#AttackOnVaradarajan: A Misinformation and Chiding of Ramchandra Guha

When a misinformation is delivered in the naked daylight, the messenger is bound to get caught. If the messenger is a historian, well, credibility issue arises. It may sound harsh, but it is the truth. Well a historian is what he is.

Historian and author Ranchandra Guha made the same mistake yesterday.

Some goons, upset over some TV interview given by former editor of The Hindu S Varadarajan, attacked his home and threatened the caretaker of the house.

Four thugs beat up my the caretaker of my flat in Delhi, saying, ‘Tell your sahib to watch what he says on TV.’ https://t.co/0MNrHiAh8u

— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) March 6, 2014

 

Following the attack, Guha tweeted:

Right-wing goons threateningly visit the home of a respected journalist: http://t.co/A7VvFz6XuT

— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) March 6, 2014

 

If one looks at the article mentioned in his tweet, the source of misinformation will become clear. The headline itself contains the taboo word (at least for some) ‘Modi’. Now what is the relation between the goons and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate? Did they say they were his men? No.

Even Varadarajan was unsure about which interview they took offence to. He replied to one of the tweets:

@priyaramani I have no idea what they took offence too, since I’m on virtually every day!

— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) March 6, 2014

 

What upset these goons may or may not be clear but to call them ‘right-wing’ is equally unacceptable as the title of the article that Guha mentioned. This clearly indicates towards the prejudice that every Modi-hater has in his mind.

As far as Varadarajan goes, he has equally good relations with Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders to that he has with Congress leaders. He went on saying this on twitter when author Swapan Dasgupta mentioned that he had an alleged enemity with Arun Jaitley.

@swapan55 I don’t hate Arun and like to think I’m on good terms with him. Also Dr Joshi, Sushmaji, Jaswant, Yashwant, Javadekar & Mukhtar.

— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) March 6, 2014

 

His writer brother, Tunku Varadrajan, had to jump into the middle of things when they were being blown out of proportion.

Please note that my brother, @svaradarajan , is as much a critic of the Congress Party as he is of the BJP. #India

— Tunku Varadarajan (@tunkuv) March 6, 2014

 

But this started chiding of Guha by his colleagues, followers and critics as well. Here is a peek into the tweets that followed:

@Ram_Guha Isn’t is rash to conclude these were right-wing goons when Siddharth does not say so at all in his FB post?

— R Jagannathan (@TheJaggi) March 6, 2014

 

Only left wing Commie goondas say that @ram_guha

— Madhav (@Madhav62) March 6, 2014

 

@Ram_Guha coming from a lapsed marxist!

— Disenchanted Hindu (@d_hindu) March 6, 2014

 

@TheJaggi @Ram_Guha Sid V has good equation with BJP .why will they attack him ?

— MediaWatcher (@India_MSM) March 6, 2014

 

@TheJaggi @Ram_Guha Sid V has good equation with BJP .why will they attack him ?

— MediaWatcher (@India_MSM) March 6, 2014

 

@rvaidya2000 Left-Wing automatically implies “murderers” .. not the same as goons… @TheJaggi @swapan55 @Ram_Guha

— MediaCrooks (@mediacrooks) March 6, 2014

 

@chhayank if I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times @Ram_Guha

— Neelakantan (@ecophilo) March 6, 2014

 

@TheJaggi Rash? He is a known Distortian @Ram_Guha

— Suresh En (@surnell) March 6, 2014

 

@Ram_Guha Rahul Gandhi blamed RSS for Mahatma Gandhi murder, despite RSS being never involved in it. Did you teach Rahul our history?

— Gururaj S (@Equateall) March 6, 2014

 

Some Sherlock you are to crack the case so soon @Ram_Guha

— Kartikeya Tanna (@KartikeyaTanna) March 6, 2014

 

The misinformation that trickled down from the thumbs of Guha to his twitter account has become a part and parcel of our life these days. Somebody took offence to being called a Leftist, must be a right-winger. Somebody slammed Congress, must be a right-winger. Somebody is not with AAP, must be with Modi and must be a traitor!

Attack on Varadarajan’s house and his caretaker being beaten up for something he said on TV is undoubtedly shocking. The matter should be looked into and the habit of bullying and intolerance – physical and non-physical – amongst us Indians definitely needs to be checked.

In fact, the Election Commission should look into such attacks, as suggested by writer Anant Rangaswamy, when the general elections are so near.

But prejudice too has no place in this intolerant society.