पुस्तक समीक्षा : ‘आतंकवाद और भारतीय मीडिया’

भारतीय पक्ष: मई २००९

http://www.bhartiyapaksha.com/?p=4063
-‘आतंकवाद और भारतीय मीडिया’ पुस्तक अंग्रेजी, हिंदी और उर्दू समाचार पत्रों का आतंकवाद के प्रति दृष्टिकोणों का एक तुलनात्मक अध्ययन है। इसके लेखक हैं दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय के एसोसिएट प्रोफेसर राकेश सिन्हा।
इस पुस्तक को तैयार करने में उन्होंने कुछ अन्य विद्वानों का लेखकीय सहयोग लिया है। पुस्तक मुख्यत: तीन घटनाओं पर केन्द्रित है। बाटला हाउस मुठभेड़, मुंबई पर आतंकी हमला और अंतुले प्रकरण। इन तीन घटनाओं पर हिन्दी, अंग्रेजी और उर्दू समाचार पत्रों में प्रकाशित सामग्री पर निष्कर्ष निकालने की कोशिश की गई है।
पुस्तक ने अखबारो की बारीकी से जांच कर कई महत्वपूर्ण अंश अपने पाठकों तक पहंचाये हैं जैसे बाटला हाउस एन्काउन्टर पर जदीद मरकज की यह टिप्पणी ‘पुलिस के अधिकारी और कर्मचारी इन दो मासूम बच्चों को घसीट कर सड़क पर लाये और सड़क पर ही उनको गोली मार दी गई। बाद में एन्काउन्टर की झूठी कहानी बताई गई।’ पुस्तक बहुत जल्दी तैयार की गई है इसलिए प्रूफ की त्रुटियां रह गईं हैं।

Book Review in The Telegraph(Kolkata): The Sword and the Pen

Paperback Pickings
May 08, 2009( Friday)

Terrorism and the Indian Media: A comparative study of the approach of English, Hindi and Urdu newspapers towards terrorism (India Policy Foundation, Rs 80) by Rakesh Sinha is a “research project” that explores the impact of the spectre of terrorism on sections of the Indian media, and their fragmented response towards this burgeoning evil. Sinha and his team of researchers and co-writers have selected three recent incidents — the Batla House encounter in New Delhi, the Mumbai attack and the A.R. Antulay episode — to raise some significant questions: does the media’s coverage of such incidents provide terrorists with a certain degree of legitimacy? Do the media violate the ethics of journalism by sensationalizing episodes for commercial gain? Significantly, Sinha also focuses on the differences in the coverage of such events between mainstream English publications and their regional vernacular counterparts. For instance, while most English newspapers projected the Mumbai attack as a product of Islamic jihad, Urdu newspapers’ editorial line harped on a Jewish-American conspiracy. The excerpts of press reports of the Batla House encounter also expose the media’s unwillingness to contest the police version of the event.
The painstaking research provides a chronological presentation of the three events and highlights the differences in the media’s interpretations. Some of the “findings” listed in the final chapter are illuminating. They make it fairly evident that when the fourth estate starts speaking in many voices, truth is often the first casualty.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090508/jsp/opinion/story_10924231.jsp#

Aziz Burney and his ilk completely isolated

Burney trying to communalise academics
Manmohan sharma ,72, a veteran journalist,who has been associated with many Urdu papers , contributed in the book "AAtankwad aur Bhartiya Media". He has close contact with Urdu journalists. Many of them are his friends. But his association with the research team of the book led the fundamentalists to target him. He received threatening calls , a fearless Sharma informed this today when he visited IPF in connection with research work. One caller identified himself a resident of Rampur warned him for his alleged anti- Urdu academic activities. Sharma has undergone a major eye surgery and he politely retorted to the caller asking him had he found any reference or quote in the book out of context or without any reference? But he was unabate.
Such threatening (calls) on academic work would only lead to communalisastion of academics. In a democratic country, like India, researchers should be allowed to do work in a free , fearless and frank manner and atmosphere . No body should be allowed to obstruct research activities. The findings should be , if any body finds anything erroneous or use of selective quoting, out of context citation or motivated writing, contested academically. All doors are opened to such contestation including judiciary. We are surprised to find almost all retortion by Urdu press is political, communal in nature and without any substance. No reviewer cited even a single finding or quotation unjustified.
Surprisingly, Urdu media is finding not only exposed but also isolated. Aziz Burney's frustration reflects this very fact. His anguish against the Muslim organisations and leaders not protesting against the book shows that these organisations and leaders have accepted the truth that Urdu papers have damaged their reputations and embarrassed them. they not only maintained complete silence but also outrightly rejected their repeated appeal. Burney tried to create communal passion by polemically presenting the research work.
There has been consistent debate in the west on the interrelationship between media and terrorism and the role of the media in combating the menace. My work is a humble effort to introduce this debate in India. I did try to acknowledge the role of the Urdu papers. I was astonished to find their firm and conscious belief in the Conspiracy Theory. Even people like Javed Anand and Teesta Setelvad , Zafrul Isam Khan condemned the editorial policies of the Urdu media! Urdu media needs to change its editorial policies and to join the mainstream. Aziz Burney should do some self introspection. The freedom he enjoys under the Indian constitution should not be misused to damage academic work as well as secular -democratic character of the country.
Fourth estate is a cornerstone of democracy. It has potential to defeat communal movements and mindset. Burney should use journalism constructively rather than inciting the fundamentalists. The book is an opportunity for right thinking people to isolate such newspapers, their publishers, editors who use the media as a communal shop.
Regards
Rakesh Sinha

