A formal complaint has been made to the
Indian Minister for Information and Broadcasting. What will come as no
surprise but interestingly the write up about the Jai Hind Channel on
Wikipedia amply sets the context:
As per the Wikipedia
this channel is promoted by the Congress party with the support of
non-resident Indians. Bharat Broadcasting Network Limited with Aniyankutty,
a Dubai based business man as its Chairman and Jaihind Communications with
Vijayan Thomas, another Dubai based businessman as its Chairman jointly
runs the channel. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President Ramesh
Chennithala is the Chairman of the Channel. M.M. Hassan former Minister
and official spokesman of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is holding the
office of Managing Director. K. P. Mohanan is the CEO and J. S. Indukumar
formerly of Asianet is the Executive Editor of News. It was inaugurated in
2007 by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Dear Ms.Soni,
This is to bring to your notice a
highly offensive spoof on 101 year old marathon runner, Fauja Singh by Jai
Hind Television (Episode 220;Segment 4). The corporate office of the channel
as per its website is located in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala and
has the following address -Karimpanal Arcade, East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram
-695023.
I was appalled to see Fauja
Singh, who is considered the new age fitness and wellness guru world-wide,
being mocked at on religious and personal grounds. Being Fauja Singh’s
biographer (Turbaned Tornado, Rupa & Co) and a fan, I am absolutely aghast
at the manner the program has been produced and telecast with acute
disregard to his age and stature.
A Fauja Singh look alike is shown
running on a road. On being asked that why is he running, Fauja’s response
is that he had started running in 84 out of fear from Congress leader,
Jagdish Tytler. Absolutely ridiculous and insensitive taunts for a tragedy
as grim as the 1984 riots. Jagdish Tytler is one of those Congress leaders
against whom the Nanavati commission established credible evidence for his
role in instigating the 1984 anti Sikh Riots. The host of the program is
obviously trying to insinuate that Fauja’s running career started after he
ran to save his life from the rioters in Delhi, who were on the lookout for
Sikhs.
If this was shown to generate
humor, it has failed miserably. Rather on the contrary it has hurt the
sentiments of the Sikhs, non-Sikhs, Fauja fans and the global running
community who see Fauja as an icon of humbleness and inspiration.
The spoof does not stop at 1984,
and shows Fauja Singh saying that if it was because of 1984 that he ran for
the first time, he was running now from the Goras (white men) because of the
incidents following 9/11/2001. This is an obvious reference to the terrorist
attack on the World Trade Centre in USA and the aftermath in which Sikhs
were targeted because of their turbans.
