Sunday 23 June 2013

"Media Freedom and Media Responsibility "


I had firmly decided not to write any more articles or say anything publicly or appear on t.v. for quite some time, firstly because I had already expressed my views on several issues, and secondly because some people had started accusing me of seeking popularity or cheap publicity. I regard publicity or popularity seeking as a form of vulgarity, and I never seek it. 

What I was doing was to put forward certain ideas which I thought were in the national interest, though it is quite possible that some of my views were wrong. But since I was misunderstood by many people, some of whom even started abusing me and launching personal attacks, I thought that the time had come for me to become silent. 

For this reason I said and wrote nothing for two months, and I would have continued my silence in the future too for a long time but for an event which happened recently.

On 19th June a senior journalist wrote an article entitled " Muzzling the Media--Freedom at Risk", which was published in his own newspaper, a leading English Indian national daily. His basic idea was that the government was trying to muzzle the media, and thereby violate the freedom of the press guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution.

I would have remained silent had he left it at that, because, after all, he is entitled to his view. However, what motivated me to break my silence is that the article specifically named and vilified me as the main agent who is helping the government in gagging the media. The article describes me as a ' terrier', though by allusion. 
Since I had decided not to write or say anything for quite some time, at first I was thinking of not replying to this deliberate, malicious falsification of my views about the media ( which are available on my blog justicekatju.blogspot.in ). It was only after several days of deliberation that I reluctantly decided to respond, though not by getting some article published in a newspaper but only on Facebook and my blog.

Here are the true facts:

(1) I have consistently supported media freedom, and condemned attacks on the media, overtly or covertly, e.g. In the cases of Aseem Trivedi, Iftikhar Gilani, Shaheen ( the girl who wrote on Facebook), Prof. Mahapatra of Jadavpur University, etc or when media persons were attacked in Maharashtra, J&K, Himachal, etc, or when media freedom was sought to be covertly suppressed in Bihar, etc. I have strongly criticized some Congress governments too in this connection, and not merely non Congress governments. So how am I a Congress agent ?

I support freedom of speech not for popularity or as a fashion but because I genuinely believe in it. Without freedom to think, freedom to speak, freedom to write and discuss, and freedom to dissent there can be no progress. It was because there was freedom in England that it progressed, whereas countries like Spain, where freedom was stifled by the Inquisition, lagged far behind.

(2) When the Times of India office in Mumbai was attacked by some hooligans, I strongly condemned the incident. When the Court imposed a fine of Rs.100 crore on the Times Now channel, I defended Times Now, saying that no doubt it had made a serious mistake, but it had apologized for the same several times, and in any case the fine was excessive.

(3) In the article in question it is mentioned that I have spoken of the need for media ethics. What is wrong in this ? Should there be no ethics for the media ? Everybody is accountable in a democracy, but for the media should there be no accountability?

(4) In the article it has been stated that the government tries to muzzle the media by cutting off advertisements. Here I entirely agree. But what the writer conveniently overlooks is that I issued a strong press note on 4.2.2013 condemning this practice of governments stopping or curtailing advertisements merely because the newspaper criticized the government or some minister or official ( see the press note on my blog). I also said that in a democracy the media has a right to criticize the government. In any case, I said, if the government wishes to stop or curtail its advertisements in some newspaper it must give the latter an opportunity of hearing, and then reasons for its decision, otherwise the rules of natural justice will be violated.
In its issues of 5.2.2013 and 7.2.2013 the Times of India complimented me, and published the views of several media persons who supported my stand ( see online).

(5) The article takes the stand that there should only be self regulation by the media. In my opinion self regulation is no regulation, it is an oxymoron. If self regulation were sufficient why should there be the rampant malaise of paid news, allegations of blackmail, Radia tapes, etc ? Why should there be laws at all ? Let everybody self regulate.

