love with fascism. Adolph and Benito are my biggest heroes and I want oppress minorities like them. I want to establish Brahmanism and Hindu supremacy. I also want the constitution to be replaced by Manusmriti. I want your views on it and also ask your help to complete my ambition. Jai fascistvaad 卐 jai hindutva 卐
Hindutva people are the biggest jokers and clowns this country has ever produced. Whatever nonsense and lies yall spew won’t change my mind. Yall are a scared, slimy and cowardly bunch of people. Constantly complaining about Islamic invasions that happened 400 years ago because yall were too useless to defend yourselves. That’s the hard truth whether yall like it or not. It’s very easy to act tough now when you have the mob and government behind you. And don’t hide behind some made up pre islamic Hindu glory like Vedic aviation unless yall want to start a career in comedy. Hindus are good and peaceful people but hindutva has put their name in the mud by basing its platform on lies and deceit. Call me a jihadi, pakistani whatever lies you want but it’s not gonna erase the truth.
Dude, Chill! Nobody cares what you think. In any case, you sure having a grumpy life.
My stupid blogger….You have wasted too much time on hindus….Hope u have the will & courage to learn something evil intentions of islamic or muslim invasion of the other communities in India….It’s easy for you to bark against majority hindus in India but look at the arrogant and stupid intentions of muslim minority in india…..Forget about india, after covid19 the world has acknowledged islamic drama globally…..Except u….U seem to be supporter of half boiled egg like Raul Vinci or tukde tukde gang…..I hope u understand…..So better come out of the illusion that india is pro congie…..liberandos like u have been exposed and now have been shown the exit door……
In your reply you have used the following :-
1) attacking your opponent instead of his argument.
2) giving so many arguments that opponent isn’t able to answer them all.
3) dismissing your opponent on the basis that he is from a different group of people.
4) making a totally logical argument into a emotional argument.
All of these are the ways not used by the wise looking for truth but idiots who are looking out for themselves as these makes the entire argument meaningless which means argument can’t continue in any meaningful direction and while wise people sometimes unintentionally use these ways to win an argument the amount used in this argument suggests that you intentionally used them and thus proven you are a stupid person.
We keep hearing crap like “Nazi”, “fascist” et al. India has absolutely nothing to do with that. That’s entirely on Europe and Christians. India’s history has Islamic invasions and British and Portuguese colonialism, not Nazis. Irrelevant.
kili josiyar (translated : parrot card reader (a la tarot) – has all the time in the world going over(key)board posting against every other post…may be he/she is getting something out of this exercise… 🙂 🙂
btw there is an old interview (pre 2014) where the swati mentioned in these comments is seen going similarly overboard in her adulation of Mr Modi…almost entreating him to tell the world that he is gonna be the next PM of India…
it can be safely said for all those who take sides with those who call themselves journalists and create these tirades in western web pages/paper pages that nobody takes them seriously… they come they rant and they go…repeat loop. GDP, Jobs, agrarian discontent, education, poverty …these are just labels that they keep chucking around senselessly… because they have no idea what they are talking about… @ home we have phds in “cinema studies” and “African studies” (whatever these areas of study involve!!! ) complaining loudly that there are no jobs… how in the world can so many students of these sort of studies get jobs ? and when they start talking about GDP… GST… FDI… it is plain they have no idea what they are talking… and there are 🙂 🙂 all over…
Bro…dude…whoever… we in india have learnt to switch off when we hear the following: 1. narrative…2. the devil is in the details…3. two wrongs do not make it right…4. persecution complex… 5. stop this Whataboutery… 6. get out of your echo chambers… and the list only grows with each SM minute…
We now live with many people’s ignorance… misinterpretation … some peoples’ award winning indlish literature… ha ha laughable stuff… may be now america and these indians who write for american outlets should give someone(from India that is – bollywood preferably) the Oscar for some sort of movie related action… direction… music… anything… then a billion ears and eyes will start taking this “commentariat” (that’s a new word ready to switch me off) seriously… oh…what a waste of time…
Jaya avargale: Romba Romba thanks for the comment and the special attention given to me ! I am flattered !
I tried very hard to comprehend what message you were trying to get across through your comment. But I must admit that I had to give up – even though I know what GDP, jobs, poverty and so on are. Perhaps I may not have opened as many books as erudite people like you might have. But nonetheless, reading your comment makes me want to cite you:
“..what a waste of time ..”
PS: Thanks for explaining my pseudonym to the many gaurakshaks from the “chappathi belt” who probably have been left vigorously scratching the groins trying to make sense of it
Nailed it . But the foreign media is choosing this Islamist and radical left because it’s suits there bias and propaganda and not for getting hits in India
Many Hindutva espousing, gaurakshak supporting, Modi-can-never-be-wrong breed of commenters here assume that since Indian media is largely a paid media, that would apply to media everywhere in the world. And that journalists who write in prestigious publications like the New York Times, The Guardian, The Economist etc. are of the same calibre as “journalists” like Arnab Goswami and his Hindutva spewing ilk. Far from true.
Facts on the ground create news. Journalists report these facts and attempt to relate it to a relevant context. No smoke without fire that is. As a long time reader of these English language publications as well as many French and Scandinavian publications, I am pretty certain that India’s image is largely created by India’s political class. And often, by their lumpen, violent underbellies. No amount of obsfucating can hide the fact that lynching of Muslims by gaurakshaks and other thuggish organisations allied with the BJP such as Bajrang Dal, Hindu Yuva Vahini, Vishwa Hindu Parishad is a fact in India. It can’t be made to disappear.
Sometime ago, another illustrious Gujarathi called Morarji Desai proclaimed from every rooftop and every soapbox he could find that he drank his own urine. When he went to the US in the late 70s, the press had a field day reporting about the “Desai cola” – much to the embarrassment of Indians. Then as now, Indians were angry that India’s image was being tarnished by a hostile foreign media. And then as now, the press was merely reporting facts – kinky though they were !
“Desai cola” has now been replaced by “cow cola” and Gandhian Morarji Desai has been replaced by anything-but-a-Gandhian Narendra Modi. When the PM and the BJP espouse, endorse and evangelise the Savarkarian and Golwalkarian ideology of hate called Hindutva, is it any surprise that the world outside takes notice of this?
The PM, the BJP, Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra and the many commenters who blindly support violent Hindutva need to realise that outside India, in countries and platforms where serious journalism is the norm, there are no Arnab Goswamis to sing praises to the violent, vile ideology called Hindutva. That narrative is not under the PM’s control.
But facts on the ground are very much under the control of PM Modi. He could have chosen to rein in hate-mongers like Adityanath, Tejaswi Surya, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, Sadhvi Uma Bharthi and their ill. He could have stopped following murderous gaurakshaks on Twitter. He could have met the families of Muslim men lynched so brutally by the BJP ideology of hate. Alas, the PM chooses not to. So why blame the foreign media?
I may be wrong but u come across to me as a beef eating , hinduphobic, Malayali Christian, with heavy bias against hindus culture ,history ,herritage , and violently anti modi , and a selective cherry picker of incidents to suit his / her narrative and a rabid promoter of love jihad , rice bag conversion, terrorism , forced conversion of hindus , and annihilation of BJP RSS workers in Kerala , just because u take it Christianity too seriously and put it above nationalism , and ur religion has made u a frustrated ,mad bigot. Dont worry bro, we know Kerala will turn into a graveyard of hindus like Kashmir in future and u can celebrate a duopoly of Christians and Islamists in Kerala demography in future decades. I can demolish all ur bigoted ,one sided arguments (ramblings) of “Hindutva, golwalker, pm modi, lynching , BJP MPs , Arnab a bad journo” and other stuffs. But 1) I won’t waste my time in convincing a vile, racist , hateful brainwashed, hinduphobic bigot , who puts his religion above nation , reason or logic and loves his country getting tarnished by low IQ ,Liars like Rana ayub whose books gets rejected in SC and openly tweets lies, hate speech against hindus, viruent messages against India’s army majors . 2) Kerala is too small a state, which already is sinking into a hot bed of CATHOLIC ISLAMIC terrorism. In national context too it doesn’t matter much what a bigoted mallu has to spew against India or our pm. So keep ranting on comment section. U DONT MATTER.
Before insulting hindutva or golwalker, remind urself what sort of lurid , dastardly incidents of rapes taking place in Catholic churches of Kerala followed by the plight of victims being threatened and arm twisted to stay quiet. So clean ur own mess first rapists. Then blabber on hinduism ,which u r too stupid and ill informed to talk about. And about lynchings, MORE HINDUS ARE GETTING LYNCHED BY MUSLIMS IN RECENT MONTHS, but media that u follow won’t report it. Yeah I can rattle off the list of victims in recent years, the latest being Rohit Jaiswl of Bihar being brutally slaughtered by MULLAS inside a new mosques . Couple that with incidents of stone pelting at Mandirs, hindu processions, targetted harassment of hindu girls, hindu households in muslim majority areas ,leading to forceful exodus of hindus in areas like Kairana , Malda etc. Also remember, how muslim cow smugglers have killed numerous cow rakshaks in North india. Ican keep giving specific examples WHERE MUSLIM EXTREMISTS targetted innocent hindu community in a whole range of events and incidents. But since u have brainwashed by one sided news papers u won’t accept.
WHY KERALA CM NEVER VISITS HOUSE OF BJP RSS ACTIVISTS KILLED BY MUSLIM EXTREMISTS OF CPI? Why is he silent on FIR lodged against Sudhir Chaudhary for showing truth only ,by a leftist worker? Why is he silent on rape victims of churches.?? WHY SHOULD THERE BE A PLACE CALLED “GAZA STRIP” IN KERALA? WHY IS CM INACTIVE ABOUT RISING RADICALISATION OF KERALA YOUTH?? Why KERALA KEEPS PRODUCING RADICAL ISLAMIST ELEMENTS LIKE LADEEDA SAKHALOON, AYESHA RENNA?
Hinduphobes like u don’t Have guts to utter a word against single source tabligis, single handedly responsible for COVID crisis (30% cases) . U r nothing but a scaredy cat pussy when it comes to speaking against”radical islamist” hell bent on fulfilling their dreams of a ghazwa. Finally if u believe Rana ayub ,someone whose book get trashed everywhere, who believes Kahmir is a contested territory, indian army are rapists,kashmiri terrorists are freedom fighters,POK is azaad Kashmir , CAA is anti muzzzlem and unconstitutional, Muslims of Kashmir were short changed by abrogation of Art 370 or Ram Mandir verdict BY SC was a “gift to hindutva mob” , then my friend, u may be indian by birth but really really , u r a obscured clueless uniformed prejudiced “ANTI NATIONAL”
Utsab: Care to tell us which fluid fuelled your fact-free braying – Desai Cola or Cow Cola?
Utsab made excellent points about Hindus/BJP workers/RSS workers killed in Kerala and elsewhere. And all you could come up with is a silly remark. Hindus are certainly victims, in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Ha ha ha….Mr.mallu cola….Your kerala’s communists days are numbered….Bjp has entered in kerala and will win this election….And once bjp comes all of you and your jihad lover followers along with the ones joining terrorist organisation lives will be in trouble…..And this must happen to teach jihadi like u a good lesson….
You are wrong.
Care to explain why I am wrong Mr Adarsh Ranjan? Thank you Sir.
Majority of christians in kerala are syrian christians they don’t proselytize or convert anyone by giving material benfits like some proestant denomination doing in other states. And what about rapes and sexual abuse by Saddhu’s, swami and hindu Baba’s. Buddist monks and musilm Imams. So if someone did something bad don’t say everyone are like the bad one. Whatever you written is completely wrong
The question is why is the foreign media so fascinated by this violence. And if they are going to be fascinated, at least show the Hindu victims of lynchings and riots. Oh and for Jolsiyar, India never had a very good image in the West. It was mostly poverty, starvation, squalor, injustice, inequality et al. So where is your remark about India losing its positive image coming from? There was no positive image, except among some highly sophisticated writers. India’s image has not taken a hit because of Modi. It’s better now, than ever before.
Obviously, that was a very feeble attempt at humor…. It only showed the mindless, lockstep sentiment of the Jihadi Mindset.
