India vs Washington Post 2

On September 1, the Economist reported that foreign correspondents working in Romania were being accused of being anti-Romanian spies and international disinformers in the pay of the troubled President Traian Basescu during the time he was suspended by Parliament. The hitlist included the Economist, USA Today, El Pais, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, CNN, Deutsche Welle and France 24. Surely, Romania cannot be India's inspiration? It would certainly seem that way, with the PMO persisting in its campaign against The Washington Post for a story that painted an unflattering portrait of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Now, workers of the National Panthers Party have burnt copies of The Washington Post, The Independent and Time at Jantar Mantar, dubbing them the "mouthpiece of white chauvinism against India". It only underlines the sorry impression of an immature nation that cannot take criticism in its stride.

The Washington Post story covers ground that Indian reporters have long been trudging, particularly since the 2G scam broke and the government slipped into neutral gear, took its foot off the pedal and left the engine idle as it coasted downhill. The Indian media's chorus against policy paralysis has been loud enough to drown out the protests in Parliament. The government did not react very forcefully to criticism and complaints in the Indian media. But when a foreign publication said the very same thing, it had a fit. What does it fear? It does not matter where anything is published anymore. The media world has been made borderless by the internet and news is also propagated through social media. From the reader's point of view, there is no us and them any more.

Will the government now go back to old bad habits? It can't launch a tax investigation against The Washington Post, or unleash the CBI on it. Will it block its website or issue a takedown request, though? It is already applying pressure and encouraging ministers to attack the paper as if it were a foreign invader. The next step up is the exclusive club of Myanmar (recently reformed), China (no chance of reform) and Ecuador, whose president is protecting Julian Assange in London while cracking down on media at home. Not the most cheerful company to keep.

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