The truth is that every social activity has to be regulated in the public interest, because one's freedom cannot go to the extent of damaging society or others. A lawyer is in a free profession, but his license can be suspended by the Bar Council for professional misconduct, and a doctor's license can be suspended by the Medical Council for medical misconduct.A Judge can be impeached for misconduct.

Here I must make the distinction between regulation and control. In control there is no freedom, whereas in regulation there is freedom but subject to reasonable restrictions in the public interest. I am in favour of regulation, but am opposed to control. This regulation, too, should not be by the government but by an independent statutory authority, like the Press Council. The Press Council consists of a Chairman and 28 members, 20 of which are representatives of the press ( 5 are members of Parliament, and one each from the Bar Council of India, UGC and Sahitya Academy). The press representatives in the Press Council are not appointed by the government but elected democratically by the press bodies.Decisions in the Press Council are taken by majority vote, and not by me alone. Often I have been overruled by the majority.

At present the Press Council deals only with the print media, but if the electronic media is also brought within its purview by an amendment to the Press Council Act ( as The Press Council has recommended several times to the government) there may be 20 representatives of the electronic media also on the Council ( which can be renamed the Media Council).

Thus, 40 of the 48 members on the Council will be media representatives, and decisions on complaints will be by majority vote. This will really be a judgment by one's peers. In fact this proposal is more pro media than that of Lord Leveson, who in his report recommended that media persons should not be on the Media Council. What reasonable objection can there be to this suggestion ?

The article objects to criticism of content in the media. But what is wrong in such criticism ? Today India's main problems are socio -economic--massive poverty in about 80% of our people, massive unemployment, healthcare problems, farmers suicide, malnutrition,etc. as well as rampant casteism, communalism, and widespread crimes against women like dowry deaths, honour killings, etc.Yet the media focuses on film stars, cricket, fashion parades,astrology etc as if these are the real problems of the Indian people. Thus the real problems of the Indian people are sidelined or treated as non issues, and the non issues are projected as if they are the real issues. Sensationalism, trivialization, etc are the hallmarks of much ( though not all) of the Indian media today, obviously for T.R.P. rating and profits from advertisement revenues. Today I read that Hema Malini's younger daughter has been engaged. What a historical event !

Is not the Indian media behaving largely like Marie Antoinette who said that if the people do not have bread let them eat cakes.
The Roman Emperors used to say that if you cannot give the people bread give them circuses. Much of our media seems to say, if you cannot give the people bread give them film stars and cricket. Cricket today is the opium of the Indian masses, doled out by the media to the gullible public.

Today India is passing through a terrible transitional period in its history,transition from feudal agricultural society to modern industrial society,which in my opinion will last another 20 years or so. The transitional era is a very painful and turbulent period in history. If one reads the history of Europe from the 16th to the 19th centuries ( when Europe was passing through its transition) one finds that it was full of turmoil, wars, revolutions, social chaos, intellectual ferment,etc. It was only after going through this fire that modern society emerged in Europe. 

India is presently going through that fire. We are going through a very painful period in our history, which I guess will last another 20 years or so. In this transitional period the role of ideas becomes very important, and therefore the role of the media becomes very important, because the media is not an ordinary business which deals in commodities, it deals with ideas. It is the duty of all patriotic Indians, including media persons, to help shorten this transitional period and make it less painful, so that India becomes a modern, powerful, industrial power, with all its people ( and not just a handful) prosperous and leading decent lives, with food, employment, healthcare, education, etc available to the masses. For this it is essential for intellectuals, including the media, to promote modern and scientific ideas and combat backward and feudal ideas and practices like casteism, communalism and superstitions.

But is the Indian media doing its patriotic duty ? No doubt there are some media persons like P. Sainath who are doing a great job, but what about others ? Filmstars and cricket dominate much of or media. Many t.v. channels show astrology, which is promoting superstitions, when the media should promote scientific ideas. At a time when our nation should be united if we are to progress, a section of the media promotes communalism by demonizing Muslims and portraying them as terrorists. 

