HPI
TAMPA, FLORIDA, June 19, 2003: Leaders of the Hindu Community here met with the editors of the Tampa Tribune in a continuing effort to deal with an article (see HPI, June 5, 2003) published in their newspaper called “Voyages into Madness” which cast Hinduism in a very bad light. HPI applauds the intelligent and controlled dealings of the community leaders with the Tribune, as recounted in this letter which followed their meeting of June 16. It sets an excellent standard for resolution of incidents of unfair reporting through positive remedies and not recriminations and threats.
June 17, 2003
Donna Reed, Managing Editor
Lawrence Fletcher, Deputy Managing Editor
c/o The Tampa Tribune
202 South Parker Street
Tampa, Florida 33606
Re: Meeting with Members of Tampa Bay Hindu Community
Re. Voyages into Madness, By George Coryell
Dear Ms. Reed and Mr. Fletcher:
On behalf of the Tampa Bay Hindu community, which includes over twenty (20) diverse organizations, we want to thank you for the opportunity to discuss frankly with you the sensationalized, error-filled article titled Voyages into Madness, the significant adverse impact of this specious article on the Hindu community of Tampa Bay, and the array of options for rehabilitating and exemplifying our community’s proud, peaceful, nonviolent image.
As discussed, the adverse impact of Coryell’s article on the Hindu diaspora cannot be underestimated. Regionally, since the publication of the article, law-abiding Hindus have faced harmful repercussions such as offensive slurs shouted at them to hard boiled eggs and other objects thrown at their property. Globally, militant, anti-Hindu mediums such as the Pakistan Tribune have published this nonsensical article, except under the libelous, incendiary headline Voyages into Hindu Madness, thus painting all Hindus with the same blood-tainted brush used to portray the extremist Aghori sect. These are but two examples of the widespread damage caused by the article.
Your sincere acknowledgement at yesterday’s meeting of the damage inflicted upon our community by the article is certainly welcomed. Your frank acknowledgement that the article was admittedly not organized thoughtfully and was dubiously sourced, at best, is also accepted. That said, as discussed, we in the Hindu community of Tampa Bay reasonably expect more. We expect the Tampa Tribune to follow through on the various options discussed at our meeting to address the Hindu community’s interests in seeking the advancement of the Hindu community and its many nurturing, positive characteristics.
The options discussed include the following remedial and relationship-building steps:
1. The Tampa Tribune will follow through on its commitment to thoroughly investigate and evaluate again the content of the article for factual inaccuracies. The Tampa Tribune will then publish a correction on page 2A. The Tribune will allow us to first review the draft correction prepared by you prior to publication.
2. The Tampa Tribune will make its best, good faith efforts to publish at various times during the year as determined by the Tribune certain positive articles on the local Hindu community and/or celebrated local or global Hindu/Indian events.
3. The Tampa Tribune will welcome members of the Hindu community to participate on its Diversity committee for the purposes of exposing members of the Tribune’s staff to the local Hindu community, its positive characteristics and the issues involving or impacting Hindus.
4. To facilitate the above objectives, the local Hindu community, led by Nainan Desai and the others signed below, will provide to you a list of names, telephone numbers and addresses of individuals knowledgeable about Hindu culture, history and related issues. The purpose of this list is to establish a communications link between the Tampa Tribune and the local, national and international Hindu community of scholars, academics and community activists in order to increase the Tribune’s awareness of issues impacting our community as a whole.
5. The local Hindu community will also make available speakers for a lunch time educational series for the staff journalists at the Tribune. Lunch will be provided by the community.
6. The local Hindu community will also provide the Tribune with ideas and topics for articles on upcoming Indian cultural events or other human interest topics relating to Hinduism.
These identified steps are among the many that were discussed, but reflect those steps that the parties agreed to proceed upon. Other issues discussed that we would eventually like addressed by the Tribune include:
1. Answers to the many questions posed, including questions about the author of the article and his apparent lack of due diligence. These questions were posed to the Tribune in Nainan Desai’s emails to you, including the email sent on June 16, 2003.
2. A good-faith effort to recruit candidates of Indian background for journalist positions and other staff positions.
3. The scheduling of a follow up meeting within 30 to 60 days to discuss the progress made on the steps outlined above.
In sum, we accept and appreciate your commitment to work with the local Hindu community to build a harmonious relationship. By implementing the steps discussed above and through the establishment of a bilateral, mutually beneficial relationship, we hope the Tribune will work studiously to present the Hindu community in a positive light based on the legendary Hindu ethos of hard work, nonviolence, peace and love for all living beings. By doing so, we believe the Tribune will at the very least avert another published voyage into madness.
Sincerely,
Nikhil N. Joshi (njoshi@tampabay.rr.com)
Nainan Desai (ndesai@tampabay.rr.com)
Shan Shikarpuri (shan@bconsultants.net)
Abhinav Dwivedi (ad1045@vsnl.com)
Yashwant Belsare (belsarey@hotmail.com)
and on behalf of the Coalition of Hindu and Indian Organizations of Tampa Bay
cc: Coalition of Hindu and Indian Organizations of Tampa Bay
Indiacause.org
Ajay Shah, Hindu Anti-Defamation League
Mihir Meghani, Hindu-American Foundation
India Abroad
Hinduism Today