I have known Jarnail Singh for almost five years now. After five years of covering the same beat, and being co-travellers both within the country and abroad, I count him as a personal friend, who I’ve come to know quite well. Scrupulously upright and with a no-nonsense morality, Jarnail has always been a quiet questioner. Never aggressive, but constantly, relentlessly questioning, as any good journalist should. For the time that I have known him, his impulse has never been to show hostility — certainly not of the kind that he showed this morning. It is for that reason alone that I imagine that Jarnail’s decision to lob his footwear at the Union Home Minister was a shivering manifestation of a quarter century of naked outrage felt by an entire community, and many others besides. I have never had the chance to discuss the 1984 riots with Jarnail, but he’s a Sikh who has lived his life in Delhi. Over the last 15 years that he has been a journalist, he is likely to have witnessed first hand the phenomenally shameful conduct of the Congress Party, which believes that all was forgiven following Sonia Gandhi’s apology, in itself a poll gimmick.
I’ve been thinking about Jarnail’s action all day. In the afternoon, when I sent Jarnail a text message inquiring after his condition (he had been detained by the police), he replied that as a journalist, he shouldn’t have done what he did. Fair. But there’s still no denying that there has been almost no real outlet for the absolutely colossal sense of outrage that Sikhs in the country, especially Delhi, have felt over the CBI’s recommendation that Jagdish Tytler be cleared of all charges. The party even has the nerve to serve up a ticket year after year to Sajjan Kumar — since the thug wins invariably, to hell with moral perceptions.
As a journalist, imagine Jarnail’s position. And the questions. Was the shoe-throwing pre-meditated, or did Jarnail truly snap in the face of Chidambaram’s signature arrogance. As a journalist, has he violated the sacred line that divides witnessing and affecting. Journalists are constantly accused of being bloodless, heartless drones buzzing between one story and the next. So did Jarnail break the cardinal rule of reporting, which is to report not from your point of view, but from nobody’s point of view? Jarnail himself thinks he did, so nobody else’s opinion really matters.
But he is firm that his motivations were not incorrect or immoral, and nobody can take that away from him. While much of the media — and of course, the political parties — “condemn” Jarnail’s action as improper and inappropriate, they conveniently gloss over the reasons for why this normally tranquil gentleman chose to throw caution to the wind, and put his career and future in clear jeopardy by lobbing a sneaker at the Home Minister. That’s the question the Congress Party should think about. Everything else is just, well, footwear.
Sir jee, i will not support what mr. singh did but the way in which congress has been conducting itself on the anti-sikh riots is unbecoming of the grand old party. They dont miss a chance reminding what happened in godhra but no tears are shed for sikhs. CBI has acted as it is supposed to, just carrying out directions from 10 Janpath!!!
Why did he not use a RPG? Import some from Pakistan is you need them.
JARNAIL SINGH – TUSSI GREAT HO. YOU LIVE UP TO THE ‘SINGH IS KING’ PHRASE AND NOT LIKE MANMOHAN WHO LIVES UP TO ‘SINGH IS A LING’.
YOU ARE THE ‘KHALSA’. VERY EASY FOR PEOPLE TO TALK MORALITY. WE EXSERVICEMEN OF INDIA UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION WHEN THE TWO FACED CONGRESS PLAYS ITS DIRTY TRICKS. THE CONGRESS HAS VOWED TO HUMILIATE THE WARRIORS OF INDIA.
AFTER THIS ELECTIONS THEY MUST NEVER SEE DELHI AGAIN
He merely lobbed,he should have hurled to see whether our politicians match the reflexes shown by Bush.I have absolutely No doubts that the Minister would have required the help of a plastic surgeon to fix his nose.
I can understand as to how Mr.Jarnail must have felt after hearing Mr.PC’s answers. Justice has not been done to the entire Sikh community for the acts done by the Congress party in 1984. Granted that the CBI has followed the instructions from 10 Janpath for the present, but what has the BJP Govt done about this while it was in power for five years? I am sure Ms Sonia could not have controlled the CBI while BJP was in power? All political parties are the same, they just look for vote banks during the elections and thereafter forget the public and promises made to them, once they are in Govt.
I can understand as to how Mr.Jarnail must have felt after hearing Mr.PC’s answers. Justice has not been done to the entire Sikh community for the acts done by the Congress party in 1984. Granted that the CBI has followed the instructions from 10 Janpath for the present, but what has the BJP Govt done about this while it was in power for five years? I am sure Ms Sonia could not have controlled the CBI while BJP was in power? All political parties are the same, they just look for vote banks during the elections and thereafter forget the public and promises made to them, once they are in Govt.