Historically, the media arose in Europe in the 18th Century as an organ of the people against feudal oppression. At that time all the organs of power were in the hands of the feudal authorities. Hence the people in England and France had to create new organs which would represent their interests. The print media was one of those powerful organs created by the people. In England, France and America the media represented the voice of the future, as contrasted to the established feudal organs which wanted to preserve the status quo. Great writers like Voltaire attacked religious bigotry, Rousseau attacked the entire feudal social and political system, Thomas Paine proclaimed the Rights of Man.

In my opinion the Indian media should give leadership to the people in the realm of ideas, the way Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Paine, etc did when Europe was passing through its transitional period. Instead of pandering to the low tastes of the Indian masses our media should seek to uplift its intellectual level so as to make our masses part of enlightened India.

I do not wish to comment any further on the issue. In fact it is with great reluctance that I have written this piece only because of the vicious attack on me, twisting and falsifying my views, a methodology to which I have now become quite accustomed.
Justice Katju

29 comments:

  1. Not only the media but our political system too needs to be regulated. why we don't talk about it..it seems only the power whether political or media has the right to decides the fate of the nation. How far we can allow these people to play with the national interest on the name of politics(secularism / communalism)(minority/majority)(left/right)....?

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  2. Great post, Sir. Fully agree with the content. Media has truly become a TRP driven tamasha.

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  3. Good Post sir... Actually Media does nor know what,,where,,,Who,,,Is wrong .They just know only one solid thing known as TRP. And for that they would go to any extent.

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  4. Excellent article! India's media is in need of regulation. Sensationalism, planting news stories for PR to trick people have become a common practice. Meida takes the top rank among institutions that has seen rapid fall in standards and ethics.

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  5. Katju Sir, I have lived my life in India, but never seen Indian people so polarized, selfish, opportunist and loosing values and culture. Most people I interacted said India media spread so much negativity, creates confusion and distort values and culture. This is the same India where a prostitute porn Star Sunny Leone comes to India and is on the verge of becoming youth icon. It will result in young daughters aspiring to become prostitute, act in porn to find a route for success. You only tell, if media had put pressure on Bollywood people like they did with IPL spot fixing, would Sunny Leone survive here? Because billions of dollars of money is poured in media to sensationalize news and grab money to uncover and silence it like with IPL spot fixing. Similarly cricket is one game which united people of India irrespective of caste and religion. Even in that, greedy money minded corporate and politicians hijacked that game and snatched those small pleasure in life which we enjoy making this India more artificial. India media is also responsible for bad relationship with almost all neighbor countries. Now comes to bollywood which is next big after cricket. There are paid critics, paid articles for publicity of films, promotions which does not give genuine information about anything. You buy media and currently Indian media is only free media but not fair media which gives true information. What we hear in media is paid articles by Modi. How much money Modi waste for his PR exercise in media. He is fooling public about his overall development. Yes he did development, but Gujrat is nowhere close to Dubai or Singapore to follow his idiotic model which he self proclaim.

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  6. In comparison Singapore model is unique and benchmarket model or role model of development not only to Asian counterparts but to world economies both developed and
    developing

    1) Singapore is a vibrant city which was rated as the best city in Asian and one of the best cities in world to work with most knowledgeable
    workforce

    2) Singapore is one of the least corrupted, safest and one of the richest countries in the world

    3) It has got lowest unemployment in the world whereas for white collar jobs there are 121 jobs for 100 people on average declared by
    Ministry of Manpower Singapore

    4) It is a country which is multicultural where 30% people working are foreigners and best place for investment with friendly business work
    and business policies.

    5) It is clean and green and have less pollution because in Singapore they issue minimum license for cars to avoid traffic but to make up for that they have one of the best public transport system where rail and bus connectivity is at every corner of the town.

    6) The rules and regulations are for every people, religion hatred is not tolerated and strict punishment for certain crimes.

