I have been a subscriber of ‘The Hindu’ for more than two decades now, the time Indians get forced to convert to English for survival. It was not that bad affair till recently when it turned fanatically ‘Christian’.
My days have never started without ‘The Hindu’. There was an important role of the feature pages and special issues of this newspaper for many who aspired for Civil Services examination in India. I am also one of them. All the papers have compulsion to tilt either left, right or upside down according to their masters’ political or business interests. The Hindu also had this problem, but it was okay.
Readers who follow ‘The Hindu’, though, must have noticed for some time now that this newspaper has tilted towards Christianity in too obvious ways.
The latest evidence of this is the news coverage of Christopher Hitchens. They publish a news item the very next day of his death as other newspapers publish; they again published a piece in association with The Guardian today i.e. 19th December, 2011. But there was a cruel censorship on his views on Mother Teresa. What more interest Indians readers would have in Christopher Hitchens than his views on Mother Teresa? He had not issued ephemeral remarks here and there on MT. He had done a very serious book and also a film on Mother Teresa’s ‘Missionary Position’ and written extensively on the ‘Sainthood’ of MT. His book was published in India as well. He had a point of view on her missionary works in India and had won serious appreciation all over. It is not the ignorance of ‘The Hindu’, but willful and offensive act of censor. How can a newspaper who has partnered with ‘Wikileaks’ to publish any irrelevant details of diplomatic or non-diplomatic leaks and lies?
If anyone interested in Christopher Hitchens’ view on MT, he/she can follow this link:
http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/hitchens_16_4.html
Few months back ‘The Hindu’ followed Don Bosco relics more than religiously and Special Correspondents very meticulously gave the details of lanes and roads it passed through and projected it as an occasion of ‘Historic’ importance. I do not have anything personal against any such processions or journeys and this can very much be the part of any Christian publication, but it looks conspicuous with ‘The Hindu’ with such tireless following.
During these periods we got the news from various sources about forceful or ‘lureful’ conversion of Muslims in Kashmir and Sikhs in Punjab by Christian Missionaries, but that did not find any place in this India’s National Newspaper. You leave the cases of Hindus, who are, according to ‘secular’ forces, being converted because of caste factors, but look at the Buddhists in Arunachal Pradesh and Laddakh region. There too Christian Missionaries are luring Buddhists to get converted in their fold. These news items seem to be as communal as Mother Teresa being labeled as ‘cunning’ by Christopher Hitchens.
Sister Valsha John was killed recently in Jharkhand. Apart from her Missionary work, she too did ‘distinguished’ work as whistle blower against illegal mining that was known to public after her death. Not too long Swami Nigamanand died fasting for the cause of saving river Ganga. If you get back to the issues of ‘The Hindu’ of relevant dates, you will see the tilt. Haridwar was nearer and more approachable for any edition of ‘The Hindu’ than Pakur in Jharkhand. Nigamanand died not for a lesser cause than Sister Valsha John’s. But who can have better secular sense than one and only N. Ram?
N. Ram can publish end number of articles on ‘Three Hundred Ramayanas…’ in the name of freedom of speech, but cannot allow Christopher Hitchens’s obituary referred to Mother Teresa. That will be too communal for secular India, N. Ram represents.
Today when I think of unsubscribing ‘The Hindu’ I do think of P. Sainaths who happen to get published there, but then will they be allowed by N. Ram to investigate the details of four pages advertisement of Rajasthan Government highlighting 300 path-breaking achievements of public welfare? No. So be it and let my life be without ‘The Hindu’.
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