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
