As far as I can remember the news about the Godhra incident starting flashing in the morning of February 27th. It was a period when the news channels were slowly coming up. Aaj Tak was growing great guns and so were Star News and Zee News. Doordarshan, government run channel, was pushed to the background by the private channels so that meant there were no censors in the news items. It was left to the discretion of the dudes from US/UK to decide what’s best for us. Aaj Tak got all the publicity because it was marketed as India’s own channel. So our own Aaj Tak started flashing images from the train carnage uncensored. The blame was put on Muslims as they fell to the taunts of the returning Kar Sewaks and eventually burnt the train. My first reaction to the news was my utter shock at this inhuman punishment meted out after slightest of provocations. Even though independent fact finding teams have refuted this earlier claim and label it is a part of larger conspiracy of the state government, I am not getting into conspiracy theories.
Posts tagged as:
Society
A sensitive boy and the Kar Sewaks-II
My immature mind was already corrupted by this communal feeling. I often wondered if we too will meet the same fate as other Muslims who perished in the riots. My mother lost her cousin in the Bengali-Bihari riots in Bangladesh. She told me that her cousin could save her daughter as she hid her below her saari who was later rescued by the police. At least I now have a hiding place in case of emergency!
{ 10 comments }
Even Airtel works in Kabul
I am already a fan of Vinod Sharma’s articles in the HT. He now describes his journey to Kabul. The Indian influence on the society is apparent. There have been reports that suggest that people are already addicted to the ‘Saas-Bahu’ Indian soaps so much so that streets are empty during the time of their broadcast, marriages are stopped and thiefs make merry stealing things from the overwhelmed Ekta Kapoor fans. All the accessories of a car was stolen in Kabul and ‘thank you
{ 2 comments }
Daughter sold by a gambler when she was just 2 years old!
Rasheeda (L), 17, and her mother Nooran cry as they beg for help in Hyderabad, 160 km (100 miles) from Karachi February 26, 2007. Rasheeda whose late father lost her in a poker game when she was 2 years old, has asked authorities to save her from being handed over to middle-aged relative. [Reuters]
{ 8 comments }
Honor killings
A MAN killed his 17-year-old daughter for having an affair with a boy in Banwaripur village in Meerut. Kulbhusan, according to the police, was upset over the relationship and had told his daughter Rajni to stop meeting the boy. When the girl refused, he strangled her. His brother Mahendra and son Dushyant helped him dump the body. The three allegedly burnt the body to hide their crime.
The Meerut police have collected Rajni’s bones from the spot and have sent them for forensic tests. According to the police, Rajni was having an affair with one Ravindra. Both of them were class 12 students at Rasna inter college. Ravindra told the police that they wanted to marry but their families were against the relationship.
{ 2 comments }
