Communal constructions: Media reality vs real reality

Race & Class

Volumn 38, Issue 1, 1996, Pages 1-20

  Gupta, Charu ^a   Sharma, Mukul ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 84998179961     PISSN: 03063968     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/030639689603800101     Document Type: Article

References (77)

1. The Hindu right in India broadly includes Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which is the driving ‘cultural’ force in the construction of the Hindu nation and its fraternal organisations like the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. They are also referred to as the Sangh Pariwar (Sangh family or combine). The BJP is one of the largest political parties of India. For a brilliant critique of the Hindu right, see, Tapan Basu et al, Khaki Shorts and Saffron Flags (Delhi, Orient Longman, 1993);
2. Gyanendra Pandey (ed.), Hindus and Others: the question of identity in India today (Delhi, Viking, 1993).
3. Robin Jeffrey, ‘Indian-language newspapers and why they grow’, in Economic and Political Weekly (Vol. XXVII, no. 38, 18 September 1993), pp. 2004–2011.
4. Syed Arabi Idid and Latiffah Pawanteh, ‘Media ethnicity and national unity’, in Media Asia (Vol. 16, no. 2, 1989), pp 78–85.
5. P. Sainath, ‘Press and communalism’, in Social Scientist Seminar on Communalism in India, Delhi, 29–31 March 1990.
6. Also see his ‘History of cowardice: the press and the Shiv Sena’, in Frontline (26 February 1993), p. 127.
7. Shikha Trivedi, ‘Where mahants serve as reporters’, in Economic Times (4 November 1990).
8. Chiranji Lal Purohit, ‘Hindi jati ki patrakarita’ (in Hindi), in Saancha (June–July, 1989.
9. Rajendra Mathur, Navbharat Times (Delhi, 5 September 1985).
10. Another example is his article in the same newspaper, on 27 December 1985, in which he tries to argue that the victory of N.T. Ram Rao in Andhra Pradesh state was actually a victory of Jansangh, which was an earlier version of the present day Bhartiya Janta Party. For a detailed critique of his writings, see Anand Swarup Verma, ‘Hindi Patrakarita Sandarbh Rajendra Mathur’ (in Hindi), in Hans (September 1987).
11. Editorial, Jansatta (Delhi, 18 September 1987).
12. Articles by Girilal Jain, The Times of India (Delhi, 10 September 1986; 8 October 1986; 29 October 1986; 12 November 1986).
13. Ranajit Guha (ed.), Subaltern Studies (Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1982);
14. Swapan Das Gupta, ‘Rise of Hindutva: co-opting of the little traditions’, Statesman (Delhi, 3 February 1990).
15. Bismoy Pati, ‘Presenting the subject to the millions’, in Social Scientist Seminar on Communalism in India, 1990.
16. The whole report has not been made public yet. However, excerpts of it are available in an article by A.G. Noorani, ‘Riots and processions: lessons from the Bhagalpur report’, in Frontline (20 October 1995), pp. 109–11, 111.
17. It is significant to note that the Peoples' Union for Democratic Rights had sent a team to Bhagalpur soon after the riots and they came out with their findings in a report entitled The Bhagalpur Riots (Delhi, April 1990). Through extensive fieldwork, it cites many cases of the gruesome murder of Muslims.
18. For a detailed analysis of the way the newspapers covered the Bhagalpur riots see Charu Gupta and Mukul Sharma, ‘Hindi language press and Bhagalpur riots’, in Mainstream (10 March 1990), pp. 18–20;
19. Uma Chakravarti, ‘Rumour, pamphlets and news reports: the media on the Bhagalpur riots’, in Madhyam (December 1990).
20. S.M., ‘Mandai, Mandir and Masjid: the unravelling of Hindu totalitarianism’, in two parts, Peoples' Democracy (Delhi, 21 and 28 October 1990).
21. See Charu Gupta and M.K.S, ‘The Muslim and the news’, in Mainstream (13 February 1993), pp. 15–19.
22. See Pradeep Dutta and Sumit Sarkar, ‘Manufacturing hatred: the image of the Muslim in the Ramjanmabhumi Movement’, in Mehdi Arslan and Janaki Rajan (eds), Communalism in India: challenge and response (Delhi, Manohar, 1994), pp. 83–97.