Reaction of Urdu Newspapers on Terrorism and the Indian Media

AALAMI SAHARA
11th April 2009
Page 11
Urdu Media Ko Badnaam Karane Ki Saajish...

If you want to get insight in to mentality of Muslim society it is better to go through the Urdu Media as Urdu media is the Mirror of Muslim society...
If anyone wants to see whether Muslims are smiling or weeping you have no way other than Urdu papers.But unfortunately attempts are going on to tarnish the image of Urdu media and finish it from the field of the Jounalism.
Certain elements want that situation should reach to the point that "मुसलमा्नोन्को मारे भी और वो रोये भी नही" .there is one plan in progress under the guise of research work to altogether finish the Urdu Media under the title Terrorism and Indian Media.
Under which title this plan is being implemented is highly dangerous,which would lead in to enchroachment of the fundamental rights of Urdu Media in general and Muslim Society in particular.
It is also fact that there is no noteworthy forum to disguise the Communal Forces and role of Hindi English media with the tool of Research Work.Such type of research work would be helpfull to apprise the Muslim society about their plans of targetting Muslim society and thier heinous plans of malighning the image of Urdu Media..
No one can permit to anyone that under the name of the research proving role of Urdu media as anti-national and misguiding the Muslim readers.This type of research works are working in tandem of GLOBAL Lobbies incessantely attacking Muslims interests.
Also it is not secret thing that Sangh Parivar is well entrenched in such type of media world.Which has a the proxy representatives taking orders from Tel-Aviv fro working against Muslim World.Since last so many years RSS and BJP office bearers are regularly meeting and holding parles with Jewish representatives,this fact has been quoted by English,Hindi and Urdu media on regular intervals.
About Rakesh Sinha-This man is from Delhi university and now working with IPF.And his sole objective is to attack and malighn the image of Urdu media.and he is the part of the whole sinister network engaged in such activity.
While publishing this book Ex-CBI Chief Joginder singh had launched scathing attack on role of Urdu media and termed it as Anti-national but saddest thing of this episode is that no one from Urdu media has came forward to counter his allegations...
The sole objective of this book is to snatch away financial support of Government and Industrial houses in form of Advertisements for Urdu media on the backdrop of Parliamentary Elections.....
There is biggest allegation in this book that when there was discussion for tuff anti-terror law in India Urdu media regularly opposed it and insisted that this type of New Anti-terror law wolud be only misused against Muslim youth and hence it should be vehemntely opposed by Muslims,thus Urdu media's behaviour is Anti-national...

Lat and important thing in this book is that when Malegaon bomb case came to fourth Rakesh Sinha has mentained strict silence on this topic and he didn't felt it necessary to dedicate one chapter for this new type of terrorism in India......

So the conclusion can be easily drawn from this bok is that this is the part of Global campaign spearheaded by USA.........-- not teeth for teethbut For Teeth The Whole Jaw.........
aalami sahara.....JPG
urdu media ko badnaam karane ki saajish......JPG

