Insult to Odia people in Hindustan Times article - Demand apology

[bimal pandia]

Dear elders and friends,

An article which is insulting to Odia people and unnecessarily provoking article has been published in Hindustan Times on its 23rd July edition. It largely missed our attention as HT does not have much circulation in Odisha.  The article is available in the website at http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/indrajithazra/Oof-Rashtropoti-Bhobon/Article1-894451.aspx

We should lodge our strong protest and demand an apology. I have mailed a letter to the Chief Editor of Hindustan Times which is pasted below the text of this mail.

I request you to please share this and send as many letters to the editor of HT so that we can lodge our strong protest and demand an apology from the newspaper. Your mail may be sent to the following email IDs: Stat...@hindustantimes.com, let...@hindustantimes.com

Regards

Bimal Prasad Pandia

My letter to the Chief Editor of Hindustan Times

To

The Chief Editor

Hindustan Times

Email: Stat...@hindustantimes.com, let...@hindustantimes.com

 

Dear Chief Editor,

An article titled “Oof! Rashtropoti Bhobon!” which was carried by Hindustan Times on July 23, 2012 and which is available in your website at the following web link: http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/indrajithazra/Oof-Rashtropoti-Bhobon/Article1-894451.aspx.

This article is grossly absurd, unwarranted, factually erroneous, potentially racist and an insult to Odia people. The author shamelessly and unnecessarily drags Odia people into the matter of Pranab Mukharje’s elevation as India’s first citizen. The author assumes that Odisha and Odia people are sulking because a Bengali is now the President of the country. We decry the pathetic stupidity of the author which is nothing but reflection of a ruined mind.

We are deeply anguished that Hindustan Times - considered among top newspapers of the country - has carried an article of this nature. This article serves no other purpose than cause (a) deep hurt to Odia people’s sentiment; and (b) a damaging rift between Odia and Bengali people.

We are so angered that we prefer not to react to enormous factual errors that the article contains. We are more concerned with the derogatory nature of the article.

We strongly request you and your newspaper to beg an apology to the Odia people. We do not expect anything less from a media house which considers itself as a national media. 

With regards

Bimal Prasad Pandia

Bank Colony, Sakhipada, Sambalpur, Odisha, 768004

Email: bimal...@gmail.com