January 27, 2010 ☼ Aside ☼ Pragati
This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.
In the January 2010 issue of Pragati, accompanying an article titled “Telangana Liberated”, we published the following photograph.
This image is part of a series of photographs taken by Bharath Margabandu on a protest march against Operation Green Hunt, the Indian government’s new security initiative against the Naxalite movement. We didn’t know (and didn’t care) who the persons in the photographs are. We chose the photograph because, in our judgement, it is relevant to the article alongside which it was published.
This morning we got an email from a Dr Ashley Tellis from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (not the well-known Washington-based international relations scholar). We produce the email exchange in full and leave readers to arrive at their own judgements.
From: ashley tellis
Date: 2010/1/27
Subject: Photograph
To: pragati@…
Dear Sir/Madam,
I write to register my surprise at your profound stupidity. In the article ’Telangana Liberated” (wrongly spelt in your Highlights section at least online, so please change it) by Ram Yadav ( a former DGP of AP, which shows just how “fresh” and “bold” your magazine is) in the latest issue of your pathetic, right-wing rag of a magazine, you carry a picture of me in an APCLC march against Operation Greenhunt in Hyderabad.
The march had nothing to do with Telangana, your article has nothing to do with Operation Green Hunt and the poster I am carrying has nothing to do with your article. It says (for non-Telugu readers) “Murderers of Adivasis in the forest/ The forced occupation of the natural resources by MNCs and Operation Green hunt Opposition Committee”. It says nothing about Naxalites or about Telangana and to carry this photograph with this raving and ranting rightwing article which shows the mindset of a five year old with a war video game is nothing short of ridiculous. The march was and is against the killing of tribals by people like Mr. Yadav through a fascist “operation” like Green“hunt.” The march had no position on Naxalites or on Telangana. Please get some basic facts right and learn to read a photograph before you carry it.
Please grow up and if you can’t carry a decent article at least carry a relevant photograph, you sad and sorry idiots.
Dr. Ashley Tellis
Department of Liberal Arts
Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
Estamos en la lucha
From: Nitin Pai
Date: 2010/1/27
Subject: Re: Photograph
To: ashley tellis
Dear Prof Tellis,
Thank you for your email. If you permit, we would like to publish it on our website.
regards
Nitin
(via Mobile)
From: ashley tellis
Date: 2010/1/27
Subject: RE: Photograph
To: nitin.pai@..
Please do. That was the whole point in sending the email to you.
Estamos en la lucha
From: Nitin Pai
Date: 2010/1/27
Subject: Re: Photograph
To: ashley tellis
Thank you.
We treat all correspondence as private by default. That’s the reason I asked.
Regards
Nitin
(via Mobile)
From: ashley tellis
Date: 2010/1/27
Subject: RE: Photograph
To: nitin.pai@..
There is no such thing as private. Everything in the world is public. The stupidity of your magazine is a prime example.
Estamos en la lucha
Note: We have edited out the email addresses to protect everyone’s privacy, including Dr Tellis’s
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