How long are Muslims going to play the victim until they realize that everything bad that is happening to them is of their own doing….BACKWARD IS AS BACKWARD DOES…
My conclusions after studying the Islamic jihadist doctrines over the years: ——— Allah is not God. Allah is Mohammed’s penis. Mohammed was a slave to his monstrous lusts for unbridled sex, total domination of others, and sadistic bloodletting–primitive urges all produced by his insatiable hormones. Islam demands that every human, without exception, must become a slave of Allah, too, just as the murderous pervert, Mohammed, himself was. As a goal for humanity, nothing could be more ugly, ignoble, or degenerate. Islam is evil to the core and deserves not one scintilla of respect.
Cry more Jiahaddi.. Yes, no one expects Mughal(or whatever they were) invaders to give back the wealth they took away from here. There are written and archaeological facts that India had immense wealth at that time and everyone was Indic (but facts do not matter if you’re a pinchure owner) Sikh Gurus were beheaded cause they didn’t want to convert. You can deny all the history you want but it’s evidencial fact. Yes India at that time was never of expansionist attitude so military equipment were not good enough if someone attacked. But today we are aware, this is Hindu (Indic meaning Sikhs, Buddhist, Jains) land. We will restore the utmost holy sites and wont let ISI/ISIS/Al-Jazeera stooges like Rana Ayyub, Arundhuti Roy to succeed.
Why does the liberal media rile the right week media so much? They have their views and every right to them. Stupid term ‘champagne socialists. ‘I consider myself a liberal thinker and I don’t glug champagne every day nor do I come from a wealthy background. Learn to allow other people’s opinions sir and stop dubbing them as lies.
Had u been liberal enough u would have openly embraced his views . That’s where modern self proclaimed liberals have turned themselves into laughing stocks. They never allow the same freedom of opinion to their ideological opponents that they demand
Theyer practice what they preach. They have a tendency to assume they “know it all” .kind of liberalism that Congress or left espouses. Double standards and hypocrisy is the reason why liberals are called “libtards ” these days. Selective outrage and selective silence is what has also contributed to their losing credibility. Let me give some recent examples.. Swara Bhasker types outrage with Boys locker room but prefer silence with girls one. Khan market gang literally shakes the world when a criminal muslim is beaten to death. But in recent months, there have been a spate of hindus killed ( I believe u follow some indian media too) but they are suspiciously silent. Then take fundamental Islamists like arfa Khanum types , according to them JSR is Communal chant but olla hu uber is patriotic. Or those magazines which preaches us that burqah is liberating and a womens choice but a dupatta is patriarchal domination on women. Or for example those movie reviews which state Tanhaji is a “trash hindutva” project but “Aryavart is chillingly true “. Or say when Arnab Goswami or Sudhir Chaudhary gets targetted , people like u or Dhruv Rathi celebrate , but turn it face and lecture on decreasing press freedom when a congi slave like Varadarajan gets notice served. Or for that matter those like Vinod dua who idolize Nehru and curse anyone raise valid criticism of him ,only reason being ” u can’t criticise someone after death” but the same guy dua in another video of his ,after Atal Vajpayee death asked us “Why can’t we criticise someone after death?”
It is this kind of apparent double standards that makes librals as librandus, which I will call you too . Now since I have completely Pulverized u, u can hide in some hideout. Good bye
Hah another crazy Malayali beef eating hinduphobic Christian, brainwashed by local Malayalam media whose only job is to demonise modi and BJP. Uncle ur stuck in the past where it was believed that pm modi was complicit in “riots ” not “pogrom” of 2002 , started by a muslim person , who there a gas stove inside the train. It’s they who started it and casualties were from both sides and when casualty is from both side it’s not pogrim. It’s pretty basic uncle , ok boomer? What uniformed bigoted fools these malayalis are wow. Now lets come to the present. Supreme court have absolved him from any kind of complicity in that incident. Now Even supreme court must be lying isn’t it? What a hateful prejudiced uncle tom u r. Keep burning ,India doesn’t care. Don’t cry for central aids during disaster . No quarters given no quarter asked.
Finally Nehru spread love? Are u dumb or Outta ur mind? He is the guy who arrested so many journalists and actors and producers during his rule , who were critical to his views. And his crime doesnt end there. He had issue with Vallabh Patel , plus he is the single responsible guy for Kashmir crisis. I M only 23 , and I seem to have more facts than so called “literate Mallu uncles ” like u. So much ignorance , so much prejudice, so much bias , so much lies , so much posion ?? Hahaha. Keep burning keep burning. Kerala is going downhill with rising Islamic terror. They won’t spare u too. Today they r ur bedfellows. Tomorrow they will massacre u, like they r doing else where. And plz get back to 2020 From 2002. Even staunch anti modi propagandist like Rajdeep sardeshai have appologised. More elements like u hate himz more popularity he keeps gaining. Keep
Utsabd Banerjee: Thank you for informing us that you are 23 years old. Reading your puerile rants, I thought you were just 3 years old.
It’s the one-sidedness and lack of balance or nuance, that is most repellent. “Lies”, well I suppose sometimes. But these media are usually clever enough not to lie.
What is there to love Modi? His political genesis, his claim to the position he is in today was in evil. Pogrom 2002 under his watch.But for this evil he would not have been here as PM.Why blame others for not “loving” Modi. Evil can breed only evil. He appealed to the evil in the people and won over them.that is much easier than winning over with love as Nehru did
Dr Joji Cherian: You are spot on.
Unfortunately, in a country as heterogeneous as India, identity politics, particularly the identity politics of religion can yield significant payoffs. Bal Thackeray exploited the “Marathi Manoos” identity and deployed his thugs against “kaala madrasis”, Biharis, North Indians, Muslims and later even against Gujaratis . The DMK plays a similar game in Tamilnadu. Likewise, the BJP fought the 2019 elections on primarily a religious agenda. Perhaps the only exception to this trend in India maybe Kerala where the BJP’s unique brand of religious hatred came to a naught.
In any case, then CM Modi’s Gujarat Model of hate and polarisation is being extended to the whole of India. Muslims & Christians today, God alone knows which group will be the next target in this vile BJP project of setting up Indian against Indian. One hopes the country remains intact.
Your comments here are setting up a preemptive argument Of I told you so. Usually it is a reaction that people like Rana Ayub wait for to write about. Like regular screams from the loudspeakers into our homes ,people Blocking public spaces for prayers regularly.Sometimes animals are being slaughtered as sacrifices in residential areas in front of children generally not of the same faith. This is offensive. Standing up to it is termed as targeting a particular community. People Are seeing through this and are becoming more expressive. Religion is archaic.
Many here feel that English media press is not the widely read one. But its US, UK and France who lead the opinion war and shape it for the Western world still. France has quite a few English speaking people and its channels too telecast English programs. NYT, WAPO, Economist etc are much widely read than other European ones. The target audience too is different and the purpose for which its done too is well defined.
I like the fact that Abhijit chose to write in a web magazine thats part of the cabal and Shekhar Gupta the shameless editor published it!
Not so long ago these same Western media outlets were writing articles about Prime Minister Modi which would have put Shakespeare’s love sonnets to shame. Now like jilted lovers they abuse the PM. Everyone has an agenda and they support or denounce on the basis of whether someone will serve or not serve their agenda.
Oh, so you think the change in attitude has nothing to do with the actual performance of Prime Minister Modi? Sorry, but many people pinned their hopes on him – his promises of development, no corruption, etc – only to have those hopes crushed.
Excellent retort Ms Sandy Tatham.
Alas, for the members of the Modi cult, the man is a Messiah who can never go wrong. Indeed, the more violence PM Modi unleashes on Muslims, the greater his popularity becomes. After the Godhra pogroms of 2002, when the Bajrang Dal, the RSS, the BJP and other lumpen organisations of the Sangh Parivar went about raping, pillaging and burning innocent Muslims under the watch of then CM Modi, his government was dismissed. But he won the subsequent elections with a thumping majority. Clearly identity politics, especially exploiting religious identities for political gains pays big in India.
The danger now is that the Gujarat model is becoming and indeed being made the norm for the whole of India, especially North India. The creation of a Hindu Pakistan is well underway.
One thing is clear from this piece. The writer perhaps is a member of Bootlicking Club of India. And thinks the entire world press has ganged up against a person, under whose watch, Gujarat saw its worst manslaughter and rape. Shame!
The Print editor’s contempt for the left is also equally clear. Today the so called Left has managed Kerala much better than BJP has managed it’s states. And in human indices, it is head and shoulders about the rest. But in the Print’s eye only the champagne carrying left is visible. Why? When has Shekhar Gupta last had a kind word for the Left? In fact, there’s been enough praise lavished on Advani even after Babri. Why? People who accuse others of being modi haters must examine their own sense of heightened objectivity.
RANA AYUB & SWATI CHATURVEDI DO NOT OPERATE IN FRENCH, DANISH, NORWEGIAN, SWEDISH
Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra is concerned with the shenanigans of the Rana Ayubs, Swati Chaturvedis and their anti-national op-eds in leading English language newspapers like the New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post and so on. In the worldviews of Mr Iyer-Mitra and his many supporters in the comments section below, these congenital Modi haters allied with the liberal English language media are the sole reason why India gets a bad rap internationally. Everything in India is hunky-dory for minorities and Muslims who don’t fear for their lives. Indeed, Mulims regard gaurakshaks as Good Samaritans ! Why then this storm in a gomutra lota ?
Clearly, for Mr Iyer-Mitra and his ilk, facts on the ground don’t matter. To them, state supported violence against Muslims as well as a discriminatory political ideology called Hindutva have nothing to do with the negative press India receives. Everything is the fault of these bloody leftie journalists – uppity women to boot – such as the Rana Ayubs, Swati Chaturvedis, Arundati Roys and so on. These anti-nationals have single-handedly tarnished the reputation of Bharat mata, fabricating stories about discrimination and violence. Accordingly, the lynchings of Mohammad Akhlaq, Junaid Khan, Tabreez Ansari, Pehlu Khan, Riyazuddin Ali, Abu Hanifa etc. never took place. The families of these men are living happily ever after.
Maybe the English media is biased. But what about media in languages other than English? Surely, they are not the happy hunting grounds of these lefty journalists with an anti-nationalistic bent of mind? Surely, the French, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian media, bereft as they are of these anti-nationals must have great news about India? Alas, that is not the case Mr Iyer-Mitra.
I speak all the above languages, besides a smattering of English. I decided to check out the press in the non-English speaking world and what they think of India. Here are some headlines quickly translated to English.
FRANCE
Le Monde, 19. Dec 2019
L’Inde est en train d’institutionnaliser la discrimination des musulmans
India on track to institutionalise discrimination of Muslims
Ref: bit.ly/2YHts3U
Le Figaro, 12th April, 2019
Inde: le chef du BJP veut jeter les immigrés illégaux à la mer
India: BJP head wishes to throw illegal immigrants in the sea
Ref: bit.ly/3chT2jH
_____
SWITZERLAND
Tribune de Genève, 26th Feb 2020
Le bilan des violences augmente à New Delhi
The scorecard for violence points upwards in New Delhi
Ref: bit.ly/35LBPwA
_____
SWEDEN
Aftonbladet, 16th Aug 2019
Tufft för oliktänkande i Modis Indien
Difficult for those who think differently in Modi’s India
Ref: bit.ly/2zr89Zy
_____
NORWAY
Aftenposten, 19th March 2020
Hatet er oransje i India. Og det sprer seg raskt.
Hate is orange coloured in India. And it is spreading quickly
Ref: bit.ly/2WgjkgP
_____
DENMARK
Politiken, 15th Dec 2019
Indien vil indføre lov, som diskriminerer muslimer
India to introduce laws that discriminate against Muslims
Ref: bit.ly/3bgyFCn
Admittedly, the vast majority of Indian journalists writing for a foreign audience write in English. Likewise, most Indian readers confine themselves to the English speaking world. But a large chunk of the world does not use English, particularly in Europe and even more so in France. And when India’s image in this non-Anglophone world is also at its nadir, it must reflect the sordid facts on the ground. It reflects the violence, discrimination and religios intolerance that one in the past associated with Pakistan and not India.
