LibeRight

Some data mining to prove English media bias in India

2011-06-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have compared Google hits for BJP and Congress to see if we can find some empirical evidence for media bias. I also chose Google advanced search to search only for English pages in the Indian region. So the results will show the tendencies of English media and other English portals and blogs. I narrowed down and repeated the same searches on NDTV, REDIFF, TOI, and IBNLIVE to see if that reveals any bias.

The graph below shows a hypothetical scenario: If Rediff,TOI,NDTV and IBNLIVE were only news media in India, how much news coverage and mentions would these parties get? It appears only Rediff would give 34.2 % mentions to Congress and largest mentions BJP would get will also be from Rediff where it would only get 16.6% of the mentions. In total Congress would get 67% of mentions. That is slightly less than 75% and BJP would get 33% mentions. Note that this is media exposure and mentions and not popularity of the political parties.

The above graph is based on search results for Congress and BJP words where they are mentioned independent of each other. i.e this does not include any attacks on each other.

Search for independent mentions:
                                                         --------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         "Congress" -"BJP"                           21,000,000 results
                                                         "BJP" -"Congress"                             7,360,000 results

BJP gets mentions almost 3rd of independent mentions in comparison to Congress. BJP hits on the right side in the graph below; way below Congress hits.


BJP seems loose out also in social web space although, it is not clear if that means less negative mentions.

Search for independent mentions in social web portals:
                                                         --------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         "Congress" -"BJP"                                1,910 results
                                                         "BJP" -"Congress"                                   954 results

Results:

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Search Term Hits Search Term Hits

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Congress -BJP site:ndtv.com 110,000 results Congress 13,100,000 results

BJP -Congress site:ndtv.com 57,800 results BJP 6,610,000 results

Congress -BJP site:ibnlive.com 74,300 results Congress said 6,830,000 results

BJP -Congress site:ibnlive.com 30,000 results BJP said 4,880,000 results

Congress -BJP site:rediff.com 248,000 results "Congress" 12,500,000 results

BJP -Congress site:rediff.com 120,000 results "BJP" 7,700,000 results

Congress -BJP site:timesofindia.com 54,000 results

BJP -Congress site:timesofindia.com 30,900 results

Graphical Representation of Media Hit Counts for IBNLIVE, TOI, REDIFF, NDTV:

Discussion:
This is very simple. The word "Congress" appears almost twice as that of BJP on Indian websites and most importantly on 24x7 English news portals. So it is easy to see that the ruling party has twice the amount of reach BJP has. Some observation and gut feeling tells me that the contexts in which Congress is mentioned are while Congress is attacking others including BJP. Similarly mentions of BJP are mostly while it is being attacked, derided or criticised. I can not make this claim yet because it is hard to separate these subjective slants and biases easily.

Summary:
The search results show that all these years the Congress party has been getting the benefit of English media and the internet coverage while BJP lags behind. The Internet masses hear about Congress' views and opinions almost twice as much compared to BJP. I also think this is a clear proof of media bias for Congress party. It is interesting to investigate on whether mentions are positive or negative. That will clearly establish the media bias in reportage.

*Disclaimer: Any discrepancy you see here is a direct result of what Google can or can not do. Search was conducted at from 3.00 PM EST to 4.56 PM EST, Sunday 12th June 2011.

A new form of bad science

2010-11-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here is an article in CBC and also in TOI and my quick response:

I hope this is not another liberal mischief to legalise drugs! One has to be careful these days about lopsided arguments. Wasn't the case against drugs about drugs being more addictive than alcohol? Harmful all of them are but this - using one aspect to measure something - is even more harmful. Remember how psychoanalysts use sex to evaluate history and how postmodernists use obscuration to whip up anti-science arguments? And now scientists use just a small part they understand, to measure the whole! To say Cannabis is less 'harmful' is a new form of bad science.

----------------------

A new form of bad science is to use only one aspect of something to make a decision on 'the whole'. For example, one scientist says, "Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol". The pseudo liberals now throw their weight behind, to use it to their advantage and say, "OK, science says that, now legalise Cannabis!". The bad science part comes when a scientist turns activist and uses his findings to buttress his activism. Now, that is bad science because s/he is still a scientist and s/he is using only one aspect - harmfulness - to make a point. What about addiction or the fact that "less harmful" is only relative and not really less?

This is a common fashionable nonsense. Psychoanalysts use sex to explain everything. Someone other day claimed Rama was a sex addict! Based on Valmiki Ramayana, their misunderstanding of it and psychoanalysis! On top of that they called it history. We have post-modernists; a pejorative explanation of who they are would be: people who view this world as a museum, or anti-modernists using science or just one finding to justify their side of the story. I will give it to you if you tell me that only bad guys deserve this definition and not the rest. We need too many Sokal type people to figure who are not bad, is another matter.

