Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Encounter episode

The Hindu has lived up to its reputation by expressing regret and retracting a few unverified "facts" published in connection with the Gujarat "encounter" killings. I was, however, pained by some of your readers accusing you of pursuing a "damage BJP" agenda. In the past you have also published investigative reports on the Bofors scandal but no one accused you of trying to damage the Congress. If in recent times The Hindu has published some controversies surrounding the BJP, it says something about the party, not about the newspaper that publishes them.

R. Hariharan,
Auckland

Kudos to your courage in owning up some slippages like the story on the Johri report, which are inevitable when confronting governments such as the present one in Gujarat. They are unabashed in stonewalling all enquiries against human rights violations, unless and until the apex court intervenes. The Hindu has always been steadfast in its effort to unravel the truth behind any misdeeds detrimental to society.

Kasim Sait,
Chennai

The front-page clarification and retraction of the news item on the Geetha Johri report is praiseworthy. That you chose to publish the rejoinder and the clarification in the same place where the article was published speaks volumes about the journalistic ethics you practise. I hope such high standards become a norm rather than the exception in the Indian media.

P.R. Subas Chandran,
Hyderabad

When one read about the Gujarat Government's collusion with the police in the fake encounter killings, one was shocked. However, one felt good when reading the next day's report withdrawing the report based on the rebuttal by the Gujarat Home Secretary. The 24-page document "Facts of the Case" was not authentic and the veracity of the report was not verified. The Hindu did not lose time in admitting this. The paper's straightforwardness is appreciated.

E. Sivasankaran,
Coimbatore

The Hindu 's admission that it should have verified a few facts before publishing them is, unfortunately, not in keeping with its age-old reputation. It can also lend support to the rumours that the media in general cannot be immune to political whims.

N. Natarajan,
Coimbatore

Thanks for publishing the news story on the Geetha Johri report (May 5) and retracting it after a rebuttal by the Gujarat Government (May 6).

Both items displayed the courage and commitment to the cause of justice on the part of The Hindu . Also, the continued denial of its misdeeds by the Narendra Modi Government despite many "facts" being revealed shows its true nature.

Mohd. Abdul Sattar,
Hyderabad

That you have had to beat a hasty retreat and publish an apology on the front page regarding an article of national interest speaks volumes about the haste with which your paper rushes these days with its analysis and editorials especially on matters pertaining to the BJP. The need of the hour is to realise that anti-communalism need not always be anti-BJP.

Amaruvi Devanathan,
Tokyo

In your urgency to publish any adverse reports about the Narendra Modi Government, you have forgotten the various measures taken by it for the welfare of the people of the State.

Rathnavel Srinivasan,
Chennai

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