AALAMI SAHARA 11th April 2009 Page 11 Urdu Media Ko Badnaam Karane Ki Saajish... If you want to get insight in to mentality of Muslim society it is better to go through the Urdu Media as Urdu media is the Mirror of Muslim society... If anyone wants to see whether Muslims are smiling or weeping you have no way other than Urdu papers.But unfortunately attempts are going on to tarnish the image of Urdu media and finish it from the field of the Jounalism. Certain elements want that situation should reach to the point that "मुसलमा्नोन्को मारे भी और वो रोये भी नही" .there is one plan in progress under the guise of research work to altogether finish the Urdu Media under the title Terrorism and Indian Media. Under which title this plan is being implemented is highly dangerous,which would lead in to enchroachment of the fundamental rights of Urdu Media in general and Muslim Society in particular. It is also fact that there is no noteworthy forum to disguise the Communal Forces and role of Hindi English media with the tool of Research Work.Such type of research work would be helpfull to apprise the Muslim society about their plans of targetting Muslim society and thier heinous plans of malighning the image of Urdu Media.. No one can permit to anyone that under the name of the research proving role of Urdu media as anti-national and misguiding the Muslim readers.This type of research works are working in tandem of GLOBAL Lobbies incessantely attacking Muslims interests. Also it is not secret thing that Sangh Parivar is well entrenched in such type of media world.Which has a the proxy representatives taking orders from Tel-Aviv fro working against Muslim World.Since last so many years RSS and BJP office bearers are regularly meeting and holding parles with Jewish representatives,this fact has been quoted by English,Hindi and Urdu media on regular intervals. About Rakesh Sinha-This man is from Delhi university and now working with IPF.And his sole objective is to attack and malighn the image of Urdu media.and he is the part of the whole sinister network engaged in such activity. While publishing this book Ex-CBI Chief Joginder singh had launched scathing attack on role of Urdu media and termed it as Anti-national but saddest thing of this episode is that no one from Urdu media has came forward to counter his allegations... The sole objective of this book is to snatch away financial support of Government and Industrial houses in form of Advertisements for Urdu media on the backdrop of Parliamentary Elections..... There is biggest allegation in this book that when there was discussion for tuff anti-terror law in India Urdu media regularly opposed it and insisted that this type of New Anti-terror law wolud be only misused against Muslim youth and hence it should be vehemntely opposed by Muslims,thus Urdu media's behaviour is Anti-national... Lat and important thing in this book is that when Malegaon bomb case came to fourth Rakesh Sinha has mentained strict silence on this topic and he didn't felt it necessary to dedicate one chapter for this new type of terrorism in India...... So the conclusion can be easily drawn from this bok is that this is the part of Global campaign spearheaded by USA.........-- not teeth for teethbut For Teeth The Whole Jaw......... aalami sahara.....JPG urdu media ko badnaam karane ki saajish......JPG

(IPF thanks to Shri Vinay Joshi (Mumbai) who drew our attention to AAlmi sahara's article on the book and he also took pain to translate it.)

Shri Bhushan Damleji (from Mumbai) commented on AAlmi Sahara's reaction:
श्री राकेशजी
नमस्कार
उर्दू प्रेस की राष्ट्रविरोधी भूमिका दुनिया के सामने खुल जाने से उनकी प्रतिक्रिया होनी ही थी। इस लेख की विशेषता यह है की जो पुस्तक मे लिखा है उस पर कुछ न कहते हुए सिधे मालेगाव को घसीटा गया है। और हमेशा की तरह इस्रायल और संघ षड्यंत्र की बाते उछाली है। इससे वे कितने बौखलाये हुए है इसका अंदाजा लगाया जा सकता है।पहली बार उन्हे किसीने expose किया है। आपका प्रयास अत्यंत सफ़ल रहा।आपका और IPF मे आपके सहयोगीओंका हार्दिक अभिनंदन !
धन्यवाद
भूषण दामले