23. VHP pamphlet entitled Chetavani — 2: Desh Khatare Mein. For refutation of these and similar myths, see the many reports which testify to the facts. Among them are Government of India, Department of Social Welfare, Towards Equality: Report on the Status of Women in India (New Delhi, 1975);
24. Kanti Pakrasi, ‘Marriage system and its impact on family formation and family planning’, in P. Padmanabha et al (eds), Recent Population Trends in South Asia (New Delhi, 1983);
25. Asha Krishnakumar, ‘Canards on Muslims: calling the bluff on communal propaganda’, in Frontline (12–25 October 1991), pp. 93–8;
26. Abusaleh Shariff, ‘Socio-economic and demographic differentials between Hindus and Muslims in India’, in Economic and Political Weekly (18 November 1995), pp. 2947–53.
27. Indian Express (Delhi, 16 October 1990), p. 7.
28. Also see Jansatta (20 October 1990), p. 4. According to this report, the Muslims of Dhanbad were getting ready to stop the rath yatra.
29. Jansatta (Delhi, 13 December 1992), p. 2.
30. Indian Express (Delhi, 1 November 1990), p. 1 had a heading titled ‘Temple set on fire in Dhaka’. Another report in Vir Arjun on the same day talked of how eight mandirs and houses of Hindus were burnt in Bangladesh.
31. The Times of India (Delhi, 12 December 1992), pp. 1 and 9.
32. Punjab Kesari (Delhi, 9 December 1992, p3, and 10 December 1992, p. 4).
33. Indian Express (Delhi, 9 December 1992), p. 9.
34. Uma Chakravarty, ‘Building consent: the middle classes, violence and Hindutva’, in Mehdi Arslan and Janaki Rajan (eds), Indian Express 1992, p. 106.
35. Jansatta (Delhi, 2 October 1990), p. 12.
36. Jansatta (Delhi, 3 October 1990), p. 10.
37. Navbharat Times (Delhi, 12 December 1992), p. 1.
38. Also see The Times of India (Delhi, 12 December 1992).
39. Indian Express (Delhi, 14 December 1992), p. 5.
40. Navbharat Times (Delhi, 16 December 1992), p. 12.
41. The Times of India (Delhi, 8 December 1992), pp. 2 and 4.
42. Navbharat Times (Delhi, 2 November 1990), p. 1.
43. Indian Express (Delhi, 9 December 1992), p. 1.
44. P. Sainath, Indian Express 1992 1
45. Saamna (Bombay, 14 January 1993), p. 1.
46. Saamna (Bombay, 11 January 1993), p. 1.
47. P. Sainath, Saamna 1993, p. 1.
48. S.M. Menon, ‘Bombay riots and national press: not appeasement, but abetment’, in People's Democracy (7 February 1993), p. 10.
49. Uma Chakravarti, Bombay riots and national press: not appeasement, but abetment’, in People's Democracy 1993, p. 10.
50. Girilal Jain, The Times of India (14 December 1992).
51. S. Viswam, ‘Committed to secularism or circulation’, in Iju Souvenir (1993), p. 5.
52. Indian Express (Delhi, 16 October 1990), p. 1.
53. Indian Express (Delhi, 30 October 1990), p. 1.
54. Indian Express (Delhi, 1 November 1990), p. 3.
55. Jansatta (Delhi, 2 November 1990), p. 1.
56. Jansatta (Delhi, 3 November 1990), p. 1.
57. Indian Express (Delhi, 13 October 1990), p. 1.
58. For example see Indian Express (Delhi, 14 October 1990), p. 1. Report by Bhavdeep Kang.
59. Jansatta (Delhi, 6 October 1990), p. 10.
60. Navbharat Times (Delhi, 15 October 1990), p. 1.
61. Navbharat Times (Delhi, 21 October 1990), p. 1.
62. Mediawatch, Mediawatch on Communalism (March 1993), p. 2.
63. Navbharat Times (Delhi, 18 January 1993), p. 4.
64. Navbharat Times (Delhi, 21 January 1993), p. 6.
65. See Mahanagar (Bombay, 11 November 1994).
66. Also see Loksatta (Bombay, 16 November 1994)
67. and Maharashtra Times (16 November 1994).
68. Quoted by Iqbal Masood, Indian Express Magazine (Delhi, 25 November 1990).
69. Navbharat Times (20 October 1990).
70. Navbharat Times (26 October 1990).
71. Navakal, Marathi daily (Bombay, 8 December 1992), excerpts from the editorial.
72. Indian Express (23 October 1990), p. 1.
73. P. Sainath, Indian Express 1990.
74. Swatantra Chetna (Gorakhpur, 2 November 1990), p. 1.
75. Jansatta (Delhi, 28 December 1992), p. 1.
76. See B.G. Verghese, ‘Fact and fiction’, in Mainstream (13 February 1993), pp. 5–6 and 33–5;
77. Harinder Baweja, ‘Kashmir temples: damaging lies’, in India Today (28 February 1993), pp. 24–8.