More than 100 activists write to Deccan Herald regarding vilifying and unethical advertisement

July 16th, 2021

Awake Goy

To,

Mr. Sitaraman Shankar,

Acting CEO, TPML,

Editor, Deccan Herald

CC: Mr B.S Arun, Deputy Editor

15 July 2021

We would like to draw your attention to the State page (Page 5) of E-Paper/Newspaper, released on 15 July 2021. The Deccan Herald’s (DH) Visual Connect ad on the page is not just factually incorrect, but also in appalling taste. Advertising and holding contests based on falsities is not only indicative of the creator’s prejudice, but also of bad journalism. How did the editorial staff not see the dangerous falsehoods inherent in this advertisement? If this is an oversight, it is indicative of unprofessionalism, and if done deliberately smacks of malicious bias.

We are dismayed at the concept of making a game of a person’s death. It is a shame that a newspaper of repute had to resort to making a prize-winning puzzle about a human rights activist, who was incarcerated and abused by a system that is being globally condemned for being draconian. To mock the dead or abuse the living, is not the sign of a civilized person or publication.

The clues used are even more shameful. It is a deliberate attempt to vilify Bhima Koregaon and a 200 year old monument, to vilify human rights activist Sudha Bhardwaj, the late Fr. Stan Swamy and the Communists. Point of fact: Neither Sudha Bhardwaj nor the late Fr. Stan have had any affiliation to any Communist party. Moreover, the usage of the Hammer and Sickle image by DH serves to connect every Left symbol with the bogey of ‘Maoism’ as defined by the State, and gives credence to the false allegations of association with banned ‘Maoist’ outfits against Sudha Bhardwaj and the late Fr. Stan Swamy.

At a time when there is widespread acknowledgment and critique of misuse of draconian laws by government against human rights workers and dissenters, and there are reports that much of the evidence in the Bhima Koregaon case appears to be planted, it is unconscionable for DH to use the state’s malicious allegations as ‘facts’ to run a contest for commercial gains. DH is supposed to be a house of reputed journalists and researchers, and no one bothered to correct these false linkages, which are apparent to any educated lay person?

The timing of the advertisement indicates mal-intent. What exactly was DH trying to achieve by running the advertisement/contest a day prior to the hearing of the Bhima Koregaon case? Does it want its readers to develop a bias against the victims of a flawed and draconian state policy? At a time when the case against Sudha Bhardwaj and others is being decided by the courts, this would add credence to the false narrative around her. This could subliminally influence the readers, jury and others connected with the case. Creating misleading perceptions through the media is dangerous for justice, and an extremely irresponsible act by your newspaper.

We demand that you withdraw this false and malicious content immediately, and issue an apology for the same. We would like the apology to be published in the same space in tomorrow’s 16th July’s newspaper in all editions. The published apology should take up the same amount of space and prominence as this visual content.

In case there is no apology and withdrawal, we will be left with no option but take the matter to court.