There is no dearth for this type of bad science in politics. You have human rights activists who often side with aggressors and work actively against the interest of victims. This they do by arguing that human right is the most sacred thing on earth, which is a good thing in itself I agree. But, didn't this aggressor that activists bleed to sympathise just abuse someone's right? So this activism becomes 'human rights only for aggressors not for victims' kind of thing. The point relevant to us in this is, in state-craft human right is just one of the important things. There are other things such as, security of most of rest of the peaceful people who are not yet victims but could very well become one given "human rights" of aggressors were to become a priority. When only human rights argument is used to argue against a state or its institutions, we have a recipe for a skewed argument. It is like using my stinking ass to describe beauty of my body. This applies to historians as well. Now that they claim history is a faculty of science, they might do well to know, using only one aspect such as lack of non-existent contemporary resources or lack of authenticity in available ones, using unfalsifiable arguments as proof and relying on authority as in the case of "eminent historians" is simply bad science.

Update1: This post is primarily a reaction to TOI article. The CBC article is in the same lines but TOI has more info on its background.

Update2: There was a discussion in CBC on a finding that said something like Egg yoke has more cholesterol than a fast food meat item. A nutritionist was called in to discuss where she emphasized that all such findings must be put to context and it was incorrect to use only finding to explain a more complicated subject.

Update3: On when the peer review Jazz and Rock can turn Country.

holocaust deniers

2010-10-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Predictable brigade of "secularists" whined a while ago as they always do. They have a website and a blog too where, interestingly, no one can comment ( You do not have any right to comment )! The funny thing about their statement is they question the credibility of everything! Archaeological Survey of India report is controversial! The evidence is planted. Judiciary is biased. Well there is nothing you can do about almost anything in this world to change what they say or believe is correct. To me it is easy to question their integrity and honesty than everything else because I am past the stage of doubting their intention. So is the Alahabad high court: read how Swapan dasgupta writes on how these outright dishonest brigade was exposed."The Hindus in general and defendants in particular" are sort of defendants in the Ayodya case. "Muslims and Wakf,up and other parties" are plaintiffs. If you read the gist of the judgement:, you will see that there are numerous places where it is written:"decided against the plaintiffs and in favour of the defendants". No sir this was not a faith based judgement as media or "secularists" would have you believe. This is a clearly evidence based one. Look what were rejected based on many things: That it was a mosque built on temple based on ASI reports (that came out much before "secularists" knew about it in 90s). That it was not a mosque because there was no minaret as required. now these are legal claims made by plaintiffs (wakf) and proven otherwise by defendants (Hindus). The judgement is confusing as hell for those not acquainted with law (like me). One thing is sure: this is a technical one and based on anything but faith.

Karnataka and the anti-defection saga

2010-10-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

As Karnataka sees a raise in street quarrel level politics and when what was a norm in Village Panchayati has formally entered the state level politics the anti-defection law has come to the fore. When this mess was cooking I rued in the previous post that popular culture will finally enter the politics of state, no matter how late, it will. Here is an article in Daily Pioneer on why Karnataka Speaker was right in disqualifying the MLAs. No matter how corrupt the government is, I know jolly well that, ones in opposition are even worse! So let us use some common sense on what is anti-defection and why is it important.

People vote to elect a party by giving them majority to form government. If representatives jump to another party and reduce the current government to minority, it is against the will of the people. People clearly did not vote for a coalition of defectors and the opposition. That is why there is anti-defection law. The law has been amended a few times, I think, for good.

Now comes the important part. What if members of a party disagree or have no confidence in their leader like in the case of Yedyurappa and defecting members ? Well they can change the leader by lobbying for a leadership change. But they can not "dictate" because they are not a 'majority'. If majority agree with a leader then the leader stays. That is how democracy works. Expressing no confidence in the government amounts to "abstaining" or "defying" party whip. More over if members have appeared in other party's forums it amounts to 'defection' as interpreted by courts previously. These laws save people from "horse trading".

I would stick to the current government than anti-brahmin Siddaramaiah or nepotist Gowda family. If members so wish they can resign and choose get reelected from other party or as independents and reduce the government to a minority in a honourable way.

Popular culture and politics

2010-10-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

It seems, politics can raise above popular culture only when best among the populace take charge of the politics of state. For instance, Indian governance started with freedom fighters in charge. Those who had selflessly scarified their future were given the helm. Now we have Lalu, Paswan, Mayavati, Mamata, Yechuri, Raja, so on so forth. While Gandhiji, Patel were all exceptions to our national culture rather than norm, the Lalu and team are "normal" people. I would concede Lalu is at the other end of the extreme but politicians in the middle do represent our popular culture.

I am from Karnataka. So to compare similar developments in the state We had Nijalingappa, Ramakrishna Hegde. Today we have Kumaraswamy, Yedyurappa, Deve Gowda, Siddalingappa! Again Nijalingappa and Hegde were exceptions to our popular culture. Their behaviour was self restrained/mannered to a large extent shaped by their own personalities rather than a product of popular culture. Or, so I think.

