DU Professor Hany Babu’s arrest: Media takes a blinkered view to the issue
Replication of article in Countercurrents.org|Written by Dr. Abhay Kumar|2nd Aug, 2020
The media – particularly Hindi newspapers – has taken a blinkered view to the arrest of Delhi University Professor Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil by National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, July 28. The 54-year old English Professor is the 12th person to have been arrested in the Elgar Parishad case.
The Elgar Parishad case is related to the Bhima Koregaon violence that took place on January 1, 2018. Bhima Koregaon – a village situated on the banks of Bhima in Pune (Maharashtra) – saw a gathering of activists on December 31, 2017. The event was held to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon.
A day after Hany Babu’s arrest, Hindi dailies largely toed the police line. The dailies failed to incorporate the views of Hany Babu’s family. They did not also report the comments of human rights activists and senior lawyers. In short, their stories appear pathetically one-sided.
To begin with, in its reporting, Dainik Jagran (National, July 29, p. 6) seems to convict Hany Babu much before his conviction. The daily calls his arrest as an act of “tightening the screws” (kasa shikanja). The Hindi daily does not include a single line that problematizes or contradicts the police version.
Dainik Jagran’s narrative and selection of the words appear scary and violative of the ethics of journalism. The reporting seems to be fully based on the dictation from the police officials. As the daily reports, “54-year old Hany Babu is a resident of Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh… All the 12 arrested in [the Elgar Parishad] case so far have been accused of having links with CPI (Maoist). Hany Babu – who was arrested on Tuesday – has been a member of the organisation floated to defend G.N. Saibaba jailed in Pune. G.N. Saibaba has been a professor of Delhi University as well as a member of CPI (Maoist). The arrests of G.N. Saibaba and other accused have been made in connection with Elgar Parishad’s event held outside Shaniwar wada [fort] in Pune. The allegation of Pune police is that the said [Elgar] Parishad has hatched a conspiracy of spreading violence the next day during the gathering of Dalits in Bhima Koregaon. The financial assistance to the Parishad was provided by CPI (Maoist). The Pune Police allege that the ‘Urban Naxal’ (Shahri Naxal) group– by spreading violence on January 1, 2018 in Bhima Koregaon – was planning to destabilise the state government.”
Amar Ujala (New Delhi, July 29, p. 1), another leading Hindi daily, has also based its reporting on the views of NIA. It completely excludes other versions. “According to NIA spokesperson, Hany Babu was spreading Naxal and Maoist ideology and he is a co-conspirator with others arrested [in Elgar Parishad case]. He would be presented before an NIA court on Wednesday in Mumbai”.
Navbharat Times (New Delhi, July 29, p. 1), similarly, has just reproduced the police version. “The case is related to the inflammatory speech allegedly made during the Elgar Parishad’s event on December 31, 2017, in Pune. Afterwards, huge demonstrations were held in Maharashtra, and the loss of life and property was reported”. While reporting the case, Jansatta (New Delhi, July 29, p. 1), similarly, followed the police line.
Urdu newspapers, however, did not pay much attention to the story of the arrest of Hany Babu. However, Inquilab (Mumbai, July 30, p. 3) published a story that the DU professor has been sent to police custody till August 4. A notable difference in reporting between Inquilab and the above-mentioned Hindi dailies is that the Urdu daily, at least, incorporated a few lines of the advocate of the accused. As Inquilab reports, the advocate of Hany Babu, appearing before the court, said that the police have been interrogating Hany Babu for the last four or five days, that is why sending him to the police custody is not needed.
Much like the above-mentionedHindi dailies, The Times of India (New Delhi, July 29, p. 1) has just reproduced the police version. The English daily’s story consists of around 250 words but it does not write a single line to problematize the police version. Though The Hindustan Times (New Delhi, July 29, p. 1) has given prominent space to the police version, its story has included the statement of Hany Babu’s wife and DU teachers’ association president.