    7) Almost all MNC companies have their base in Singapore where hiring happens on merit based where educational qualification is given first
    priority.

    8) Singapore has one of the best tourism it can offer. Its tourism is completely man made heaven, but the architecture is unique and things like entertainment section at airport if you flight gets late is visionary

    In 1963 when Singapore parted with Malaysia it was one of the poorest and corrupt nation in world with slums all around. Mr Lee ruled it for three decades and turned it one of the riches countries with Per capita income of 60,000 USD and unique. In the late 90's PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif visited Pakistan and asked Lee, how did Singapore grew so fast to which he replied after independence their only focus was on economic growth and no politics. Singapore had to prove to world that it is safe, so it passed one anti corruption bill and cleared all corrupt minister who were put in jail. They passed some of the most stringent law where certain crimes had capital punishment. Once a dutch national was caught in drug trafficking, the govt and even queen of Dutch requested Singapore Govt to pardon him, but still he was executed as there is direct death penalty for drug trafficking. Their media is regulated, there is no strike in Singapore to avoid unnecessary politics and economic barrier. Look where is Singapore now.


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  7. Sir it will be a great draw back for us if you to become silence because of some abnoxious people.i found your ideas very clean and democratising.your explanation and logics are one of best I read.no need to say in present day you are one of best indian.but sir, tell me , your response in form of silence, would you justify it or person who say you as their guides, will you leave them.a man with vision should always remain under obligation for corrections no matter how society behave against these.

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    1. I agree with you allena. Sir Pls continue writing.

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    2. The problem is we have too many experts on many things and far too few people who actually work to bring about a change in peoples lives and democracy. Unless the ratio tilts the other way.....ideas from arm char experts will remain Ideas....

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  8. Interesting article. There definitely needs to be regulation to prevent political spin and big business brainwashing the public. Look at the enquiry into appalling media practices in the UK where News of the World (now happily closed down) was phone-tapping even victims of crime and even affecting the course of investigations, aided by corrupt police. Regulation doesn't prevent freedom of the press, it ensures it. Otherwise what the general public reads and sees,(and just as importantly doesn't get to read and doesn't see!) not only in India but all over the world, is determined by multi-nationals, powerful individuals and their political lackeys. Interspersed with salacious gossip, horrific crimes, porn, scape-goating (mainly of Muslims/ foreigners) horoscopes and sport. Football replaces cricket as the opium of the masses in Europe. An independent judiciary is a beacon of hope!

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  9. Dear mr Katju, please do not get emotional.. Few speak. We all like you, despite the fact we are your critics.. Please do not make us jobless. Continue to speak your mind. The world would certainly change to better days.

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  10. Dear mr Katju, please do not get emotional.. Few speak. We all like you, despite the fact we are your critics.. Please do not make us jobless. Continue to speak your mind. The world would certainly change to better days.

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  11. Dear sir,I respect and admire you immensely....everyday I use to open your blog to have a glimpse over your thought...I was sad that you stopped writing.....we,the youth ,need your guidance to make our life better,to make the society better...please write for us.

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  12. Dear sir,I respect and admire you immensely....everyday I use to open your blog to have a glimpse over your thought...I was sad that you stopped writing.....we,the youth ,need your guidance to make our life better,to make the society better...please write for us.

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  14. Simple solution..
    1. All 24/7 news channels should have (video+audio) news for 3 hrs in morning and 3 hrs in evening (with 1hr English, 1hr Hindi and 1hr Local language) and timings 6.00AM to 9.00AM and 7.00PM to 10.00PM
    2.All channels shall broadcast news at the sametime in same language. News channels can show what ever they want in that 3hr blocks (what ever breaking news they produce)
    3.Rest of the day news shall be only audio with scrolls or pictures only. They can have as many debates as they can have without video footage only pictures and news scrolls in debates.