In 6 short years, the Modi led BJP government has squandered the vast reservoir of soft power that India had accumulated over decades, including under the previous BJP led Vajpayee regime. And soft power does not emanate from a 56 inch chest or from the rabid screaming matches of India’s wannabe Göbbels and the face of Indian journalism today – Arnab Goswami.
Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra’s preposterous theory that India’s image abroad is created by a few Indian female journalists is completely shattered when one looks at the world beyond the ambit of these ladies.
And finally, in the humble opinion of this simple clerk operating out of a corner office in an obscure corner of this world, these brave Indian women journalists and writers have the gall, the spunk and the balls that the Arnab Goswamis and Abhijit Iyer-Mitras so visibly and sorely lack.
In fact, there is nothing to comment or write about the Modi and his party other than to applaud the emperor’s cloth.
Excellent observation Mr Venu P !
Now-a-days, one needs to look at various traditional media to triangulate and decipher the truth. Pointing to various vernacular media does not support one’s argument. Too many people working in some obscure corners of the world know the truth about what Abhijit Iyer has written. I endorse his comments about anti-India foreign media aided by Indian cabal. Arguments cannot be won by labeling.
Mr RJ: Thanks for the response.
Pray tell us what the hell is “traditional media to triangulate and decipher the truth” ? Media accessible only in English? Is truth something that can only be told in English? Not in French or Finnish? Or Arabic? And care to explain to simpletons like me as to what “triangulate” is ? A novel litmus test for detecting the truth ?
Additionally, when you, like India’s colonial masters condescendingly refer to indigeneous and commonly spoken languages as “vernaculars” unworthy of being considered in a debate, you do put yourself among the ranks of the champagne swilling classes don’t you ?
And in any case, facts on the ground are shaped by the activities of your thuggish gaurakshak friends and their political backers, not by recalcitrant, anti-national journalists – women to boot – and a hostile foreign press. When murderous thugs are aided and abetted by men in high positions like that violent monk Adityanath, BJP bigwigs like Tejaswi Surya, Jaynt Sinha, Sadhvi Pragya Thakur, PM Modi, Amit Shah and their ilk, is it any surprise that the press writes about it ? When journalists like Gauri Lankesh get murdered by Hindu right wing groups like Sanathan Sanstha that derive their legitimacy from the BJP whilst at the same time affording the BJP deniability why blame cabals?
At the end of the day, people like you refuse to acknowledge that Hindutva terror is an intended and deliberate facet of the BJP. The question then is: Why do educated people like you endorse it ?
You need burnol
“these congenital Modi haters allied with the liberal English language media are the sole reason why India gets a bad rap internationally”
Absolutely, its not like the western Media bothers to listen to Regional Language media of Indians to get to the grassroots of everything. They just lean on the little Liberal stooges they’ve groomed using their Liberal ideology, like YOU for ex.
“Clearly, for Mr Iyer-Mitra and his ilk, facts on the ground don’t matter”
Quite the contrary, Iyer is suggesting that the FACT of how India is viewed globally MATTERS, something you liberals don’t particularity give a damn about in your “Crusade” against some Hindu Boogeyman.
“state supported violence against Muslims”
No such thing ever happened in India.
“uppity women to boot”
OH NO, we can’t say anything about women.. HOW dare we? PATRAICHY MISSSONGY…. is what i would say if i was a lefy coward lol I treat Women&Men EQUALLY like a true Gender Equality person. I don’t care if you’re a woman or a man, its what you DO&SAY that DEFINES YOU. Arundothi roy is a known NAxalite Supporter, i should let her off the hook because she is a woman? NO
“Accordingly, the lynchings of Mohammad Akhlaq, Junaid Khan, Tabreez Ansari, Pehlu Khan, Riyazuddin Ali, Abu Hanifa etc. never took place”
Isolated incidents of crime happen all the time, it is you lefty India haters that take these incidents and make it seem like its the advent of next Hindu-Muslim Civil War..
“And when India’s image in this non-Anglophone world is also at its nadir, it must reflect the sordid facts on the ground”
NO it does not, its just that the ENTIRE western World follows the same cooked up narratives.
“In 6 short years, the Modi led BJP government has squandered the vast reservoir of soft power that India had accumulated over decades”
Soft Power is coping mechanism for the defeated, I’m no BJP supporter but i’d like India to be AGGRESSIVE and ASSERTIVE as a Nation. BJP is doing exactly that, i hate modi personally but i can’t help but support him because he’s better than spineless cowards like Manmonhan and Rahul. I like BJP’s ZERO compromise policy towards Kashmir.
“beyond the ambit of these ladies”
Stop hiding behind the Sarees of Women to shield your Western Imported Cancer ideology from Criticism, you COWARD Liberal! Your Liberal ideology is the brainchild of racists from 19th century, its a fact..
“in the humble opinion of this simple clerk”
You were anything BUT humble in this hate filled spiel of yours. As for me, i don’t need any women or Arnab to speak for me, i defend my culture, my dharma, my people UN-Apologetically.. Unlike you, i don’t drag the reputation of my nation to ground to defeat some petty ideological opponents in India, unlike you i care about India’s dignity.
Very true
It gets to a point where one becomes numb with indifference to the fact free, tone deaf & one dimensional views dripping of the pages of the NyTimes, Guardian or the Economist. The Guardian refers to a recently killed terrorist as merely a “rebel”, the Associated Press writes on privacy fears over Aarogya Setu app “ in a country with no data privacy laws”, The NY Times covered the Citizenship Amendment Act as if a pogram was underway in the Country, The Economist for all its revered history openly asked Indian voters to throw their lot in with Rahul Gandhi…it’s non stop barrage of idiocy. Quite frankly I’m not as perturbed anymore as I once was, life goes on, they lost their credibility and whilst I still read them, never take anything at face value.
Ms Sugandi: You claim to continue to read the NY Times, the Guardian and The Economist despite their “fact free, tone deaf & one dimensional views”.
You remind me of almost all GOI officials: When the want facts, they don’t check Doordarshan or for that matter any Indian channel. They go straight to the BBC. Several high ranking officials from my own family in the GOI admit to doing that tacitly. Whilst in the past, one could be reliably sure that monopolist Doordarshan would be a few hours behind a BBC or a CNN to tell you breaking news, these days, one has many a Doordarshan clone through the phenomenon of paid news. A sting operation a few years ago revealed that almost all Indian newspapers were willing to publish flattering and indeed inflammatory news for a price. No wonder that India today is placed at an abysmal 142 out 180 countries surveyed in the Reporters Without Borders Index of Press Freedoms, ref: https://rsf.org/en/ranking_table And yes, India is ahead of Pakistan which is ranked at 145 !!
I now understand why you prefer to read the NY Times, the Guardian and The Economist despite their “fact free, tone deaf & one dimensional views” !
Leave what says and who says, simply if election happens , who again get the Votes, we all knows, then who cares for the outsider. Some people, always be there, who wants to take credit saying against the wind. They never praised anyone in the world . We have to that much of courage, to praise someone for his work.
Mr. Abhijit, how much are you sold out to this foreign media. I’m a foreigner but in love with your country and respects to a PM like Modi. Learn to be an Indian first as you are lucky enough to be born there!
So a men belittling foreign media over its consistent anti-India stance is “sold out to foreign media”?
Mr. Abhijit, how much r u sold out to this foreign media. I’m a foreigner but in love with your country and respects to a PM like Modi. Learn to be an Indian first as you r lucky enough to be born there!
YS Aryan’s comment is worthy of a completely independent, well-researched article in itself.
“This article smell slike a distinct case of sour grapes.
Tennis pros often complain that Roger Federer gets preferential treatment – the biggest courts, the best times. The fact is, that he’s the person the fans want to watch most. So he plays where the most people can fit in, at the time most people are free to watch. Therer’s no other bias at play!
Similarly, prestigious foreign publications publish articles and op-eds from people the readers want to listen to. In addition, the people you’re sour about also have that elusive thing called spine. The newspapers know that their opinions will be free, independant and immune to pressure.
So, no, they would’nt want fake, biased articles from the likes of Arnab Goswami or you.
Modi’s problem is not the articles, but the policies and decisions that fuel them. Take the Delhi riots for instance. Everyone can see that the state forces were biased, that Muslims bore the brunt of the violence, as well as the following arrests. So it’s natural they would want an op-ed ny Rana Ayyub who spoke of the exact same sequence of events a few decades ago. And what do you mean there’s no proof. People have openly admitted to state support for their violent acts in Gujarat – on camera. That it wasn’t proven was only because the system was gamed by Modi. Delhi is the perfect case in point!
Mr Subin: A well written, hard-hitting comment, reflecting my own views as well. You hit the nail on the head when you so accurately summarise the issue:
“Modi’s problem is not the articles, but the policies and decisions that fuel them”
You might also want to have a look at my comment about what the international press in non-English speaking countries has to say about India under ruler Modi. One can be certain that “anti-nationals” such as Rana Ayub, Swati Chaturvedi, Arundati Roy etc. do not write for the French, Swedish, Norwegian or Danish press and yet India gets flak.
After all, when Ajay Bhisht, the vile “Hindu” monk and UP Chief Minister unabashedly calls Muslims the “green virus” and exhorts his followers to resort to violence against Muslims, you don’t need Rana Ayubs and Swati Chaturvedis to tarnish India’s image. Additionally, the fact this savage man’s incendiary statements are very likely done with the approval of his bosses in Delhi & Nagpur is something that cannot be hidden from the world. And Bhisht is tipped to succeed Modi !
The Modi government has only itself and its tacit approval of violence against minorities to blame for the bad press it receives outside India. But alas, Mr Iyer-Mitra, brought up in the hallowed Indian tradition of paid news cannot fathom that.
I find it hilarious that some people claim foreign news papers are balanced in their views about india. This means they really don’t like india, it’s civilisation and contributions. But heck who cares about them, india has changed for good. If not the gandhis would not have lost Amethi. Indians are getting to know their real history, which none of these news papers have courage to confront. The lie about human rights, secularism and appeasement is all visible to Indians now. The agenda driven lens is off.
Mr Naren: You claim:
“india has changed for good”
On what parameters has India changed for good Mr Naren? Employment & inflation? Press freedoms? Safety and security of minorities, particularly Muslims? Lynchings have gone down? Religious tolerance has improved? India’s image abroad has improved? Muslim countries where Indians work are happy at the BJP’s anti-Muslim rhetoric ?
Care to elaborate from facts on the ground rather than Hindutva and BJP propaganda Mr Naren?
What your so called minority Muslim(although they are now more than twenty crores from two and half crores in 1947) have not freedom and security.They are opening converting marrying non Muslims girls, openly throwing stones on medi cal staff,blocking the roads in the name of freedom of opposition.What you want more for them.Secondly no Muslim countries have courage to challenge modi India.Are you aware?
Mr Rakesh Chaturvedi: You pontificate:
“no Muslim countries have courage to challenge modi India.Are you aware?”
Well, like the vast majority of blinkered, blind Modi bhakths and scrotum scratching Hindutva intellectuals, you too are obsessed with Islam and Muslims. And in your saffron tinted worldview, India’s greatest dangers are posed by Muslims, external and internal.
Have you forgotten about a country called China which thrashed India militarily in 1962 ? And continues to thrash and annihiliate India in virtually every economic activity? And is now allied with several Islamic countries? So care to check with the Gujarathi geniuses who rule India control your intellect and get back Mr Rakesh Chaturvedi ?
And have you forgotten that India thrashed China in 1967 at Nathu La? And continues to thrash China in democracy, freedom and the primacy of the human spirit and soul? If such things can be measured. That China is not admirable, and if it is taken seriously, it’s not for good reasons.
india has a good leader, who is not from Lutyens, Khan Market or convent schools. This is a major reason why that crowd doesn’t like Modi. Their liberalism, as such, doesn’t extend to Modi or people who don’t speak polished English
Well He Got Arrested, These People Don’t. In my region the Jan Aushadhi Kendre has been a big hit in selling lower price generic medicines, Ayushman Bharat Cards Too , Village Lady was able to conduct her eye operation in the rather high costing private hospitals.for free . all the transformers in our area have been replaced with the new ones that do not burn out. We are now almost getting 24 hrs electricity which was just 8-12 during Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav times. local crimes are reducing many mobsters have been encountered. Constant cleaning activity by swach bharat team also takes place weekly. the NPS Pension Scheme is also epic. All In All Its A Great Journey . Looking forward to 2029.
