‘The Economist’ apologises to Indian Subscribers for the delay in the distribution of their May 21st edition as Indian Customs have held it up for incorrect India Map
This is the email I received this Sunday afternoon from ‘The Economist’….check out my prompt reply to them below it
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May 22nd, 2011
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 This week’s print edition  Click here to read this week’s issue. |
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I promptly replied to them as below
For decades the West has it’s own agenda and has continued to hold this bias,arrogant too, and shows scant respect for India’s sovereignty and correct territorial borders…your magazine continues to play this out and the incorrect map is merely an extension of this bias…nothing new really…..your apology for the delay in delivering the May 21st edition is worded such as to blame India for the delay…..In fact India would even be right in banning you,but continues to graciously allow circulation with a stamp put on the map that it incorrectly depicts India’s borders
Methinks you need to review your mindset and actions in this regard and reverse this bias….Oh ! I will continue reading your otherwise excellent magazine….we are fast maturing as a nation and your stoking a fire to affect our sensibilities by printing ,now and then, an incorrect map of India will no longer really bother us as it did earlier…it will probably bother you more…in the end a troubled conscience always does
Cheers ,
Gaurav A Parikh,
For Inspiring Investment Insight into Indian Equities, visit www.gauravblog.comSubsequently BBC has carried a story of how The Economist accuses India of hostile censorship on this issue…check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13529512
8 thoughts on “‘The Economist’ apologises to Indian Subscribers for the delay in the distribution of their May 21st edition as Indian Customs have held it up for incorrect India Map….check out my reply to them”
Just wait until we are a 3 trillion economy. All this will change. Matter of time….
This mindset continues in Western MNC’s where for global presentations, meetings on market share etc.. India map is not shown correctly. Infact, I had pointed this on one ocassion to the concerned…LIke you rightly said ..”this will not bother us ..as it did earlier.. it will probably bother you more…..”
When the entire world doesn’t know the ‘true’ map of India how can you selectively blame ‘The Economist’ for the same ‘mistake’ committed routinely by other Governmnents, Google,etc?
Besides the smart & aggressive campaigning by the Chinese has made the World believe that China owns huge portions of J&K, the whole of Tibet, soon the whole of Taiwan & many other ‘lucrative’ islands in South china sea & the Pacific.
The real ‘mistake’ for the ‘confusion’ regarding map of India (esp. J&K) is an incipient Gov. which continuously cedes land to its ‘neighbours’ Pak & China (Aksai Chin, Azad Kashmir, areas of Arunachal Pradesh, portions of Ladakh,etc) & whose only show of ‘belligerence’/flexing of muscles is against innocuos publications like ‘The Economist’ & sites like Google.
If only India’s Govt. had been as pro-active in defending the country’s border we wouldn’t have a ‘disputed’ map in the first place & we would have a natural buffer (Tibet) to protect us against China!
Yet another case of false national pride when we should actually be ashamed at our Govt for the sad situation they got us in the first place!
P.S: Me thinks an apology to ‘The Econmist’ is due, continuing the trend of to and fro apologies between me & yourself Gaurav!!! Ha ha
Cheers!
It is remarkable how numerous Indian commentators in similar context make these kinds of remarks about bias against India, its sovereignty, borders, or in fact whatever, respectfully, I suggest that you move on as a nation and stop moaning about your past grievances, something that is often so obvious in comments made by Indian academics in particular.
You just come across as bitter..
Thank you and good bye..
P.S. Please concentrate on your domestic problems first, like providing electricity for 500 million Indians that live in absolute poverty, and worry about the useless piece of land up in the north only after..
I hope you’re joking Swaroop, to apologise to The Economist….for the past two decades and more I have seen the influential Western media,the likes of Times,Forbes,Fortune and The Economist have ,I daresay an aggressive and bullying bias,when commenting on India….It’s another matter though that India has not been able to assert itself adequately and aggressively as it did not carry enough economic weight in the world…it increasingly does now….and we also did face quite a few internal issues too…now we are less bothered by any provocative bias…. also Swaroop,do spare a thought for our armed forces who defend our borders while we sit in comfort in Bengaluru and Mumbai….That both China and Pakistan continue to taunt and pose serious threats to our borders,is evident and well known…but you should not feel ashamed of our Government nor accuse us of having a false national pride….we shall protect our sovereignty and borders and have chosen the path of negotiation and diplomacy to solve such issues….but we do show aggression when called for…remember Kargil….so do be a bit more kind to our Government and our Jawans…we are indeed commendably demonstrating restraint…an all out war will be disastrous for our sub continent…aggression should always be the last resort when all else fails….and all has not failed whatever you may think…though China has been making incursions in Ladakh ,NEFA and even Uttranchals right since our 1962 aggression with them….that is why Russia was our ally for Defence..worked as a Detente….and now the worlds two largest democracies,USA and India are aligning themselves together…with nuclear capabilities and religious and idealogical fanatics on all sides it’s a sensitive situation alright….war is not a solution to diffuse this tension….and believe me,Swaroop,you and I are blessed to be Indians living in a free India and speaking our free minds on even state issues….but I can understand your frustration on this….and maybe the Government needs to be more assertive….but for this we need to get over our political bickerings and coalition compulsions and be united in our Foreign,Defence and External Affairs Policies…..Cheers !
Thanks Michael for your Response …respect your perspective,although may not agree with it entirely…sorry if I came across as bitter…far from it really…as i stated,we are moving ahead and maturing as a nation and are less bothered now by any provocative bias reporting on India …though I have to agree with you on the fact that every nation should look inwards and set as priority it’s own house in order before commenting on what other nations should be doing…the tension arises when other nations begin toying with your nation…it gets deadly serious when it tunrs to terrorising…like 26/11 Mumbai attack…..i don’t know where you come from Michael,but if it’s somewhere in the West,your Nation’s recovery will be dependent on India in many ways….and that piece of land in the north is not useless,Michael…it’s ‘Jannat’ if you know what that means !….Cheers and do keep visiting my blog and responding
Not everybody can feel the same like you feel Gaurav …. I pity and Sympathize with Michael who cannot and will not be able to understand what national pride is ….. possibly these are the people whose culture is selfish and self centered who cannot look beyond their radius except for lecturing others what they should do…..We don’t need lecture of how to take care of our poor population or our electric problem from them…. Had we been thinking of all this, we would have not got freedom from the westerners….. … Like many Indians have given their life during freedom struggle, these people cannot imagine in their wildest dream to do anything close to this ….…Michael, this is not your cup of tea… Its beyond both your intellectual capacity and patriotic mindset to think in this wave length.. kindly don’t make any effort ….
My message is not directed to Michael as a person…. it is directed to all those people outside India lecturing our country what we should do, without respecting our values….
Indians are gifted to be born in India to get the kind of culture, spiritual and ethical value system we Indians have got.. To put it simple and straight..when you cannot understanding a modern art…. Its just like some colours thrown on a drawing board…. You cannot appreciate the beauty of the art.. No offence meant…
I am reminded of the time not so far back when India did the nuclear tests.
The Economist came out hard against India and so did the various western democracies.Australia threw out Indian Army students from its defence program and a small country like Norway lectured India and cut off aid to India !
We have come a long way since then.Atleast, we have stopped taking aid from small countries !
I feel India has much to learn and emulate from China in respect of handling our territorial claims.The way we handled the visa stapling by the Chinese is a good indicator of our maturity.