BOOK REVIEW

Sabyasachi's Blog
Tuesday, 31 March 2009

"Terrorism and the Indian Media" - Book Review
TERRORISM AND THE INDIAN MEDIA: A comparative study of the approach of English, Hindi and Urdu Newspapers towards terrorism, Rakesh Sinha, India Policy Foundation: New Delhi, Rs. 80
On the morning of September 19th, 2008, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police raided house number L-18 of Batla House Colony in Jamia Nagar, in the heart of Delhi, and killed two dreaded terrorists, Atif Amin and Mohammad Sajid, while another Mohammad Saif was arrested. While this news brought cheer to most people in Delhi as these terrorists were part of the same group that had terrorised the whole city only a few days before by unleashing a series of deadly bombings in public places that that had left over 30 people dead and over a 100 injured, a large section of the Urdu press, throwing all journalistic norms to the wind and without any iota of evidence, chose to condemn the police action as stage-managed and filled reams of newsprint with highly inflammatory articles and write-ups. For instance, the Urdu Times of Mumbai on September 23, 2008 published an obituary of the killed terrorists with the headline "Atif beqasoor tha, is par laga dagh Allah khud dhoyega" (Atif was innocent; Allah himself will wash the blame put on him).
The latest book of noted political scientist, Prof. Rakesh Sinha, "Terrorism and the Indian Media" is a comparative study on how the English, Hindu and Urdu newspapers in India deal with the issue of terrorism and is a culmination of the research carried out at the India Policy Foundation, New Delhi. The book tries to comprehend the attitudes of the newspapers through their coverage of three watershed events of recent times - the Batla House Encounter, the 26/11 terrorist attack on Mumbai, and the unsavoury episode where Abdul Rahman Antulay, a senior minister in the present Congress government chose to make highly obnoxious comments on communal lines about the Mumbai attack.
One would have thought that the supreme sacrifice of Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists holed up in Batla House, would have completely laid to rest the initial murmurs among a section of the Muslims about the veracity of the encounter. However, as the book reveals, the Urdu press continued to insist that the slain terrorists were 'Masoon (innocent), 'Nirdosh' (blameless) and 'Bekasur' (innocent), in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They gave wide publicity to wild rumours and amplified the inflammatory speeches of known rabble -rousers like the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid. Some Urdu newspapers published stories which would put even a highly lurid paperback to shame. The writer of an article in the Zadid Markaz, daily from Lucknow, on September 29 like the omniscient narrator of a novel wrote: "Inspector Sharma shouted from outside, 'Atif open the door, else I shall break it open and shoot you.' As soon as Atif opened the door, Inspector Sharma and his colleagues held him by the hair and dragged him from the fourth floor to the second floor. By this time Sajid was able to rid himself from police's grip and started to grapple with the cops. Sharma shouted an asked them to 'shoot the rascal', and the cops fired from behind. Instead of Atif, Inspector Sharma received the three bullets. ..."
In contrast, the book found both the English and Hindi print media to be objective on this issue. They stuck to the known facts and "never took the anarchist liberty of demonising the police or the Indian state". Debunking the canard spread by a section of the Urdu media, well known columnist Praveen Swami wrote: "Much has been made of a newspaper photograph which shows that Sharma's shirt was not covered in blood, with some charging that it demonstrates he was shot in the back. Forensic experts, however note that bleeding from firearm injuries takes place through exit wounds - not as in bad pop films, at the point of entry. In the photgraph, signs of a bullet having ripped through Sharma's shirt are evident on his visible shoulder; so too, is evidence of the profuse bleeding from the back ..." The Hindi dailies were in general scathing in their denunciation of those spreading false rumours about the attack. The Dainik Jagran took the local supporters of the slain terrorists in Jamia Nagar to task: "The way a section of the local residents opposed the operation of the Delhi Police, and even went to the extent of calling it a fake, provided the answer to questions as to why terrorists were able to get shelter in such localities. If the encounter were fake, then did Mohan Chand Sharma fall to the bullets shot from heaven? It is amply clear that the Muslim leadership still has miles to go before they can make the anti-terrorism campaign effective."
Barely two months after this incident came the worst terrorist attack on India soil. For over 60 hours heavily armed Jehadis held the port city of Mumbai in a pincer-grip of terror and at the end of it about 200 innocent lives were sacrificed at the alter of Islamic Jehadi fundamentalism and hundreds more were injured. The books presents overwhelming evidence of the fact that even at this moment of great national crisis, the Urdu media chose to play a very dangerous game by actively spreading egregiously baseless rumours. Most Urdu newspapers, even after one of the Islamic jehadis was captured alive, continued to spit out various conspiracy theories, blaming the Americans, the Jews, the Hindus, or a combination of these. The Roznam Rashtriya Sahara published an article with the headline: "Mumbai par hamala CIA ki karastani hai" (The Attack on Mumbai is the handiwork of the CIA. According to the Urdu Times of November 30, 2008: "Yeh Sangh Parivar-Mossad ki mushtarka dahsatgardi hai" (This is a joint terror operation by the Sangh Parivar and Mossad). Again on December 5, the same newspaper issued the patent denial "Musalman Dahsatgard nahi hai" (Muslims are not terrorists) and continued to insist that no Muslim organisations were involved in the Mumbai attacks. It also called on the government to "refrain from blaming Pakistan on every pretext."