The only reason national media (with honorable exceptions) is not doing the same is that it is either bought or coerced. Any one allowed to tell the truth will say that same – that BJP policies are anti-democratic, anti-minority, anti-poor, anti-women, irrational and increasingly anti-national.
An excellent comment Ms Anamika !
Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the BJP’s policies is that the very unity of India has been compromised by the fact that an ideology of hate viz. Hindutva dictates domestic and foreign policy. And alienates many domestically as well as outside the borders of India.
The BJP forgets that India is essentially an administrative entity of the East India Company and later the Crown which lumped together some 600 odd princely states that dotted the region. As such, the exit of the colonial masters resulted in the division of this region into 2 countries and later into 3 when E.Pakistan became Bangladesh. The cohesion of this vast geographical unit cannot be taken for granted as the BJP & RSS believe.
India, like Pakistan consists of regions that are “held together” as opposed to having “voluntarily come together” to form a country. That the country has largely held together, despite the many movements that have tested national unity is perhaps the greatest achievement of the Congress. And no, I am no supporter of the Congress or the Gandhi dynasty. But perhaps by a combination of both accident and design, the Union has largely held, despite Sikhs wanting an independent Khalistan, Kashmiris wanting out, various parts of the North-East in turmoil, language conflicts in the South, religious conflicts everywhere, caste strife all over the country and so on. You only have to leave India to see that most Indians come together, not as Indians but as speakers of same languages. Indeed, there is severe animosity and suspicion between Indians from various regions even when they are abroad. Nation building in India is still unfinished business and very much work in progress.
The much ballyhooed Gujarat model never had to deal with issues such as national unity – something the two bearded Gujaratis who rule India don’t seem to comprehend. Additionally, unlike the state of Gujarat, the country called India has to operate in an international context and has to deal with a wide array of international actors and interests. Thus calling Muslims as termites to be thrown into the sea or anointing a rabid, vile, violent “monk” as CM of a large state is bound to attract attention overseas. When the state not only looks the other way when its citizens are lynched and when the murderers are garlanded by Ministers and followed on Twitter by the PM, the image of India sinks to lower levels than that of Pakistan.
Facts on the ground cannot be concealed in 2020. Especially when one of the facts is fascism.
Are you the one getting ₹2 per comment?
Modi is violating human rights and has spoiled Indian image in the world. It’s a question mark on democracy. If you call this a democratic india then what would dictatorship be like. These newspapers are showing the world the true image of India and I congratulate them on their stance. Indian lobbying have tried to buy them but failed and now they have started to use social media against them but the world knows the Indian BJP and RRS supremacy policies and agenda. I support print midia for highlighting humanitarian atrocities committed in India by BJP and RRS. They’re telling people that India is for Hindus only
Well friends let me inform this to all the readers that I have been working with a national media house and know most of the people working for The Print.
By now you all must have understood by looking at the type of contents of The Print that even a school kid can write a better story then them. And yes you all are correct that most of the so called “journalist” from The Print are those who were rejected from all the reputed news agencies and rational media houses because they were not qualified or intelligent enough to become a journalist at all ( Some even don’t have genuine academic certificates ). So they formed their own news agency called The Print ( BIRDS OF A FEATHER , FLOCKED TOGETHER ) . And they were financed by some Anti Nationals and opposition parties to be used as their mouthpiece. The motto of this news house is to write negative things against the government and certain communities because if they don’t do so then they will die out of business , reason being no one reads to their b___s____ news .
So friends just ignore what ever they write ( NEVER ARGUE WITH FOOLS BECAUSE FIRST , THEY WILL BRING YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVELS , AND SECOND THEY WILL BEAT YOU WITH THEIR EXPERIENCE ) . They are any ways going to become beggers in time to come as I know they are struggling to keep up with everyday expenses.
Modi is violating human rights and has spoiled Indian image in the world. It’s a question mark on democracy. If you call this a democratic india then what would dictatorship be like. These newspapers are showing the world the true image of India and I congratulate them on their stance. Indian lobbying have tried to buy them but failed and now they have started to use social media against them but the world knows the Indian BJP and RRS supremacy policies and agenda. I support print midia for highlighting humanitarian atrocities committed in India by BJP and RRS.
A good one ! Rightly so !
Another blind BJP supporter…and he will fight to destroy, and or simply will not allow anyone sharing opposing opinions. BPJ is the new Nazi Party, and these type of guys are its promoters.
You basically haven’t understood the article from the get-go. It is criticizing the consistency in the anti-BJP stands of some “liberal” foreign media and the absence of any sort of counter-opinion. In other words, it seems like these outlets are increasingly taking political stands against the BJP instead of providing space for opinion on both sides of the spectrum.
Indian Media have an inferiority complex! They like to portray India as the worst nation in the world in all respects, any other nation is better according to them, they never have the spine to criticize any other country!
Is it that, we want them to write
What they see not
What they hear not N
What they …,
This poorly written piece is diatribe at best, with little substance to dignify it as an opinion. One can only wonder at the editors of the Print, as one presses the unsubscibe button.
The visceral images of India’s poor trudging back in soaring temperatures is sufficient to reveal the underbelly of the nation and the hollowness of our leaders. The illegal detention (at the behest of builders) of hundreds of workers by the Karnataka Government which cancelled the very trains scheduled to take them home is proof of the lowest form of crony capitalism.
Instead of confronting these utterly tragic issues, the writer – if we may call him one – seeks to distract readers with hypenationalism (the neologism is deliberate) against a disillusioned Western media that once feted Modi and his cohorts as the new outriders of neoliberalism.
Foreign vs. Desi media ? You cannot shut the door in global village, thanks to sceince. News go out and come in. If only development is all around, news will focus on development story, debate on pros and cons of development, corruption in project and so on. But if hatred overtakes development what is left, an environment of suspicion, criticism, fodder to media both foreign and desi to indulge in endless debate on it. Now it is also joined by social media. Cycle is complete. We all are developed now.
Adv. Shakil Akhtar
Supreme Court
9717214471
If you are really an advocate in Supreme Court.
Your English and Writing skills reminds me of Jolly LLB advocate scolded by Judge??
Whatever you want to write and whatever the world wants to they can write but Modiji is came for the India from the India and will live for India and to showcase the world its soft power potential and win the world with peace and parallely destroying the bad things from India, you may change people’s narrative about Modiji but no one can change Modiji’s narrative about India and their people. This era will be called as NAMO’s era. Surely he is writing history, you may not feels so but he is…?.
Mr Tejas Deoghare: You pontificate:
“Modiji is came for the India from the India and will live for India and to showcase the world its soft power potential”
By all accounts, the one thing that the NaMo regime has squandered is India’s enormous reservoir of soft power. Yes, soft power stemming from nearly 7 decades projecting India’s image as a tolerant, secular democracy where people of all faiths rub shoulders, generally in peace. India’s brand was bolstered by figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, non-violent protest, cultural exports like Indian cuisine, Bollywood, yoga, tourism and so on. And as someone who has been living in Europe for long, I have benefitted colossally from this lovely India of image as a tolerant democracy. So much so that may of my Pakistani colleagues would masquerade as Indians to avoid the stigma of being identified with the mullah managed, exporter of terrorism that their country, Pakistan has become.
All that has been demolished by a Gujarati graduate of Delhi University with a pogrom under his belt and a penchant for a fascist ideology of hate called Hindutva. No Mr Deoghare, just as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan exported fundamental Islamism, Modi too has exported rabid Hindutva beyond the borders of India and has ruined India beyond recognition. Today, Hindutva ideology and a gaurakshak type mentality has permeated the diaspora. You see NRIs talking the language of Yogi Adityanath and spewing hatred against non-Hindus in the very countries they earn a living. And running afoul of local laws.
No Mr Tejas Deoghare – not only has your beloved NaMo wasted India’s soft power resources in such a short span of time, he has also lowered India’s image to that of Pakistan. Due, in no small measure to fawning, uncritical bhakths like you.
There was a time wen Modi came on cover page. That time foriefn media was for him. Wen real facts r coming out in the open or rather skeletons r coming out of the cupboards…people understood the hate MONGERS of India. Don’t blame the media now!!!
Only a fool would trust international media over domestic media to report things happening literally in front of his eyes.
This is the worst article I have read in last one week.
Not surprised since it’s written by a far-right fascist Abhijit Ayar Mitra.
Classic example of what the article talked about — you accept and propagate articles that validate your biases, and reject the ones that shatter them.
This article is spot on
One more aspect of these Champagne socialists that you have missed out.Money.Lot of money is going into these publications.So these “avenues” are indeed cash cows for them.
Absolutely rubbish article fit for swarajya and Opindia type of platform. I am not sure if and The Print has also joined their league. Someone somewhere has to write about the true picture of the government otherwise godi media is just bootlickers only.
Reading through the comments , i realized that those supporting authors view just have no other comment on anything mentioned in the article.
Those opposing authors views are just attacking the authors motivation. None of them has logically critiqued the article.
People are just consuming news like junk food.
This is true as the target audience of these Foreign journalist is in the Home Country.
I am an Indian fluent in French, Italian and living in Chennai for last 25 years and I must say that not a single article has been published that shows India/Indians as normal civilized country.
I should say it is “Because ” or “Thanks to” to various factors : 3 things made in India : Mother Teresa, Slum Dog Millionaire and Taj Mahal( Tea or the monument) are synonymous with this Crowd.
Even in the Case of Covid 19, they said thanks to China and Covid ,Indian PM does not have to worry abt the Economy.
And the Elephant among them: The Economist :Since 1991 till date ,there is no mention of India as a soft power. It is this :5th Arm of west that India needs to wary of .
Firstly because their pointing our facts. Secondly. Habe u ever condemned yogis speeches about raping dead women after dragging them out of their graves. Kashmirs not a part of india and never was. India how ever was an integral.part of india.also coined the name of jewel in the crown. Stick to india.leave kashmir
Not true sir, Modi was praised several times by The Economist and WSJ. There is a “groupthink” phenomenon developing in India today and not long ago we use to characterize Pakistan that way!
We are not civilized, when will you understand. We were civilized when we were actual Hindus. The Brahamanical society is new to Hinduism, it has fiddled with the Hindu philosophy of Karma and painted lie around it. Buddhism and Jainism are offshoot of actual Hinduism or rather the purest form that exists now.
The current Hinduism is a corruption of thought and human values, don’t know how it got corrupted but Brahamans and upper cast are the symptoms and show and tell that everything is messed up in current Hinduism. Are you really blind to what’s happening in India. The country decided to move forward but these leeches of upper cast won’t let it move ahead.
Do you think that corruption in India is exported, no it’s because of Hinduism. Just like the western religions are materialistic (in bad sense). Wake up were are not civilized. Only few countries in Europe are civilized. But we are the bottom on the way to become a fanatic state like some we know.
Which French newspapers do you happen read Mr Ganesh Narayanan ? Much of what you write makes no sense and looks like the ranting and raving of a crazed Bihari gaurakshak …
Easiest thing is to blame others instead of looking into a mirror. Modi and co have to accept valid criticism from world media. After all, India is largest democracy in the world.
Certainly. But one needs to be clear about what valid criticism is. If it’s just baseless allegations, there’s no point attending to it. This is something RaGa does all the time.
If it is press that is asking, it must be backed with evidence. People are the readers and they are quite well informed these days. Hence the allegations made through press needs to be more solid than just following some rhetoric.
In spite of failures world over of regimes of communists the left oriented journalists are still trying hard to fight a loosing war of debate and analysis, may be they became psychic and unable to digest the glory and success of Mr Modi
Mr Narendar Matha: The bulk of the press outside India is appalled over the Modi government’s treatment of minorities. They include media from both left of centre as well as right of centre publications. And despite what India’s paid media tells you, facts on the ground cannot be made to vanish in 2020 and they will always reach the rest of the world. Indeed, the successes that then CM Modi had in concealing the viciousness of the Godhra pogroms under his watch cannot be replicated easily in 2020. Thus, the Mohammad Akhlaq (RIP) lynching in 2015 made international headlines, much to PM Modi’s chagrin. So much so that he eventually was forced to confront the issue with a statement, limp and deflecting responsibility from his own persona though it was.