    Results:
    1. Not restricting media freedom. Media got complete freedom to show what they want to show in 3 hrs blocks and scrolls /audio through out the day.
    2.Since all channels have to telecast news at the same time in same language they have to produce better quality news not like so called breaking shaking....news.

    I dont see any draw backs to this solution. Entertainment channels can do what they are doing now and news channels got complete freedom to telecast their news. If anyone thinks this solution is stupid let me know or if u have better ideas ..also let me know. I dont think there are any loop holes to this solution...

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  15. I used to daily open your blog to see any new post from an real Indian.A humble request....Please keep on posting. Young India needs you and your voice.

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  16. Respected Mr Katju,

    Thanks for your article. I was looking for your email ID to write to you but thought otherwise to reach out to you thru this comment. To give you a back ground , i am a finance professional working in mumbai and more importantly one of the many whose family is stuck in Kedarnath disaster and still waiting thru the most agaonising phase or our lives.
    Last seven days have been hell on me , my family and millions like us spread across country waiting for that one ray of hope, one news that out dear ones are safe. And we still wait..
    All thru this agony, media is what we are all hooked onto for some news and some info but last seven days have made me rethink on my views on freedom of speech, media responsibility blah blah.. Heres why:
    - While people are tensed , agonised, worried, anxious we have channels repeating the so called horror stories min after min from those who are rescued. Do they understand , what this so sensationalsim if doing to those waiting to hear some good news or or for that matter even the worst confirmations. What it will do to old parents waiting to hear of there kids..
    - They all have been blaming congress and BJP of trying to use this tragedy to claim cheap pubilicity but news channels have been far far worse. There profanity is at its worst when every single channle proclaims we are first one to reach kedarnath, rudrapargay and so on OR our channel is the first one to bring this update.. Its sucks...
    - Some channel personnel have reached some critical points like gaurikund, junglecheeti etc. While we wait anxiously glued on to our TV sets to get one glimpse of our family you have these reporters interewing the ones stuck there aksing them of their experience thru hell!!! Could it get worse or more inhuman? Could they not use that five min of precious time to get a video coverage or pictures of the pilgrims stuck and telecast it rather than ask a virtually dead person of his/ her experience.
    - I just saw IBN7 reporter asking a rescued couple who were speaking to their family in Gujarati to speak in hindi.. Wow!!!
    - I tried calling many channels including times now and IBN7. Never reachable.. No one calls back.. Then why blame buracracy alone for being non responsive.

    Media persons are allowed access to these points and not us who are dying for that one oppertunity to go up there and do something. Shouldnt this privilage be used more humanely, judiciously?

    - Yesterday, alll channels suddenly shifted to champions trophy final preview. All thanks to the incessant rains that they went back to uttarakhand. News is news and they also have a business to run. But couldnt it have been a little more compassionate given the sclae of tragedy. Then why blame business houses and politicians for being heartless...



    Media somewhere postioned itself as the good son of the family vs the bad sone viz politicians, bureaucrats etc. People like me firmly believed in the same and the fact that they were the check you needed on the bad son... But increasingly it seems that the belive was illfounded. Seems they do not understand the difference between sensationalism and genuine reporting.. And if they dont, then its time for a restraint. To begin with tabliods and sentationalism should have no place in events/ areas of national disaster like this.

    Do something Sir....

    Regards,

    Saket
    9833606480

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  17. Hope u watch the following shocking video and take appropriate step against this inhuman work by the reporter.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4774292447554

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  18. Sir its a brilliant factual and an eye opener article for a layman like me. First I would like to congratulate you because you had the conviction to restrict yourself for two months to get out of these controversies.

    I had immense faith in your opinion and vision for a better India but after having seen you get into petty debates like Sanjay Dutt,Narendar Modi, Arun Jailtley arguments which did raise certain valid points against your growing controversial popularity. These incidents raised a serious question on your credibility and greatly hampered your goodwill among people.

