Three events had deep impact on history of India- assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 and riots in Gujarat in 2002.
It is interesting to see how Indian press reacted to violation of human rights and how things have changed over a period of time. I feel Kuldeep Nayar personified Indian media.
In 1948, Congress leader Mahatma Gandhi was killed by Nathuram Godse. Nathuram Godse was Brahmin from Pune city in then Bombay Province. Killing of Gandhi by Brahmin resulted in riots in which Marathas took active part in killing Brahmins, raping women and burning their houses esp. in cities of Pune, Satara and Kolhapur. Hardly any action was taken against rioters and not much was reported in Indian newspapers. Indian press was more interested in reporting how upset Nehru and Patel were, than reporting of human rights violation of Brahmins of Maharashtra.
Kuldeep Nayar writes in details on how RSS planned assassination, how incompetent police department was under Patel, but no mention of human rights violation.
“The father of the nation was killed but nobody was taken to task, nor held accountable. Home Minister Sardar Patel offered to resign, as anyone in his place would have done. But there was no commission of inquiry. Patel withdrew his resignation as soon as Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru asked him to continue. The ban on the RSS was even lifted…
There is no doubt that the law and order machinery bungled. But it is strange that no police officer has left a plausible account of the events leading to the assassination. It is true that a few Hindu extremists were arrested. Yet I believe that the plot was larger, involving scores of people.”
-Kuldeep Nayar
We are not even aware of how many people were killed and what action was taken by Nehru, Patel and Kher ( Chief Minister of Bombay) and if at all any action was taken against rioters, whose leaders were members of ruling Congress party. Only newspapers in US talk about deaths due to riots.
In 1984, a Congress leader and prime minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard. This resulted in riots in which hundreds of Sikhs were killed.
Things were bit different now. Nayar and his friends in Indian media recognised that killing of Sikhs was a human rights violation and entire community should not be punished for action of one person. Even in this case some leaders of Congress Party had instigated and actively participated in riots. But Nayar, a Congress loyalist, gathered courage to say that injustice was done to Sikhs and rioters should be punished.
Ruling Congress party did not take any action against leaders who encouraged riots but for a change focus was also on victims of riots not just on how Indira Gandhi was killed.
“During the sad happenings of Operation Bluestar and Sikhs massacre in November 1984, I joined prominent citizens like Inder Kumar Gujral, Air Marshal Arjan Singh, General Jagjit Singh and Justice Rajinder Sachar to raise voice against the excesses committed on Sikh community.“
-Kuldeep Nayar
In 2002, there were riots in Gujarat, this time hundreds of Muslims were killed. Nayar and his friends now had matured, they did not spend time on analysing why riots took place but instead focused on victims of riots. Some leaders were arrested and Nayar demanded justice for victims. Not that victims of Gujarat riots have got justice but atleast Nayars of Indian media have matured.
“Modi converted Gujarat into killing fields. He blackened the face of every Hindu …More and more gruesome details are going to come out every day. A book, A Journey to Mayhem, written by a journalist who covered Gujarat during the riots, has hit the stands to tell how a distinct pattern of ethnic cleansing was followed in the state”
-Kuldeep Nayar
Viv•i•fy : ( verb) : to endow with renewed life 