As regards your claim about the “glory and success of Mr Modi”, well, you need to remember that India’s domestic opinion of the man has surely been created by various media campaigns and a paid, pliant press. Of course, people like you might eagerly lap up the hot air emanating from Arnab Goswmani’s orifices but the rest of the world begs to differ. After all, the man was denied a visa to much of the Western world wasn’t he ?
There were brown sepoys during colonial times and nothing has really changed for India in the 21st century. These sepoys specialize in serving to their white massas regurgitated slop that help to reinforce the neo-colonial stereotypes and religious prejudices that lie just below their pale skin. It is essentilly a subcontinental phenomenon as one doesn’t find chinese sepoys (eunuchs?) avidly serve Western interests in this manner or in these numbers.
But it is a Pyrrhic victory for these champagne leftists and Islamists because their strident, one-sided and palpably biased reportss, which may earn them pieces of silver, is rejected by the majority of Indians with whom Modi’s popularity has never been higher. We have had the examples of the shrill concerted attacks about church burnings initially, beef lynchings subsequently, and now Islamophobia, that predictably rise to fever pitch ahead of national elections only to vanish after showing how marginal, ineffectual and out of touch with reality they actually are.
And their unrelenting negativity only results in even some liberals sympathizing with their targets. Even Manu Joseph, as left liberal and parochial as they come, felt compelled to comment about the one-sided and terribly biased coverage in the Western press of the recent Delhi riot. What it does to the current generation of Hindu youth now exposed to so many sources of facts and history that were previously suppressed or squelched will only exacerbate the divide; and they are the majority.
Writer talks about clicks of People opposing Modi but look at audience in comments. Same people you ll find in other Indian news sites. Why dont they ask for anti Modi articles for clicks ?
NYT, Washington Post have reporters based in India. They see the ground reality and report it but are not afraid of Mr. Modi as rest of India media is. Please Limit yourself to Swarjya or OpIndia as Other places you ll get real news.
Sir, if you have chosen to discount the “foreign media” in one generalized swoop you have succeeded. However, it is a specious analysis. The Wall Street Journal, which I subscribe to in addition to others, is known for it’s balanced reporting. Allsides gives it a center to center-right bias. The same paper wrote very positively about PM Modi and his party a few years ago, moreover, over the years the mood has shifted. That shift has occurred in many publications across the political spectrum. Instead of shooting the messenger, perhaps the BJP should take note, but would they?
It’s an interesting article. The author has completely left out these news papers critique of their own country’s leader and is obsessed with Modi bhakti. This article is nothing but a further evidence that some people do believe in elite vs non-elite. It’s sad that the author has completely succumbed to his biases of demigod he worships. The news paper like NY Times and WaPo have time and again proven that they are mostly by partisan, although they are liberal they don’t cover alternative facts. The author is completely devoid of any social understanding, because he cannot see that Trump US and Modi in India are completely playing communal and class politics. Articles like these are so blind to existence of truth that all they see is a bias. Hopefully when the tides will turn voices like this authors would drown out with the alternative facts. No one actually cares about India in US or any where in the world.
To others , don’t be afraid of minority when you are the majority, it just shows how coward you are. Remove Bhraminism and castism from the county if you have courage. Pathetic excuse for an existence.
Also to elaborate on “No one actually cares about India in US”. If the countries government does not care about it’s poor then why should one care about them. Look at what your god wrought upon poor people, from demonetization to the latest fiasco of leaving thousands stranded in middle of no where.
You are very triggered and if you have ever been to India you must know the debates here. Indians Don’t need to cared about by west and what do mean “nobody cares about India in US?” US’s whole fucking economy revolves around country like India. Every detail about India matters because India is the 5th largest economy and then if you’ve been an Indian then be respectful to the welfare system of India which provides subsidized education and if not you then your father must have benefitted from this so called “rotten” system here in India.
Liberals like you are the leeches sucking the real meaning out of the word. Effing woke dumbass.
The ismein(Brahminsm.caste.class) exist n universal manifested or latent. It’s habit to put everything on a communal clour when it’s for hindustan rather something hard n true about the other religions. Conversion appeasement approach is viewd negative to secular. The truth that it’s majoritain hindu maintains n promote secular credentials and nationalists view promote n improve it. The Western media is silent on conversion lynching of sadhus and so many incidents. The comments of Western media is simply because it’s a right wing government and pro-nationslist ideology and hv new thought n vision setting aside the sterotypic colonial approach n sentiment. Not simply looking into what others say rather what India needs n thinks
Good read. There could be other reasons for why we get to see solely negative coverage of India in supposedly “liberal” media outlets — white man’s perceived burden to safeguard democratic and liberal values globally, misunderstanding or disdain for Hinduism or apprehensions of the Western elite as Asia once again takes the centre-stage in the World Economy and the balance of power shifts.
Mr Abhijit Iyer-Mitra pontificates:
“BJP-ruled India has an op-ed shaped global problem”
Clearly, this worthy, like the many fawning, sycophantic “journalists” belonging to the paid journalism tribe such as India’s answer to Nazi propaganda Minister Göbbels Arnab Goswami seems to have forgotten the maxim:
“There is no smoke without fire”
Honestly Mr Iyer-Mitra, are journalists writing stories in foreign publications solely to smear the BJP and without any basis in facts? Isn’t it true that the vicious and deadly BJP ideology called Hindutva that now has taken root in India entails discrimination and violence against Muslims? Is your fellow traveller Arnab Goswami’s take on events the gospel truth ? Don’t you think that ordinary, completely law-abiding and patriotic Muslims would feel insecure in a country where the Home Minister calls them termites? And are you so bloody naïve as to think that 2 Indian journalists are the sole reason why the BJP and its current Hindutva implementers led by PM Modi get a bad deal in foreign media?
Go pour yourself a stiff peg of gomutra Mr Iyer-Mitra and jump into the Ganges. The Gangajal might even ward off COVID 19 – after all your beloved BJP wants to allocate funds for research into the curative properties of said effluent and rotting corpse rich liquid.
So what irritates you is BJP and hindus use gaumutra and are promoting it, which in fact should not be a concern to anybody as it does not encourage violence and only insunuates that the animals must be loved The gaumutra and hate towards cow people is a popular motif in jihadi messages. All this leads us to believe that gaumutra will ultimately bring out the real face of closet hate mongers. So the hindus are on correct path
It’s not Muslims feel insecure but it’s a strategy by few so-called seculars n progressive left for political interest induce this. If press is so imparital the issues must hv been placed in it’s context n perspective. Lynching of sadhus. Conversion of Hindus by Christian missionraries. Introduction of modern education in madarasa. Triple talaq law. Article 370 etc etc. It’s a new thought a new vision not that of reference approach to state kalidas as India’s Shakespeare rather the reverse. When Western say it is progressive when the current govt. BJP it’s not easy to digest. This is simply a bias
Mr Shishir Kumar Grahacharya: Thanks for the response – to the extent it can be called a response to the issues I point out in my post. For, like Mr Iyer-Mitra, you too beat about the bush and talk about everything under the sun – barring the sordid effects of Nazism lite a.k.a. Hindutva on minorities and the bad press it receives in the wiser world. Yes, Hindutva is a violent, deadly, malevolent ideology that tarnishes India’s image no end although it is warmly embraced by your ilk lock, stock and barrel. And like Mr Iyer-Mitra, you too obfuscate by sallying forth with all sorts of ir-relevant digressions and distractions.
But these digressions are persistent in the Hindutva narrative and let me address 2 of these.
Lynchings
Tell me Mr Grahacharya – Who is in greatest danger of getting lynched in Modi’s India – Hindus or Muslims ? What do the statistics show ? And more importantly, what is the state response to lynchings ? Protection of innocent Muslim cattle traders or Union Ministers garlanding your marauding, bloodthirsty gaurakshak buddies?
Conversions
Although I am personally against the dis-respectful conversion activities and exploitation of poverty by Christian missionaries, equally relevant questions are:
Why are the missionaries successful, especially with poor and lower caste Hindus ? Don’t missionaries step in when the state neglects the poor ? And who but caste Hindus are responsible for violence against lower caste Hindus & Dalits? For instance, who was responsible for the brutal thrashing of Dalit cattle traders in Una, Gujarat? Any surprise that upper caste Hindus create fertile ground for opportunistic missionaries?
From a legal perspective, missionary activity is protected under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution:
“Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion”
Want to tinker with Art. 25 and open Pandora’s box Mr Grahacharya ?
As regards your claim that Muslims do not feel insecure in India and that all this negative publicity is the handiwork of progressives and seculars, well, the facts don’t bear you out Mr Grahacharya. There have been sharp increases in lynchings and acts of violence against Muslims after the BJP came to power and more so in BJP run states. What is much worse is that police and the state machinery openly side with the violent, lumpen wings of the BJP and do not protect the victims. You can get the statistics here: https://www.thequint.com/quintlab/lynching-in-india/
During the Godhra pogroms of 2002 under then CM Modi, whenever hounded Muslims approached the police for protection, they were rebuffed with a terse:
“We do not have orders to save you”.
What was once a Gujarati phenomenon, is today becoming the norm in most of North India and in all BJP run states. If you are a Muslim, your life is worthless. And that state sponsored violence cannot easily be concealed – even without a Rana Ayub or a Swati Chaturvedi writing op-eds in American and British newspapers.
The Print should ban your comments based on your foul language and personal attacks. Pathetic hateful behavior.
Mr Vj Rang: Thanks for your response.
No foul language or four letter words were used in my post – I never need to resort to that. Yes, sarcasm, facts, an oblique statement linking loudmouth and the face of Indian journalism Arnab Goswami to a similar figure from Nazi Germany have been employed. And I have suggested that Mr Iyer-Mitra adhere to the prescription for curing COVID that his paymasters in the BJP have written out: Gomutra & Gangajal !
That apart, I do not see a single counter-argument in your response. Just, the usual knee-jerk reaction of a bhakth when arguments get the better of him: “Ban him”.
Pathetic !
Your piece was written better than Mutra’s, I mean … Mitra’s.
Thank you Mr Jivan !
Haha what a meltdown. U got to be an intolerant mallu ,from down south Kerala to harbour so much hatred and illfeeling towards hindus . Beef eating Rice bag convert spotted who posts and gloat beef pics on twitter just to mock hindu sentiments, something they can never do with Muslims. Have guts to make derogatory remarks against prophet ?? Hell no. No 1 in terrorist export. No 1 in love jihad . No 1 in political murders . No 1 in forced conversion . Widely believed that Kerala is the next Kashmir.
Simple. They are not F e k u s like the Indian press.
You guys should ease up on the vocabulary a little bit. For an average indian with not the best english who’s reading this article at 4 am it’s gets kinda hard.
In their desperation, the champagne socialists are making the case for Modi. Being a liberal I too find the articles in Wapo, NYT, and BBC strange and out of line rants. No wonders liberals like us see the ground vanishing and credibility shrinking fast! These people are doing more harm than good to the liberal cause.
I agree that they are not good enough to report or share objective opinion about india.
Rana Ayyub has problem when arvind kejriwal asserts his religous identity ( her tweets after kejriwal won Delhi), but no problem when some people assert religious identity. ( AIMIM or when someone from Assam said they cant say Jai hind or something because of Islam). It is absurd that she has problem with Arvind Kejriwal showing his religious identity.
But i think writer is wrong that they hire this people cos they have social media following that gives more clicks to their websites. I think Washington Post and NYT wont run adds , they use pay wall.
In india there is some attack on media. Gov is not assaulting media, but there is attack, when they fire journalists and stop ads . why is he not talkig about indian media , not being fair? Shows his bias.
