Vicious attack on Gauhar Raza by Zee TV
NB: The hounding and vilification of Gauhar Raza by a news channel is yet another shameful example of professional misconduct by those who are supposed to be news reporters. Some of them are functioning like a re-incarnation of the medieval Inquisition. The atmosphere of intimidation being whipped up by them threatens everyone who dares to criticise the ruling dispensation. The letter below is self-explanatory - DS
Dear friends,
I want to bring
to your notice the vicious attack on Gauhar Raza by Zee TV on March 9 and 10th
and followed by another story on March 12 and 13th. I am giving the links below
as well as a statement released by civil society and another statement
released by scientists from across the world.
The derogatory Zee
News programmes calling Gauhar Raza an anti national, a member of the
'Afzal Guru Gang' 'Desh Drohi' maligning Gauhar Raza was
followed by an extremely filthy and abusive email which was sent to
his colleagues and many people in the home ministry. Apart from defaming
Gauhar this attack also jeopardises his security.
While we are looking
at all possible steps to ensure his security and taking advise from
legal experts, I am writing to request you to join the campaign 'Stand
With Gauhar Raza' by liking, sharing the facebook page and its posts
:
I also request you to
kindly organise if possible events with poets ' Poetry of
Resistance" , send/ uploads videos shot on mobiles or otherwise. Shoot personal
messages on mobiles phones/ poems for upholding freedom of speech and
safeguarding voices of dissent.
Sincerely
Shabnam Hashmi
9811807558
---------------------------------------------------------
zee tv links
shown on 9th and 10th
three different versions
shown on march 12 and
13
The following
statement was released in on March 10th signed by over 500 individuals
including Sharmila
Tagore, Naseeruddin Shah, Shubha Mudgal, Nandita Das, Apoorvanand, Ashok
Vajpeyi, Saeeda Hameed, Anand Teltumde, Anand Patwardhan, Githa Hariharan, K
Satchidanandan, Brinda Karat, Teesta Setalvad, Prashant Bhushan, Purushottam
Agrawala,Ram Puniyani, Kalpana Kannabiran , Ashish Kothari,and many others
citizens.
A statement was
released y TISS faculty and students on March 14, 2016
A statement
signed by 70 top most science communicators from across the world was
released on March 15, 2016
***********************
Who is Gauhar
Raza?
An electrical engineer
(M Tech IIT, Delhi) by qualification, a scientist by designation, a
communicator, a poet and filmmaker,
Professor, AcSIR
(Academy of Scientific and Industrial Research)
Chief Scientist and
Head, Department of Science Communication through Multi-Media (SCM) National
Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR), CSIR,
INDIA
International Fellow,
Mapungubwe Institute of Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), South Africa
Member, Science
Communication Committee, JHC, University of Lorraine, France
Member of
International forum, Public Communication of Science and Technology
Have served as Member
of many national and international committees
Member Advisory Committee,
MACAS, LSE, UK
Editor, Journal of
Scientific Temper, NISCAIR
A Few Notable
honours
Keynote Speaker at the
Inaugural session of International Conference on Science Communication,
University of Lorraine, France, 2012.
Guest of Honour, Poet
at Parque Explora, 14th to 18th September 2012, Medellin, Columbia.
Invited Lecture at
Royal Society, London, 2009
Represented the
country as a poet when India was Guest of Honour at Book Festival, Leipzig,
2006
Member,
Editorial Board, Public Understanding of Science, London
Former Member,
Editorial Board, JCOM (Journal of Science Communication), Italy