Jenny Rowena – Hany Babu’s wife and a faculty member at Miranda House, Delhi University – would approach the court. Her statement questioning the NIA’s claim was also incorporated by The Hindustan Times. “They [NIA officials] said that they have found a folder on his computer which has incriminating material against him. Other than that, they don’t have anything. These are letters written by some other people saying he is a Naxal leader etc. Why would somebody keep such a folder on his own laptop? These were not his documents but were shown as his. He said that he didn’t know about the documents and had nothing to do with him,” Rowena said. The Hindustan Times has also managed to quote DU teachers’ association president Rajib Ray as saying that “We have known him [Hany Babu] as a fantastic teacher. He has been a great voice for the oppressed and he should not be harassed like this.”
In its report, The Indian Express has also managed to reach out to Hany Babu’s wife. “Some officer called me around 5 pm and said Hany Babu was being arrested. I asked if I could talk to him, but they refused. This arrest is ridiculous,” Jenny Rowena was quoted as saying.
In its coverage, Telegraph (Kolkata, July 29, p. 1) appears to be much more critical. It does not feel hesitant to mention that Hany Babu is known as “an outspoken English teacher” … who had earlier been known for his activism for the implementation of OBC reservation in higher education”. The English daily also mentions that Hany Babu has “consistently denied any links with the CPI Maoist or any role in organising the Elgaar Parishad”.
Contrary to the claim of the NIA, Telegraph asserts that “the right-wing groups allegedly attacked the annual Ambedkarite pilgrimage to the victory monument near the river Bhima, outside Pune, on January 1, 2018. Now the Elgaar Parishad is being probed for incitement of the violence as well as Maoist links”.
In their coverage, the mainstream media – with a few exceptions – have failed to critically look at the claim of the security agencies and the government. They have not questioned as to why the prominent activists, academicians and lawyers are being framed as a “threat” to the state. Besides Hany Babu, Shoma Sen, Varavara Rao, Surendra Gadling, Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudhir Dhawale, Anand Teltumbde, Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut, Gautam Navlakha– have been arrested in the Bhima Koregaon. The dailies have no interest to reflect on the concerns of the human rights activists that the state is becoming more and more authoritarian.
The human rights activists argue that the arrests of activists, civil rights workers and intellectuals in the Elgar Parishad case are being made to intimidate people from expressing their dissents. For example, the European Human Rights Organization recently called for a stop against the people working for human rights. “Consequently, we strongly believe that measures should be urgently taken to stop impeding and criminalizing the work of human rights defenders by means of overly broad national security legislation and to respect their freedoms of association and expression. India should do much more to ensure a safe and conducive environment for civil society working in the country and consider enacting a law on the protection and promotion of human rights defenders”.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media – particularly Hindi dailies – continue to suppress the relevant facts and conjure up stories out of the police version.
Note that the Elgar Conference was organised to critique the Hindutva government and caste order by asserting the Dalit identity. The term “Elgar” (in Elgar Conference) literally means “raid”, attack” and “incursion”. In fact, the conference was jointly held by Dalits, OBCs, Muslims and Maratha organisations.
The activists claim that Dalits, as the soldiers in the British Army, played an important role in the defeat of the Peshwa rule based on caste order. In the recognition of the gallantry of the Mahar (Dalit) soldiers, the British rule erected an obelisk (smaarak stambh) at the Bhima Koregaon in the memory of the dead. Out of 49 soldiers whose names are engraved, 22 have been identified as Mahars.
Following the violence in Maharashtra, FIRs have been filed in Pune with an allegation that the banned Naxalite groups were behind the conference. The police accuse the activists for instigating violence by giving inflammatory speeches. Moreover, 19 persons – also named in the Elgar Parishad case – have been accused of hatching a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
(Abhay Kumar is a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is broadly interested in Minority Rights and Social Justice. Earlier, he held a Post-Graduate Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi and worked as a reporter with The Indian Express. You may write to him at [email protected])
Find link to link to original article here: https://countercurrents.org/2020/08/du-professor-hany-babus-arrest-media-takes-a-blinkered-view-to-the-issue/
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes
captures narratives, public meetings, songs, talks, discussion on dalits.
