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Journalism of Courage
Unny8217;s cartoon of June 7 showing a smiling Buddhadev Bhattacharya with the caption: 8220;A Muslim President, a Sikh PM8230; want a Buddhist FM?8221; takes a much-needed dig at the way large swathes of commentators view our nation8217;s leaders in terms of their religious affinities.
Thus, ever since Manmohan Singh was sworn in as prime minister, there have been celebrations over how wonderful it is that 8220;a Sikh PM has been sworn in by a Muslim president in Hindu-majority India8230; after a Christian renounced the position.8221; Worse, some have waxed eloquent on how, by choosing Singh, the Congress under Sonia Gandhi has sent a powerful 8220;signal8221; to the minority Sikh community, which had become 8220;alienated8221; from the Congress after the 1984 massacres. In effect, we are being told that Manmohan Singh is a symbolic PM, chosen because he is a Sikh; that he is a 8220;second-choice8221; PM who will work under the directives of Sonia even as she functions as lifetime president of Congress and leader of the UPA. Could there be a greater disservice to Singh, a man of integrity, intellect and impartiality, father of economic reforms, the best leader India can have under the present dispensation?
Mercifully, these voices fell silent after Kalam8217;s election. Perhaps they realised it would be inappropriate to gush over 8220;a Muslim being sworn in as president of India by a Hindu PM in the presence of a Christian defence minister8221;? That being the case, why must we suffer such absurd reportage now? When viewed through narrow, tinted lenses, one8217;s worldview will be narrow and tinted. Kalam, Singh and Sonia do not wear their religions on their sleeves; we must follow their example.