Slowly the popular culture of Karnataka has taken control over the politics. We no longer have better personalities leading us so we could learn and look up to. While Hegde setup Lokayukta current government of Yedyurappa all but shunted out Lokayukta. Current Congress agent shameless H R Bharadwaj, who is misnamed the governor is an example for how filthy an animal can be. Kumaraswamy, who allegedly assaulted Hegde while Hegde was going to take oath a CM was our CM. Fighting on streets is our popular culture. Agree with it or not go to villages and even parts of Bengaluru and see how people quarrel : a hallmark of immaturity. That is what we see today.

If we want our politics improve I think we should let best of us lead while we do something to "fix" our popular culture. More education alone has not worked so far. I do not know what "more" we need.

My brief take on: Shashi Tharoor's The Ideas of India

2010-08-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

My brief take on: Shashi Tharoor's The Ideas of India
----------------------

Dont we know Nehru opposed Indira's marriage? Do not paint them in such magnificent colour as these. Caste is store of what communities have gathered to form over thousands of years; a store of values and experiences of closely knit communities. With that come evils as well. Why cant we be secular about castes like we try to be about religions?

Castes are a solution to the problem of social organisation, heart of India's communal living and collectivism. It is very "Urban" of you when you say "There is social oppression and caste tyranny, particularly in rural India... ". It has become passion to disparage "rural india" - unconscious inheriters of that what holds Indis together-for all ills. Nehru and his fans like you have a "cut the leg if it is sore" approach to caste which you guys need to "figureout", I guess.

An argument against Windy

2010-06-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

I have read excerpts from Wendy Doniger's "The Hindus: Alternative History". I have read some arguments for and against her. But I have some questions and arguments, none really. When is it since a work of art or a poetry treated as being historically accurate? Since when is psychoanalysis of a poetry called history of a religion? When did we start believing poetry to be history to belittle religions? What authenticity do the speculations have that they should be treated as history?

When these questions are answered, it will remind me of Katherine Mayo whose "Mother India", Gandhiji chose to call a "drain inspector's report". There is no dearth for drain inspectors, is there!

Some arguments

2010-05-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

There is much to say. But others do a better job than me. So read these if you have not already:

http://koenraadelst.voiceofdharma.com/books/acat/ch10.htm

http://pavaman-laharigalu.blogspot.com/2006/10/translation-of-bhyrappas-article-in.html

http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/06/02/sl-bhyrappa-versus-ur-anantha-murthy/

http://aavaranavimarshe.blogspot.com/

http://rand-rambler.blogspot.com/2006/10/girish-karnad-sl-bhyrappa-tipu-sultan.html

http://rujuvathu.sampada.net/node/5

What is an usual workshop?

2010-05-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

There is an interesting report in Rediff.com today about a workshop in MIT, MA (USA) (yep not some Madrasa Institute of Terchnology). It should not have been interesting. But it turns out it is about "institutional communal riot system" in India! And show men were:

Angana Chatterji -- [Some jems --1--],[Some credentials --2--]
Omar Khalidi [Some jems by hounarable sir]
Paul R Brass [No! he is not Paul Erdos merely Brass],[This is his "Secularism"]
R K Raghavan (invited but absent)
Kaleem Kawaja -- One of the decent speakers [ Him on Muslims ], [But not so decent at times]

That is it. This was a typical Brairappa narrated group to feel important. It carefully avoids any sane opposing speech or presentation.All in the grab of scholarship. Therefore this is is usual workshop. My interest ends there by just looking at the type of people in it. That is it: joke for the day.

Ghazi turned Kafir

2010-04-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

A quote from a blog sounds interesting:

"“Hindu ascetics and Barhmans… suppress all other learned men in their treatises on morals and on physical and religious sciences, and since they attain a high degree of knowledge of the future and of spiritual power and human perfection, they managed to bring proofs based on reason and testimony for the truth of their own religion and falsity of other faiths, and inculcated their doctrines so firmly that no man, by expressing his doubts, could raise a doubt in pAdishAh, even though the mountains should crumble to dust or the heavens be torn asunder.”[4.3]"

Reported to be quoted from badAyUnI's -- muntakhabut-tawArIkh

Identifying left liberalism

2010-04-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

My response to,

Defining Left Liberalism

@offstumped

I think this post has amazing clarity. Thank you for articulating it. Although partly covered, one aspect of liberalism, which I think is the most contentious, must be included: Liberals, while claiming, complete freedom for individual should be achieved at all costs, actively neglect responsibility of individuals which is an important factor in collectivism (used as a synonym for politically neutral meaning for communalism). This is a core contentious issue between “us and them”. It also important because it has been clearly shown that this liberal claim does not achieve mutual benefit for Economic Transactions (we can draw an analogy for Social Transactions).

It is through Liberal Paradox and Impossibility Theorem (Social choice theory) that this has been clearly established and has been well received. Adding this item, will make arguments against left liberals stronger.

We need to work on theoretically establishing why left liberalism has flaws. It is definitely possible.

Some of my crude arguments are here. They are very personal in nature and are not well researched but have some valid arguments (read I wont defend everything in them). Thanks again for the clarity that your post establishes.