It is largely run by students and their expenses are mostly met by themselves. At present our people work in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Calcutta.
To understand the media lynching of Muslims and Dalits and their activists– you need skills of deconstruction and analytics
Step 1
What is the definition of a Hindoo ? dindooohindoo
The wisdom of the “children of Cyrus,Darius and Xerxes”,encapsulates the “transcendence of Human thought”, the “Deuterosis of the Dindoo”, as under:
A “Persian dictionary”,titled “Lughet-e-Kishwari”,published in Lucknow in 1964,gives the meaning of the word Hindu as “chore [thief], dakoo [dacoit], raahzan [waylayer], and ghulam [slave].
Step 2
Media in Hindoosthan – Big Picture – North India
This is not the USA or EU, wherein intellectuals,ideologues,idealists and philosophers,own,manage and edit newspapers.In India or Hindoosthan,the media is owned by rapacious banias,brokers and pimps,fronting for politicians and tycoons, blackmailers ,extortionists,murderers and rapists.
In the North of India,the entire media is owned by banias,and financed by banias,politicians and political parties. It is either owned by the banias,or the bania is a front man,for the mafia or the politicians and political parties. These banias are English illiterate,and a race of liars,thieves and cheats – a race of pure Indians,id.est., they are not Rig Vedic invaders.They have atypical Indian features,and are easily identifiable.
Step 3
Media in Hindoosthan – Big Picture – South India
In the South of Hindooland,the media is mainly owned by Political parties – as the media,is a working capital guzzler,
and the media needs cash (not bank loans),to operate.With the parties in power,the government ad blitz,is done
through these outlets,and the money is also bled out,to generate cash,for the politicians.As time passes,some of
these media entities,are listed on stock exchanges
Some South based newspapers and media houses ,are owned and run by the weasels and impotenticas,of the Brahmin race – like the Hindu etc.,id.est.,Tamil and other South Indian vermin Brahmins.
Step 4
What is the Bania filth (Marwari-Gujarati-Kayastha scum).
It is the Bania filth who worked as spies for each invader into Hindoosthan ! They also funded the wars of the Mughals and Sakas and Huns. There is not one 1 record in history of them having stood up for anything ! They sold their women to the invaders
The Birlas,Goenkas,Bajajs and other bania filth built their empire by sending their women to Nehru for his peccadilos.They also funded Ambedkar in London – result that – Ambedkar spoke not one word against the Bania vermin !
95% of the NPA and Bank Frauds in North India upto the borders of the Vindhyas are on account of Bania vermin ! No one talks of the said statistic as every media house is owned and managed by banias or has 75% of the advert revenue from Banias
The entire banking system is designed as a wealth transfer system to move funds from Indian clowns in SB accounts and Fancy Bonds – which funds Banias ,who steal the money for Netas ,and the avail of CDR/OTS
To hide all of the above and their history,the bania media owners are now,paragons of ethics,morality and democracy.These rats who did not shed their urine, in a single war of the Hindoo nation,since the war of “Bharata”,are exhorting Indians to die for the natoon,and also,exhorting the dubious courage of foolish Indian soldiers from poor,backward and destitute families.
This is Hind–oooo-sthan !
Step 5
The real owner of the Media and the Media Busines Model
In essence,the actual and quasi owners of the media,are the banias and the politicians – as the revenue model, of the
news,is based on advertisements – which are sourced from corporates,owned and managed by banias,or managed by brahmin/bania and kayastha vermin.Corporate adverts,are based on TRPs – but the Govtt ad blitz and propoganda,is based on discretion of politicians,and their pimps,in the media.
There are several loss making media outlets,in the pathetos of Hindoosthan – for decades – but they do not fold their
business. Foolish people ask Y ? Several Editors and Owners,of Large media houses,and loss making media outlets – act as
pimps,of the politicians.They provide access to politicians and baboos for large contracts,loans,acquisitions and licences.
