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Indian media is free and fair

I read Ash Narain Roy’s piece, “Phoney statistics & phonier indices: Growth an expansion of human capability and freedoms” (Sunday Oped, Dec 12). Though journalists and news organisations in India enjoy maximum freedom, the Reporters Without Borders has strangely ranked India at 122nd.

There is hardly any case on violation of press freedom without valid reasons. The media is free to criticise and carry out own scientific and investigative journalism without political or financial pressures. Even militants and underworld organisations could not influence media much.

The Reporters Without Borders appear to have collected data from the so-called independent sources, some researchers, jurists and human rights activists. The data appears to be raw and may not be reliable and confirmed.

Without caring for such apparently biased ranking, Indian media should continue to concentrate on its core function of informing the people about serious problems confronting society frankly and fearlessly.

The government, on its part, should extend all help to the media to fulfill its commitment to the citizens.

S.C. VAID, Greater Noida (UP)

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor, neatly hand-written or typed in double space, should not exceed the 150-word limit. These can be sent by post to the Letters Editor, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030.

Letters can also be sent by e-mail to: letters@tribuneindia.com
— Editor-in-Chief

Of Sikhism

I read the letters on Khushwant Singh’s write-up “Down with Fanaticism” (Dec 5). The Granthi of the Gurdwara is quite correct in enforcing discipline. As per the code of conduct in some Hindu temples in the southern states, one cannot enter the temple to pay obeisance without taking of clothes, except underwear. It is only Sikhism which entertains all sections equally. All other religions are very strict in enforcing their religion code.

SHER SINGH, Ludhiana

Interesting, but…

Humra Quraishi’s piece, ‘Sunset Saga’, is an interesting write-up on Khushwant Singh’s latest book, The Sunset Club (Dec 5). Khushwant Singh is known for keeping the company of beautiful people from the arts and literature. But in his sunset years, one expects him to be more sober and spiritual, if not religious and God fearing, and, certainly, not to be remembered for stuff like this book.

V.K. RANGRA, Delhi

Seechewal: Championing the cause of environment
Sarbjit Dhaliwal’s interview with Baba Seechewal under the caption, “Give environment its due: Seechewal” (Sunday Oped, Nov 28) was very informative and inspiring. It is true that Baba Seechewal is a noted and an exceptional environmentalist who is more than motivated to take special care of the environment. Other than cleaning the polluted but holy rivulet — the Kali Bein — he has grown and encouraged many people to grow trees to save the world from global warming.
He has rightly pointed out that water bodies in Punjab are filled with filth, toxic, chemicals and metals and that many parts of the state have no access to clean drinking water. As a result, people suffer from health problems.
Unfortunately, the literate are least bothered about the environment. They do talk about cleanliness in developed countries but do not emulate the same habit in India. We don’t follow Guru Nanak’s sayings. Do we give respect to air, water and soil in this manner? The answer is a big ‘no’.
Industries continue to create all kinds of pollution and get full support from political bigwigs. According to Anton Chekhov, “Man has been endowed with reason with the power to create so that he can add to what he has been given. But up to now he hasn’t been a creator, only a destroyer. Forests keep disappearing, rivers dry up, wildlife is becoming extinct, the climate ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier everyday”.
There is an imperative need to sensitise people about the environment. We need to respect nature if we want to survive. One must get inspired by Seechewal’s works.
RAMESHINDER S. SANDHU, Khasa (Amritsar)