Letter from the Editor

Raina in war-torn BeirutIn the rising din of national politics, which seizes more than its due share of media attention, it is all too frequently forgotten that tensions in the country's federated states often have a far greater potential to influence national affairs. Some of the most intractable problems faced in the sandstone corridors of power in New Delhi have been regional problems: in states like Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar and Punjab.Thus, in a month overshadowed by Parliament's acrimonious debates about the Antulay affair and the ruling party's strident efforts to protect one of its own, last month's police firing at Mehta Chowk and the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Lahore rudely shifted attention to the grievances of the Sikhs, a long-festering wound which refuses to heal.Following its exclusive photographic coverage of the Mehta firing in its last issue, India Today decided to follow up with a closer look at the underlying forces at work in Punjab, a strategic state which tends to erupt without warning from time to time. This is the second time that Punjab is the subject of a cover story, but the reason for its being there is, sadly, very different. The last time, in its March 1-15,1979 issue, India Today focussed on Punjab's evolution into the most progressive state in the country. This time around, in order to find out what the man in the street had to say, India Today commissioned the Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB) to conduct an opinion poll in Amritsar, Jullundur, Ludhiana, Patiala and Chandigarh, IMRB's team of pollsters had finished their work in the first three cities and were halfway through sampling Patiala, when a posse of policemen decided to march them off to the local thana. A zealous citizen had apparently complained that their questions on various aspects of the state's problem might create tensions in the city. Produced before a magistrate, they were asked to leave Patiala and not to conduct their poll without the prior approval of the authorities. Constraints on the media are, unfortunately, nothing new, but this could well be the first time that the sampling of public opinion-which finds its highest expression in national elections - has been curbed.Precedents of a different kind were also being set elsewhere. Tipped off that Indians were somehow involved in the confused war in Lebanon, where various Arab factions, the Phalangists and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) are fighting, India Today sent Correspondent Asoka Raina to make an investigation. Indians have fought in many wars around the world, but this was probably the first time as mercenaries. Said Raina: "It's astonishing to talk to Indian soldiers who don't know why they are fighting - except for money."Last fortnight also saw new ground being broken at home. After stalling for a considerable while, the controversial Dubai businessman Abdul Latif Galadari agreed to be interviewed. And, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran granted a rare interview to Senior Editor S. Venkat Narayan to talk about the recent turmoil in his state.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 29, 2013 11:16 IST--- ENDS ---

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Letter from the Editor

In the rising din of national politics, which seizes more than its due share of media attention, it is all too frequently forgotten that tensions in the country's federated states often have a far greater potential to influence national affairs.

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