Vandana Jhingan
CHICAGO: Indian Americans in fairly good numbers gathered for a peaceful demonstration in support of Sudarshan TV, a television broadcast station in India to underline the principle that a free media is an important branch of democratic set-up and any attempts to gag it will be detrimental to the right of free speech granted by the Indian Constitution. This is the 1st program that has been banned before airing it.
Sudarshan TV’s main reporter, Suresh Chavanke has for over 15 years reported on many critical issues affecting the society at large. His signature program at Sudarshan TV, ‘Bindaas Bol’ has recently uncovered an unfair practice by the unified and motivated Muslim clergy to push asymmetrical number of Muslim aspirants by unfair advantages into the prestigious government jobs charted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), India’s premier central recruiting agency.
This attempt cannot be classified as an effort to help afford bona fide candidates government jobs, but rather an organized effort to control bureaucracy to gain powerful positions and decision making. It is vicious exertion to undermine the democracy in India.
Zakat foundation, which is believed to receive funding from dubious sources such as Zakir Naik, an absconder of Indian law, is suspected to be in support of this practice. We urge Indian government to conduct a court monitored inquiry on the questions raised by Sudarshan TV and punish those who are devaluing the free and fair selection process in government jobs.
India has been a country of refuge to countless number of people who were prosecuted and tormented in their native countries. It is the largest democracy and a beacon of hope for those who support the freedom of expression and upholding of the law. Any attempt to undermine them will create disharmony among various communities and ruin the cultural fabric of India.
The organizers made a fervent appeal to the free and fair media of the world to stand up against this unfair and skewed practice of suppressing voice of Press and pushing Muslim candidates into the central Indian government jobs and join this effort in opposing it.
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