The English and Hindi newspapers however clearly saw the Mumbai attack as a "war on India". The Hindustan Times recognized that the "Mumbai terror fits into the paradigm of Jehad international". In the targeted killing of Jews in Nariman House, the Times of India of November 28, was able to read a hallmark of Islamist groups - a fanatical hatred for Jews. The same newspaper also reported the case of the Turkish couple, Seyfi and Meltem Muezzinoglu, who were released by the terrorists at Oberoi Hotel, when they identified themselves as Muslims. The Hindi daily Aaj called on the government to formulate a policy to eliminate the root of this terror. It wrote: "The reality is that the terrorist infrastructure is still intact in Pakistan. The proof lies in the fact that from Karachi to Muzaffarabad, hundreds of terror camps are still operational, where youths are being trained before being sent across the border". In the same vein, the Dainik Jagran wrote: "...after killing the ruthless marauders who came from Pakistan it is now the responsibility of the Indian Government to take on the Pakistani leadership ..."
The response of the Urdu media to the highly irresponsible utterances of Abdul Rahman Antulay in Parliament about the killings of the ATS officers in Mumbai and those of the English and Hindi media were again a study in contrast. The Urdu press hailed him as a "Muslim leader" and in his statement found an opportunity to aggressively peddle their outrageous conspiracy theories. The English and Hindi were however unanimous in express their outrage at Antulay's anti-national statements. M.J.Akbar wrote in the Times of India of December 21st: "I am amazed at the sheer gall of both the spinners in Pakistan and Antulay's in India. They seem to forget that there is a Pakistani canary sitting in an Indian jail, singing out the plans, preparations and objectives. Nine dead men and their masters are being exposed by the tenth man, that man who did not die." (Referring to the captured terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab). Many including Akbar felt the Mr. Antulay was impelled by the "lure of the Muslim vote."
The book concludes there has been a marked shift in the attitude of the English and Hindi media on the issue of terror, especially after 26/11. More and more newspapers are seen to be moving away from their stance of considering acts of terror as mere law and order problems. They are gradually coming to realise that terror acts are not isolated events and are not products of internal issues like the Ram Janmabhumi issue or the Gujarat riots, but is rather a part of the pernicious ideology of global Islamic Jihad, that is totally opposed to all ideas of democracy and modernity. The aftermath of the recent terrorist attacks also saw the usual concerted efforts from some quarters to derail the police investigations by bringing in issues like secularism, human rights, minority rights and the bogey of Hindu majoritarianism. Though both the English and Hindi did give space to the wild allegations levelled against the police and the Indian state, they did not get any endorsement from them, unlike in the past. They refused to buy the conspiracy theories peddled by Muslim right-wing activists, fundamentalist rabble-rousers, Jamia Students' and Teachers' bodies, and leftist organisations and were unanimous in recognising the supreme sacrifice of Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma at Batla House. The Urdu press on the other hand played a very dubious role during the latest spate of terror in the country and proved themselves be a big embarrassment for the nation, often reproducing the same baseless allegations, innuendos and wild conspiracy theories that sections of the Pakistani media was dishing out. They labelled the Batla House encounter a fake, questioned the role of “Muslims” and “Pakistan” in 26/11 while blaming CIA, Mossad and Sangh Parivar, and whole heartedly endorsed the untenable and highly anti-national statements of Abdul Rahman Antulay. They simply were not able to look beyond the outrageous paradigms of American, Zionist and Hindu conspiracies while seeking inspiration from medieval Islamic theology. Therefore, Ulema Council Chairman, Maulana Amir Rashadi in a typical conspiracy theory alleged that, “The UPA government have been acting under pressure from Mossad, which has been acting in coordination with the Sangh Parivar and targeting the Muslim community. All the terror attacks in the country have been carried out by them. Karkare exposed them and brought out this naked truth. So they killed him.”
When a reporter of India Today asked a terrorist arrested for the blasts in Delhi, whether he would plant a bomb in the same market where his mother was buying vegetables, he replied: "If Allah wants, I will do so.’Meri valida ko jannat naseeb hoga (my mother will get a place in paradise)." With such growing influence of Jehadi ideology, it is imperative for the media to be extremely careful in its conduct, lest it provide, in Margaret Thatcher's words, "oxygen for the terrorists." Hence Prof. Sinha's book comes at a very crucial time. Coming from an independent authority, it assumes all the more importance as he dispassionately provides incontrovertible evidence for all his conclusions. He and his team have painstakingly collected relevant material from all the major English, Hindi and Urdu newspapers and included them in the book. The absence of an index and printing errors are the only points which go against this excellent book. Overall a must read for anyone interested in national security and India's war on terror.

