Let me tell you a story. When I was about 8 or 9, I was woken up by my parents late at night bec my father wanted to tell me he would be courting arrest and that he would be going to jail. This was soon after Gen Zia took power in a military coup. ...>
I remember asking him why. He told me the reasons - that the regime was censoring newspapers and shutting them down and that there was a big movement by journalists against this. As a journalist himself, he felt he could not stand by and not support his comrades. I remember...>
... I just wrapped my arms around him, buried my face in his side and quietly cried. For me at that age ‘jail’ was somewhere bad people were sent and I no doubt felt shame thinking about what people would say knowing my father was in prison. He felt my tears, pulled me up...>
...and then said something to me that has stayed with me always. “There come times in everyone’s lives that you have to take a decision, about which side you’re going to be on, with cruelty, falsehood and oppression, or against it.”
I’ll come back to this.
I’ll come back to this.
...My father did court arrest and was jailed under the Martial Law orders. In fact, he along with Ghazi Salahuddin were the senior-most journalists at that time to court arrest. There were many other reporters and newspaper staffers, some of whom were also whipped. ...>
..I still remember papers like the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Jasarat used to take great glee in running fake reports that my father had been sentenced to 6 months rigorous imprisonment and a number of lashes. As a kid reading headlines like that was traumatising. But...>
...what helped me was remembering the words of my father. He was never lashed and was eventually set free after about 5 or 6 weeks, when the regime could not deal with the large numbers of journalists offering themselves up for arrest.
Now, the reason I am recalling all this...>
Now, the reason I am recalling all this...>
...is because of two reasons. The first is because I do think now is one of those times people have to take a decision (though thankfully it prob won’t mean jail); are you going to be on the side of falsehood and oppression or on the side of those resisting it? It’s a choice...>
...everyone has to take in their own hearts. It’s on you, just remember you’ll have to live with your decision. As importantly, secondly, if anyone thinks, having seen all this at close quarters, that people who’ve fought for freedom of the press against military dictators and..>
...and their stooges would be cowed down by cretinous trolls and media intimidation tactics, they’ve got another think coming.
Enjoy your night.
Enjoy your night.