    As your well wisher and an great admirer I would request you to continue with the same restrain specially with electronic media,however I would like you to share your thoughts on your blog strictly related to the job you have been assigned i.e as a Press council chief.

    Now coming to the article you posted above the points raised by you are unbeatable and no right thinking citizen would disagree with you on any of the points made by you.

    I would again request you to put your weight behind the idea of regulation on media on both print and electronic because the so called fourth pillar of democracy is no more standing on its own, its motivated by self interest and if not regulated on time will become the biggest threat to our democracy even grater than terrorism.

    I want the respected and honorable Justice Markandey Katju to be remembered as a person who did the greatest service to the nation by bringing transparency accountability and regulation in media.

    I would appreciate if you can get you response on my mail- Id

    Thanks & Regards
    Brij Raj Sahani
    brijrajsahani066@gmail.com

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  19. My curses, in all Indian languages, to the editor who wrote against Mr. Katju. It appears that editor never read fables and fairy tales. Heroes fight even dragons but do not provoke certain kind of people. The editor did a blunder of lifetime. We are doomed with another spell of nonsense forced on us.

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  20. Mr Katju,

    if you are really sincere in your duties, take action on Times of India and its reporter for publishing unauthenticated information on "Modi's Rambo Act".

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  21. Pain of a Creative and Visionary Person
    Zindagi ke jitne darwaze hain mujh par band hain,
    dekhna, hadd-e-nazar se aage badh kar dekhna bhi jurm hai,
    sochna apne aqeedon aur yaqeenon se nikal kar sochna bhi jurm hai,
    aasman dar aasman asrar ki partein hata kar jhankna bhi jurm hai,
    kyun bhi kahna jurm hai, kaise bhi kahna jurm hai,
    saans lene ki to aazadi mayassar hai magar,
    zinda rahne ke liye insan ko kuchh aur bhi darkar hai,
    aur is kuchh aur bhi ka tazkara bhi jurm hai.
    Aye Hunarmandan-e-aain-o-siyasat, aye khudawandan-e-aiwan-e-aqaid,
    zindagi ke naam par bas ek inayat chahiye,
    mujh ko in saare jaraem ki ijazat chahiye. (Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi)
    ................ASIF AZMI..................

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  22. TOI minor clarification on July 14, 2013, about a mistake on June 23.

    Clarification

    The Times of India on June 23 published a report from Uttarakhand in headlined "Modi in Rambo act, saves 15,000." The report sparked off a flurry of political claims and counter-claims. Our correspondent has already given a detailed explanation on how he gathered the facts for the report. During the course of this process, he spoke to Anil Baluni, the Otto-rakhand BJP spokesperson, and many others. Among the details that emerged from these conversations was that the Gujarat government's efforts had helped around 15,000 people in various ways. This included giving them food, shelter, medicines and transport to reach their homes.

    Mr Baluni did not say that 15,000 people had been "rescued". He neither tried to exaggerate facts nor mislead us. We regret any inadvertent inconvenience mused to any individual by the article.

    We are mortified by the controversy surrounding the report.

    ______________________________

    Macauley Katju any words?

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  23. Surely Katju has now a responsibility to go on live TV as he has done in other cases, to highlight the gross misconduct from Times of India group, in their misleading and distortion of news events designed to malign Narendra Modi a Hindu.

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  24. Also justice Katju in another one of your articles you wrote India was a land of immigrant, which is taken directly out the missionary school book. Will you also apologize for the colonial mentality that you spewed as historical fact?

    (Metspalu, Gyaneshwer Chaubey et al, American Journal of Human Genetics, Dec. 2011)

    Genetic study finds no evidence for Aryan Migration Theory--On the contrary, South Indians migrated to north and South Asians migrated into Eurasia

    The study is comprehensive, unlike previous studies of human genome and is unique, because it focuses on large number of populations in South Asia, and India, a region which harbours one of the highest levels of genetic diversity in Eurasia and currently accounts for one sixth of human population in the world.

