Caste in Death Announcement?
"K. R. Narayanan Dies at 85; 'Untouchable' India President" says NewYork Times. That's not the only media to state the demise in this manner. The headlines that I heard from couple of news channels also proclaimed the death of a 'Dalit' President.
Personally, I would have preferred the passing away of Mr.Narayanan being announced with his achievements rather than his caste. A headline like "Mr.K.R.Narayanan, one of India's most outspoken presidents, passes away" would have been better than emphasising on his origin. Why should a person get to know of Mr.Narayanan's birth rather than his education that was enriched with scholarships and led him to the London school of economics? I am not able to subscribe to the fact that a person's birth is making news on his death, when he has done so many things between the two.
After spending some time in googling I am yet to find Mr.Narayanan's achievements/ significant deeds as the president. I am sure there would be ample material in these lines submerged under the low-caste blanket that is being spread over most of the sites. But I am not sure on the number of people who would persist with their search engine to dig them out.
Personally, I would have preferred the passing away of Mr.Narayanan being announced with his achievements rather than his caste. A headline like "Mr.K.R.Narayanan, one of India's most outspoken presidents, passes away" would have been better than emphasising on his origin. Why should a person get to know of Mr.Narayanan's birth rather than his education that was enriched with scholarships and led him to the London school of economics? I am not able to subscribe to the fact that a person's birth is making news on his death, when he has done so many things between the two.
After spending some time in googling I am yet to find Mr.Narayanan's achievements/ significant deeds as the president. I am sure there would be ample material in these lines submerged under the low-caste blanket that is being spread over most of the sites. But I am not sure on the number of people who would persist with their search engine to dig them out.
posted by Jammy at 11:41 AM
8 Comments:
It is unfortunate that the media puts it this way, but it is nothing new! Remember how our very own 'muslim MBA graduate' was interviwed? They made it appear...
You cannot criticize something ingnoring the fact that someone or the other will take you out of context and form an opinion of you!
Note: I am not against 'untouchables', 'Presidents of India', Muslims or 'Muslim MBAs' or anyone else.
OMG this is exactly the kind of thing I hate. Here I am assuming that the NYT & these new channels oppose casteism since conventional mainstream media generally proposes equality. So why was there a need to emphasize his untouchable status? Isn't this treatment contrary to the concept of equality?
This is casteism. The newspapers have undermined any achievement K.R.Narayanan may have made by publishing such a headline.
hmm Caste system is very much existant even in the country legally today!! Untouchablity was abolished but Caste system wasnt. The day that will happen we will live a better life.
Even BBC is no better.
see the headline here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4424216.stm
@Manoj
I'm not criticizing them for forming an opinion. I'm criticizing them for making a news out of an opinion.
@Ravi and Aks
Affirmative
@Kaps
Birds of same feather flocking together
I don't think there is harm in mentioning his caste if all his other achievements are also mentioned.
In a way mentioning the caste is a way of telling that the caste system is slowly going away. Many years back (for e.g. immediately after independence) it would have impossible for a Dalit to become the President.
The caste system is outdated (it probably had some use ages ago), discriminatory and inhuman. However it still exists. Lets fight it but not my ignoring it.
On the other hand if undue weightage were given to the fact that he was a Dalit and maybe implied that that's why he became the president then it simply ridiculous.
Most medium-length or long articles covering his death have mentioned his excellent academic record and his achievements as a bureaucrat and politician.
@Varun
Nice thoughts. I wish I had come across the articles which gave more weightage to his accomplishments than his caste.
inda mari ana headlines potu ppl try to attract their readers!!
Post a Comment
<< Home