Godman in prison, Asianet in the dock!

Mr. Santhosh Madhavan, the god man with godly name Swamy Amritha Chaithanya is now languishing in prison for raping two minor girls. There are other cases against him related to cheating and embezzlement. The media which tried to create a halo around the head of Mr. Santhosh Madhavan are still in the dock. The Media foolishly think that memory of the viewers is very short.
In the evening of the very same day on which the police raided the Aashram of Mr. Santhosh Madhavan, Asianet, the most popular television channel in Malayalam telecast an interview with Mr. Sathosh Madhavan. The channel gave him 6 minutes in the prime news cast to explain to its viewers that the police raided his Aashram because of mistaken identity. The presenter of the news explained to the viewers that the police mistook Swamy Amritha Chaithanya for a Santhosh Madhavan who was involved international arms smuggling and who was in the Interpol look out. Following the Swamy's interview there came footage of weeping parents of Mr. Santhosh Madhavan, who lamented the atrocious behaviour of the police. Other visual media craving for "news" jumped to bandwagon. The interview with the criminal and the footage on his weeping parents were telecast with the malicious intention of saving the criminal who had connections with media men, politicians, police officers and other big guns in the society.
A socially responsible television channel should have verified the veracity of what Mr. Santhosh Madhavan said before airing it to the viewers.
On viewing the interview with Mr. Santhosh Madhavan Ms. Seraphim Edwin who was cheated by him telephoned to all visual media and told that the Interpol put the god man in the look out on her own complaint and he was really a criminal. The Kairali/People channel telecast her version at the very same night after Asianet had telecast the interview. Ignoring the publicity given by the media the police acted diligently and the god man went to jail.
Till this time Asianet and other channels that followed it did not express any remorse in telecasting the interview with the criminal nor did they mention it while telecasting the news on god man's conviction and sentence in the rape case!

OBAMA FACTOR IN THE INDIAN ELECTION

Today morning one of my mental patients came for review. He is suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). To my pleasant surprise he is recovering fast from his OCD. The young man is coming from the eastern suburb of Thiuruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala. After psychiatric interview was over I asked in a chatting mode whether he cast his vote or not. Instead of answering in words he proudly showed the back of his index finger and on the nail I saw the fading mark with indelible ink. Then I asked who was his favourite. He admitted with some hesitancy that this time he chose the Indian National Congress candidate Mr. Sasi Tharoor, the former undersecretary of the UN. In the area from where he comes Muslims are in majority. In the previous election the Muslims in that area chose the Left Democratic Front candidate. I asked him why this change occurred. He bluntly told: "Everything changed after Barak Hussain Obama became the President of the evil empire." There was a stress on the middle name. When I have seen all the patients, I started scanning the Hindu and my attention was caught by the caption "U.S.-Israel partnership: fraying at the edges?" of the article by Jeremy Walker in the OP-ED page. I started reading interestingly. When finished I remembered the words of the young man with OCD coming from the Muslim majority suburb. Immediately an intuition irrupted in my mind. It was the 'Barak Hussain Obama factor' that gave surprising booster for the Indian National Congress and its allies in the election. Those who have not yet seen the article by Jeremy Walker Please click on http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/18/stories/2009051854931100.htm

ISLAM PROPAGATING OBSCURANTISM FOOLISHLY

All religions are obscurantist. But Islam is foolishly obscurantist. I came to this conclusion when I went through an email forwarded to me by the noted rationalist Mr. E A Jabbar Mash. The email evidently originated in a west Asian country. The relevant portions are quoted below:
"In this photo 18-year old young Arab boy who died in one of the hospitals of Oman. The boy died in hospital and was buried under the Islamic law on the same day after obligatory ablution [washing] of the body. However after funeral the father doubted the diagnosis of doctors and wanted to identify the true reason of his death. The corpse of the boy had been dug out from the grave within 3 hours after his funeral as his father insisted to know the truth. Relatives and his friends [were] shocked when they saw the corpse.
He was completely different within 3 hours. He turned grey as if he was a very old man, with traces of obvious tortures and the most severe beating, with the broken bones of hands and legs, with the edges broken and pressed into a body. All of his body and face were full of bruise. The open eyes-showed hopeless fear and pain. The blood obviously indicated that the boy has been subjected to the most severe torture. Close relatives of the dead boy approached Muslim Scholars who have unequivocally declared that it is the result of torture in grave; which Allah (s.w.t) and Prophet Muhammad (s..a.w) have warned. The shocked father of the boy has admitted that his son was spoilt child, did not obey his parent, did not do Salat (prayers / namaz) and had a carefree way of life, having involved in different sins. Every person after death comes across tests in the tomb, except Shaheed who died in the way of Allah. This is first test which the person comes across after death but before the Doomsday.In Hadis it is said, that Angels will severely beat the sinners during interrogation in the tomb and this torture will be awful. It is informed also, that our Messenger (s.a.w) supplicated to Allah to protect Him from tortures of the grave and asked other people to do so."
The mailer goes on quoting hadith:
"The Prophet (s.a.w) said: 'The grave is the first stage of the hereafter. If a person is saved from its torment, then what comes after it is really easy. If one is not saved from it, what follows is really severer.' (Ibn Maja) The Prophet (s.a.w) said: ' I have never seen a more horrible sight than that of the grave. ' (Ibn Maja, Al Termizi)
This true story of 18-year old young Arab boy is an eye opener for Momins - true believers and for others nothing but a horror story as their hearts are sealed by Allah. They look but do not see, listen but do not hear?"
The pictures he sent are that of a putrefying corpse. Putrefaction sets in immediately after death in tropical areas. The process of putrefaction is depicted as torture in the Qabarr (grave)! This is an imbecilic propagation of obscurantism.

