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BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

theguardian.com

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Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#61

Post by sriram_malhar »

koheripbal wrote: post #40
azalemeth wrote: post #13

Honestly, a lot of the documentary is a mixture of interviews and CCTV camera footage with a fairly even handed narrative on the top – it, by itself, isn't that shocking and certainly isn't presented in a particularly sensationalist way. I'm amazed by the reaction it has generated. Yes, there's some post-colonial history there and it doesn't look great that it's the BBC that has made it, as opposed to, say, a US or c…

[flagged]

I am an Indian and I personally know of few _more_ credible outlets than BBC. They take on their own government and monarchy. Unfortunately, many generations of WhatsApp fake news has convinced that anyone who is not of the "Mr. M is God" persuasion is basically anti-national, not patriotic, not credible. Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru are considered villains, and Gandhi's killer has been elevated to God status.

To your other comment though, given Rishi "our own son" Sunak and the jostling of power between China and the west, I'm not sure the relationship between the countries is going poorly.

All major Indian national media has been completely compromised and thugged into submission. There are brave alternate and small liberal media that still have the courage to cover them. Some links for your viewing pleasure.

Scroll.in: https://scroll.in/tag/Gujarat-Riots

Telegraph: https://www.telegraphindia.com/topic/gujarat-riots

The Wire: https://thewire.in/tag/2002-gujarat-riots

And for fact checking news, there is https://www.altnews.in

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#62

Post by qikInNdOutReply »

koheripbal wrote: post #40
azalemeth wrote: post #13

Honestly, a lot of the documentary is a mixture of interviews and CCTV camera footage with a fairly even handed narrative on the top – it, by itself, isn't that shocking and certainly isn't presented in a particularly sensationalist way. I'm amazed by the reaction it has generated. Yes, there's some post-colonial history there and it doesn't look great that it's the BBC that has made it, as opposed to, say, a US or c…

[flagged]

The problem is that dictators and authoritarians, can not even imagine a independent press. Because the small people are not reall people. Just puppets, manipulated by large peoples and shadowy enemy figures.

The psycho-pathology reveals itself in public.

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#63

Post by headsoup »

6LLvveMx2koXfwn wrote: post #2

'Following the searches, Gaurav Bhatia, a spokesperson from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), described the BBC as the “most corrupt organisation in the world”.' Which just about sums up the independence of the process.

Can't help but feel there's some projection going...

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#65

Post by qikInNdOutReply »

amriksohata wrote: post #59
DarthNebo wrote: post #17

Lol, could have just brushed this aside with a comment instead of outright censoring a globally available media. Like what do they expect, no Indian should ever watch it in India or something but it is fine if outside of India? This is how freedom of speech dies, bit by bit......

Because it could create communal disharmony and doesn't actually provide any further court admissible evidence.

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/03/falqs-spreading-rumors-and...

Similar too? A law so squishy, it can target anyone and all things.

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#66

Post by headsoup »

saiya-jin wrote: post #34
tough wrote: post #6

I think I will see this now

Exactly, didn't hear about the document but henchmen of mr Modi sure know how to do a good free global PR to some hard truths being told. I love when famous people like politicians reveal their core personality under some stressful situation, that is otherwise well hidden underneath thick layers of PR and masks of politeness. Its always, almost without an exception, a very sad view. Tells you something about what kin…

And those in the powerful positions feel that the solution is to be harder on the populace, censor them, be less transparent and blame them rather than, I don't know, being more honest and transparent themselves.

It's astounding how consistently they follow the same process. Ego is a powerful thing.

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#67

Post by headsoup »

amriksohata wrote: post #59
DarthNebo wrote: post #17

Lol, could have just brushed this aside with a comment instead of outright censoring a globally available media. Like what do they expect, no Indian should ever watch it in India or something but it is fine if outside of India? This is how freedom of speech dies, bit by bit......

Because it could create communal disharmony and doesn't actually provide any further court admissible evidence.

"Communal disharmony." A lovely term to justify a good old dose of authoritarianism or censorship, for 'the greater good' (or 'communal harmony' in this case).

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#68

Post by noduerme »

mytailorisrich wrote: post #16
andrewstuart wrote: post #14

It’s worth noting that many companies such as Apple are diversifying from China due to the overreach of the political powers, but they’re moving over to India where the same thing is happening. Strange.

They are not diversifying from China because of China. They are because of deteriorating relations with the West that may put them at risk in case of, for instance, sanctions against China.

The West will have some deteriorating relations with India as well if India decides to start ethnic cleansing or stripping citizenship from 100 million Muslims. Consider how much business we do with Burma (approximately $0), even though the labor is quite cheap there. The BBC documentary is a warning shot.

To be clear, this is not about the West taking sides in religious or ethnic issues; there are limits on what kinds of violence people are willing to accept in the supply chain. China is incredibly hard to divorce from, but we're doing it.

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#69

Post by FeepingCreature »

JesusLovesEwe wrote: post #23
orlp wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"When you tear out a man’s tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you’re only telling the world that you fear what he might say."

This does not apply to Holocaust revisionism, before anyone even suggests it.

Sure it applies. In that case, there's just maybe some legitimate reason to fear it.

Re: BBC offices in India raided by tax officials amid Modi documentary fallout

#70

Post by toyg »

berdario wrote: post #60
toyg wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is whataboutism. Mr. Sharp is hated by most of the BBC workforce precisely because he is the corrupt representative of a corrupt government. Whatever influence he might ever have had on editorial decisions has long gone.

The problem is not only Sharp, the BBC is widely known for being partisan https://www.medialens.org/2019/the-arrogance-of-bbc-news/ Of course "most corrupt organization in the world" is hyperbole, and I wouldn't discount this specific investigation on BJP (but I have limited interest in that, since I haven't been to India in years) But blaming others of whataboutism is harmful, since it stifles deserved criticism. Es…

Tories hate the BBC for being a hive of lefties, and slowly strangle its source of funds; Labour hate the BBC for being partisan to Tories, and will loudly shout they're being ignored at every turn. Apart from a handful of highly-visible figures (Dimbleby, Kuenssberg, Neil), who are easily ignored, the truth is somewhat in the middle. Occasionally too much in the middle, like on Brexit, but in the middle nonetheless.
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