[http://thoughtslot.blogspot.com/2009/05/why-is-media-liberal.html]

[http://thoughtslot.blogspot.com/2009/01/cosmopolitan-monsters.html]

[http://thoughtslot.blogspot.com/2009/01/nude-modelling-of-liberal-bias-is-at.html]

[http://thoughtslot.blogspot.com/2008/02/quarter.html]

PS: I have found Bertrand Russel’s – Political Ideals, very useful in understanding some of these concepts.

Converting Religions

2010-04-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

The central plan is to achieve acceptance and followings for one's ideas. The concept of meme as a unit of concepts that tries to propagate itself, may not be literally true. But it is true in some sense. Once, I countered that all religions do not have this habit of putting efforts to claim superiority (Hinduism for instance). Soon I retreated. I will try to write some of my thoughts regarding this "conversion".

Rebirth is a concept many Hindus believe in. Some may not literally believe it but Hindus, and Indians especially, have multiple contradicting beliefs harmoniously blended in their lives without or with very little conflict. Hindus have embraced science while practicing and believing creation stories with high regard to it. Most however use science for all practical purposes. I am not sure about it but the belief in creationism probably is out of regard for our ancestors and their beliefs. What we believe has been changing and will change. There is no pint laughing about it? Similarly with rebirth Hindus believe it probably in the same sense of creationism.

Christianity on the other hand does not preach belief in rebirth.Yet, many Christians believe in rebirth (many do not) some because of Hinduisms influence. Hinduism in this instance did not convert the individual but converted in some sense his/her belief system! You can not win against someone who refuses to fight! But Hindus have fought to defend their ideas as well although never really interested in garnering following. Accepting was enough following not so important? I am not sure.

Note: I use Indians and Hindus as synonyms sometimes. This is because Hinduism is an indigenous tradition in the sense that most practices and philosophy originated in India. Most things referred to as Hindu "Something" are also equally Indian. Overtly referring to all Indian epics and philosophies as Hindu is partly incorrect because it amounts to communalisation of all things Indian and all things Indian suddenly become alien to other faith systems practiced by Indians. We are reasonable to understand nothing is completely indigenous but are not obsessed only about things foreign in things considered indigenous while not disputing such a possibility.

Hindu Child

2010-04-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Richard Dawkins argues that just as a child can not have a political ideal, she can not have a religion either. He says, it is like calling children 'these are socialist children', 'those are republican children'. Therefore there can not be a Hindu child. I like the idea. It is also my own to be precise since it occurred to me that I am a Hindu because I was born to Hindu parents. A Brahmin, a veggie etc all because I was born to particular couple. I would be dishonest to say I chose to be this after I grew up. No I did not chose, I merely did not chose anything else. That is all.

My vegetarianism in particular is mostly inherited. However, I consciously chose to continue probably to avoid a sense of uneasiness if not guilt. Now of course I defend it! I tried to think, but I can not figure out if it was uneasiness or aversion to cruelty that made me continue. That is why I say it was probably uneasiness since I may not have been exposed to cruelty in the sense it is required to develop aversion. Yet, it is true that very idea of eating flesh, similar to my own, is repulsive. Therefore it is also that I have inherited sensitivity to a form of violence.

Eventhough I like Dawkins idea. I can not figure out the solution. If some one can help separate religion and culture we could have children with cultural identity but no religious identity. Only if you can separate them. This is even more complicated for Hindus. We can definitely make children plural but depriving them of some faith is not reasonably feasible even though interesting. Absolutely queerer than we can suppose!

If we have inherited something bad ,let us not defend it. If we do not posses something we would like to, let us learn. Labels of some kind including a religious label will not solve our problems as long as we fail to separate the good from the bad. May be it is hard for reason to decide which is good which is bad, not so for our conscience.

-- A skit

2010-03-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

The birth of 'pseudo-conservatives'

a reflection on the debate on 'countering left-liberal dominance in India'

The backdrop:

There is an uncomfortable silence; the new born 'Internet Hindus' movement has been successfully labeled fanatic by left media and some unwitting admissions by some claiming to be on 'Internet Hindus' has frustrated the right-liberals.

(A loud bass drum beat dampens and the curtain opens. The dark room is lit by a laptop screen )

(Protagonist: speaks)

The left media has the upper hand and power to change public opinion as we have seen in the recent past. It is now the moderator of public debate or decider of, whether there should be one and when there is one, on what. This upper hand is achieved and guarded by certain tactics, least of them which is 'plain dishonesty'. So many who think it is a battle of political ideas are misplaced by miles. In other words political ideas are to some extent irrelevant. Oh, I am Tirumala by the way; son of late Vidwan Ranganatha Shastry. I was saying something in the line of, "political ideas are, to some extent, irrelevant because it is dishonesty that is at the heart of this saga of dismissing conservatives". Yes, my father was a conservative Brahmin from a village of 6 houses on the foot hills of Sahyadri mountains. Oh yes, it is more familiar as Western Ghats; so much is the influence of left-liberals. Many do not want to be seen as regressive conservatives you see. So do they chose more fashionable ones like Western Ghats.