TORTURE AT ABU GHRAIB PRISON AND SNC-LAVALIN

A journalist in Kerala compares the torture at Abu Ghraib prison and SNC-Lavalin case.
Following are the words of a prisoner in the Abu Ghraib prison:
"Do you pray to Allah?" one asked. I said yes. They said, "Fuck you. And fuck him )." One of them said, "you are not getting out of here health[y], you are getting out of here handicapped." And he said to me, "Are you married?" I said, "Yes." They said, "If your wife saw you like this, she will be disappointed." One of them said, "But if I saw her now she would not be disappointed now because I would rape her." [...] "They ordered me to thank Jesus that I'm alive." [...] "I said to him, "I believe in Allah." So he said, '"ut I believe in torture and I will torture you." -- Ameen Saeed Al-Sheik http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_torture_and_prisoner_abuse

To see pictures click on: http://www.antiwar.com/news/?articleid=2444
If the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of a journalist/columnist is low it will be a disaster for the society. These thoughts came to my mind when I went through the article by Mr. Viju V Nair in the Madhyamam Weekly of May 18, 2009. Mr. Nair frequents this weekly owned by the Jama'at-e Islami-e Hind. So, I presume, he is an employee in the journal. While one is an employee of the Jama'at-e Islami-e Hind he/she should be a vehement anti-communist and should produce anti-communist literature. That goes without saying. But there must be some commonsense in the matter he is producing for journal which is read by innocent victims of media torture. A person of average IQ (IQ is calculated: mental age/chronological age x 100) cannot weigh the torture at Abu Ghraib prison and the SNC-Lavalin issue in the same balance because the torture at Abu Ghraib prison is a speck in the crimes against humanity committed by Mr.George W Bush and company whereas the Lavalin case is created from the routine report of the C&AG by some motivated persons out of factional interests and by the politically motivated United Democratic Front in Kerala. Perhaps Mr. Nair may put forward an argument that he compared Lavalin issue with Abu Ghraib torture because big sharks are let out by the USA and a similar remark was made by the Honorable High Court of Kerala. Such arguments may come only from those who cannot distinguish between rice and faeces. (Theettavum Chorum Thirichariyathavar). Putting forward such incoherent and irrelevant comparisons and arguments by a journalist/columnist is really act of hubris.
P.S. I read an insightful leader in the Kalakaumudi Weekly of May 17, 2009 # 1758

ISLAM DENIES IMMORTALITY OF A SOUL

The Greek Philosopher Plato propounded the theory of immortality of soul. But his disciple Aristotle denied it and said that only the intellect is immortal.The intellects of both Plato and Aristotle are still alive through their writings. That is why I got a glimpse into their intellects.
Generally, Islam believes in immortality of soul and hates the theory of immortality of the intellect because of its obscurantism. Ibnu Rasheed (Averros) accepted the theory of immortality of the intellect only. That is why Islam branded the great thinker of Islam as unbeliever. In the case of a lawyer who committed suicide believers denied the immortality of his soul.
Let me tell the story. Mr. Ashraf Padiyath, 62 years, a lawyer and a film maker who belonged to Kodungalloor, committed suicide by hanging himself in the very hall of the lawyers' association. He left a suicide note to the chairperson of the Municipal Council requesting the council to hand over the body to a medical college so that the students can dissect it and study anatomy. From the newspaper reports I learned that his relatives who are believers in Islam denied his will and decided to bury the body by observing the Islamic religious rites. I am given to understand by my cousin Mr. K.K. Abdul Salam Kuzhikad that he was addicted to alcoholism lately because he failed in his career of law and film making. He was lonely for some time staying in a hotel room. Had somebody helped him to get rid of alcohol addiction he would have lived creatively for some time because he was having a creative mind. In my opinion his family, professional colleagues and the society at large are jointly and severally, if I am allowed to use the legal parlance, responsible for his tragic end. I am leaving it at that point.
While he was alive nobody wanted him and nobody helped him. But when he ended his life everybody claimed his body. They wanted it to be buried observing the Islamic religious rites ignoring the fact he willed to donate his body to a medical college in pursuit of science. I am also given to understand that some lawyers also supported his relatives in denying his will, on the ground that suicide note has no legal validity. Let the law go its own way. But how can believers deny the immortality of his soul? According to Islamic faith the soul of Mr.Ashraf Padiyath still lives. So his will also continues to operate in faith, if not in law. Then why did the believers denied his wish, to donate his body to a medical college, in pursuit of knowledge? There is no reply other than the obscurantism of religion.

