viewpoint

Apology is a curse. Excuse is a crime. But then the only daily that proclaims itself as India’s National Newspaper has to come true to the burden of expectations from its readers. Unfortunately The Hindu fails on this account. It is liked and loved for sticking to old journalistic values and practices. Its coverage is exquisite. Very few newspapers in India publish book reviews. So insightful are the reviews that one is tempted to buy well-reviewed books. The Hindu is the mainstay of India’s future civil servants as it provides in-depth material in all subjects.

But unfortunately it is too leftist for comfort. The shameful part is that it has had to censor news of naxal atrocities of late. You would not find a word about the Gadchiroli massacre of policemen last week in India’s national newspaper. The Hindu editorial dated October 10, 2009 - Keep Out the Armed Forces also fails to mention the recent acts of violence by the naxalites, which include the beheading of Francis Induvar and the Gadchiroli incident, forget their condemnation.

The editorial is a bag full of excuses and apologies on behalf of the naxals. The Hindu has thankfully not as yet become the mouthpiece of the naxaites, but it remains the only national newspaper that provides space to the naxal viewpoint. The editorial vehemently opposes any use of, what it calls ‘counter-violence’, by the State. The naxals and The Hindu are scared that the terrorists will be exterminated a la the LTTE if the Indian government were to use the armed forces.

No one can fight a war with one hand tied to their backs. The Indian armed forces should be used proactively to root out the naxalites. Till this is fully achieved, I shall not dump The Hindu, but will keep a vigilant eye on it. I still love the paper for its overall coverage. But then patience has its limits.