hundreds of journalists in mumbai will have several anecdotes to narrate about j dey. the point of this post is not to add to that.
j dey was killed on saturday afternoon by unknown assailants who pumped bullets in his body at close range. journalists gathered at his house, for the funeral and for the protest march. i am not sure if there was agreement on what we demanded but we asked for independent enquiry (by cbi?) and special law for protection of journalists.
i agree that investigation in dey's murder has to be prompt and honest. i wonder if that is really possible - since he was supposedly exploring political-police-mafia nexus in many of his stories.
j dey was killed on saturday afternoon by unknown assailants who pumped bullets in his body at close range. journalists gathered at his house, for the funeral and for the protest march. i am not sure if there was agreement on what we demanded but we asked for independent enquiry (by cbi?) and special law for protection of journalists.
i agree that investigation in dey's murder has to be prompt and honest. i wonder if that is really possible - since he was supposedly exploring political-police-mafia nexus in many of his stories.
apparently some officers tried to put a doubt that dey was on the wrong side of a deal, or was working on something not exactly bonafide. that's not on. whatever editorial and personal differences anyone might have had with him, it's just not acceptable that someone can now use this to explain (and justify?) the murder. if this is how people think, how will they implement a law to protect journalists who sniff and snoop around for hours to get one nugget of a story?
also what exactly will a special law do to protect journalists? and how will it determine who is a bonafide journalist in need of protection? if someone attacks and threatens a journalist as opposed to a civilian, should there be more stringent action? we need to think.
journalists who are working on special investigations are extremely secretive, even with their families, they would not want a cop to shadow or safeguard them while they are with sources. and the others don't need any protection for doing their daily job, including covering press confenrences and other controversial but not-so-dangerous(to anybody - us, government, people etc etc) issues.
what strikes me is the confidence of the conspiracy and execution. someone around us thinks that he/she/they can get away after killing a senior journalist of the city. if lawyer shahid azmi's murder is any indication, what we will get - at the most - is arrest of a few shooters/contract killers and some links to some gangs.
what strikes me is the confidence of the conspiracy and execution. someone around us thinks that he/she/they can get away after killing a senior journalist of the city. if lawyer shahid azmi's murder is any indication, what we will get - at the most - is arrest of a few shooters/contract killers and some links to some gangs.
that is not enough. but then we have been made to accept this time and again. and some where most journalists have stopped doggedly following, campaigning, not relenting. readers also forget. politicians move on to other things before you can say move on.
on saturday i felt that perhaps noone would have the sources to investigate this murder thoroughly and have the courage to take this to its logical end (which means getting the master mind, but then when have we ever got the mastermind, let alone punish them?) through reporting, following up and putting pressure on the system through all media.
i dont know what will happen to this case. but may be it will shake us enough and remind us of our duties as members of fourth estate. naive, activist-ish and idealistic as it may sound, we (like someother professions, teachers, doctors, public servants, politicians, lawyers?) have to take our jobs as important social responsibilities. impartial dessimination of information. getting to the bottom of a story. having all versions and angles. understanding past factors of a case and future implications on the poorest and the vulnerable.
may be his killing reminds us that we cannot let this happen to our society, our city, our country. even if we cannot be investigative journalists, we can be honest, hard working and conscientious citizens who do their duties, which includes asking questions, voting, avoiding any short cuts and not getting used to crap.
dey may have been slightly uncomfortable with all the display of emotion and anger - no matter how genuine and heartfelt - at this cold-blooded, brazen murder. he perhaps would have liked a cracker of an investigation.
on saturday i felt that perhaps noone would have the sources to investigate this murder thoroughly and have the courage to take this to its logical end (which means getting the master mind, but then when have we ever got the mastermind, let alone punish them?) through reporting, following up and putting pressure on the system through all media.
i dont know what will happen to this case. but may be it will shake us enough and remind us of our duties as members of fourth estate. naive, activist-ish and idealistic as it may sound, we (like someother professions, teachers, doctors, public servants, politicians, lawyers?) have to take our jobs as important social responsibilities. impartial dessimination of information. getting to the bottom of a story. having all versions and angles. understanding past factors of a case and future implications on the poorest and the vulnerable.
may be his killing reminds us that we cannot let this happen to our society, our city, our country. even if we cannot be investigative journalists, we can be honest, hard working and conscientious citizens who do their duties, which includes asking questions, voting, avoiding any short cuts and not getting used to crap.
dey may have been slightly uncomfortable with all the display of emotion and anger - no matter how genuine and heartfelt - at this cold-blooded, brazen murder. he perhaps would have liked a cracker of an investigation.
Hum Dekhenge
- Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Hum dekhenge
Lazim hai ke hum bhi dekhenge
Woh din ke jis ka waada hai
Jo loh-e-azl pe likha hai
Hum dekhenge
Jab zulm-o-sitam ke koh-e-garaan
Rui ki tarah ud jayenge
Hum mehkumoon ke paun tale
Yeh dharti dhad dhad dhadkagi
Aur ehl-e-hukum ke sar upar
Jab bijli kad kad kadkegi
Hum dekhenge
Jab arz-e-khuda ke Kabe se
Sab but uthwaye jayenge
Hum ahl-e-safa mardood-e-haram
Masnad pe bithaye jayenge
Sab taaj uchale jayenge
Sab takht giraye jayenge
Bas naam rahega Allah ka
Jo ghayab bhi hai hazir bhi
Jo nazir bhi hai manzar bhi
Uthega analhaq ka naara
Jo main bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho
Aur raaj karegi khalq-e-khuda
Jo main bhi hoon aur tum bhi ho
Hum dekhenge
Lazim hai ke hum bhi dekhenge
Hum dekhenge
1 comment:
Absolutely brilliant! Agree completely.
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