That is the REAL business model,and then,there is the “conversion” operation – wherein,the Politicians get paid in cash,
for the Govt ad blitz done,via the media entity.The conversion is more profitable,for loss making media entities,for obvious
reasons.
The rate for rotatng the cash of the politicians,is half the SBI PLR (Medium term PLR).Banks do not lend to media outlets –
and so,the working capital of these outlets,is funded by the cash of the politicians and banias.
Hence,the real owner of the media,is the politician and the bania financier.The Bania CEO, is meant to manage cash flow and
has no intellectual imputs.It is thus,obvious, that the media has to peddle the line and ideology,of the politicians,and the
ruling dispensation.
Step 6
Media Antics and Tactics
To ring fence themselves,the Indian Media has made defamation laws – which suit their needs,and the media house is owned by a myriad maze of Trusts,NGOs,Firms,Partnerships and Corporates – which makes criminal liability,impossible.The self regulatory bodies of the Indian media,are all bogus,and are meant to dissuade the plaintiffs.The media vermin,can destroy any politician,and also, any Judge – and so,no Judge has ever sent an Editor,or Onwer of a media outlet,to jail.The Dubious Hindoo nation,has no concept of “punitive damages”,on anybody.
Besides,the media is pampered with nil duty on newspaper imports,EPCG schemes for newsprint makers and other sops for the media.In addition, they get land and property concessions at prime locales,but at sub prime rates.To keep the moolah flowing,these vermin,have award ceremonies of dubious credibility,to pamper the egos of politicians and tycoons,and banias – to keep the cash flowing – an exercise,in cheap antics and perfidy,wherein the media and the awardees,are complimenting each other,with an audience of morons,waxing eloquent on the merits of Indian Democracy !
Step 7
Y Anti – Muslim Media Tone
1st the public,has to get some basic concepts clear
The media owners = Bania vermin,and in a few cases,Brahmin vermin
The media editors = Brahmin vermin,and in some cases,Bania filth
The media lawyers = Brahmin vermin,Punjabi banias and some Sindhi Ani’s
The Politicians = All Right Wing Hindoos (In North India)
Who are these people,and the raucous heathens and menials,which comprise the audience of the TV media,and the regional language print newspapers. These are the offspring of the rapes of women by the Sakas,Scythians,Mughals, Afghans, Turks,Mongols etc.It is said that Rajput harlots poured kerosene on their vaginas,before they committed suicide.The debauched history,of the hindoo cowards,is haunting the Hindoo – after 2000 years.
What are the Indian Muslims ? They are converts from the lower castes.If the Mughals and Turks,had not ruled the Hindoos,these lower castes – would have been destroyed.Islam redeemed the Dalits and lower castes.However, the DNA is that of a Hindoo coward,still – and that is Y,West Asians mock Indian Muslims,and call them “Hindoos” – even in Mecca ! Many West Asians,do not even consider Indian Muslims,to be Muslims.
The deep reservoir of that Hindoo shame,has been converted into Muslim hate,by the Politicians – as that is the core of the Hindoo DNA.If there were no Muslims – the Hindoos would target the Dalits.It is the evolution of shame and humiliation,into HATE and VITRIOL – which is a tried and tested formula,in several nations.The media acts as a tool,for the “accentuation and catalysis” of the anti-muslim agenda,by distorting and hyping incidents, WHICH ARE CREATED AND NURTURED BY THE IB,NIA AND THE POLITICIANS (as a part of a conscious strategy of assymetric war,on the Indian Muslims and a perpetuation of, a monotony of propoganda)
The formula of the politician,is simple – to create an issue each week of the year, in order to bring diffident and marginal hindoos,into the right wing hindoo cult – and let the opposition splinter the Muslim vote,into different parties.The Fact is that 90 % of the Hindoos,do not care for NRC/CAA,and also,believe that the Tabligh,is a Corona Bomb.That fact (which is the “Core DNA” of the Hindoo), and the media lynching,have fed on each other.
