Whispering games

Just came across this post at retributions. The same old tired theme, but this one comes with a twist. Apparently Azim Premji has to hide his Muslim identity in order to hold on to his wealth in a country full of fundamentalist and discriminatory Hindus. Awwwww, my poor little rich Muslim, so much trouble to hold on to his piggy bank of just $17B.

This got us curious. We searched for the author of the article, one Shri Yaroslav Trofimov. Guess what, even today WSJ ran another story by this author on its front page.

In India, 'Untouchables' Convert To Christianity -- and Face Extra Bias
By YAROSLAV TROFIMOV
September 19, 2007; Page A1

MEDIPALLY, India -- Every Sunday, women and children gather to pray in a tiny, whitewashed church on the edge of this southern Indian village, sitting cross-legged on blue plastic sheets as they sing Christian hymns.

The men don't dare to come. "If they are seen in the church, the officials will be informed," says Vatipally Aharon, Medipally's Baptist pastor. [link]

Basically, the thesis of the latter article is that Dailt Christians and Dalit Muslims are denied their right to education, which according to the author, can often mean "the difference between grinding poverty and a glimmer of hope for better life".

There is no denying the fact that the conditions of Dalits still remain very dismal. But these propagandists attempt to demonize a section of people who have very little, if anything to do with it. Social Activist Chandrabhan Prasad openly admits that Dalits do not face any discrimination in urban areas. There are no buses that say privileged only.

A number of homegrown propagandists lend credibility to these stories. Little research is done and the fancy tales are further embellished.

Shri Yaroslav Trofimov has published articles in WSJ before, they range from financial topics to India's endangered lions. Only recently he appears to have turned his attention to India's human rights violations. Perhaps this is because he has just published a book.