I write in with a heavy heart. I decided to pick up the offer from CNN-IBN guys despite my deep misgivings about a foreign news channel operating in India. Despite the fact that these guys claim to have only “content sharing agreement”. Whatever it means.

Over the past few weeks, this organisation has sought to censor comments from appearing all over. We all know that this form of censorship, where criticism isn’t tolerated, is bad enough. As long as it isn’t personal, I believe that constructive criticism can shore up a lagging performance.

However, it seems that CNN-IBN guys don’t seem to like me. I made efforts to comment on Rajdeep’s blog entry which subsequently didn’t appear on their web site. The salt on the wounds is that I had merely agreed with Rajdeep’s blog entry and offered my own two cents of “advice”. Despite the difference of opinion with their editorial policies, I find no reason as to why it wasn’t allowed to appear. A subsequent email to their web editor only elicited a denial and gobbledegook. I must hasten to add that there is nothing personal with anyone of them. I understand that they are constrained because of their “massa’s orders”. However, I wouldn’t deal with such an organisation as a whole which seeks to gag.

Sorry guys. I thought, I could highlight the sorry state of Broadband Access on a wider canvas. Now I don’t care. The blog entries are good enough. It was with this intention, I was egged on and I decided to bury the hatchet about foreign media ownership. However, I wouldn’t even re consider the decision in the light of the events. Being devoted to Open Source and Open Access, I believe that it’s perfectly valid for organisations to get flak for their ommissions. If it doesn’t work out because the bozos feel that they are above criticism or have a “God” like status with immensely fragile/ brittle egos, it’s best not to deal with such an organisation.

Media in whatever form, isn’t interested to highlight the real issues. Just an after thought though. NDTV was airing a Sunday special with Prannoy Roy on the Indo-Pak relations. Hmm. 50+ years and there is no solution. If this is what you call as “serious journalism”, then God help you! There are vested lobbies working in the background that seek to undermine national interests and media is their most powerful weapon. We could do without Pakistan or Bangladesh for that matter.

Read more on the same issue on India Media Bash blog entry.