    The study analysed human genetic variation on a sample of 1310 individuals that belong to 112 populations, using new genome-wide data contains more than 600,000 single nucleotide polymorphic sites among 142 samples from 30 ethnic groups of India. The most important scientific findings of the study are:

    • South Asian genetic diversity is 2nd in the world, next only to Africa, mainly due to long periods of indigenous development of lineages and with complex population structure where one can see the different caste and tribal populations.

    • Two genetic components among Indians are observed: one is restricted to India and explains 50% genetic ancestry of Indian populations , while, the second which spread to West Asia and Caucasus region. Technically called “haplotype diversity”, it is a measure of the origin of the genetic component. The component which spread beyond India has significantly higher haplotype diversity in India than in any other part of world. This is clear proof that this genetic component originated in India and then spread to West Asia and Caucasus. The distribution of two genetic components among Indians clearly indicates that the Aryan-Dravidian division is a myth, Indian population landscape is clearly governed by geography.

    • A remarkable finding is that the origin of these components in India is much older than 3500 years which clearly refutes Aryan Invasion theory of the type enunciated by Max Mueller ! The study also found that haplotypic diversity of this ancestry component is much greater than in Europe and the Near East (Iraq, Iran, Middle East) thus pointing to an older age of the component and/or long-term higher effective population size (that is, indigenous evolution of people).

    • Haplotype diversity associated with dark green ancestry is greatest in the south of the Indian subcontinent, indicating that the alleles underlying it most likely arose there and spread northwards.

    • The study refutes Aryan migrations into India suggested by the German orientalist Max Muller that ca. 3,500 years ago a dramatic migration of Indo-European speakers from Central Asia shaping contemporary South Asian populations, introduction of the Indo-European language family and the caste system in India. A few past studies on mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation have interpreted their results in favor of the hypothesis, whereas others have found no genetic evidence to support it. The present study notes that any migration from Central Asia to South Asia should have introduced readily apparent signals of East Asian ancestry into India. The study finds that this ancestry component is absent from the region. The study, therefore, concludes that if such at all such a dispersal ever took place, it should have occurred 12,500 years ago. On the contrary, there is evidence for East Asian ancestry component reaching Central Asia at a later period.

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  25. ''No foreign migration into the Indian mainstream in the last 60,000years, all Indian have the same DNA structure''

    American Journal of Human Genetics, 2011.

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  26. Katju Sir, I would consider myself unfortunate if failed to draw your attention to the News Item by Anand Soondas of Times of India 23 June, 2013 Soondas gave an exuberant account how Modi helped the calamity striken Uttarakhand by saving 15000 people. In response to a mounting criticism he attributed this information to Anil Baluni Uttarakhand BJP spokesman. while Soondas should have taken these figures either from Uttarakhand or Gujarat Government. After the news there had a lot of hair spiliting. By this timeSoondas and Times of India were testing the water and they allowed it to be a full blown controversy. There had been a lot of competion as to whose vocal cord is strongest over this subject. Thereafter Anil Baluni sent a legal notice to Times of India. Times of India after 21 days allowed this controversy to snowball and finally on 14th July came with a clarification in the inner most pages of the news paper which normally readers do not tend to read. This clarification completely exonerate Anil Baluni whom his party was trying to throw out.

    It is shocking that the Times of India filed such an irresponsible report without checking with Narendra Modi or Government of Gujarat. It is also mischevious that the Times of India milked the controversy for so many weeks by allowing the Congress Party and other anti-Modi elements to take advantage of this report to write slanderous and defamatory columns as well as run a motivated campaign in Social Media. This lame excuse by Times of India coming 3 weeks after the damage was done is a case of doing too little too late.

    Katju Saheb impropriety of this magnitude demands your interventon. You are kindly requested to take a sou motto decision on this issue and save journalism to plummet to the level of Paprazi.

    Kind regards
    Sudhir Narayan.
    sudhi261964@gmail.com

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