What he did was right. These guys are not going to go to jail.. They will hang on to power by their teeth.. Guns and Bombs? Been there, done that, no point.
The shoe will remind these ‘leaders’ how history will treat them when Indians finally pause for a bit to catch their breath and look around.
U FOOL STOP SUPPORTING HIM
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SIKH ARE ALWAYS AGGRESSIVE ALL SIKHS CONTAIN SMALL PORTION FOR TERRORISM IN THEIR MIND
THEY ARE NOT RELIABLE U CAN'T TRUST THEM TAKE THE CASE OF MRS INDIRA GANDI
GOVT SHOUD WORK ON KICKNG ALL SIKH VVIP PROTECTION THEY ARE EMOTIONAL FOOOLS & THEY CAN KILL ANY BODY.
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i have a another quest WHY HE DID'T THROW SHOES ON MR PRIME MINISTER
I TEL U BECAUSE HE IS A FUCKNG SIKH
HERE IS THE SOLUTION
ATTACK ON PAKISTAN KILL THEM ALL
&&&&&&& GIVE PAKISTAN TO THE SKIHS
What an irony! The Prime Minister, himself a Sikh, can only offer an apology instead of ensuring that justice is meeted out to the perpetrators of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. On the other hand, the PM’s youngest daughter, Amrit Singh, is a class 1, New York-based ACLU-registered crusader of human rights! No wonder when the PM met then US SECDEF Don Rumsfeld in the US in 2005, Rumsfeld bluntly told the PM to get Amrit off his back by getting her to fight, for a change, for those Sikhs still seeking justice in India against the masterminds and perpetrators of the anti-Sikh riots. I believe this incident was was forbidden from being reported in domestic Indian newsmedia under the express instructions of the NSA.
CBI too is a puppet in ruling party’s hands, Similar to this story the revaluation by Swedish authorities that in the past 20 years the only questions that were asked by CBI were trivial in nature and never ever bothered to listen to what the Swedish authorities had to say.
Its a shame on INDIA that this particular party is in power at this moment.
@ Anonymous 12:34 AM – YOU DOLT TODAY WE HAVE THE PRESENT GEO BOUNDARY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SIKHS ON THE FRONTLINE. AS A SOUTHIE I FEEL THEY ARE AN ASSET TO INDIA.
YOU TALK OF INDIRA GANDHI- ISNT SHE THE ONE WHO SET UP THE PUNJAB PROBLEM, LIKE ALL PROBLEMS CREATED BY THE UNSCRUPULOUS FAKE GANDHI DYNASTY. RAJIV WAS KILLED BY THE TAMILS WILL YOU HAND OVER THE TAMILS TO THE PAKIS? IN 1962 THE CHINKYS CAME VIA THE NE BECAUSE THE GRANDFATHER OF THE FAKE GANDHIS GOT FOREIGN POLICY ALL WRONG (IN FACT HE NEVER UNDERSTOOD DIPLOMACY), WILL YOU HAND OVER THE NE TO THE CHINKYS?
I GOT A BETTER IDEA – LET US HAND OVER THIS FAKE GANDHI CLAN WHICH CREATED THE J&K FIASCO, THE 1962 DEBACLE, THE BALKANISATION OF THIS NATION ON RELIGIOUS ISSUE (JUST SO THEY CAN PROVE THEIR MAJOR OPPOSITION PARTY IS ANTI MUSLIMS) – ALL JUST TO WIN SOME ILL GOTTEN VOTES. YOU ARE WELCOME TO GO ALONG WITH THEM.
WHICH TRUE WARRIOR WOULD LIKE TO EVEN DEGRADE HIMSELF BY THROWING A BOOT AT A PUPPET LIKE MANMOHAN WHO IS A 50-50 IN THE HANDS OF THE ITALIAN MADAMME.
MARD TOH SHERO KE SAATH LADTE HAIN.
I can totally undestand Mr.Singhs feelings… but of all the good for nothing politians out there why pick PC ???
Just wanted to correct your article…see below
“As a journalist, has he violated the sacred line that divides witnessing and affecting. Journalists are constantly accused of being bloodless, heartless , and brainless drones buzzing between one story and the next.”
Singh did not fling the shoe towards Chidambaram but slightly away from him with the words I protest. I think that’s the most decent protest that can be give to the congress party.
Feels good to see congress’s goose getting cooked in slow fire. 10 Janpath is probably squirming right now.
All that this is going to achieve is Tytler not getting a ticket this time around. But that will not stop that goon Sajjan Kumar – he had a much bigger role during 1984. His career has gone on with only minor irritations.
The third major accused, HKL Bhagat is well now out of reach.