Incidentally,the rabid competitive lynching by the media houses – pushes up the TRPs,to the stratosphere – which gets in the corpporate advertisements, and which are then,followed by a political audit (by the politician) – who then,loosens the purse strings,of the state ad blitz,through the preferred media houses – akin to bones,thrown at the dogs,in a manger.
To add the spice,each TV channel has a posse of rented and dubious Muslims and Nassara – who are not regarded as Muslims,by Islam,and also,derided by Mecca and Rome.These limpet rats are used to provoke Sunni Islam,and make it appear to Hindoo heathens and menials,that there are fissures in Islam – and that,there are some Indian Muslims,fighting the ogres of Islamic Orthodoxy – like Salman Rushdie ! Most Hindoos believe that Shias,Ismailis,Bohris are a “Caste”, within Islam – just like the Hindoos – same same.
Step 8
Reductio Asurdum – Expecting idealism and ethics
If the media is owned by banias and politicians – then Y will the media focus,on the following :
Corruption – as it is done by banias and politicians,and the politicians,are the sponsors of the state adverts
Bank NPA and Frauds – as it is done and sanctioned,by banias and politicians,and the banias are the sponsors of the adverts
Farmers suicides – as no bania dies and banias and politicians gain,by farm overproduction
Farm moneylenders – as all the financiers and arhatiyas,are banias
SME doom – as the money is stolen by banias,and politicians
Manufacturing doom – as that will hurt the oliticians,and the corporate sponsors
Military doom – as that will hurt the politicians,and the hindoo ego
Evils of the Hindoo faith – as that will hurt a billion hindoos and politicians,and the corporate sponsors
Dalit and Lower castes – as that will hurt a billion hindoos and politicians,and the corporate sponsors
Hunger,poverty,rape and degradation – as that will hurt a billion hindoos,and the corporate sponsors
Take a sample of Zee – owned by a Bania – who also has,a manufacturing industry.He is English illiterate , and so,has a Hindi channel. His news acnhors – female are middle aged,divorced and with frigid vaginas – who vent their hate on the Muslims. The Men are limpet impotenticas, Brahmins (invariably) and Banias,who have studied in a conservative environ, and have no knowledge of history or philosophy,and also,have no domain of expertise,in any field
The female saga of the Hindi news anchors,runs across all TV channels in India.The Muslim anchors spare no efforts to bash the Islamic orthodoxy,in order to maintain their secular credentials.Same for the Christian anchors,who spare no effort,to state,that they are “tax paying Indians” and devoutly Indian.
Take a sample of a TV channel NOT owned by a bania – but owned and run by a poodle of the state.Republic TV.Run by the inept son of a Fokad Fauji –
Left Right – Left Right – Left Right.Even a donkey has more than IQ.The IQ of the clown,is still in the bootstraps of his father’s shoes.
Take a sample of a non-bania owner,of a newspaper.The Hindu.Run by a Tamil Brahmin – a race of impotent,dullards and duds – who are a race of cowards and supines – as detailed in the Hindoo scriptures.These vermin,doomed Tamil Nadu and also,India.The man is an iliterate and an impotentica , with Nil IQ.Spying on debauched and dumb politicians and baboos – involves no intellectus.
Even a Dog can highlight inefficiency and corruption – as in, when a flock of sheep,is out of control or breaks free,or is attacked by a fox or a cattle thief.The dubious Indian Media,has no solutions.The Dog has !
The question is – what to do with these vermin,in the media – who are the invisible hand,in perpetuating the Hindoo caste system and elitism,in a manner of pernicious stealth.Targetting Muslims,is just a deflection and a diversion, and a small component of that “stealth strategy”.The “media grand plan” works – as Hindoos,are basically a race of “cowards and duds” – else,they would not have followed a “bogus religion”,for 5000 years – which has brought them to the cusp of doom.