References on terrorism and Media

Some references( of western authors) on Terrorism and Media:

Alali, A., Eke, K., (ed.) Media Coverage of Terrorism: Methods of
Diffusion, Sage Publications, London, 1991
Der Derian, J., 9.11: Before, After and In Between, Social Science
Research Council, www.ssrc.org/sept11/essays/der_derian.htm,
accessed on 20 March 2003
Hayakawa, S., Language in Thought and Action, George Allen and Unwin,
London, 1952
Herman, E., Chomsky, N., Manufacturing of Consent: The Political
Economy of the Mass Media, Pantheon, New York, 1988
Leech, G., Semantics, Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1974
Leeman, R., The Rhetoric of Terrorism and Counterterrorism, Greenwood
Press, New York, 1991
Nacos, B., Terrorism and the Media, Columbia University Press, New
York, 1994
Orwell, G., The Collected Essays of George Orwell (Vol. 4, 1945-1950),
Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, 1968
Paletz, D., Schmid, A., (ed.) Terrorism and the Media, Sage Publications,
London, 1992
Saul, J., The Unconscious Civilization, Penguin Books, London, 1995
Schlesinger, P., Media, State and Nation: Political Violence and Collective
Identities, Sage Publications, London, 1991
Schmid, A., de Graaf, J., Violence as Communication: Insurgent Terrorism
and the Western News Media, Sage Publications, London, 1982
Slobin, D., Language and Thought, University of California,
www.lsadc.org/web2/lg_thought.html, accessed on 18 March 2003
Wagner-Pacifici, R., The Moro Morality Play: Terrorism as Social Drama,
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1986

इन्टरनेट देखनेवालो की संख्या भारत में : एक रिपोर्ट

भारत की पहचान भले ही दुनिया के सबसे बड़े लोकतंत्र, तेजी से
उभर रही अर्थव्यवस्था और आईटी सुपरपावर के रूप में होती है, लेकिन
इंटरनेट की पहुंच के मामले में यह काफी पीछे है। पिछले दिनों भारत में
इंटरनेट के इस्तेमाल और उसकी कनेक्टिविटी को लेकर तीन रिपोर्ट जारी हुए
हैं। इन रिपोर्ट को भारतीय और वैश्विक एजेंसियों ने जारी किया है।

इंडिया ऑनलाइन-2009 के मुताबिक भारत में इंटरनेट इस्तेमाल करने वाले
यूजर्स की संख्या में 30 लाख तक की गिरावट आई है। इस सर्वे को ऑनलाइन
रिसर्च कंपनी जक्स्टकंसल्ट ने किया है। इस कंपनी ने इस सर्वे को खास तौर
पर ईटी को उपलब्ध कराया है। दो अन्य रिपोर्ट र्वल्ड इकनॉमिक
फोरम-आईएनएसईएडी और एक्माई टेक्नोलॉजीज ने किया है। इनकी रिपोर्ट में भी
इंटरनेट इस्तेमाल करने वाले यूजर्स की घटती संख्याओं पर चिंता व्यक्त की
गई है।

आगे जानिए और क्या हैं कारण इस गिरावट के..
साइबर कैफ को लेकर सख्त नीति, स्थानीय कंटेंट का अभाव, कंप्यूटर का
अफोडेर्बल न होना, ब्रॉडबैंड कनेक्टिविटी में निवेश की कमी, टेक्नोलॉजी
और दूर-दराज के इलाकों में पहुंच नहीं होने से इंटरनेट यूजर्स की संख्या
घट रही है।

इन सब कारणों से देश में इंटरनेट का विस्तार नहीं नहीं हो पा रहा है।
इंटरनेट यूजर की संख्या में ऐसे समय में कमी आ रही है जब ऑटोमोबाइल,
कंज्यूमर ड्यूरेबल और टेलीकॉम कंपनियां तेजी से विस्तार कर रही हैं।
देश के प्रमुख शहरों में साइबर कैफे की संख्या में आई भारी गिरावट से
इंटरनेट यूजर्स घट गए हैं। साल 2006 में देश में 2,35,000 साइबर कैफे थे,
वहीं 2009 में यह घटकर महज 1.8 लाख रह गई है।

यह जानकारी इंटरनेट सविर्स प्रोवाइडर्स एसोसिएशन ऑफ इंडिया (आईएसपीएआई)
ने दी है। साल 2008 में साइबर कैफे में इंटरनेट इस्तेमाल करने वाले
यूजर्स की संख्या केवल 45 से 50 लाख ही रह गई थी। साल 2009 में कैफे
इंटरनेट यूजर्स की संख्या में भारी गिरावट आई है और यह घटकर 22 लाख रह गई
है। इस तरह से यूजर्स की संख्या में करीब 23 लाख की कमी आई है।

