Reader’s comments from Week 2 of National Herald

Dear readers,

The after-effects of demonetisation, and allegations from several quarters that insider information was used by the BJP, which heads the Central government, in the weeks before demonetisation continue to dominate conversations in India, and National Herald’s articles in our second week. National Herald also marked the passing of two very different men this week—Fidel Castro and Dileep Padgaonkar. The former will always be remembered as an icon of revolution across the globe, particularly in the Third World.

This past week, I realised how fortunate I was to come of age in Mumbai when the Times of India editor was Dileep Padgaonkar. When I was 17, my city was convulsed by riots after the Babri Masjid was demolished by kar sewaks in Ayodhya. The utter failure of the state and central governments at that time—and the duty of the media to impartially report on, expose and question political leaders—was brought home to an impressionable teenager through the coverage of Dileep Padgaonkar’s team and his editorials at the Times of India. A book ‘When Bombay Burned’ was published about the 1992-93 riots based on the ToI’s reporting, which I still have. It was edited by Dileep Padgaonkar.

Nearly 25 years later, the expectations of some of our youth from media have changed. We received comments this week from readers complaining about us ‘promoting’ Twitter handles of AAP leaders. These leaders had commented on a trending topic that we were covering, hence we had tagged them as we would always do with newsmakers, regardless of party affiliation. The readers’ reactions made me realise the extent of damage that unfair practises prevalent in some sections of media—where some reports are completely biased in favour of particular parties—has done.

These unfair practises have created an expectation and desire within a part of an entire generation of readers, that media should simply serve their party or ideology. If we did that, dear reader, we could not lay claim to journalism of the kind practiced by Dileep Padgaonkar, or live up to the values of the founder of this newspaper, Jawaharlal Nehru. Unfair practices are self-defeating. Those who have pushed a purely biased line have lost their credibility. Their audience has shrunk. We, and plenty of our colleagues in other media houses, will not follow their example. National Herald will always strive to be fair.

We thank our readers for all the conversations this past week. Here follows a selection of your comments and tweets from our second week. Comments may be edited for spelling and grammar alone. Do keep interacting on our website and all social media pages. You can also write to contact@nationalheraldindia.com.

We look forward to your comments in the weeks to come as National Herald grows. We have big plans. Stay tuned.

Editor, Digital

On PM’s Opinion Poll reminds people of ‘Yes, Prime Minister’

Referendum of a dictator.

Pronoma Mukherjee

On WATCH: Manmohan Singh—Monumental mismanagement of Demonetisation

Economists never ever speak. When they do, it’s a surgical strike.

Saber Hussain

Coming from an economist of Dr Manmohan Singh's repute and patron saint of liberalisation and free market economy, his choice of words to describe the current situation—monumental management failure, organised loot and legalised plunder—are indeed very strong and apt. He articulated the angst and the pain of the overwhelmingly large section of our population who have been hit hard by the reckless and impulsive decision of PM Modi!

N Rigzin Jora

On 10 things you must know about the Lokpal

So far government has not taken any step to eradicate the source of black money which is mainly bribery, commission, donations etc, to government officials.

Thomas Augustin

On ‘Prepared’ BJP on land buying spree ahead of note ban

If it is so that the present government used insider information on demonetisation, let this be investigated but let this not be a reason to restructure any government orders so far, as there are many positive moves of currencies kept unaccountable now being accounted.

Anthony Nirmal

I don’t know why Mr Nitish Kumar is strongly supporting 'Demonetisation'. Does he have some big role because I really liked him as CM of Bihar and for his progressive thinking for the nation, but now I'm a little curious about his stand.

Asif Ashraf

On Decoding Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s art of managing contradictions

I agree, Nitish Kumar has learnt how to do politics with silence. He has already proved it in Bihar elections. When everybody was abusive, even the Prime Minister had lost his dignity of prime ministership, Nitish smartly kept himself away from dirty politics.

Mohd Mansoor Alam

Tweets to National Herald from Week 2