The interest of reading papers is devindeled due to biased reporting and low level reporting. So called journalists always bring “freedom” freedom of speech and religions. Ayyub type can never understand what freedom is for none muslims. I dont want to bring religion into it, thede broadsheets are one sided money oriented lie spreaders. Because west and US are interested keeping Pakistan on their way geographically opperesser ali, the press will never give news in favor of India. Modi is kicked left right and centre by Muslims paper jeorneolist always take anti Modi side
Modi trying to save India from becoming Muslim country helped by Arabs. West is already gone that way.
Almost the entire article is spot on. Except the part where the author says that it’s only eyeballs on the website that they are after. I think, if these western newspapers were to publish an article from say an Arnab Goswami etc. they will attract far higher eyeballs as per the current scenario. So it’s not just the eyeballs, it’s also alignment with their own ideologies … Which is currently anti Trump (anti right) and therefore they align perfectly with anti right left liberal gang of India.
You got it western media are leftist mostly and congress pay them big bucks to make them look good
The entire western media, and certainly the ones mentioned by Iyer-Mitra, is a giant echo chamber. They all say the same thing, over and over again. There is never any positive, balanced, subtle, nuanced, erudite article coming from their pages. The story “religious hatred grows during India’s covid-19 pandemic’ was repeated ad nauseum. Not a single article about any Indian effort or achievement. It’s pure colonial rubbish.
New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Guardian, all big names. What about Pulitzer Prize? Its board has now questioned India’s very legitimacy over J&K! “In a major controversy, the Pulitzer Prize board has questioned India’s legitimacy over Kashmir, calling the valley a “contested territory” whose “independence” was revoked and “executed through a communications blackout”.” “This year, the US-based Pulitzer Prize for best feature photography has been awarded to three Associated Press (AP) photographers — Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin from Kashmir and Channi Anand from Jammu, “for their striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout”.” Have “the likes of Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra” influenced the Pulitzer Prize board also? And who has influenced the US State Dept? It says, its official view is that, the LoC is the defacto border between India and Pakistan, in stark contrast to India’s claim that J&K is an integral part of India. Does it listen to Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra, while disregarding what Modi and Jaishankar have to say about J&K? Out of about 200 countries in the world, how many support Modi/Jaishankar’s claim that J&K is an integral part of India? And what about Indian-origin lawmakers in the US, like Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, and Kamala Harris? They all are critical of India’s policies in J&K, and CAA, NRC, etc. Just about a week ago the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), mandated to monitor religious freedom globally on Tuesday asked the State Department to designate 14 nations, including India, as “countries of particular concern”, alleging that religious minorities are under increasing assault in these nations. Even the UN has objected to the CAA. Why? If Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra are so influential that they influence these great newspapers and people, then don’t you think India should listen to them too? You should be questioning why Modi/Jaishankar have failed to convince Modi’s chum Trump and his honcho Mike Pompeo that J&K is an integral part of India. Instead, you are wasting time talking about Rana Ayyub, Arundhati Roy, and Pankaj Mishra.
Why should they? There are psychological reasons, none of them good, that those Indian and Indian origin individuals “question” India over Kashmir. It’s because they want to be seen as superior to India, for one. Career advancement is another, as is the desire to be seen as politically correct. . As for the religious freedom nonsense, the criticism of the USCIRF is really only resentment that India doesn’t grant Christian missionaries and evangelists full freedom to carry our their conversion activities. There is not, never has been, a problem with ‘religious freedom’ as such, in India. The Hindu religion accepts different images, and modes of worship, as well as paths to contemplate the divine. Lastly, India doesn’t need validation from the US government, media and commissions for its policies. But it will refute these entities’ grossly one sided,, arrogant and mindless criticisms.
You seems to have lots of time to write a lengthy comment. So where is the question of wasting time.
Kya bola hai bhai ne, “Let’s be clear, though. In this day and age, there is no money for serious research. Falling media revenue means that cheaper opinions will always be prioritised over expensive facts.”
We can see your article and understand the falling revenue of the publisher.
Hahaha. Very savage. This cost reduction seems to be happening in most Indian “news” publishers
Iyer-Mitra’s article drips with angst at not being invited to the Khan Market gang’s cocktail parties. Keep trying a bit harder bro, you will surely get the leftovers some day.
Cheap shot. The Khan market and Lutyens group, is quite alienated and out of touch with the sentiments of most Indians.. What about Iyer-Mitra’s astute observations?
Nice and true srticle
Naturally eagles would visit and capture pictures of a vast place, which hitherto proved to be a veritable graveyard, ensuring constant supply of corpses. Frustrated by the sudden, abrupt stoppage of that supply, they released the images of the graveyard, clearly conveying the message, in which state they really wish to see the province. Those who clapped for them here laid bare their real wishes.
Interval is Pro-Modi; Chaturvedi- Rana are anti-Modi. Both are in the media. People understand.
Brilliant article and a slap on the leftists. Couldn’t agree more how Modi benefits more from such putrid, one sided, media pukings by leftists like Rana Ayyub, the sight of whom would make any cockroach orgasmic.
Wonderful article.
Writer has removed many of my misgivings about how come these Western big news channels permit of lies of Rana Ayyub likes.
Now the clouds are thinning.
BTW, publishing this article has redeemed the print, as both point of views are getting place here.
The country has never seen such hatred, vengeance and division crested by a few power hungry individuals, and they say Corona has taughtvtmem a lesson,, NONEVER,, such chsracters will never change and this is the plain truth, no need of external media to proove it , But they dont know,,,,,,,, As you Sow,,, So shall you reap
Please send this article to NY Times, Wash Post , WSJ, Guardian etc. showing low levels of “journalism” they are doing
What a silly article.
Truth hurts. Ur brain have been conditioned to believe whatever hyperbolic lies, misinformation, half baked truth , that u read in the newspapers mentioned above. Hence u r brainwashed to the extent that as soon as someone challenge ur views by exposing how these agenda driven newspapers work and why they choose cheap op ed writers, rejected in India, suddenly the only option u r left with is to shrug it off as “cheap article”. U r a Victim of yellow journalism. I rarely read these papers and whenever I read their “India” articles , the amount of manipulative lies they push through is plain horrible. Just read their series of trash articles on Kashmir or caa
This itself is am article which is weaving a n arguments without facts. The author virtually is using unsubstanciate statements and criticises the left liberal for not arguing with facts on their side. Forget Rana Ayub if you like but to claim the Swati Chaturvedi or Ramachandra Guha is writing without facts or logic, to say the least is laughable. Swati’s book is full of screen shots. if those are fake why are people not suing her? Let the author cite and prove.
Hey, don’t get offensive after reading it, particularly when he has already mentioned the truth in his article,
“Let’s be clear, though. In this day and age, there is no money for serious research. Falling media revenue means that cheaper opinions will always be prioritised over expensive facts.”
Publisher’s revenue must be falling so they took cheaper opinions over expensive facts.
Swati Chaturvedi’s articles are pure demagoguery. There is nothing thoughtful or thought provoking in them, just hysterical rants and raves against Modi and the BJP. When does one read an article of hers in the “Gulf News”( or anywhere) and then think to oneself ” That was very incisive, balanced, nuanced and well researched”.
Agreed Swati Chaturvedi is goodi medi of left but is there any one equal to Ravish Kumar in the left camp? Still Swati is not bhakt of left, she has some brains to criticize left when they mess up. But right is full of right guys who never do wrong.
Mr Varun Shekhar: You bleat:
“Swati Chaturvedi’s articles are pure demagoguery”
So how would you characterise Arnab Goswami’s shouting matches ?
The very fact that Arnab has many different guests on his program, and incorporates or anticipates the criticism that he and Republic TV face, itself puts him way above Swati Chaturvedi. Chaturvedi is pure anti-Modi and anti-BJP negativity, without any counterbalancing. She has nothing nice, uplifting, incisive or positive to say about India, forget political parties and personages.
The so called socilists in the foreign country has seen India as a slow developing nation past seven decades inspite of having the potential. due to the policy adopted by the Congress party, they have even decided that this nation Will be ruled by the present minorities in decades to come. All of a sudden the BJP came to power and they have changed the nation’s history within six years. To add further they have taken action to stop the minorities from further adding their numbers. This has irritated thease guys and started all kinds of nonsensical statements from the foreign lands, who has no buissiness to interfere on our policy matters or anything the value. Jai Bharath.
An ill written school-boy essay, by a ‘twice born’ epsilon-minus oaf.
I challenge him to a debate, on any topic, at any time and place of the iyer’s choosing.
You haven’t refuted or countered one argument or observation of his. Just insulted him
A rat challenging a lion!
Why?
They are not paid media like you who has slowly become maid of Modi and BJP.
The question is, are those media balanced, objective, nuanced and well researched? Do they impress people with their erudition and/or insight. The answer is absolutely not.
Modi seems to have closed your shop.
well said ; “These foreign journalists don’t want answers; they seek validation of their pre-existing views.”
Narahantak Modi is a laughing stock. His electral strategy simple, create islamophobia and gain power.Itseems There is a U.S. PR firm which gets him the image makeover for millions of dollars. His supportes (langoti bhakths) conveniently forget his promises in which his success is ZERO.
Abrogation of article 370,caa,nrc .doctored babri verdict all are the coverup.
He is Indian version of another lunatic DoLand Trump ?
There are other phobias- India-phobia, Hindu phobia, Hindutva phobia and Modi phobia. So called Islamaphobia has justification, because Islamic terrorism is massive and global. India has been hard hit.
Modi is smarter than the all Modi haters put together.
Mr ak.dev: I guess a Delhi University education, a few decades of running around in khakhi shorts and a lathi and a deadly pogrom on your CV make you a lot smarter than most other men. At least in your opinion.
Theres a mistake in the title…it should be CHAMPION, not CHAMPAGNE.
What does distance (“20 minutes away from K street”) have to do with choosing an op-ed writer in this day and age??!! The writer could be anywhere…
Also – “serious experts” – really? From ORF etc? Now you make me laugh again…
But you do end on a wistful/tragic note – part of which I can sorta agree with – “social media has essentially taken us back to the Athenian Agora period when Socrates was condemned to drink hemlock. There is no room for nuance or building bridges.. ” – Sad indeed…
You worm!
You almost redeemed your sins in your last article.
I’m sorry but you need to crawl right back into your hole again!
But stay blessed!
Om shanti!
Nice point by point rebuttal of the article!
Very nice analysis good article keep it up
Very well articulated article, I follow Mr. Abhijit regularly only his columns& you tube , I am surprised The Print under Shekhar Guptha, who is a leftist , allowing Abhijit to express his views !!!
Good article.
“Yarn Spinning”? Indian media except for a few has lost all credibility by continuously playing their flute for the govt. And when some people on ground bring the truth you instead of logically disproving them rely on “left narrative” building to support your argument… This has been a waste of space.
For every domestic outlet that leans pro-government, there is one that is blatantly anti-establishment. Don’t know what you are talking about.
“For these leaders, the more extreme the virtue signalling, the easier the election contest, which I have written about earlier. In a way, The New York Times and The Washington Post are ensuring Modi’s re-elections by such strident content ” I really do not think even 1% of indian voters ever read these articles
It’s because the Indian media is muzzled
I wouldn’t place blind faith in any media. Unless you want to grieve for maths-teacher-turned-rebel Riaz Naikoo, that is!
It’s hilarious when someone describes Narendra Modi as a right-wing politician.
The man desires nothing more than extreme control of the citizens by the State. He has a penchant for big government, high taxation and distributing “free” stuff. Further, he dislikes the intelligentsia, free markets and freedom of speech to the extent that he has pushed laws against these.
All these are the traits of a socialist. Except, in his case, instead of appealing to the labor class, he tricks the massive middle in to believing that he is savior of Hindus.
Excellent piece though… The Print as usual giving everyone a chance.
“The man desires nothing more than extreme control of the citizens by the State. “…..that IS, my boy, in lay man’s terms, “a right-wing politician”….LOL….you missed it didnt you…..
Sure son, Putin is a right wing politician. So was Mao Zedong. How about Kim Jong? He’s been teaching you… You should know. Pol Pot perhaps?
Anyone?
Unless you wish to disown your ideological brothers for a brownie point, please do me not attempt to respond.
