Open letter to police and media

I have lived for more than nineteen years in Tamilnadu and travelling all around in the country for more than 21 years. I think for any person living on his own in this country (without beacon lights), it will be obvious perception that the social fabric in our country in weak. At present starting form Raj Thakarey to Sheila Dikshit, people are running for the neck of north Indians/ Hindi waalaas in general and Biharis in particular. In Tamilnadu, condition of Hindi speaking people is not hidden to anyone. Frequently fights among the students at various educational institutions are reported in media on the basis of states.

Today Times of India, Chennai edition, on its main page has published an article with heading “7 Bihari students nabbed for terror links”. I don’t want to comment about the inside story as it may sound humiliating either to the police or the person in press who has prepared the article (noting that the person whom they wanted to arrest has escaped and he had come from Delhi!), but altogether it’s a premature press release by the police (I am sure they understand the value of the information passed on to the general public) and a poor presentation by the press.

Such language of reporting is irresponsible and insensible on the part of media. It’s like reporting in Gujarat that & Muslims arrested for terror links!

By the way of presentation, it appears that neighbors, out of their irritation (Biharis are notorious for their ill mannered behavior – being a Bihari I have experienced that) have reported to the police against the students and police has arrested them . . .

Moreover, we all know that there is no identity called “Bihari” as such as there is no clan or religion or caste or language or race called Bihari. In such a situation, mentioning a state name for such defaming news is just ignorance. If they would have given the name and address of those arrested, it’s understandable.

In past I have read news heading as “Two north Indians spoiled the journey” while reporting use of drug to rob the co – passengers (by some other newspaper), and I also know that people in Tamilnadu like such presentation and is not going to stop because of my this writing, still as a reflex I am doing it by writing to the Tamilnadu Police (Complaint No: E11CHI609), Times of India editor and putting it before all of you.