You see the problem with defending is it does not allow us to attack. As long as we do not attack and force the left liberals to defend, we have not done anything. I mean, it is much easier to hit back rather than cry "Mummy he hit me" only to gain some sympathy, that too if at all. So defending and pointing holes in the their arguments is of little use, until they are on defensive. My father told me, I must note, "the goal of political ideas is to improve the condition of people and all who try in their own way, must be respected". Therefore to me and my friends left-liberalism is not a major problem, if I can get friends to agree on this one. The problem is in their intolerance to dissent, fortification disproportionate claim to opinion and marginalisation of some core Indian ethos for the sake of their personal benefit rather than their political ideas.

"I will need some Kashaya (warm drink) now and I will continue"

(grabs some from a Kashaya maker and starts sipping)

Now, I can go on for a while if you are not bored yet. I just finished reading transcripts of a debate:

"Challenging Left Liberalism". I like the idea. But you see their energy is misdirected. What we actually need to challenge is a community of people who use "Left Liberalism" label and discredit all the rest. They are nothing but a privileged bunch that is hell bent to protect the privilege of influence disproportionate to their number and intellect (among other things) or all things related at any cost. A scholar always accepts possibility of fallibility. 'left liberals' are infallible.

A peaceful protest is never a fundamental right but fanaticism is, if you go by "scholars" or their type. Some even think " It’s time the country extends democratic rights to those who offend fragile sensitivities" (Yes! These are Swap Dasgupta's sapane, yaani dreams).

Not so gently he calls a collective of Hindus on the Internet "Virtual Jihadees". Well this is not so indirect and is vague intentionally so he can "explain" what is what and which word means what in English (Tharoor syndrome!). Dear Dasu (Dasgupta), we are not stupid. Now, there is this usual comparison to fundamentalists so you can easily put a cow and a tiger in the same cage. That is right-of-centre opinion for you, the Dasgupta style.

That is why we have what is called the 'birth of pseudo-conservatives' (Indian style). Who pretend to be conservatives but play the rules of dishonest individuals in the ghetto of 'left-liberalism'. They claim to be right wingers in 'liberal-space' (never mind it means nothing;just a space filler!). I call them pseudo conservatives, because, they are dishonest just like pseudo-liberals. Otherwise why would, for instance, Dasgupta write, "It is not that anyone really objects to the Internet Hindus or Internet Islamists having their say, decorously.". Is it that Dasgupta does not know English or is it his clever forgetfulness? The cognate of Internet Hindus is Internet Muslims. In one stroke of a 'pseudo-conservative' Internet Hindu becomes a fanatic Hinduist!!.

Never mind enjoy a thought for the midnight:

Sagarika says:

"@democratically haha, yes Internet Hindus was certainly my coinage, now passed into mainstream usage..!!"

Sri rama where are you? At least on Rama Navami let competent Indians take control.

(gtalk call rings Tirumala runs to his laptop to pick up gtalk online. drum beats, curtain closes)

[1] tHE dEBATE

[2] aPNE sAPANE

[3] http://www.hindustantimes.com/When-the-fringe-benefits/H1-Article1-516263.aspx

[4] http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100305/jsp/opinion/story_12176524.jsp

[5] http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?262511

[6] http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/right-and-wrong/entry/virtual-jihadis-threaten-www

lethal doze of incomplete assessments full of cynicism

2010-03-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

Arundhathi Roy has been bursting with anti-common sense rhetoric.

ibn-a-live interview
I am not a maoist
Kashmir needs independence from India

A glimpse of everything
Another repetition here of everything

My short response:

The problem is not weather what she says is correct or incorrect but the problem is in what she refuses to accept or is not willing to discus. These are the ideas of undemocratic maoist intensions of overthrowing a democratic state. She never offered any concrete alternative in the history of her life! Complaining is easy any solutions? What is glaring is her lack of understanding of state craft combined with a lethal doze of incomplete assessments full of cynicism.

Internet movement of 'Liberal Hindus' is gaining pace!

2010-03-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

A revulsion is a beginning for the new revolution in Indian media and a new cultural movement that is so unbelievably sophisticated! What many considered outright biased, incompetent and prejudiced media functioning has created a revulsion for media because of injustice meted out to Liberal and Tolerant Hindus (as evident in many critical viewer comments that recently gained pace in many news portals). At first, critical comments sent to media via web were ignored not published at all (I remember writing a lengthy critic on TOI editorial that I found outright incompetent and it was not put online)! Later media started editing the comments and published only non-critical section of the comments. Then something strange happened dejected and dismayed readers vented their frustration against media and protested portrayal of their culture in news media through blogs and then in Twitter. Blogs have been there for a while but their access was probably limited to a few like-minded and the communication channel between those had "powers" to alter public opinion (infotainers) and bloggers was non existent. Yet blogging forced the media men/women pick up blogging to vent their personal frustration towards bloggers (contradiction?). They even labeled bloggers "a bunch of failed individuals". Criticism took severe turn and media can no longer remain silent. They even issued legal notice to two bloggers for clearly showing lack of respect for ethics in the Indian media. Aam bloggers had to close their blogs. But Twitter was growing fast.

