One Phone Call

if i were an ordinary indian citizen, with a muslim name, travelling to the u.s., and if i got held up at newark airport for secondary screening en route to chicago, and if i used my one phone call to call the indian consulate to help get me out of the airport as soon as possible -- would i succeed?

also, would i cause international headlines?

please, someone tell srk that, no matter how gorgeous his eyebrows, he's not above the law. and please, someone also tell the indian consulate in nyc that, if he has recourse to their emergency-vip-law-bending unit, we should all get to put their phone numbers in our phones, too -- and to use them when necessary.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

this ad (click for larger pic @ flickr) --


was on the front page of the delhi edition of the hindustan times on friday, november 28, 2008. see?


the bombay edition for the same day --


did not feature this ad.

HT, you should be ashamed of yourself.

below, part of an email/facebook note i sent out/posted last night. i've heard back from several people saying that they've written to HT. maybe something will come of this; maybe not. but at least we're doing something, and having our voices heard.

No matter what your personal politics are, I hope will you recognize that my aim here is simply to raise awareness -- to highlight how the world of politics has already begun leeching off the events of this past week, and how, too, certain sections of the Indian media seem to be more about money/TRPs/ad sales than the objective, sensitive, non-partisan dissemination of information. Yes, emotions and stakes are high during elections, but higher when national security and citizens' lives and liberties are at risk. Now is hardly the time or
the occasion for rabble- (and vote-) rousing -- especially by a party which has been unable (or unwilling?), during its various stints in power, to circumvent several acts of "brutal terror".

I have already written to the Hindustan Times to put on record my disgust that they would choose to run this ad at all (the political clout of the ad's sponsor notwithstanding). If you would like to contact them, too, you can do so at:

Email: feedback@hindustantimes.com

**UPDATE**: The feedback@ email address seems to be bouncing messages. You can email letters@hindustantimes.com, instead -- and be aware that this is the "Letters to the Editor" column, and your content may (if they believe in representing all angles of feedback to their publication) appear in print.

HT Media Limited
Hindustan Times House
18-20, K.G. Marg
New Delhi - 110 001, India

Phone : +91-11-6656-1234
Fax : +91-11-2370-4600

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