North East Support Centre & Helpline, New Delhi

B-123, 2nd Floor, Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi 110024, Telefax 011-42811185

February 3, 2008

To,

Mr. Bharat Bhushan, The Editor - Mail Tody, F-26, Connaught Place,

New Delhi 110001

Mr. Kumar Vikram, Reporter - Mail Tody, F-26, Connaught Place,

New Delhi 110001

Mr. Ashish Bagga, The Publisher - Mail Tody, F-26, Connaught Place,

New Delhi 110001

The Printer – Mail Today, M/S Jagran Prakash Limited, D-210-211, Sector 63

Noida, UP.

Subject:   Racist language and bigotry displayed in the Article "Drug lords prey NE-Girls to Act as Peddlers" by Kumar Vikram in Mail Today on January 28, 2008 page 4 has shocked people of  North East India, the African community who are guests in our country, women, and Civil Society in general.

Dear Editor,

The above mentioned article appeared in Mail Today tabloid on January 28, 2008. It has shocked Indian civil society in general, and in particular Women, the people of North East India community and African nations, by terming and in its insinuations that North East Indian girls and African nationalists, who look different from the average person in North Indian cities, are drug peddlers and sex workers.

We do not think, and Mail Today does not say, that the newspaper commissioned a scientific survey to find out the gender, ethnicity, race, skin colour of sex workers and drug peddlers in New Delhi to substantiate its scandalous and scurrilous story printed to titillate its readers and to malign innocent women, specific communities of India ands others.

The printed news report says: "The next time a cocaine addict in Delhi orders for a fix, it's unlikely that an African man will be standing at the door. Instead, it'll probably be a young, trendy Northeast Indian girl. And for a few extra thousands, she'll put sex on offer as well."

The reporter either in malice or in bigotry terms Africans are as drug peddlers and North East girls are described as a "combo pack of drug and sex". Would the honorable Editor say this is civilized language? Does he support such calumny?

The people of the North Eastern communities are known for their honesty and simplicity of life. Their daughters come to cities such as Delhi to help their parents eke out a living by working in the cities commercial establishments. And yet they are described as earning "extra income of Rs 25,000 to 50,000 by combo pack of drug and sex".

Mr. Vikram has quoted DCP AS Cheema as saying "The association between the peddlers and the girls acting as middlemen is a recent one, something that we came to know during investigations". The concluding remark "And the person ringing the bell, in all probability, will be a Northeastern girl". We are also questioning the Delhi Police Commissioner if he supports the statement made by his ignorant subordinate officer who betrays a singular contempt for his countrymen who look different from him.

Dear Editor, you will agree that the tone of language used in the article in your new tabloid is not in consonance with the high standards set by your publishing house. It violates the Code of Ethics of the Editors Guild of India. It is also violating the Indian Penal Code by spreading calumny against communities and sowing seeds of distrust and enmity, hostility and distrust between communities, which can have dangerous consequences.

Above all, it hurts the human sentiments of entire peoples of this country, including working women which group also includes all the women journalists in your several publications.

We request you to publish this letter in its entirety on the front page of the next edition of the newspaper.

We also call for, in the name of the law and human decency, that the newspaper and the Reporter express an unconditional apology to all Indians in general and in particular women, the people of the North Eastern communities and African nationalities living in Delhi and NCR.

Nothing else will meet the ends of justice and the high standards of journalism set by your publishing group.

We reserve our right to approach the Press Council of India, National Commission for Women and African National Diplomat offices in India for redress of the grievances of the people whose human dignity has been injured irreparably.

Sd/- 

Dr. John Dayal

Member – National Integration Council

Founding Patron – North East Support Centre & Helpline

Sd/- 

Ms. Lansinglu Rongmei (Advocate)

President – North East Support Centre & Helpline

Sd/- 

Mr. Madhu Chandra

Spokes Person – North East Support Centre & Helpline

Copies to:

1.          Justice G. N. Ray, Chairman, Press Council of India

2.          Chairperson – National Commission for Women

3.          Chairman – National Commission for Human Rights

4.          Honorable Minister of Information & Broadcasting

5.          High Commissions of African Nations

6.          Honorable Minister – Information & Broadcasting

7.          Honorable North East India Members of Parliament

8.          Chief Ministers of North East India

9.          Governors of North East India

Encl.   

1.                Photo Copy of "Drug lords prey NE-Girls to Act as Peddlers" by Kumar Vikram in Mail Today on January 28, 2008 page 4.

2.                http://mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&querypage=4&boxid=275671144&parentid=2129&eddate=01/28/08

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