Then you can not issue notice to a huge community they started responding and defending their view point. Now, we have brought the kings on kneels they became defensive now a first step towards admission of guilt. Is their elitism under severe thereat? Why? There is a reason. Some bloggs are so amazingly well researched that because of the narrow and particular interest of the bloggers no journalist with a day job can actually compete with level of research and passion some of the bloggers had; media men had to cover a lot of thing and can not concentrate on one thing like bloggers did and therefore could not compete with them in articulation or information. Then came sophisticated and some rude responses on twitter. This forced the media men to come the level of everyone. But not yet they still rule but are comparatively more "humble" now.

Not over yet! The huge network of bloggers and twitterers is serving as a sort of news network and analysis. Few sidelined but amazingly articulated yet left out from say media men also joined this phenomenon. This created a sort of alternative Internet media of sorts for many. As I said not over yet! NRI community joined from abroad. The more articulated and acquainted with international ethical standards and being able to see double standards and hypocrisy of the Indian media, NRIs have been bombarding media with criticism from all kinds of available channels. With this a new channel for communication between "not answerable" media houses and people has emerged. Media houses cooked up and presented a few elite opinion as opinion of the people and gave one sided stories to fit their fancies. Suddenly they have become answerable! Their discomfort is visible in their blogs in their twitter messages and now slowly in media news. They are being called the Internet Hindus.

Here is a list of some I know and visit:

http://www.offstumped.in/

http://nationalinterest.in/

http://pragati.nationalinterest.in/

http://offstumped.wordpress.com/2010/02/03/internet-hindus-and-a-lobby-for-excellence/

http://saveindia.com/a_hindu_movement_born.htm

http://www.sandeepweb.com

Join the revulsion join the movement, read them comment write criticise let your friends know that a movement is on.

BAnushee's blurb on ibn-a-live

2010-03-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

BAnushee's blurb on ibn-a-live

BAnushree,
Your post is very naive. All individuals have preferences and right to choice. If you are a vegetarian you will understand how tortured one feels when s/he smells flesh. It violates a core belief that an animal should not be treated as food. We live in houses and not in caves that early man lived and ate animal flesh. Just as it is their right to eat flesh and blood it is vegetarian's right ask not to abuse right to harass vegetarians or at least right to try and escape from it.

Social ecosystem plays a significant role in personality development and all individuals have right to live in a good neighborhood. And howsoever rude it may sound reality is that criteria used for choosing good and bad are racist, communal, or things similar and discriminating against bad is the only way to make a good choice. If you like MacCulture then it is not any "liberal" attitude but lack of awareness about social preferences. You may extend this logic to say that you must talk to X otherwise it becomes discrimination. Well we do not need advise from you or your types.

It is very surprising that naive blurbs as yours which are written without understanding the issue at hand are used to legitimise a type of activism in journalism. Cliche loaded words of pseudo liberal activism have no place in serious and honest journalism.

Liberight

Oh my gosh! This is Gross! No! Sorry, Goose!

2010-03-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a chat IBN-a-live says:
"XXXXX:Irresponsible Freedom of Expression by Individuals or Media should be routed, what's your views?
Goose: Depends on what you mean by irresponsible! But if you're referring to the KannadaPrabha publication then yes, I think its a severe infringement of copyright that they published an article by taslima without seeking her permission first." (Emphasis mine)
http://features.ibnlive.in.com/chat/view/354.html

Now this is what the acts say about translation:

Copyright Act 1957, India (14, 5)
===================================================================
"For the purposes of this Act, "copyright" means the exclusive right
subject to the provisions of this Act, to do or authorise the doing of any of the following acts in respect
of a work or any substantial part thereof, namely:-
....
(v) to make any translation of the work;
...."

"..... (2) Before making an application under sub-section (1), the applicant shall publish his proposal in
one issue of a daily newspaper in the English language having circulation in the major part of the
country and where the application is for the publication of a translation in any language, also in one
issue of any daily newspaper in that language....."

"32.Licence to produce and publish translations.- (1) Any person may apply to the Copyright
Board for a licence to produce and publish a translation of a literary or dramatic work in any
language 2[after a period of seven years from the first publication of the work]."
===================================================================

Now observe these.
1) Copyright infringement is Copyright infringement and not "Irresponsible Freedom of Expression".
2) The translator has to get the permission. i.e Sindhu the author.
3) We do not know if Kannada Prabha has permision.

But what is clear is Goose bending backwards to say that an article that Kannada Prabha said was printed in some magazines already which criticises Muslim costumes is "irresponsible". But painting Hindu GODs nude is "responsible" art and it is supposed to be provocative!! Only comprehensible to "people with secular bent" mind and Goose types.

