The Tyranny of the Left

Reading newspapers in Mumbai has become a pain in the backside.

Newspapers that beat their chests about freedom of speech and equality in society do not believe in following their professed intentions (or are they rants?). All you see in newspapers - and I am referring here to the (self professed "secular", "liberal") English dailies in Mumbai and the leading English and Bengali dailies in Kolkata (which I catch on the net on a daily basis) - is ONLY the viewpoint of leftists, and self professed secularists.

The editors were educated in the post Independence era when foggy socialist and leftist ideas ruled the roost. I am not surprised therefore that the jounos they recruit are steeped in their own philosophy - and parrot the same line.

The two dailies from Kolkata I refer to belong to a heavyweight regional media group. More than 25 years ago, their offices and press was threatened by the goons of the CPI(M) and literally laid to seige (through the militant trade union wing of the communists of course). The seige continued for almost a month (I must have been in Class IV or V). The newspaper refused to buckle down and finally the seige was lifted. M J Akbar who was the editor of the English newspaper at that time used to brave brickbats while going to office - and I remember him recollecting one of his best moments was when he walked out the office the day the seige was lifted.

Any guesses what this same group talks about the CPI (M)? For the past 10 months - since the time the Singur and Nandigram crises erupted, this group has behaved almost like a spokesperson of the CPI(M). It took the Nandigram massacre to shake them out of their stupor and gauge that public opinion was really asking why they were toeing the "party" line?

Today's (Sunday, August 19th, 2007) English newspapers of Mumbai are no better. "UPA Left divorce" and other such screaming headlines! Look back some issues and Naxalites are referred to as the Red Terror - BUT with a disclaimer - Naxalites are a socio economic problem. Well methinks the Naxals are a threat to India's sovereignity and should be dealt with as much ruthlessness as we would with an enemy of India.

So when an activist doctor who helps Naxals in Chattisgarh (he claims he helps tribals and can't help if some of them are Naxals! How naive!!) is arrested, the English press goes bonkers and questions the Government on its intentions? Well Mr Editors - I suppose it is common sense - the activists are helping the enemy so they should be arrested and tried for helping the enemy. I suggest you guys get captured by the Naxals once and then come back and have a different worldview.

Yesterday one of the editorials in one of the English dailies in Mumbai even went on to preach why the UPA - Left combine should stay - to keep out the BJP.

Well Mr Editor-who-thinks-he/ she-is-God - can I ask you one question? Why don't you expose the left for what it is - a bunch of goons who always indulges in double speak? Why do you always have a leftist point of view?

Have you forgotten S G Tallentyre's quote (mistakenly attributed to Voltaire) "I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death your right to say it?" Why is there no Right viewpoint in your newspapers? Is the Left right? Far from it - the Left makes us left behind in the global race for domination.

TV news channels are worse - but let me write about them a little while from now.