We are,

	Kavita Srivastava	PUCL
	Rushda Siddiqui	National Federation of Indian Women
	Harsh Mander	Human rights and peace worker
	N Venugopal	Veekshanam, Hyderabad
	Ajeet	Journalist
	Komal Srivastava	Works with homeless people and in the area of Education and People’s Science
	Shweta Damle	Platform for Social Justice
	Vivek Sundara	Social Activist
	Arundhati Dhuru	NAPM
	Lara Jesani	PUCL
	Kavita Krishnan	AIPWA
	Koninika Ray	National Federation of Indian Women
	Dolphy Dsouza	Police Reforms Watch
	Uttam	Visual artist
	Aruna Sinha	NFIW
	Salim Hamza Saboowalla	Social Activist
	Nisha Biswas (convenor)	Women against sexual violence and state repression (WSS)
	Feminists in Resistance	FIR
	Anuradha Talwar	Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity
	Priyanshu	Academic, Azim Premji University (in personal capacity)
	Meena Saraswathi Seshu	Social Scientist
	Nandini Nayak	Academic
	Nachiket Udupa	Concerned individual
	Rakhi Sehgal	New Delhi
	Tinku Khanna	Social Worker
	Bittu K	Independent
	Dr Frazer Mascarenhss S. J	Academic Administrator and Sociologist
	Koel Chatterji	Feminists In Resistance
	Apar Gupta	Advocate
	Sharanya	Rangmatipadar Adivasi Commune, Koraput, Odissa
	Rajaraman	Independent Researcher
	Priyanka Shukla	Advocate
	Smita Gupta	Economist and Activist
	Teesta Setalvad	Citizens for Justice and Eace
	Devi	IIM Calcutta
	Sho/Sohini	Jan Jagran Shakti Sangathan, Bihar
	Madhuri	Madhya Pradesh
	Moutuli Nag Sarkar	APDR
	Bolan Gangopadhyay	Freelance journalist
	Shalini Gera	Advocate
	Sankar Das	Association for Protection of Democratic Rights
	Ammu Abraham	Forum Against Oppression of Women
	Sandhya Gokhale	Forum Against Oppression of Women
	Geeta Seshu	Co-Editor, Free Speech Collective
	Sitaram Shelar	Center for promoting Democracy
	A.J. Jawad	Lawyer
	Aquila Khan	Freelancer
	Sujata Gothoskar	Research / Activism
	Sunil Kumar Mandiwal	Dyal Singh College, Delhi University
	Nagasaila	Advocate
	Hasina khan	Bebaak Collective
	Meena Gopal	Mumbai
	Vani Subramanian	Independent Filmmaker
	Vahida Nainar	Independent
	Hamza Shaikh	Student
	Shadab	Astitwa
	Pamela Philipose	Senior Journalist
	Bilal Khan	GBGBA / NAPM
	Simantini Dhuru	Filmmaker and educationist
	Amita joseph	Advocate
	Devika	Advocate
	Poushali Basak	Feminists in Resistance and Forum against Oppression of Women
	S.S.Vasudevan	Lawyer
	Rosamma Thomas	Freelance journalist
	Dr Sanjay Mangala Gopal	National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM)
	sumita hazarika	Lawyer
	Amrita Johri	Satark Nari Sangathan
	Anjali Bhardwaj	Satark Nari Sangathan
	Brinelle D’souzaa	Academic and activist
	Ayesha Kidwai	Professor, JNU
	Kamayani Bali Mahabal	Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Mumbai
	Afaque Azad	Bharat bachao andolan
	Kasim Sait	Businessman
	Saheli Women’s Resource Centre	Working on women’s issues
	Vikash	NAPM
	Khan Shamim	Bebaak collective
	Surendra Bhanot	RTIFED & HRD
	Padmaja Shaw	Osmania University
	Sabu George	Researcher
	Rachana Joshi Issar	Lawyer
	Amita joseph	Advocate
	Devika	Advocate
	Poushali Basak	Feminists in Resistance and Forum against Oppression of Women
	Bilal khan	GBGBA
	S.S.Vasudevan	Lawyer
	Rosamma Thomas	Freelance journalist
	Dr Sanjay Mangala Gopal	National Alliance of Peoples’ Movements (NAPM)
	sumita hazarika	Lawyer
	Bittu K R	WSS
	Brinelle D’souzaa	Academic and activist
	Ayesha Kidwai	Professor, JNU
	Kamayani Bali Mahabal	Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Mumbai
	Afaque Azad	Bharat bachao andolan
	Kasim Sait	Businessman
	Saheli Women’s Resource Centre	Working on women’s issues
	Vikash	NAPM
	Khan Shamim	Bebaak collective
	Surendra Bhanot	RTIFED & HRD
	Padmaja Shaw	Osmania University
	Sabu George	Researcher
	Rachana Joshi Issar	Lawyer
	Amod Shah	PhD Researcher