ASIANET IS THE FIRST ACCUSED

Today I eagerly awaited my news agent because I wanted to read the pungent critique of the media in Kerala by the gifted story writer Mr. Zachariah, captioned "Pathrapravarthakaro aaracharmaaro?" (Journalists or executioners?) published in the Kalakaumudi weekly (issue # 1757 May 10, 2009), which is already in the air, thanks to the Kairli/People TV. There was channel discussion based on this critique yesterday night in People TV in which noted journalist M.G. Radhakrishnan and social critique Mr. Bhasurendra Babu participated. My hearty congratulations to Mr. Zachariah and the Kalakaumudi. But all these men including Mr. Zachariah missed one point. In the case of demonization of Ms. Soofiya Ma'dani the TV channel Asianet News is the first accused because it presented as its "exclusive story" at first the so-called "statement of a witness" in the infamous Kalamasseri bus arson case. The other media joined bandwagon of nasty, immoral and malignant campaign against Ms. Soofiya Ma'dani.
The Asianet had had a hidden agenda of giving a mileage to RSS in their anti-Muslim hatred campaign because some in higher echelons of the Asianet and a few in its lower ranks are either RSS men or have connections with RSS. This pro-RSS stance of the Asianet is evident in the infamous Santhosh Madhavan case also. On the very day the Kerala Police raided the "aashram" of the fake "samnyasi" Mr. Santhosh Madhavan at Eranakulam the Asianet (at that time it was not purchased by the media giant Mr. Rupert Murdoch) came up with an interview with the culprit giving him a chance to tell the viewers that the police raid was due to a mistaken identity. The footage of interview was six minutes long in the prime time news at 6.30 p.m. Mr. Santhosh Madhavan told the world that he was mistaken for another Santhosh Madhavan who was involved in the illegal arms deal and who was in the lookout of the Interpol. The Asianet in the very same news telecast showed weeping parents of Santhosh Madhavan who were lamenting the harassment by the police of their innocent son. This was to create sympathy in the minds of the viewers towards Santhosh Madhavan because he was a protégé of RSS. The interview with Santhosh Madhavan exposes the RSS connection of the Asianet. And same was the motive behind the demonisation of Ms. Soofiya Ma'dani. The story writer Mr. Zachariah who wrote the excellent critique of media and those who participated in the discussion based on that critique missed this point.

ATTACK OF ASIANET ON ALTERNATE MEDIA

On a hot noon my friend and comrade Anirudhan Nilamel [anirudhannilamel@gmail.com] phoned to me and asked whether I wrote a letter to the Asianet, the Malayalm channel owned by the media giant Rupert Murdoch. After Anirudhan many of my friends and readers contacted me over phone, through post office and email asking the same question. Some of them informed me that the presenter of the programme called "openhouse" presented my "letter" in such a way that I wrote the letter in a foolish and ill-informed way criticising the channel unfoundedly. To all of those who contacted me I replied that that I did not write a letter to the Asianet. Of course I criticized the channel in two of my earlier postings, as you can see below. I am not in the habit of writing letters to the editors of the giant electronic and print media because it is a futile exercise and a waste of time. Occasionally I write to the readers' editor of the Hindu readerseditor@thehindu.co.in because it is a newspaper with integrity, neutrality and honesty. Once, I felt that the report on the discussion in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on the "gods' nakedness" was not neutral and I wrote that a medium which is neutral should be neutral in the matters of "gods" also. The readers' editor promptly enquired into it and gave a reply in his column. http://www.hindu.com/2007/04/16/stories/2007041602551100.htm I cannot expect such honesty and integrity from a medium owned by Mr. Rupert Murdoch. Perhaps irritated by the criticism in my blog the presenter might have treated my blog as a letter to the "openhouse" because whenever I post a blog it is communicated to all my contacts and some of the media including the Asianet through openhouse@asianetworld.tv . The presentation of blog as a letter is an attack on the alternative media by the giant medium. The giant media has the right to respond to criticisms coming up in the alternative media through internet. But if they are replying to a blog they should present as such. They have no right to cheat their viewers or readers by presenting as if the Bolger has written a letter to the editor. That depends upon the morality of medium. How can one expect a media morality from a medium such as Asianet owned formerly by some shady characters and now by Mr. Rupert Murdoch, eventhough it was orginated by upright media experts like Mr. Sasikumar? One of the presenter's contentions was, some of the friends informed me, that the Asianet News is not owned by Murdoch. In a comment to my earlier posting Meera also said: "Rupert Murdoch cannot own a news channel as per the existing law in India own only entertainment channel." This is naivety. Mr. Murdoch purchased Asianet in whole and allowed the Asianet News to maintain the façade of separate medium for the time being because the laws of the land do not permit a foreigner own a news channel in our country. The former shady owners of Asianet had no such scruples as of observing the laws of the land strictly.