Dear Mr Sharad I couldn't agree more with you.
If you change the context , some times the outcome of the report changes dramatically. Let we keep on highlighting the bias .... ultimately the truth will prevail. Regards Anand Lakhmani On 6/5/09, Sharad Mohan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Soroor Ahmed and Amarnath Tewary both I guess are from Bihar and see how > they > report two different bihar related stories...Amarnath ji in past also have > been > very very neagtive on the state, not sure what saddistic pleasure he gets > on > that..I am ready to debate with him on Journalism ethics and > responsibilities.. > > Dear Bihari Brothers rise and fight your own war, do not allow any one > demonize > you... > > Story # 1 > > Stop this so-called de-Biharization of Railways in the name of anti-Laluism > - > Soroor Ahmed > > (Bihar Times)Within a week of the publication of two letters to editor in a > premier English language daily of Kolkata demanding the de-Biharization of > the > Indian Railways the East Central Railway announced the cancellation of > stoppages > of trains at several stations and halts in Bihar. > > It might be that the top brass of the Railways not have read the letters. > But > what is really shocking is the appearance of letters using such an > objectionable > expression in a prestigious daily. > > Can a newspaper publish anything trash or use any word against the people > of any > state? The letters and the Railways' action are pointer to the general > anti-Bihari sentiment nursed by some people for no valid reasons. > > Now come to the fact. New Delhi-Patna Shramjeevi Express was not extended > up to > Rajgir when Lalu Yadav was the railway minister. The credit should go to > his > predecessor, Nitish Kumar. It does not only stop at Khusrupur but even at > Silao, > Nalanda, Harnaut and a couple of other small stations--not to speak of > Bakhtiarpur and Biharsharif. And then what is wrong in the train stopping > at > Khusrupur, where no doubt much larger number of people board and detrain, > then > several other stations on this very route. > > No one can justify the ransacking of railway stations, torching of trains > and > destruction of the public property after the railways' announcement > regarding > the cancellation of stoppage of Shramjeevi Express at Khusrupur. But may > one ask > a question: Was not there any other step for the railways to take > immediately > after it got rid of three almost consecutive railway ministers from > Bihar--Ram > Vilas Paswan, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav. For a few months in between > Mamta > Banerjee (1999-2001) did serve as the railway minister during the Vajpayee > era. > > Some of the halts may have been unviable, but certainly not Khusrupur, > where > several other Express trains have been stopping for the last many > years--even > before the so-called Biharization of railway. The Railways could easily > have > cancelled those economically unviable halts gradually after a few > months--not > just after getting rid of Bihari railway ministers. The quick and > thoughtless > decision only shows that there are a section of officers who nurse > anti-Bihari > feeling or are totally immature and can not see beyond their nose. > > Within days of Mamata Banerjee taking over as the railway minister, rumours > started spreading among the railway employees that Dhanbad division, one of > the > top most revenuer-earners in the country, would not remain with the > Hajipur-based East Central Railway, but will go back to Kolkata-based > Eastern > Railway. There is also unconfirmed reports that some of the ongoing > projects in > Bihar may be halted and services on some routes withdrawn. What is it to > celebrate all about? It is not that some territory has been won back from > the > enemy. > > In Bihar no newspaper can publish any letter questioning the economic > viability > of railway halts after every one and one-half kilometres in Greater Kolkata > or > Greater Mumbai region. Can we ask these Bengalese or Maharashtrian to walk > an > extra kilometre or two to catch the EMUs? > > But these railway officials can certainly get fantastic stories planted in > the > newspapers in Bihar that in the last six months 81 halts have come up in > the > state. If they are genuine what is wrong with them? If new trains have been > introduced in the newly laid down tracks--for example till Jogbani and > Jayanagar, or between Sasaram and Bikramganj--in the last few months new > railway > stations and halts would naturally come up. Are the trains meant to carry > ghosts > or passengers? > > One may not justify or defend all the steps taken by Lalu Yadav or his > predecessors Nitish and Ram Vilas Paswan as the railway ministers but in > the > name of anti-Laluism the interest of Bihar must not be harmed. Mind it, it > is > the same Mamata Banerjee, who strongly opposed the creation of the East > Central > Railway at Hajipur while still a minister in the Vajpayee cabinet. She got > support of the arch-rival, the Left, in her state. The Bihari politicians > also > closed their ranks and the state assembly then unanimously passed a > resolution > in its favour. > > Story # 2 > > Driver 'dozes off' on India train > > By Amarnath Tewary in Patna > > Millions of passengers travel by trains in India daily > > A passenger train in the Indian state of Bihar zoomed past two railway > stations > - apparently after the driver fell asleep at the controls. > > Those on board say the driver stopped only after some of the panic-stricken > passengers managed to wake him up. > > Following protests by angry passengers, he then reversed the train to > return to > the stations he had missed. > > The driver and the guard of the train have been suspended and an inquiry > has > been ordered, a railway official said. > > 'Out of proportion' > > The incident is alleged to have occurred after the Jogbani-Katihar express > left > Forbesganj railway station in Bihar on Monday. > > We sounded the alarm and began to shout - only then did the driver wake up > > Passenger Vivek Thakur > > It zoomed past its first scheduled halt at Dholbazza, railway officials > said. > > Passengers then panicked when the train also missed its next stop of Pothia > railway station in Kishanganj. > > When some of the passengers managed to reach the engine, they apparently > found > the driver snoring away. > > "We sounded the alarm and began to shout - only then did the driver wake > up," > passenger Vivek Thakur was quoted by a local newspaper as saying. > > The driver then reversed to stations he had missed. > > "We have been informed that the driver concerned drove past some local > stations > in a state of sleep. These are lapses which cannot be tolerated at any > cost," > Babulal Gaekwad, the divisional railway manager of the North-east Frontier > Railway told the BBC. > > Passengers waiting to board the train at the two railway stations had a > miraculous escape as some of them were standing close to the tracks to get > into > the crammed train compartments. Some even sustained minor bruises. > > A senior railway official, Gopal Kumar, told the BBC that the driver and > the > guard of the train had been suspended and an inquiry had been ordered. > > Mr Kumar admitted that the train had missed stops and had to retrace its > route, > but described it as "a small incident blown out of proportion". > > "Let the inquiry be completed and only then will we be able to say whether > the > driver fell asleep or not." > > Protests > > Railway officials at the station initially thought the authorities might > have > decided to reschedule the train stops under the new railways minister and > some > angry passengers began to protest. > > On Monday, angry villagers set fire to two trains in Bihar and ransacked a > railway station in protest at a decision not to stop some trains at remote > stations. The decision was later reversed. > > State-owned Indian railways is an immense network connecting every corner > of the > vast country. > > One of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, it operates > 9,000 > passenger trains and carries 18 million passengers every day. > > Sharad Comments: > Mr Amarnath Ji, during my abhi tak ka 10 years stay in USA, I have been > travelling for last 6 years every week with states and abroad so I know > better > than any on on the USA flights situation and in this country where > standards are > really high on passenger security many time pilots have been reported > sleeping > during the flight...Please check the record...so to demonize my dear state > as > you have been doing always is in real poor taste and total lack of respect > for 8 > plus crore Biharis... > > Regards, > Apka > SHARAD MOHAN > USA, NJ > > > -- Anand Lakhmani Risk Management Dept, Bank of Baroda Corp Off, Mumbai Ph : 98191 28191