Ultimately, only small fry on-hire crooks were ever punished, and that too the ones who were not party insiders.
but of all the good for nothing politians out there why pick PC ???
Mr singh has clarified this to the media when he was being taken away by the police. Hear carefully what he has to say. This is not some dhimmi person throwing a shoe. This man comes across as knowledgeable and well informed.
He said “I protest” when Chidambaram tried to fudge the question.
Mr Singh was asked why chidambaram, his answer, “…because the CBI is under the Home minister, and he is talking rubbish”
It is plain for everyone to see that the CBI diluted the case against the accused, and presented weakened cased in the court so that the accused got released. Even the Justice Nanawati commission said that Mr tytler was ‘most probably responsible’.
Check this link out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdish_Tytler
“The official report of the Nanavati Commission of Government of India on the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots found some ‘credible evidence’ against Tytler, saying he ‘very probably’ had a hand in organising the attacks. The Indian government, however, decided not to prosecute Jagdish Tytler due to lack of sufficient concrete evidence.”
In Dec 2007 the cases against the accused were reopened by the High court, and in Dec 2008 the CBI sent a team to the US to record evidence from two individuals who had seen the accused lead mobs during the riots, Now without coming to court the Home minister has ordered the CBI to close the cases just before the elections, because it wants to again issue tickets to these individuals.
I do not condone the act of shoe throwing, but somehow, I sympathize with his sentiments.
The entire GANDU(gandhi) clan is the root cause of all this corruption and butchering,riots,strikes, bandhs,……………
the list is uninterrupted.It will go on go on and goes on……
the gandus ruined the country.ruined the economy.ruined the image of a nation.
they have to be laid accountable of the present day terrorism.They are the ones who oiled the hindu-muslim seperate countries just for the sake of ruling themself a country of 600 million population.
they are desperate to rule.Even that old gandu is desperate ,and becos of that evilness in his mind he didnt want any other leader to come into light.HE killed NETAJI.he is a murderer.
he is the cause for the deaths of millions of indians during the british rule.millions dead becos they followed his non-violence.he is a slaughterer.Millions of indian women lost thier virginity becos he want them not to offend the brits.HE is a rapist.he is a psycho.he is a sadist.he wanted others to suffer and wanted them to follow his bloody theories.
the total british population and thier army living in india at that time is a a bare 2 million.and we indians are 600 million.this sadist brainwashed the indians who wanted an eye for eye and blood for blood.
And now the present day indians following the same old mans theories are ruining the economy and throwing masses into povery by having stirkes and satyagrahas for each and every cause.
"ENTIRE GANDHI FAMILY NEEDS TO BE HANGED> under the law of creating havoc in the nation.
Anonymous @ 7:13 PM
It is obvious that you are a Pakistani national. Because you have made a fundamental error in your post which no Indian national can make.
You’re busted mate.
Anon @9:41PM
LOL………I am a diehard patriot of INDIA/HINDUSTAN/BHARAT.
My constitution gave me the right to speak,write and comment.
Just becos a bunch of fools and idiots praise a man doesnt make him a real father of the nation.Infact he is the monster of the nation.I will shout the same on top of my lungs from everest/k2 or from anywhere else.
Just becos his clones are ruling the nation doesnt mean i has to abide the rules created by them which are infavor of them.Tell the entire congress to come and lick my ***
With no congress et all in india we will see the real democracy instead of demo-crazy they created.
Arent these the b@$tards who fueled the reservation system.Arent these the b@$tards who ignited the religion virus.come on man…….give me a break.If you are licking thier dickss dont mean i do have to lick thiers……..
[email protected]
what a bastard u are..
the whole notion of what u wrote above is flawed to the extent that NO INDIAN can make. Check ur historical facts on the “Gandu” families.
Dumbo cock-sucker of that pedophile pork-eating Jinnah
And look at his angrezi too. Totally madarsa english. He deseves a canadian visa. Send him to dilbulla’s cave.
For such sensitive case u Mr Prasun K Sengupta should not permit the anonymous posting here.
My request
If it wasn’t for Jarnail, those killers would have been contesting peacefully.
THANKS JARNAIL…
Victims of the 1984 Sikh riots support you and are very very thankful.
Lets hope these assholes get death now.
Am i the only one who thinks that he willl get a ticket to fight from Akali Dal or the BJP may be this elections…?
Wish Vakil Motilalji had undergone a vasectomy prior to marriage. the country might have been spared considerable agony.
the latest animal carrying the DNA is currently behind bars under NSA.
the only consolation is, ‘this, too, shall pass’. this clan of beasts will age and return to the elements.