Excellent , well said , there are a few in CNN as well , who always capture mumbai slums & project that as India doing badly
Excellent. These authors may be spitting venom against Modi in WP, NT etc. but their impact on electoral politics back home is limited. Here the left ecosystem is not the kind of traction which it used to get some years back.
The problem is not that we have many sickulars and anti nationals writing in foreign publications but there is hardly any worthwhile right winger who can consistently write well and take them on, even if it is in the local media. In any case, an ordinary Indian voter has understood the game of sickulars and if Modi fulfills their basic expectations from him, he would continue to win elections. However, for Modi, it is essential that he changes the economic structure of India and removes all cobwebs of the past socialistic controls on economic activities so that Indian economy grows rapidly and consistently over a period of next 10 years. Sickulars can continue to write and make money and foreign publications can continue to publish but lose money.
I would trust the global media with my shirt, would be happy to say the same some day for the entirety of our media as well.
I hope you are grieving for the maths-teacher-turned-rebel Riaz Naikoo then!
“The champagne socialists”, a nice coin developed to give an identity to the liberals who see democracy and free media eroding fast in India. Pages can be written about it. But in short; the Indian media very structured to spew anti-Pakistan rhetoric so profusely that even the think tanks don’t shy away from it. India has been promoted as a Hindu country where people of other religions are considered second rate citizens; a la RSS and BJP. Money walks the walk in Indian media as few of them own most of it. The biggest democracy has failed India and also the region. I am not Indian nor a Pakistani. This is my humble opinion.
This columnist is a shallow, surface guy. THE PRINT shouldn’t indulge such authors. There is something called “rooted in the soil”, which is what a sincere socialist must be. Whether she or he has a taste for Lassi or Champagne can be a thing of importance only to a fellow like this columnist. Nehru, a “champagne” person was a genuine socialist compared to a sham, the present incumbent “fakir” ; Brezhnev used to get his suits stitched in Paris. People who are better read than me can cite many more examples.
The news paper delivery in US is by the paper wrapped in a one time use plastic bag thrown in your driveway. Most of the papers are free and go directly to trashcan except on weekend when the sales and discount adds are seen.
In this news paper culture, for the few who might want to read or have nothing better than to read the paper the op-ed space can be attractive, it is essentially a political pondy which means nothing other than filth.
Who writes these op-eds ? These are basically frustrated journos themselves or journos on the pay rolls of frustrated politicians.
Since 2014 a considerable numbers of both have suddenly lost their relevance and are now counting on the payback time from the GORA jurno friends, who were extensively wined and dined at the cost of tax payer in the good old days.
I see no justification in calling Rana a “champagne socialist”…..During this pandemic she has been constantly in loved in relief efforts for the poor
But the point on “the more extreme the virtue signalling, the more easier is the election contest” is one that makes a lot of sense.
But if taken as a gist, then this opinion piece is more of a rant.
Rightly said. Even in between they put some facts also people will not able to notice and ignore. Whatever they do with their narratives, mainly consists of false allegation, half-truths & try to sensitize the issue under the lenses to make it big. So, naturally the politicians especially leaders like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and of course our own PM Narendra Modi who can play the victim card & get elected. These Red wine, Cheese club will gape in surprise.
Good article.
Thanks
Nagesh Rao
The Times or the Post publish opinions from all sides as long as they are factual and rational. They do not publish tabloid-ish opinions (such as this author’s). They vet even the opinions, not just the articles. As a result, most Indian right-wing writers get filtered out with just a simple smell test. The people who make it are the likes of Guha. The author likely considers Arnab Goswamy as the epitome of journalistic integrity and intellectual honesty. and perhaps, he should stick with that class of low brow tabloid journalism.
No they don’t. They are very selective in their information. When for example, do you read about any achievements by India during this Covid-19 crisis. ie the people who have recovered, the virus free zones, the production of Indian made PPE’s, kits, medicines and other items. Or any human interest stories like the full recovery of the 82 year old who was in dire straits at one time; the use of Indian trains as shelters, individuals who have given food to those in need and so on.
The analysis just touches the surface of the deep problem only.
There are more aspects to it than just no. of clicks or champagne socialists.
1. People of anti-India sentiment (i would say Pakistanis and western left-liberals of Columbia University type) have placed themselves in key locations of these publications. They do not allow adverse comments, articles to their partisan view get published. More importantly, they remain behind the curtains. To test this hypothesis, just try to put a negative comment on article or praising India with coherent and valid reasons and get it published in them.
2. The named op-ed writers are just hired mercenaries which they themselves do not realise to the harm they are causing to India. These mercenaries keep getting their compensatory awards, scholarships etc. They are awed by opportunity to have global readers which they don’t really deserve.
3. The deep-seated and fundamental reason is racism and Hinduphobia of Western countries. They do not want India to grow and take away resources meant only for these western ‘Exceptionalism’ countries.
4. Deutsche Welle is one more such sinister media.
So you claim that the articles published in these publications do not have any basis in Indian reality? Today’s India is being shaped by the mercenaries of Hindutva – the Mohan Bhagwats, Narendra Modis, Amit Shahs, Jayant Sinhas, Adityanaths and so on. They aren’t exactly the paragons of tolerance are they? And what is wrong in calling a spade a spade ? After all, the RSS from which the BJP derives its ideology was based on the Nazi and fascist ideologies of Hitler and Mussolini and the BJP implements a version of that same violent ideology. Indeed, your buddy Adityanath has suggested that the corpses of Muslim women should be pulled out and raped hasn’t he? So why get ashamed when people write about it ? Wht get upset that the UAE and the wider Islamic world threatens India economically?
You keep telling yourself that buddy
Why isn’t there any positive story from India during this epidemic, nor any acknowledgement of achievements of the government? Why is terrorism against India downplayed, while terrorism against the US, UK et al is considered the real thing?
I keep reading about this acheivements of India in pandemic? What exactly were they? Hundreds of millions left on the mercy of NGOs and individual Indians. A PM cares fund which is private and can’t be audited nor it’s constitution be checked by anyone. CSR funds can’t be given to state govts only central govt can receive it. Even today shortage of PPE . Test kits are still not available in enough numbers. Thousands emerged in bus stations, railway station multiple times in multiple cities. Poor who can’t feed themselves are asked to give 3 times train fare. RS 500 deposited in bank accounts not poor which most can’t access or know or remember to operate.
Casual handling of travellers before lock down with passengers made to wait more than 12 hours . Bodies of people who died of heart attacks in gulf forced to fly back as govt which gave permission couldn’t make or did not bother to tell the employees at airports receive the bodies. Doctors who died after years of social services denied cremation and burial in multiple states. Many patients dying because they spend days running from hospital to hospital. Please tell me the acheivements?
Take a look at the Indian media. Beside glorifying the current rulers and denigrating every one else, they don’t seem to have any other agenda. All that we read these days is state sponsored junk. Mercifully there are journalists who can still give unbiased reporting.
Vernon Oliver, it’s not good to glorify any party or government- whether the Congress, TMC, Janata Dal, SJP, BSP, CPI, AAP or BJP. And definitely not China
Under the circumstances, political economy, when great super power like USA, put Mr. Narendra Modi, our Hon. Prime Minister, as person non-grata and refused him diplomatic visa, which is sufficient to nullify the merits, authors are trying to hide all the facts, incidents, pogrom of Gujarat riots, and also promoting India in to a majoratarian state on the mandates of RSS, it’s think tank.
All viewers comprises of three major categories, viz. left wing; right wing and an unbiased class, which believes and expect any government should be hold on barriers and ambit of Constitution and taxpayers purview.
An ancient proverb on journalism, media could be helpful to all classes of pen, “There is no Tax on language”! (Arabic proverb).
The fact of the matter remains that democracies are defined by perceptions. We like it or not, India has become a hunting ground of liberal-haters because it is perceptibly and in reality become more polarized.
There is some grain of truth in what the author says. But the most significant truth in this article lies elsewhere. The truth is: For all democracies, opinions and perceptions matter most. It is definitely worth considering why only narratives of polarization are circulating about India in the Western press? Not because it’s a battle between the ‘experts’ and the ‘click-baiters’. The answer is not just that western media ‘prefers’ Modi haters but also how they see their own roles as champions of a secular modern value apparatus. Much of that is questionable of course because this self image is tied to the wider self notion of the Western media as a watchdog and vanguard of modern world.
Also, these media, in true colonial style, have an incredible sense of entitlement and accessibility toward India. They see India as an easy target to hit out at, for every vice on the planet.
Foreign media is being paid by Congress and company who has looted the treasury for a long time.The Congress party loves Muslims but cannot get elected so they find foreigners to spread lies.
This is a remarkable article. Not because of the content. The content is just rambling opinion. But the thought process. Don’t be fooled by the absence of the names such as Arnab G, Sudhir C, and other govt sponsored and protected people. Sure, it tells you what the right wing intellectuals are talking as learning. But the real sneaky things is another trick that the article plays. It tries to create an equivalence between a stalwart such a Guha and the rabid, bigoted, govt propagandist.
He tries to bring Guha, Roy, who have criticized everyone in the past, to the level of partisan bootlicking done by Arnab and others!
Those writers like Guha and Arundhati Roy are rabid propagandists against India, Modi and Hindus. Roy hasn’t acknowledged one achievement of the Indian government in this covid-19 outbreak. Arnab Goswami does have guests on his show who take a counter position, and they have their say. But he trounces them all. Also, ‘government protected people’ can easily be used to describe the cabal of Leftists, Communists and Secularists( so called) who dominated and controlled the discourse in India for decades. Well, their day is passed, or at least way down.
I wonder why Arundhati’s opinion matters to the West? She is a book-writer for God’s sake.
Bang on, each and every point is so well explained.They are not journalist,the likes of Swatis and Ranas are agenda driven women working for themselves at the cost of malignning country’s name.They will be go down the dust soon.
The writer is a victim of his own mind. The RW will hardly understand what he is trying to say (except for the Modi reference) and the Left-Libs will never invite him to their fun champagne parties. Rana knows her audience, and her audience knows her. And she is also smart. The writer however is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and quite lonely as well. General public doesnt give teo hoots anyway!
Yea, and your “general public” gave the largest mandate to current govt. Lets ask again who’s living in cuckoo land .
Aw, don’t be blinded by the loneliness of Rana which in itself, is a by product of losing one’s own conscience and making victims out of the common man for absolute monetary benefits.
But aren’t we all victims of our own mind? You seem to have a lot of disdain for the “RW”.
The author ‘researcher’ should also scratch his brain further to explain why the mighty STATE apparatus – that unabashedly pounds select HR /Opposition targets mercilessly – is not ACTING against all the writers demonized here for spreading lies and falsehood against the ‘true patriots’
Because of articles like this – full of sound-n-fury, devoid of facts and laced with personal bias – signifying nothing. If the right-of-centre was able to put up a reasonable intellectual response instead of propaganda and trolling, a lot of people would have listened.
Good one, Rana!
Hail Macbeth!
Have ‘Dhairya’ to declare yourself…
It gives a strength to what you write. But, unfortunately, you are away from the truth.
You think lot of people are not listening? :O
No he, Iyer-Mitra, makes several legitimate, and correct, observations. The proof that the Washington Post asks for any Indian claim, versus the absence for a claim made by Rana Ayyub. Secondly, and this is a particularly erudite point, the international media like the WP, NY Times, BBC, Guardian, Huffington et al, do not go to India seeking answers, or to do rigorous research, rather they seek confirmation of their pre-conceived notions and biases.
Stop lecturing as Anonymous i.e. fake. Even rats don’t like to be Anonymous.
Intellectual response to writing of likes of Rana Ayub? There is nothing other than agenda and propaganda in her writing.
Its called an “opinion” piece idiot.
A comment so full of facts and wisdom.
Agree totally. No one is speaking up for Hindus in an intelligent way. Instead we are getting endless articles in the West that are increasingly not distinguishing between Hindus in general and the rioters and rabid, cow-urine-drinking idiots. Various Indian Muslim and left-wing writers have declared war on Hindus. Forget NYT, even Nikkei Asia and Wired magazines now have the same sort of articles that highlight only violence and superstition among Hindus. These articles are intentionally written in a way that does not distinguish between ordinary devout Hindus and the extremists. What would be the reaction in the West if every devout Muslim was to be called a jihadi? The fact that Modi & Co. have run the Indian economy into the ground doesn’t get any respect for India or Hindus either. Modi’s tenure has only gone to show the intellectual poverty of the right-wing in India. Over the past 6 years, India’s standing in the world has taken a deep nosedive.