Indian Urdu papers vs Pakistani papers on terrorism

Aziz Burney, the editor of Rozanama Rashtirya Sahara(Urdu) wrote editorial 'Hind-Pak mein Atankwadi hamle –kiska shadawantra' (April 1, 2009). It is worth reading to know his perception, imaginary judgment on international terrorism . we are producing a part of it:
"If the news of last one month has not been lost upon your mind you might remember that last month i.e. March, 2009 there was an attack in a mosque in Pakistan just after the Namaz of Jumma. And now came the attack on Police Training Centre in Pakistan. The media had created such fear psychosis in advance about the Taliban that after the attacks the fear began to be apprehended as reality. Why is this beyond doubt that this is a conspiracy against Pakistan and India? Who benefitted from the devastation of Afghanistan in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 when a fright of terrorism was created in the public mind? Who proved its supremacy? Who proved himself strong? Who controlled the petro-wealth? Who created the ground for sale of weapons? For how long we will not deliberate on facts. We at Roznama Rashtriya Sahara tried to present “the Truth about 9/11” in a month long report last year. Even today we have more than one thousand pages report on the subject. Those interested in searching news through internet could come across various such reports that prove that not Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden but CIA and Mossad are the suspects. Are Indian Mujahideen in India, Lashkar-e-Taiyyeba in Pakistan, and Al Qaeda are conspiracies of CIA and Mossad? This is bitter but might be truth. India and Pakistan must sit together to think why are they bent on destruction of each other and whose conspiracy can it be?"

The same day Pakistani newspaper Daily News wrote Editorial ( April 1, 2009) here is excerpt:

Mehsudd has tkaen responsibility for the Manawan attack, and threatened to carry out similar operations in the future. The fact is that Pakistan’s enemy number one is the TTP, which commands the chaos-making activities of the Taliban in the tribal areas and Swat and is now expanding its activity to Punjab and the southern region, including Karachi (At Last Pakistan Zeroes in on Baitullah Mehsud, Editorial, Daily News, Pakistan, April 1, 2009).

Who is honest and factually correct Rozanam Rashtriya Sahara or daily News?

Media and Ethics

We received a comment turn query from 'anonymous"(4th comment) who identifies himself as a Hindi journalist(worked with Santosh Bhartiya, the editor of Chauthi Dunia). His queries : ' who is funding Chauthi Dunia and will it survive after the election?' are relevant but do not come under the perview of this blog.

Chauthi Dunia published in its second issue a lead story "BJP ki sarkar Banana chahta hai Mossad"(Mossad wnats to make the BJP government). The author of the report is Dr Manish Kumar. Tis report seems to be an extension of the propaganda by a section of the Urdu press. The writer does not provide any substantial points to prove his theory. The million dollor question is : 'what is the basis of the writer's claim that Mossad wants to make BJP government in the centre?' He takes the resort of usual method of a table story , ie," the information obtained from the intelligence sources". Tomorrow someone can write about any national leader or the party that he or she is an agent of a particular country and the basis of the report will be "intelligence source". Unlike the Hindi and English press , the Urdu press did the same while alleging that CIA and Mossad were behind the 26/11 or 9/11! The writer cites Hindu Jew summit in Delhi on February 5-7, 2009 in which Swami Dayanada Saraswati and 20 Hindu religious leaders participated. he forgets that the Jews are the genuine minority in India. if there is dialogue with Hindu -Christians, Hindu -Muslims then what is wrong if there is a dialogue with Jews or any other religious minority. how does it prove that Mossad doing effort to make BJP government. The ethics of the Press is seriously devalued by such reporting.

I spoke to Santosh Bhartiiya on phone , congratulating him for relaunching Chauthi Dunia after almost two decades, put before him two simple questions: why does not his paper carry counter point of such story. He had not given any direct reply. I was astonished to hear from him that there is no intellectual in the BJP-RSS! I told him that our work also found unsubstantiated propaganda by Urdu papers on terrorism in India. They too blamed Mossad, CIA and others for Mumbai terror attack.

I requested him to review AAtankwad aur Bhartiya Media . He received the book but was non committal for its review.

One thing is common between Chauthi Dunia's reporting and Urdu press : there has been effort to bring Mossad into the center stage of political debate in India . Why so ? This needs separate analysis and investigation.( by RS)

Books on 26/11

Two more books on 26/11 by

1. The Hindustan Times -Penguin

2. Harinder Baweja

Both are compliation of news reports and articles.