Another gem is here:
"

XXX:Sagarika, Why is that always when anything comes to degrading Hindusim it is craetive freedom, when it comes to minorities it hurting sentiments, Eg, Da Vinci Code Movie being banned, Danish Cartoonist being condemned, lately arresting the oublisher of the Text book. Would expect a reply madam

Goose: Not sure thats true. But perhaps there are not the kinds of absolute restrictions and bans in Hinduism as there are in other religions. Thats the great strength, diversity and beauty of Hinduism, that its so decentralised, so much a spiritual union between individual and god without a rigid church or a set congregational mode of worship. The diktats of HInduism on art and literature are certainly unclear, and vary froms ect to sect and region to region. ..... .Look at Mirabai--the royal princess who sang openly about her love for krishna--not sure if such a thing would be permissable in other more disciplinarian faiths.

"

This is like saying "you are so great so let us abuse you". Or because Hinduism is not like Islam or Christianity you can cook up your own definition and do anything you want. Does not codifying mean no one has sentiments?

More importantly depicting nude Hindu GODs is not a religious issue!! Yes. This is a social issue where icons of a community are being insulted. This is provocative pornography. How would Goose and Turdesai respond if their nude picture is published? Will that be religious issue? Just because public icons do not have "self" of owners, it does not mean any one can insult them. It does not hurt my religious sentiments becasue I am not religious rather it insults and smacks civil indecency.

Oh my gosh! This is Goose, no, sorry gross.

Romila's Aryans are a race

2010-03-03T05:54:00.000-08:00

The "scholars" once deemed so are very dangerous peoples. I call them so because they foster very authority they are ordained to destroy, criticise and replace by falsifiable claims.

Here is what a website that also hosts Romila Thapar's version of Arayan Invasion claims:

http://www.indoaryans.org: 

"Europe is European because the conquerors and the conquered were members the same White race, different branches on the same family tree; India is a morass of poverty because the bulk of the conquered, with whom the Indo-Aryans eventually intermarried, were non-White Veddoids. The lesson is obvious. Even today high-caste Hindus can still be identified by their Caucasian features and light skin, and the poorest and most backward parts of India are generally the darkest."

And a blurb that crticisies Hindutva and cites Romila simply lifts Romila's article from Frontlie.

http://www.thehindu.com/fline/fl1720/17200150.htm

They put it here in "their own words"

http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org/textbook/ComingOfAryans.html

While it is true that some would like convenient theory that all Indians are indigenous, many like me are more reasonable in being open to a fact that we might have migrated. But the problem with Romila clan is that even though they say "Aryan" does not refer to a race they treat it like a race. Noted expert on Vedas Shri Ranganath Sharma Nadahalli clearly refuses that any group of people existed that can be called Aryan racially or otherwise and did not refer to . But Romila clan while denying Arya was a race insists without proof that Vedic people called themselves "Arya".

Slimes spreads misinformation

2010-03-02T07:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some links

Slimes Of India "Opinion"
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/I-never-penned-any-article-for-a-newspaper-in-Karnataka-Taslima-Nasreen/articleshow/5632532.cms#write

This report cleverly reports onesided story. They have done it since the begining of the episode. Kannada Prabha is a reputed daily and I have grown up reading it. One of my friends who became a reporter in a different magazine answered once that Kannada Prabha had the highest quality of all Kannada dailies. They have published translation. Times is spreading misinformation. Kannada daily Kannada Prabha published an article which it said was a translation to Kannada of a Taslima article by one Ms Sindhu. It is very clear why Taslima is distancing herself. SAVE her life. Kannada Prabha in its clarification noted that this is an old article and has been published in many places and they stand by it. Kannada Prabha is not run by ant Sangh Parivar outfits. It is a Kannada daily of reputation.

Kannada Prabha clarification:
http://www.kannadaprabha.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=KPH20100302001117&Title=Headlines&lTitle=%AE%DA%C3%A8%DB%AB%DA+%D1%DA%DF%A6%A7&Topic=0&ndate=3/2/2010&Dist=0

On M F Hussain:
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/i-love-india-but-country-rejected-me-says-husain/110939-3.html?from=tn

This opinon actually stuffs words in to Hindu mouth, "Hindus consider sacrilegious": sacrilage is a christian word. Would this reporter not object if his picture is printed naked? I want to publish naked picture/painting of Times of India Editor and see how he reacts to it. Just because an individual representation of GOD has no owner it does not mean that anyone can go ahead and publish nude paintings.

Anti-Muslim Indians

2010-02-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

Response to Abdul Ruff Colachal's profile in Wikibin
http://wikibin.org/articles/abdul-ruff-colachal.html

This Colachal is a creater of gems like:
http://wikibin.org/articles/media-threat-and-indian-muslims-dr.abdul-ruff-colachal.html
http://abdulruff.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/pune13feb-terror-and-cricket-a-preliminary-report-by-dr-abdul-ruff-colachal/

Response to Abdul Ruff Colachal's profile in Wikibin
http://wikibin.org/articles/abdul-ruff-colachal.html
------------------------------------------------------------------
The following comments about you have some contradictions:
"research scholar", "Hindus criticize Ruff for defending Muslims", "..especially in India with regards to Muslim minority"

A research scholar is supposed to limit scope of research by boundaries of subject only, and not by a criterion that itself is one among the possible bias criteria. This clearly demonstrates that there is a high chance that your "research" will be biased.

