MUMBAI, INDIA, November 24, 2002: The Editors Guild sent a team on a fact-finding mission on the riots in Gujarat and the role of the media. The team consisted of B. G. Verghese (a columnist), Dileep Padgaonkar (Executive Managing Editor, The Times of India) and Aakar Patel (Editor, Mid-Day, Mumbai), all respected members of the English language media. The Hindu Vivek Kendra has written a sharp response (“source” above) to the Editors Guild report for the purpose of exposing the bias in the English language media in India. They contend the English media distorts and trivializes issues, which enables journalists to avoid dealing with the essence of those issues. It is also asserts the English media in India is a product of the Macaulay system of education, which sought to produce “a class of persons Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinion, words and intellect” and cites examples of bias reporting. The RSS and their earthquake relief work, the plight of Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane in December, 1999, are some of their examples. The report states, “The Editors Guild Report is yet another example of not doing the necessary analysis of what is happening. Furthermore, it seems to make a special effort of demonizing the Hindu organizations and their supporters.”
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