FW: response letter to a PBS anti-India film

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

PBS Television is planning to broadcast a very one-sided report on what is

happening in India. It would be good to respond (an example from an Indian

friend follows):

 

--- On Wed 09/11, Kanak R.Ravel wrote:

> To

> Stephen Segaller

> Director

> News & Pubic Affairs Programming

> WNET

> 450 West 33rd St., 6th Floor

> New York, NY 10001

> segaller

>

> Dear Mr. Segaller:

>

> I have come to know that WNET/Wide Angle series is going to air a documentary

"Soul of India" on Thursday, September 19, 2002. I am a long time supporter of

PBS and enjoy its educational and informative programs in a commercial free

setting. I find it one of the few sources of unbiased reporting. Therefore, I am

deeply distressed by what can at best be described as irresponsible journalism

in airing the "Soul of India" documentary. The airing of this program is an

assault on the sentiments of Hindus around the world. Your program extract

reads:

>

> Soul of a Nation

> Thurs., Sept. 19 at 9pm ET

> http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/about/film10.html

>

> "The bloody conflict between Hindus and Muslims in North Western India is at

the forefront of a struggle for India's identity, led by an increasingly

powerful Hindu fundamentalist movement whose goal is to turn India into a Hindu

nation. Over the last three months, some 2,000 Muslims have been killed in the

Province of Gujarat, and more than 100,000 Muslims have been forced to flee to

refugee camps. Meanwhile extremist Hindu private schools are spreading rapidly

across India. Will India, home to more than a billion people, continue to be the

multi-ethnic, religiously diverse, secular, and tolerant society that Gujarat's

Mahatma Gandhi attempted to create? Or will the nation be split -- by a Hindu

fundamentalist movement hoping to rise to power by fanning the winds of

religious extremism?"

>

> Here are reasons why this documentary is biased and full of innuendos and

misrepresentations:

>

> (1) Hindu culture is an ancient culture and has existed for more than 5,000

years without causing genocide or massive bloodshed in the name of a crusade,

jihad or anything similar. Whenever, Hindus have taken up arms, it has been for

self-defense. "Soul" of India is changeless and timeless. A riot such as this

is a mere blip in the history of this oldest civilization that has withstood the

ravages of time and barbarians for thousands of years and has the resilience to

do that for the future. Thus this documentary does not portray the "soul" of

India.

 

> (2) A racial/religious riot in the USA does not change the soul of this

country; and certainly Indian television does not produce documentaries

presenting the USA riots in that light.

 

> (3) Citing mere words without a shred of evidence is not only malicious

propaganda but also gross injustice to Indians, especially Hindus. Can Mr.

Clemmow show instances of violence being bred in so-caled Hindu extremist

schools. If these Hindu schools inculcate ideals of Hinduism and respect for

the Hindu culture, they do not become extremist-fundamentalist schools.

 

> (4) To give a fair and balanced perspective, it is important to highlight the

history of Ahmedabad and the violence that has erupted there from time to time

in the last 150 years and show who started the riots and who suffered the most.

 

> (5) The Burning alive of 58 Hindus, women and children included in a train at

Godhara is also not given any coverage in this program. One has to be reminded

that Gujarat riots did not happen in vacuum; they were a reaction of a peace

loving society to the Godhara carnage.

 

> (6) The producer is using figures loosely without any care for verification.

Show us the official figures or independent verification of the count of 2000

Muslims dead. First, the figure as reported by the State Government as well as

many agencies and responsible newspapers is 263 Hindus and 633 Muslims including

100+ policemen killed. Then, why state that only Muslims were killed? Why not

tell that Hindus were killed too. Are Hindu lives less valuable? Also, why this

"Narrow Focus" on what happened in the last 3 months? Why not take a "Wide

Angle" look at what has happened in the last 10 years in

India where 75,000 Hindus have been killed by Islamic terrorists in Jammu and

Kashmir and 350,000 forced to flee from their homes to refugee camps? This

surpasses the atrocities committed in Bosnia! More recently, thousands of Hindus

have been killed and displaced by the anti-Hindu Islamic party rule in

Bangladesh. Did PBS ever show the plight of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir or

Bangladesh or Pakistan? Even the Parliament House of India in New Delhi was

attacked by Islamic terrorists. How could Wide Angle show what is happening to

the Soul of India without showing these mortal wounds inflicted on the Soul of

India by Muslim extremists?

 

> (7) The violence between the Muslims and Hindus was mostly confined to

Ahmedabad and some other pockets of Gujarat. Then, why is it being said that

the Hindus in general in India are moving towards fundamentalism?

 

> (8) Even at the height of the riots, Hindus and Muslims in the rest of India

coexisted and carried on their daily life without any disturbances. Then why is

this not being given coverage and why is the lie propagated deliberately to

malign the Hindus and Hindu organizations?

 

> (9) "will the nation be split - by a Hindu Fundamentalist movement hoping to

rise to power by fanning the winds of religious extremism?"

>

> This is a highly irresponsible journalism. To pose the question "will the

nation be split?" is sensationalism - unworthy of journalistic reputation of

PBS. Again, why is PBS blaming Hindus for the split? Why not use a "wide angle"

to see that India was split into Pakistan and Bangladesh in the first place -

not by Hindus- but by Muslim fundamentalists who wanted an Islamic State. That

the same Muslim fundamentalism exported from Pakistan to Afghanistan is now

trying to talibanize Jammu & Kashmir and split that State from India. That even

after 55 years of Independence of India, Muslim fundamentalism is maintaining

separate laws based on Quran/Sharia for Muslims in India than for the rest of

the nation - thus effectively maintaining a separate Muslim nation within India.

>

> I can give you many more pointers to show that this documentary is far from

truth; my question to you then, is: What is your motivation for producing and

airing this prejudicial and untruthful documentary during prime time to millions

of impressionable children and families across the country? Does it not look

like a motivated attack on Hindus, Hindu organizations and India and

interference in India's internal affairs?

>

> I ask you to use your good judgment and cancel airing of this documentary. As

a concerned Hindu I demand that you give equal time to noted Indologists like

Dr. Konerrad Elst, Dr. David Frawley, Dr. Subhash Kak and Francois Gautiere and

representatives of Hindu Temples and organizations to present opposing

viewpoint.

>

> Thank you.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Your name, phone number, address and email address (This information is a must

to have your letter taken seriously.)

>

> (WNET Tel. No.: 212 560 8282

> WNET Fax No.: 212 560 8279

> Email for PBS Channel 13: segaller or specter)

 

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