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On professional commitment of a journalist

On professional commitment of a journalist

Author: Dr. Balram Misra
Publication:
Date: April 1, 2004

English daily 'Hindustan Times' published Tarun Vijay's article 'Hate never pays', on Sept. 16, 2003. He established the fact that despite centuries of hate attacks on Hindus, their all-encompassing tolerance always prevented them from turning against the aggressors. On Sept. 25, 2003 H.T. published Sita Ram Yechuri's rejoinder 'Fundamentally flawed' which was written in response to Tarun Vijay's article. Since Sita Ram Yechuri could not find adequate arguments to refute the facts mentioned in Tarun's article he thought it proper to attack the second RSS chief, M.S. Golwalkar, quoting a book, 'We Or Our Nationhood Defined'. Why did he pick up this book for criticism should not be difficult to understand. This book has repeatedly been quoted by Marxists for political propaganda. They say that this book was "written" by Golwalkar, and it contains the writer's hatred against Muslims. Sita Ram Yechuri never mentioned the fact that the book was not actually "written" by Golwalkar.

On May 10, 2002 English daily 'Hindu' published a 'News Analysis' titled 'Golwalkar and the BJP' written by Neena Vyas. As expected, she quoted that book to further her arguments that RSS has been anti-Muslim. On 13 May, 2002 'The Hindu' published historian Devendra Swarup's letter captioned "Golwalkar and BJP."

The letter reads, 'It was the CPI(M) leader Sita Ram Yechuri who in 1992 dug out the book 'We Or Our Nationhood Defined' and projected it as the most authentic piece on RSS ideology. Since then it has been a refrain with every Marxist pen pusher to quote the "We" out of context simply to malign the RSS and the BJP. These socalled intellectuals have never cared to mention that Golwalkar "wrote" this book in 1939 when he was a new entrant to the RSS. It was not his original work, but only a free English rendering of a book titled 'Rashtra Meemansa' written by G.D. Sawarkar in Marathi. Golwalkar had distanced him-self from the views expressed in the book and it has not been published since 1947. The whole story was penned down by me in the Hindi weekly 'Panchajanya' of February, 17, 1980, much before the CPI(M) had discovered "We", but for Marxists any stick is good enough to beat their adversaries with. Why don't they realize that like Marx and Gandhi, Golwalkar's thinking process was also dynamic and progressive".

Bereft of any sound reason for attacking RSS Sita Ram Yechuri again raised the same stereotype and obsolete topic - 'RSS is anti-Muslim', and for that he quoted the book "We Or Our Nationhood Defined" in his said article. Not satisfied with the contents of his article I wrote a rejoinder and sent to H.T. on Oct. 6, 2003 for publication.

It was a pleasant surprise for me to know that my article was accepted for publication. However it could not get space the next week, or, in any of the weeks, that followed, till today, the 1st of April 2004. H.T. editor Shri Indrajeet Hazra is certainly a very erudite journalist and columnist. Though I have never met him, his writings and editing of my articles earlier published in H.T. make me have a very high opinion about him. He himself appreciated my article and promised its publication. Encouraged and assured I persisted with him to publish the article. My pesterings never annoyed him. Each time I reminded him of the non publication he responded in a sweet and calculated voice, "yes Mr. Misra, it will certainly be published on (such or such date)." Usually he told me every time I spoke to him that my article would be published on either Wednesday or Saturday. Thus started my badgerings for the gentle editor. Every week, religiously, since then, I made at least four telephonic calls for him, two for requesting and two with bleating complaints. Shri Hazra never lost his temper. He always promised sweetly, giving some other date. Sometimes he said that he was 'professionally bound' to entertain the other side of the story. My date has yet to come, but I rest assured that my article would be published.

As far as I remember, it was Oct. 7, 2003 when I shared my joy with friends who were happy to know that my article written to clarify the correct position of M.S.Golwalkar ("Param Poojaneeya Shri Guru Ji", as we Swayamsevaks call him) on whether RSS hated Muslims. The more than 6 months process of sharing and unsharing joy has been swinging between hope and despondency, between optimism and pessimism and between trust and mistrust. To some of my friends I am 'a gullible fool' who does not understand the tricks and tantalizing traits of modern journalism to condemn an unwanted writer to tantrums. I sternly refuse to buy such arguments, for, I can not afford doubting my belief that Mr. Hazra must be exerting to find a way, perhaps to convince some pro-Marxist lobby in H.T. which may be mulling to suppress the views which refute the Marxists' well cherished hypothesis on the alleged intolerance of RSS. I refuse to accept the view that H.T. is anti-RSS or pro-Marxists. It has been publishing articles written by both, pro-RSS and anti-RSS writers, and to my reckoning, that sort of neutrality has made H.T. the most popular newspaper. I refuse to accept the argument that the learned editor will buzz from his supposedly pre-determined path of fairness and honesty. I refuse to given up my hope in Shri Hazra, for, to me his appreciation of my article and his commitment to professionalism is most important. I refuse to represent my case to H.T. chairman K. K. Birla or to the President, Press Council of India, to force H.T. for publication of my rejoinder too. I don't want to believe that H.T. would connive with Marxists to play the game of hit and run.

I can never forget the mental torture, humiliation and ignominy I have been subjected to during the last about six months, but I do hope that Mr. Hazra would definitely publish the article which throws some light on Shri Golwalkar's ideas on Hindu-Muslim relations. I must express my gratitude to Shri Joshi and Madam Elizabeth of the editorial deptt. of H .T. for answering most of my atleast four telephonic calls every week for the last six months, in absence of Shri I.J. Hazra.

(The writer is Chief RSS Media Centre, Delhi)

April 1, 2004
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