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mm> Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 05:15:55 +0000> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To:
[email protected]> Subject: [Assam] Debate over sadistic brutality in
Guwahati> > http://www.weeklyholiday.net/front.html#09> > > Debate over
sadistic brutality in Guwahati > > Nava Thakuria > > The unprecedented violence
in the streets of Guwahati on November 24 shook the conscience of the Assamese
society. A stimulating debate has begun on media's accountability and social
commitment while covering such occurrences.> The controversy arose because of a
shocking incident of stripping off an agitating girl in broad daylight during
the violence in Guwahati. Harsh criticism targets the media, whether it was
right repeatedly showing the image of the young girl, who was chased and
humiliated by thugs that day. Was it acceptable that the picture of the girl,
with some portions blurred, be printed in the front pages of daily newspapers
days after the incident? More serious questions were placed, whether the media
persons would have the guts to run the picture if the victim came from an
affluent family. > The episode began when an estimated 1,000 Adivasis
(aboriginals), equipped with traditional bows and arrows, marched to the State
Secretariat of Assam at Dispur to raise their voice for inclusion of the
community in Scheduled Tribe list, hoping that it would benefit the community
of tea plantation workers and ex-workers in higher education and employment.
The demonstrators assembled in Guwahati from different parts of Assam following
the initiative of All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA). Initially
the AASAA leaders decided to hold a meeting at South Beltola High School in
support of their longstanding demands. But a section of participants came out
for a procession aiming to reach the Secretariat. > Police first tried to
prevent the demonstrators, both male and female, which only angered them. Many
of them continued the march and suddenly some turned violent and began
vandalising anything in sight. > > Violent demonstration> "The angry
demonstrators started damaging city buses, private vehicles parked at roadside,
shops and even personal property. Even some pedestrians were also not spared by
them. Many of them carried their traditional bows and arrows, but a few were
equipped with sticks and hammers too," an eyewitness told this writer, who had
recorded the incident from a nearby high-rise building. > As the protesters
approached the government Secretariat complex, police and paramilitary forces
came in action together and finally dispersed the rioters with teargas. Facing
a ruthless action, the frightened Adivasis fled in small groups, which were
then attacked by local people. Clashes continued for about an hour, with many
of the Adivasi demonstrators beaten mercilessly by youths. Ultimately one
protester died and 250 were injured, some very badly. > > Stripped naked> Amid
the chaos, a high school-level Adivasi girl was stripped naked by rowdy youths
and forced to run from the crowd until local residents braved the thugs to give
shelter to the humiliated girl. Pictures show the terrified girl running while
people take her pictures. One local resident, named Bhagiram Barman, risked his
life to save the girl from more physical assault. Before she was handed over to
the police, her naked image was already recorded by the media and cell-phone
users. > The incident kicked off a storm of protests. Mainstream political
parties like Asom Gana Parishad, Bharatiya Janata Party and the communist
parties demanded the resignation of the Congress-led coalition government. >
Facing the heat of public outrages, the Tarun Gogoi government ordered two
enquiries (one by the Additional Chief Secretary of Assam and the other to be
conducted by R K Manisana Singh, a retired judge of Gauhati High Court).
Meanwhile, the city police arrested three persons (Prasenjit Chakravarty, Ratul
Barman and Sudip Chakdar) for their alleged involvement in molestation case. >
Various social organisations including the North East People's Initiative,
Barak Human Rights Protection Committee, Gauhati University Teachers'
Association, Asom Mahila Samata Society, Journalists' Forum, Assam demanded
action against those responsible for the violence and vandalism. The AASAA
leaders called for a 36-hour Asom bandh (general strike), beginning on November
26, which was backed by the All Assam Tea Tribe Students' Union. The All Assam
Santhal Students' Union also called another 12-hour general strike. The issue
even reached both the upper and lower houses of Parliament in New Delhi, where
the stripping of the girl was condemned as barbaric. > But it was the media
that came under particular assault, and probably for good reason. First, a
section of the media described the incident as an attack on Adivasis by
Assamese demonstrators, whereas Adivasis are an integral part of the society
for more than a century. > Secondly, while most of the media were vocal about
the attacks on demonstrators, they remained silent on the bravery of the local
residents who sheltered the victims. The media were full of pictures of the
naked, running girl. Even a major English daily published her picture on its
front page on November 27, a full three days after the incident took place. > >
Was Telegraph right?> A New Delhi-based portal highlighted the issue saying,
"Should The Telegraph have carried a front page picture of an Adivasi girl
running naked down a Guwahati street after being stripped by ethnic rioters? It
used black strips to conceal part of her nudity but her face was only slightly
pixelated." The web-page of 'The Hoot' also added, "Three readers from Tejpur
university wrote a letter to the paper that while the strippers showed their
barbarism, the editorial board of The Telegraph demonstrated its sadism by
publishing the plight of the one stripped." > The oldest English daily of the
region, The Assam Tribune editorialised, "When a section of the media continues
to come up with the visual of the naked Adivasi girl even days after the
incident, it is evident that their purpose is simply to sensationalise and blow
things out of proportion. It is in such times that the responsibility and the
credibility of the media are put to test. A responsible media should act to
diffuse tension and not to arouse passions further." > The resentment also was
high against some Satellite news channels. The Greater Guwahati Cable
Operators' Association even blacked out two channels (NDTV and CNN-IBN) for a
few days, alleging that they were telecasting a misinterpreted version of the
group clash in the city. "The clashes engulfed not the agitating Adivasis and
Guwahati people as a whole, but only a section of them joined the chaos. But
the news channels went on airing that the residents of Guwahati beat up the
Adivasis and also stripped off many girls, who took part in the procession," an
official of the association commented. > > Media criticised> Two powerful
regional student bodies, the All Assam Students' Union and Asom Jatiyatabadi
Yuba-Chhatra Parishad, also criticised the media alleging that the media
repeatedly depicted the image of the Adivasi girl in an obscene way while
neglecting to report that she had been rescued by a local youth who gave her
shelter. "The media has every right to inform society about the happenings," a
student leader said adding, "But they should not use it as a way that only
humiliates the victim again and escalates ongoing tension." > Rupam Barua, a
senior journalist, lamented, "We cannot rely on the argument always that media
persons have the right to project anything supported by the facts
(photographs). In reality, we have no right to humiliate a girl repeatedly, as
she belongs to a less privileged section in the society. By accident, if the
daughter of a minister or bureaucrat (or a prominent businessman) were stripped
off during the Guwahati violence, had those editors projected the picture in
that way?" > > > > _______________________________________________> assam
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