TERRORISM AND INDIAN MEDIA :A Comparative Study of approach English, Hindi and Urdu newspapers towards terrorism by India Policy Foundation

A serious research work on the approach of the Indian print media towards terrorism was brought out by India Policy Foundation (IPF) in March 2009. The book, "Terrorism and the Indian Media" (English) & AAtankwad aur Bhartiya Media(Hindi) was released on March 9, 2009 in Delhi. It evoked a constructive discussion on its content in teh media.
http://www.bhadas4media.com/ , http://sabyaweb.blogspot.com, http://www.haindavakeralam.com, http://requestingtruth.blogspot.com, Pratham Pravakta (edited by Shri Rambahdur Rai), Dainik Bhaskar, Rozanama Rashtriya sahara, Urdu Times, Zadid Khabar, Outlook (Hindi) and others published commentary on the book and its content and review. Its first edition(Hindi version) was sold within three weeks of its publication and the second edition is expected to hit the market soon.
The work critically analyses the role of Indian print media in dealing with the issues of terrorism on the one hand and makes a comparative study of the approach of English, Hindi and Urdu newspapers towards terrorism on the other. It includes the study of almost all national Hindi and English dailies and 25 Urdu newspapers published across the country . It traces the evolution of media's perspective towards terrorism. It finds that 26/11 had proved to be a turning point for the Indian media. It changed the conventional approach of the media which perceives the events of terrorism in domestic(law and order ) context. Earlier media analysed terrorist attacks from law and order and communal perspectives. The issues like the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya(1992), the Gujarat riots(2002), Muslim backwardness etc were discussed in reports and analyses while examining terrorism in India . Thus terrorism was largely, in the worldview of the Indian media , a product of domestic factors which could be deterred by good governance, alertness of police forces and removal of the backwardness of minority communities. 26/11 shattered such perception of the media.
The Indian media created a strong public opinion in favour of the stricter laws (like POTA) to combat terrorism and it realised that the terrorism in India was intrinsically linked with the global terrorism/Jihad. The Indian media by and large became the votary of Hard State instead of its earlier advocacy of Soft State.
The book also discusses the link between terrorism and media. The terrorists and their ideologues use media to communicate the message of terror and ideology behind it, not only to their potential victims, but also to their potential supporters and recruits. That's why the former British Prime Minister Mrs Margret Thatcher characterised media as an"oxygen of terrorism". The book evaluates western debate on media and terrorism and traces its relevance in the Indian context.
The most significant aspect of the book is inclusion of Urdu newspapers in the study. Till now there has not been any comprehensive study on the Urdu papers' perspective on terrorism. Their inclusion is not only acknowledgement of their importance in generating public opinion but also it enlightens non -Urdu readers towards the Urdu media. This is the beginning of the debate and it brings out the Urdu papers from the self imposed seclusion. The reaction and rebuttal of the Urdu papers proves the success of the work.



some excerpts from the book:

There has been a change in the perspective of Media on terrorism. Before 26/11, the Indian media refused to link the terrorist attempts and incidents in India with the Global Jihad....In their report and analysis of terror in India, domestic factors were counted as more important in the growth of terrorism; some of the factors that they believed important included the backwardness of Muslims, the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya, the riots in Gujarat, etc...

...26/11 made a radical transformation in the attitude of the Indian media. They realised that terrorism in India was not an isolated event or as a result of some domestic factors which led to communal feuds, but that terrorism was an ideology and the terrorist attacks in India were part of the mission of Global Jihad. ...

The Hindi and English press published investigative reports on the intelligence failure and the inefficiency of police forces but it did not question the legitimacy of these agencies and the Indian State.

The study gives a different picture as far as the Urdu press is concerned...The study gives a different picture as far as the Urdu press is concerned...The Urdu media, however, presented a different picture and interpretation of the 26/11 incident. They desisted from linking it with the Global Jihad. Contrary to that, many of them considered it as a conspiracy of the USA, Israel and their intelligence agencies, CIA and Mossad for conspiring the terror attack on Mumbai to defame Islam... The majority of the Urdu press tried to establish a link between the Mumbai terror attack and the Malegaon investigation without providing any logic for letting their imagination run riot...Union Minister Antulay’s statement on the 26/11 which was a vindication of the conspiracy theory of Urdu papers was blown out of proportion and this was utilised by them as an opportunity to link the 26/11 with domestic politics of the country.

Terrorism and the indian Media /Aatankwad aur Bhartiya Media
Pages 182
Author : Prof Rakesh Sinha
(his earlier work is Rajanitik Patrakarita)
publisher: India Policy Foundation, Hauz Khas , New Delhi-16
Price : Rs80/(Eighty)
(send money order or draft /cheque in the name of India Policy foundation)
For details contact:

India policy Foundation

D-51, First Floor, Hauz Khas
New Delhi:110016
Email:indiapolicy@gmail.com
Phone no.91-11-26524018,
Fax: 91-11-46089365
The book can also be obtained form Prabhat Prakashan, Daryaganj, Delhi.

Price: Rupees 80.00