Shameless ‘Hindu’ and Shameless Teesta

Teesta Setalvad- Shamelessly shooting to kill article on The hindu 20/02/2013

Ref: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/shamelessly-shooting-to-kill/article4432311.ece

It is a matter of abject shame that a national daily of the stature of The Hindu published without due scrutiny or disclamation an article by a self-anointed champion of combating communalism in the country. I practically laughed out loud when the writer’s affiliations to ‘Communalism Combat’ and ‘Citizens for Justice and Peace’ were mentioned at the end of the article. The article might have served better use had it stated that its purpose was to highlight atrocities by the Government machinery against a minority community (Muslims). But no, this was a ‘self-righteous’ proclamation by an ostentatiously ‘fair commentator’ lamenting that a truly secular India never existed.

Apparently, the definition of combating communalism according to Mrs. Teesta Setalvad is mentioning ad infinitum atrocities mostly real, some exaggerated against the Muslim community in India. What about rising home-grown jihadi terrorism in India of which we have concrete proof? What about hounding and repeated humiliation without fear of judicial reprisal by Muslims on Muslim to Christian converts in West Bengal? What about fatwas issued against and public beatings of Muslim girls and non-Muslim boys for daring to talk to each other in Karnataka? What about the killings in broad daylight of two non-muslim boys, one by gun and other by being torched to death in West Bengal and Kerala respectively for committing the ‘cardinal sin’ of falling in love with and marrying  a Muslim girl?

Apparently citing these and other such brazen displays of  plain simple ‘text-book definition’ communalism and associated gross violation of human rights perpetuated by some citizens of the same India against the ‘other’ communities don’t fall under the purview of definitions  for ‘communalism combat’ as espoused by Mrs. Teesta and her organization ‘Communalism Combat’. Farcical indeed.

If this is the manner in which these so-called ‘secularists’ and ‘champions of the oppressed’ fight for ‘justice’ , ‘peace’, and a ‘communalism-free’ India(as they themselves claim ad nauseum), maybe we have lost the battle already.

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