Bull’S EYE
Just plain bull would be more apt.
This man is as partisan as the people he excoriates. The fact is that the Modi Government supports the RSS which is obviously and undeniably anti-Muslim. And to Mr. Iyer-Mitra that is an initiative worthy of his support.
The article is not about what a political party or a NGO thinks about religion of peace . Its about how leftist are detached from reality .
Why are muslim enrollment in RSS schools increasing every year then?
Yeah, Mitra is just another hack who resorts to whataboutery, as you said, just like the partisan ‘journalists’ he’s against.
And he wants journalists to take information from Heritage? The right wing think tank behind all American wars? And Mitra is a fellow at the Institure of Peace and Conflict Studies!
This man is totally full of waste.
Indians have a voter card and they know whom to vote. Rest doesn’t matter. Let them malign India’s image in the extreme hatred of one man but public know how to press the EVM button.
The EVM button itself knows how to get pressed.
It was IMPOSSIBLE for the BJP to win UP so soon after the Demonetization, and that too with such numbers.
But hasn’t the BJP lost elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh? Were the EVMs tampered with then? As for the 30-35% vote, that’s true of all parties that have won elections. Just because a party you don’t like benefits from the 30-35% vote, doesn’t make it illegitimate. Cheap, silly argument
But what if the EVM itself is tampered ?
I wonder why the EVM is only suspected of being tampered when BJP wins an election?
36% halfwits voted this regime in. Just 36% are brainless bhats.
How do you know it responds correctly.
The foreign media bias is not something new. Correspondents of foreign media houses seem to have used the mask on their eyes instead of mouth and nose during the current fight against COVID-19.
Most of the arguments of the author are weak, not sustainable.
5 years back the same western media was gung-ho on Modi & expressed high hopes on him to lead India to a bright future. Their views have changed to disappointment. It is not just US & British media, even DW, Nikkei, Al Jazira are no different.
It is not just Rana whom author has picked up selectively. There are plenty of others who write in international media. Ashutosh Varshney, Salil Tripathi, Sadanand Dhume, Sonali Ranade, AshokSwain, Pankaj Mishra, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Barkha Dutt, Shashi Tharoor, Milan Varshney, Samar Harlankar ,..BJP has a severe shortage of such intellectuals who can sell their view.
India has not only world famous journalists but global economists like Kaushik Basu, Nobel laurette Amartya Sen, Raghuram Rajan, Arvind Pangarhia, Gita Gopinath Arvind Subramaniam- none seems an admirer of Modi government. A few of these run away from positions in Modi government.
‘’ cheaper opinions will always be prioritised over expensive facts.’’ True in general but less true for some who have relatively higher credibility & hence respected world over. They are mostly in democratic capitalistic western world. These are the media this author is targeting, ignoring the pro government sold media at home. Also remember, governments including Indian government spend a lot of money lobbying in USA, UNO,…so money for propaganda should not be problem for governments.
Claim of a sovereign government (like Balakot) is a far more serious than claim of an individual journalist like Rana Ayyub, hence needs a lot more scrutiny by any serious media.
Courts need conclusive legal proof, which journalists like Rana Ayyub cannot provide, particularly against powerful politicians who can manage witnesses & enforcement agencies. In a court, a guilty is innocent till proven guilty, does not mean he is definitely innocent. On the other hand, honest journalist try tobring out what politician try to hide even if it cannot be proven in court. If he/ she peddles fake news against a politician, he/ she certainly risk of being arrested/charged for the same. Ever otherwise he/ she risks being harassed for some other cooked charges. US media has been attacking President Trump most viciously though nothing could be / will be proven in court. However the democratic institutions in USA are more strong in USA which gives media the courage.
Just taking on the Balakot reference for now( and ignoring your other remarks) the ridiculous claim in some media was that the Indian Air Force only hit trees. But the IAF dropped between 5-12 bombs, even if all of them missed,, they wouldn’t leave dents on trees. There would be large craters or mounds. Where are the remnants of the bombs? They’re in Balakot, in that compound that was obliterated from within. The structure itself was not demolished( which is the argument the nay sayers use), but the inhabitants, between 300-500 were killed. Terrorists and fundamentalists of the JEM.
I do not understand your argument. Who is that ‘some media’ that said Indian Air Force ‘only hit trees’, who are the so called naysayers? You post does not provide their names . You may ignore them & read only credible media. Strategic institute of Australia analysed satellite pictures of large fresh crates & concluded that all targets were missed by same distance, indicating a technical error. They noticed fresh craters or mounds. Indian politicians claimed 300 plus causalities without any supporting evidence which you believe & repeat the number as 300-500. Social media showed in India large no of bodies & claimed them to be the Balakot catch which when investigated by fact checkers were found to be an old earth quake victim photo from Pakistan.
The strikes killed hundreds, while leaving the building intact. Pakistan shot down an Indian plane, that was part of a small contingent that successfully thwarted any Pakistani damage against India. The INDIAN AIR FORCE( not just the government) has 100% confirmed the success. So has an Italian journalist. It’s not just about Modi, it’s about India’s need to retaliate. Don’t make everything into party politics.
The physics of those bombs itself refutes the Pakistani and BBC/Reuters et al positions. The Spice-2000 bombs the IAF dropped would not leave craters. They would penetrate the earth, and throw up large mounds of earth. So whatever those craters were( probably explosives testing by the terrorists), they were not the result of missed IAF bombs.
Mr Varun Shekha: That is garbage and propaganda dished out to you by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar media outlets. The Balakot strikes were unnecessary and were carried out mainly for electoral purposes and to bolster Modi’s chances of winning the 2019 elections. What si worse, they also revealed many of India’s inherent military weaknesses.
Here si the scorecard for jingoists like you:
– The strikes killed nbobody and did no damage
– Pakistan shot down an Indian plane and captured the pilot
– The IAF indulged in frinedly fire and shot down one of its own helicopters.
Indeed, independent observers and defence analysts from NATO countries debunk much of that Modi propaganda. Not that facts matter for people of your ilk …
False. Three independent Indian TV channels confirmed the success of the strikes. The IAF have certified it. An independent Italian journalist lady says there were definitely major casualties in Balakot
Excellent piece! Keep it up….and thanks a lot!
Champagne (and caviar) socialists and liberals are a real problem. It is they who have allowed the rise of the distorted avatar of the Right Wing – of which the author is a leading example – to a degree where RW is used as a pejorative whereas it was once a viable vibrant and constructive ideology.
At a time of crisis when the RW should have shown us with action how they are infinitely superior to the lefties and the liberals, they are blundering about and MSM both in India and West will naturally highlight these shenanigans. So shoot the messenger especially the Western media because their validation is what the Indian RW really craves and throws a tantrum when denied.
Dhume will be disappointed that he did not make it to list of author;s favorite think tank people – might it have something to do with the fact that he turned from ardent Modi fan to critic.
Since this avatar of the RW suffers from a deep and persistent inferiority complex, most of the author’s faux intellectual superiority is spent trying to gaslight the readers – his favorite “experts” can only be understood by the technically minded, the masses are dumb. Then the usual trope of Khan Market gang – how unoriginal. The irony of a glorified shock jock masquerading as a serious commentator lamenting the death of nuance and importance given to extremist viewpoints is downright hilarious.
India’s image and soft power have taken a battering because of missteps, incompetence and hubris of this govt and its supporters. Much worse is yet to come and no amount of deflecting the blame on agendas, conspiracies and other blah will save the Indian RW. You wanted polarisation, you got it. Now deal with the downsides.
Useless and baseless article no stuff but seems like a bhakt rather than a journalist or a writer. People of india don’t get influenced by any foreign media so better be quite take your prize from your bosses and out.
There is neither any coherent nuance nor any genuine facts to support your what can be clearly called as a rant. truth is bitter my friend. Foreign media does what it does. everyone works with an agenda and vested interest.There is nothing called unbiased media. in the whole rant except for the fact that the GOI gives importance to westernmedia’s opinions.there is nothing substantial to refute the claims of the author. It only shows that You are deeply offended because he attacked what you consider to be sacred or pious.
Its true that there are a certain hiccups in handling of this pandemic. Obviously it could have been handled better. But again the PM is surrounded by bureaucrats and he relies on them heavily. He doesn’t use of his ministers for feedback as he relies on bureaucracy for that too. That is a major flaw. Its quite easy to throw a wide range of incoherent and mutually incompatible plans and solutions at the govt and foul mouthing it for not implementing them as if they can order the govt. Govt has its own restrictions, economical restrictions we cant just go ahead and print money. we are not USA.
Coming to India’s soft power, clearly u get your info from these champagne journos. People focus more on the optics. You may like it or not optics shape peoples opinions. its true that there may be ppl who take these champagne socialists seriously. but again the whole world and media are heavily polarized as pointed in the article. You cant please everyone at the sametime. Moreover nobody gives a damn about what they publish. They failed to influence their own countries election. Lets not give them and their whiteman’s burden undue importance. Peace
cleverly you start the comment with LeLI bashing , but the crux and the end especially typically reeks of “Champagne (and caviar) socialists and liberals” left idoelogy stench !!!!
The leftist “champions” of justice are too coward to even call out the unfairness of 370 for what it was. They’d rather play appeasement games and let thousands die till eternity than get called islamophobes . But oh no , everywhere else? “We care about women and LGBTQ rights uwah!”. Screw that kind of political correctness .
Ah yes, same old “everything is nazi, islamophobe ,bigotry” mumbo jumbo the western left has been pedalling. Thanks to fools like you all, RW keeps winning elections around the world. Don’t presume yourself to be “I’m not with either one of them”. You are .And they call you a c*ck out there.
Exact opposite of what you said and that would be the exact truth, well done my friend for turning your head exactly 180degress.
A very fine article. Catches the thoughts of people who read anti India leftist/islamist(who are very subtle in their approach) foreign press feeded by anti modi and anti bjp (only because bjp takes few aspects of our culture seriously) propaganda animals masquerading as journalists..
They need to singled out and their faces needed to be shown to public.
Very true, but author himself appears awed of these left wing media outlets and exaggerates their influence over indian minds.
Narendra Modi is doing well in political matters but abysmally in economic arena and that will decide his fate in 2024. Even his supporters need jobs/opportunity. That is what counts and not testimonials/certificates from any left wing or right wing analyst.
What a wonderful article!
Please add Sadanand Dhume to the list of working gang of the foreign press.
The champagne socialists, as you call them, have something else apart from the ability to write good english. They have a good back story, or a unique point of view or a body of work that gives them credibility. Just the ability to craft grammatically correct sentences and a coherent paragraph is not sufficient . You do have a unique point of view but now your view has become mainstream. Mainstream is boring.
Don’t think you realize what mainstream is .
The interest of reading papers is devindeled due to biased reporting and low level reporting. So called journalists always bring “freedom” freedom of speech and religions. Ayyub type can never understand what freedom is for none muslims. I dont want to bring religion into it, thede broadsheets are one sided money oriented lie spreaders. Because west and US are interested keeping Pakistan on their way geographically opperesser ali, the press will never give news in favor of India. Modi is kicked left right and centre by Muslims paper jeorneolist always take anti Modi side
Modi trying to save India from becoming Muslim country helped by Arabs. West is already gone that way.
What credibility does Rana Ayyub have?
Iyerval,
Although the reasons you cited are true, but they have no significance.
Two significant reasons are
A. International papers (Authors, Editors) are not part of the Indian class system. While Indian Andh Bhakth benefit themselves by writing Pro Modi article.
B. As of now, present govt has not invested in buying international media houses. May be the current cost overweigh the benefits.
But author’s grievance is genuine. Western media by and large represent the same classes in their countries that are trying to keep dominance here. Hence some kind of support was called for.
The Western media is very colonial, condescending and presumptuous with respect to India. Criticism is fine, but it should be incisive and balanced, something that makes you sit up and say “That was very well expressed and researched”.
Brilliant