Personal Update from me :
On April 28th, I started showing COVID symptoms which was later confirmed by a test.
Last two weeks have been one of the toughest days of my life while I was fighting COVID, my father breathed his last.
I couldn’t say even my last goodbyes to him. My father loved me more than anything he ever loved in life.
My pro-people journalism and social concern in my work is his legacy.
He trained me to speak in front of large gatherings when I was barely 5-6 YO, and he would always be my script writer.

The myth of Muslim appeasement in Bengal.
बंगाल में मुस्लिम तुष्टिकरण का सफ़ेद झूठ।

1.) The Periodic Labour Force Survey 2018-2019 shows that only 13% of Muslims in WB have regular salaried jobs (while the corresponding number for India is 22.1%)
1/n The myth of Muslim appeasement-
बंगाल में मुस्लिम तुष्टिकरण का सफ़ेद झूठ-

2.) 34.3% Muslims in WB work as casual workers (India figure is 26%)
Essentially, more Muslims are engaged in insecure casual employment or self-employment in WB.

Tablighis aren’t d most progressive people in India.Rather v orthodox &rigid.
But I refuse 2believe thy’ll harass doctors or molest women.
I know them as selfless individuals who leave materialistic world,even their families in service of religion/society
Stop the propaganda NOW! Having said that I have never supported their way of life or thinking.
Recent Corona incident shows they are blinded by religion as most religious people (irrespective of what religion they follow) in India are.
No more, no less.
But they do not deserve this treatment by media.

Ashamed of the medium to which I gave several yrs of my career &life.
The way TV News is covering #1MonthOfKashmirShutdown is a total disservice to the nations& its people
No bigger lie than saying ‘everything is normal &nice’ in Kashmir.
I have returned 4 days ago from Kashmir++ And there’s nothing that can b categorised as ‘normal’.
Filed 4 detailed video reports @thewire_in so far to express the same.But it is not even half of what I witnessed during my stay in Kashmir.
99.99% people are scared for their lives & wouldn’t speak on camera for anything+

Between 2014-2019, dozens of journalists were forced to exit mainstream media for their reports critical of Modi sarkar.
In Modi 2.0, the remaining few are feeling increasingly cornered &are silently moving out.
This is the state of media in the largest democracy of the world.1/n Some(not all of course)of these journalists with an impressive body of work and known for their public interest journalism are finding space in digital media.They are settling for decreased salaries but more journalistic freedom.
A big chunk still floating in the freelance market

Thank you ‘Liberal’ India for trending #BharatMataKiJai on Twitter.
Dozens of you worked hard for it.
My last thoughts on the issue before I call it a day - 1
Parliament of largest democracy of d world passes a draconian anti-Muslim bill &MPs of ruling party chant ‘BharatMatakiJai’
I called it communal coz-
-It was a slogan of triumph of majoritarianism over minority rights
-There’s no place 4a religious slogan in a secular parliamnt