Letter to the Editor: Clear the air

By falling back into the BJP’s arms Nitish Kumar has made one thing clear: He can no longer harbour ambitions to be PM. For the BJP, a powerful opponent has been nuetralised. But the Bihar CM’s reliability as an ally is now dubious.

July 29, 2017 12:06:47 am

EPW, EPW editor, Sameeksha Trust, Naiyer Masud, Nitish Kumar, Bihar, BJP, Indian Express, Letter to the Editor

By falling back into the BJP’s arms Nitish Kumar has made one thing clear: He can no longer harbour ambitions to be PM. (File)

This is with reference to the letter (‘Board clarifies’ IE, July 26) from two of the trustees of Sameeksha Trust which brings out EPW. It is the trust which selected an investigative journalist as editor of EPW, which is respected for its academic research, news analysis and intellectual expanse. Unlike academic research, where sources and evidence can be examined by readers, investigative reports are different in that sources mostly remain confidential. In other words, investigative journalists must be rigorous but confidentiality is generally the norm. To ask a reporter to disclose the source is unprofessional and vastly different from asking a student of JNU to cite sources. If the trust indeed had reasons for concern at the legal notice being sent to them, it could have hired a legal counsel to examine the documents and inform the board, and thereby also ensured that sources remain confidential. Furthermore, the board did not have to ask the editor to “resign”. Taking down the articles, preventing him from writing under his byline and appointing a co-editor were all meant to bring about his resignation. What saddens me, one of countless members of EPW community, is that the trust, in the past 15 months, has twice brought EPW to a precipice. It is this which fills us with alarm and concern.

Gautam Navlakha, Delhi

Writer, translator

This refers to the article, ‘Remembrance of things past’ (IE, July 28). It is a lovely coincidence that this tribute comes from an author who was introduced to the writer through translation. For Naiyer Masud established himself first as the translator of Kafka’s short stories in Urdu, Kafka ke Afsaney. He was amongst the rare writers who used obscure categories in a market-oriented literary scenario.