Work is worship. But does that mean a journalist leave his footwear outside before attending something as regular as a press briefing?
Well, that’s one of the suggestions being floated as 25 years after more than 3000 Sikhs were killed in the aftermath of the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sikh anger bubbled to the top yet again.
This time, it came in the form of a shoe tossed at Home Minister P Chidambaram by Jarnail Singh, a Sikh journalist with the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran. For video, click here
The reporter wanted to register his protest against the clean chit given to Delhi Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, accused of inciting mobs during the 1984 anti- Sikh riots.
The flying footwear missed the home minister but seems to have left a mark on the Congress conscience.
There are now reports that a nervous Congress party is rethinking the decision to give party tickets to Tytler and fellow accused Sajjan Kumar for the upcoming general elections. They’re both sitting MPs.
But Tytler says his election campaign is not under any cloud and will contest the polls from the north east Delhi constituency.
But Tuesday’s incident has opened a can of worms. While opposition political parties pounced on the opportunity to corner the Congress govt, the journalistic community faced an uneasy role-reversal - answering questions rather than seeking answers.
Many reporters, including those present at the press conference at the Congress headquarters, are feeling let down. They say their job is to report the news, and not make the news.
Some have gone to the extent of saying such incidents break the trust between those holding the press conferences and the press itself.
In a world of heightened security, this can only make matters worse.
But larger and more pertinent questions have emerged.
Some say Singh’s act was symptomatic of a deeper anguish, a deep anger within the Sikh community.
Are the fissures too deep for time to provide the eternal healing touch?
The Congress party insists ‘84 was an instance of national outrage. Within 48 hours of taking oath as PM, Indira Gandhi’s son did try to douse the fire of communal strife. But the same Rajiv Gandhi also said “when a big tree falls, the Earth trembles….”
A similar sentiment was echoed by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in March 2002 after more than 2000 people were killed, a majority of them Muslims, in communal violence.
Asked about the riots, Modi quoted Newton’s third law - “every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” a quip seen by many as Modi’s justification for Hindu anger post the Godhra train carnage that left nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims charred to death.
But spare a thought for Jarnail the journalist? Sikh political party Akali Dal has already hailed Singh as a hero. Some other Sikh groups want to give him a reward of 200,000 rupees.
A repentant Singh is a reluctant hero. He asks why will he accept a reward for an act he’s apologised for, clarifying his method may have been wrong, but the issue he raised was not.
What transpired on Tuesday also brings to the fore another question: should journalists be activists too?
The jury is still out on whether Singh had planned the attack. But this is definitely not a first.
US President had to duck shoes hurled at him in Baghdad during a farewell visit to Iraq in December 2008 and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao evaded a protester’s shoe as he delivered a speech at Cambridge University in February 2009. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was similarly targeted during a visit to the north-western city of Urumia.
Wen was branded a dictator while Bush was called a dog by the Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi who was left to cool his heels in prison for three years. That sentence has now been slashed to one year.
Chidambaram was spared such ignominy and Jarnail Singh has been let off.
Police did not press charges and the home minister who wanted Singh to be removed “gently” from the press conference says he has forgiven him too.
But Dainik Jagran is set to initiate disciplinary action against its defence correspondent.
Will Jarnail get the boot or will the journalist survive to wield the pen again?
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24 comments so far
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Traditionally journalists have been expected to be objective in their reporting, but these days that doesn’t seem to be a common trait, going by the heavily opinionated media.
This particular incident just brings to light the frustrations that the common man goes through, when despite all evidence criminals are let off. The Sikhs have a reason to be upset if the man who is the alleged perpetrator of the 1984 killings gets a clean chit from CBI right before the elections.
When people start losing their faith in democracy and justice, then what else do they do except take the law in their own hands?
Dangerous trend, but this seems to be what is going on.
- Posted by amreekandesiyou should ask Manmohan singh as to what he was doing as PM for last 5 yrs and before that Abdul Kalaam as President. Dont forget to ask Sonia as to what religion she follows.
If hindus dont respect the minority religions was there a hidden foreign hand that made the millions of minorities into doctors, engineers, politicians, businessmen,cricketers, actors… the list goes on and on.
Hindus were killed and driven out of muslim countries and from Kashmir, what happened to your voice ,it wont raise for them, right.
You are suffering from a minority syndrome.
No matter what you will shamelessly bash hindus pal, get real, get a life.Great blog name.Great taste, i shd say.
- Posted by AzadDPHail to Mr. Singh for having the guts to stand up against the evil politicians(not Mr. Chidambaram) and political parties of India and bringing in light the genocide of the Sikhs in ‘84. CAN someone explain to me how is it possible that not even a single person has been arrested for the mass murder of sikhs in ‘84? I only hope that the majority Hindus start backing up the minorities in India, or else this country is doomed!
- Posted by Ram Mohammed Singh Azad@Suresh
The shoe was not thrown on a Tamilian, but a Congress representative in a sign of protest of meddling in the CBI investigations. And for the starters. it has landed well!
- Posted by chirkut