"Hindus criticize Ruff for defending Muslims":
Probably not. This is putting words to their mouth and a wrong one at that. Everyone has right to criticise your approach of "Muslim Defense" (this unmasks your first commitment) and that need not be constructed as "Opposing Muslim Defense", unless it is "convenient" to you to put it that way.

Fundamentalism comes in many versions. Research Scholarship" is just another flavour.

Js are jealous of bloggers

2010-02-11T17:42:00.000-08:00

Yes they are here is an example:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/articleshow/msid-2056809,curpg-2.cms

And my answer:

This article is incomplete. At the end, article needs a "sigh". The author's chest appears light at the end of it!! This is merely a J(jealous) post. The treatment here is that at one end of the battle field are journalists who are the holly cows that make no punctuation error and have become something that is so "tough"/"hard" to become (like a rocket scientist) and the other end are sore looser. Mr author these sore looooooosers matching your descriptions have a more popular name: common man/ordinary people.

Yes people fail/succeed/talk/bitch/rant/oppose and but unlike journalists only a few may even be paid. Aren't you js paid? Aren't you media houses have ideology: liberal/modern/progressive whatever you may like to call it?
It is really heartening to see when journalists who frustrate common men with their abuse of stupidity get frustrated. When was the last time online media got all the punctuation right? And when was the last time that so called Editorial Process was applied and meant something meaningful? It is time js stop assuming they only have the right to rant and face the rant of those frustrated by stupidity of journalists.

Yours sincerly
A blogger (not a paid one like you journalists)
By the if you apply your Editorial Process on this I have my blog to rant. No worries!!

Nair Neethi

2010-02-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

Here is another gem by a guy called Nair:

Well meaning he may be but we must not miss his stupidity! Let us start with how the positioning incorrect and how some assumptions are close to being malicious.

1) We are talking about a situation where angry youth (not old one time hindu priests) alleging that "not party kinda" atmosphere in the neighbourhood was being disturbed (read people who do not want their children drink; Nair's kith might have wanted it once!) man handled "party kinda" youth mostly not local to the region. Their leader was arrested and he did not belong to BJP or parivar and infact contested against them. This is not about Karnataka govt beating party goers. I do not know Nair is trying show he knows history. I say that because what he is saying completely irrelevant. I have studied Kalidasas explanation of Shakuntala's bra being tight showing her youth. Yep thats right in a classroom. So, we in Karnataka are fine with that, unlike what Nair is thinking. To summarize Nair is positioning the issue so that he can spew his 'knowledge'.

2) Another assumption he makes is that, youth with "liberal/pseudo liberal" aspiration is right in being extremist while (he celebrates "frying" of a opposing leader) similar aspirations of "conservative" youth is wrong.

3) I thought roughly 40% of the accidents involve intoxication and therefore all sane administrators are wary of this manse called alcohol. Bollywood celebrities make money out of it so they wont oppose it - oh wait no no they oppose it because they are liberals!). So Yediyurappa is chief minister and it makes sense that he does not want to waste tax payers money on drunken misdeeds and losses.

4) "Muthalik, helped along by chief ministers Gehlot and Yeddyurappa, has risen to save our youth against the decadent 'pub culture'." - This is an allegation proven incorrect by his own publication.

6) "..countries where all three held sway have long since evolved beyond those repressive times and immoral policing, we are going back to the Dark Ages"! Wow nice rhetoric :) I have the same worry that this "prgressive (read drunken)" mass wastes their life on non-productive activities and I thought Nair was calling for youth to involve in Sports - Games, Research, co-operation; nope! He is merely asking them to drink!! And he gets paid by his employer for doing such a great service to the mankind!!

7) I have never been to a dance bar but I want to know from the likes of Nairs, would he encourage his sisters to work in dance bars? Would he want his kids, when he has some, to drink and have sex under age like some of his "liberal" friends are advocating?

I think writers like these have the responsibility to be complete and thoughtful of the consequences of their claims. We do not want to waste of time on those who do not spend enough time to think about what they say or write means. I did not respond to his write because they "edit" and "censor" (free press yeh!) comments and I realised they never publish anything that is correctly but very severely critical. I criticised their editorial so badly without using bad words but thoroughly highlighting the stupidity of The Editor, they never put it up on the web. So much for Slimes of India

~rAGU

Pramod Muthalik

2010-02-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

Reaction to Pramod Muthalik

You unfortunately have a tendency to highlight negative news makers. This reduces your zeal, energy, time and ultimately space in your final "report" for positive achievements of people who do not seek publicity. Muthaliks become "nationalist" leaders and good guys get no coverage. Action that happens in a very slow manner and takes centuries is most lasting and brings fundamental changes. Please bring more news of the people working for the betterment of the country. Ideology comes to mind when we have enough to eat.

2010-02-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.deeshaa.org/category/humor/the-slimes-of-india/

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2056809,curpg-1.cms