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| Rants & Raves |
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July 27, 2009
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Published Letters | 16 Oct, 2006 01:13:55PM (IST)
Yawn.... And A Jolt
Great, amazing that you guys managed to do it (How We Bought rdx, Oct 2). I congratulate your reporters, they are really brave. One slip to Nooruddin, and you would have been dead meat. Excellent investigative journalism. What now remains to be seen is whether the law enforcement agencies would respond to the story by taking leads from it and apprehending the perpetrators. Whatever, I hope to see more such articles from Outlook instead of the usual sucking up to the Congress or smearing the bjp.
S. Arvind, Rochester, US
Seems India is seated on a heap of rdx, and disasters are just waiting to happen anywhere, anytime. The apparent nexus between the isi, the Indian politician, police and the terrorists proves nothing else. This situation warrants strengthening of our intelligence network, seeking public participation in detecting suspicious persons and articles. The guilty must be delivered fast and exemplary punishment to dissuade others.
V.K. Tangri, Dehradun
The seriousness of the issue should goad the government to start a task force to deal with smuggling of such dangerous material into India. The entire Indo-Bangla border should be urgently plugged. And the bsf along it thoroughly revamped.
Mukesh, Deedwana, Rajasthan
A very telling story. Revealing in many respects, not the least of which is about the (in)effectiveness of the police who are more interested in pursuing headline-grabbing news like the seizure of porn CDs. Add to it a mixture of right-wing religious fanaticism or left-wing separatist politics—it’s a truly deadly cocktail.
Parthasarathy, Chennai
Islamic terrorism harboured in a Communist-ruled state. Tell me what’s new about it.
Rahul, New Delhi
It isn’t surprising at all that rdx can be procured in a far-off place like Murshidabad. A little more effort and stronger connections, your reporter might have got it in Mumbai itself. Maybe next time you can try to get some missiles or nuclear devices. The corrupt administration would itself arrange for them. Mera Bharat Mahan.
Ujwal Vyas, Pune
A few stray facts to ponder: Murshidabad is the parliamentary constituency of none other than Union defence minister Pranab Mukherjee; we now have the worst Union home minister after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed; 80 per cent of the residents of Murshidabad district couldn’t show any one of the 19 types of national ID cards; the West Bengal chief minister asked the Centre to stop fencing the Indo-Bangla border three months before the last assembly polls; no political party responded to a bsf advisory to shift the trade centres of the huge cartels engaged in illegal cattle trade.
Bankim Chatterjee, Haldia
The irony in the cover photo couldn’t escape my amateur eyes: a peddler holding out rdx on a piece of newspaper with the headline Gandhi Kaun Hai. You go on to give a date and time in the caption. A blatant lie that mocks at the very ideals of the Mahatma. The least you could have done is to mention that it’s a composed picture.
Jharana Jhaveri, New Delhi
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Daily Letters | 28 Sep, 2006 10:13:59AM (IST)
Height of falsehood:
It is indeed ironic that you manipulate/fabricate the picture on the cover of Outlook (Oct 2nd 2006). I can’t prove it but it would be a hell of a co-incidence for my amateur eyes like mine to believe that the news paper that this man(fortunately you didn’t give him a name) is holding has Gandhi kaun hai… the paradox doesn’t end there… you go on to give a date, time and caption mentioned on the cover is meant to be views as authentic and on location. The mockery of it being on Mahatma’s birthday is lost for lies are what he tried to fight. I am not even going into the text of the article inside, it disgusts me no end to think how much your magazine too is keen to sell terror that reigns at every corner of the globe. The least a magazine of any repute must do is to mention that this is a “composed” picture.
Jharana Jhaveri
Janmadhyam
(an initiative independent communication)
JHARANA JHAVERI
DELHI INDIA
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Daily Letters | 26 Sep, 2006 10:42:03PM (IST)
You guys are really good. We do not see this kind of investigative journalism from other news sources. I hope the Indian intelligence agencies start using your leads for some useful output. Please keep it up. You are the shining beacon in the dark seas of Indian journalism.
ABHIJIT ADHIKARI
WASHINGTON DC USA
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Daily Letters | 25 Sep, 2006 08:28:08PM (IST)
One major reason for thriving illegal activities in Murshidabad and most of WB border is: illegal cow export to Bangladesh. If Indian railways implement strong measure not to move cows to these areas from northern India (which is illegal per Indian laws), and police/BSF patrol surface transports - I would think 95% of problems will be solved.
However, vote bank politics is coming on its way from taking strong measures.
Authors must have seen brand new mobile phones with young people when they visited bordering areas of murshidabad. They make 10s of thousands rupees from these illegal cow-trade.
BANKIM CHATTERJEE
HALDIA INDIA
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Daily Letters | 25 Sep, 2006 07:25:06PM (IST)
Few more facts to ponder:
1. Murshidabad is also home constituency of DEFENSE minister Pranab Mukherjee!
2. Now, we have probably second worst Home minister in Indian history after Mufti Mohamad Syed. This epitome of confusion, Home Min Patil never visited Murshidabad, though its slipping into anarchy for quite sometime.
3. GOI instituted a pilot project for National-ID card in a block of Murshidabad district. It was accepting some different 19 types of IDs as a proof of one's residence in India. Some 80% of people could not show even one of these 19 types of Ids.
4. When central home ministry wakes up and ask for strong border fencing, its CPIM, Buddha who start opposing it.
5. Buddha Bhattacharjee asked center to stop fencing for 3 months before last election.
6. Buddha blasted BSF as a villain before Bangaon crowd few weeks back during a meeting for assembly bi-elecion campaign meeting. He was targetting local Muslims for vote.
7. These is a huge cartel who are engaged in illegal trade of cows. BSF advised to shift the trade centers of cows from bordering areas to some 30-40 KM inside India. No political parties are interested in that.
Question is: these things are going on for decades. CPIM, Congress are not interested in stopping these because it affects their votebank politics. National media never high lights these infiltration, dangereous activities. Are we really in liberal democracy? What cost are we paying for our socall 'political correctness'?
BANKIM CHATTERJEE
HALDIA INDIA
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Daily Letters | 24 Sep, 2006 11:51:45PM (IST)
"covert policy? for votebank politics?"
Indeed there is a lot of vote-bank politics, but that does not mean that anyone will "encourage" militants. It can be somewhat dangerous for WB itself, as the attack on the U.S.I.S showed. I think the answer lies more in rank incompetence-- the same incompetence that the WB government has demonstrated in handling the rejuvenated Naxalite crisis. The WB police is one of the most incompetent, politicised police forces in the country. They are better at serving the Party interests than chasing miscreants of any description, really.
ARYA ROY
DURHAM UNITED STATES
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Daily Letters | 24 Sep, 2006 08:44:28PM (IST)
Holy cow!!! How did you guys do it? I congratulate the really brave reporters. One slip to Nooruddin and you would have been deadmeat. Excellent investigative journalism. Attaboy, Outlook!!! Hoping to see more of such articles instead of usual sucking up to Congress or smearing the BJP. But the question is will law enforcement officials take "leads" from this story and apprehend the persons and put an end to this. I highly doubt it. But it was a good article to read. Keep it up, Outlook.
ARVIND
ROCHESTER UNITED STATES
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