Video had no Pakistan Zindabad slogan': Zee News producer quits for tampering

[email protected] (Indian Express)
February 21, 2016

New Delhi, Feb 22: A producer with Zee News has resigned from the TV channel after expressing reservations over its “biased coverage” of the JNU protests and the sedition charge against the university's students union leader.

ZeeNews

Vishwa Deepak, an output producer, was part of the team that produced a Zee News show on the night of February 9, when alleged anti-India slogans were raised in the JNU campus during a protest against Parliament convict Afzal Guru's hanging.

Footage telecast on Zee News formed the basis of the Delhi police's suo motu FIR on the incident following which JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested.

In a letter to Zee News on Sunday, Deepak stated that the channel had broadcast a video of students raising slogans with a caption that said Pakistan Zindabad'. “The video which had no “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans in it, we played repeatedly to spread madness. How did we establish that Kanhaiya and his associates were chanting slogans when all we heard were voices coming from the darkness. Our biases made us hear Bhartiya Court Zindabad as Pakistan Zindabad,” stated his letter.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Deepak said Zee News aired footage of students chanting Pakistan Zindabad' repeatedly, but it did not have any such slogans in it. “We heard inaudible slogans from the grainy video. Editors at Zee News felt this sounded like Pakistan Zindabad' and that's the caption we went with,” he said.

Deepak said he scripted shows and edited footage at Zee News. He added that he had worked on the footage of the Afzal Guru event recorded on February 9 in JNU where reporter Pawan Nara was present, recording the event.

Deepak said he received the footage on February 10 and was told to work on it for a show that day.

“On February 10, I was on the morning shift, which comprised a shift head, two second shift heads, three or four producers of which I was one, two or three package producers, and two or three video editors,” said Deepak.

“At the editorial meet that afternoon, a producer was given the video footage and told to work on it because it was a big story'. The producer brought the video to me and I watched it and heard it. The video was grainy and there was a lot of sloganeering but most of which was not clearly audible. I heard Bhartiya Court Zindabad',” he said.

According to Deepak, the producer showed the video to other “responsible” colleagues but none were able to clearly make out the words being chanted.

“Then our editors came down to our section and told us it was a big story, it had to go on air and that Pakistan Zindabad' could be heard. So we all agreed because the editors and other colleagues felt it was Pakistan Zindabad' that was being chanted. We began to produce the show and because the audio was not clear, we added a bubble or blurb with Pakistan Zindabad' written in it to guide our viewers on what we felt was being chanted,” said Deepak.

A graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Deepak said he worked first as a freelancer contributing to Jansatta and Sanskar. He also worked with news channels News 24, AajTak, News Nation and joined Zee News as a producer in 2014. Deepak has also contributed to BBC Hindi.

When contacted, Zee News Editor Sudhir Chowdhary said Deepak's resignation was an internal matter of the organisation. “Zee media is one of the largest media houses in the country. People leaving and recruitments being done is a normal affair. In any case, the person concerned was not involved in any stories related to the JNU row. He never discussed any issues with anybody in the organisation if he had any. His resignation is an internal matter of the organisation,” said Chowdhary in a text message.

Chowdhary did not respond to questions about Deepak's claims of how the caption Pakistan Zindabad' was added to the footage.

The Indian Express had reported on Saturday that police had asked Zee News for the original camera and memory chip of its telecast of the February 9 event. The request had come just days after questions were raised over the authenticity of another video that was broadcast on other TV news channels and went viral on social media.

The Zee News footage also found mention in an Aam Aadmi Party complaint to Special Commissioner of Police (law and order) Deepak Mishra. The AAP had alleged that students raising slogans of Pakistan Zindabad' were from the ABVP.

JNU ABVP president Alok Singh had earlier said that some ABVP members were present at JNU on February 9, but were shouting slogans like Bharatiya Court Zindabad' and Indian Army Zindabad'. The ABVP also filed a counter complaint with police saying that the footage had been tampered with.

Last week, Chowdhary had said that he stood by the footage aired on Zee News. “The slogans are very clear for anybody to hear. We stand by the footage that was aired on Zee News. We have handed over all the raw footage to the Delhi police,” he had said.

Comments

123
 - 
Monday, 22 Feb 2016

Cheddi Media - They are keeping their Eyes closed and still thinks people are sleeping to their deception.

Mani
 - 
Monday, 22 Feb 2016

Ab Aya oont pahad ke neeche

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Press Release
January 2,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 2: Seven achievers from various fields including Kannada writer and thinker Boluvaru Muhammad Kunhi have been chose for ‘Sandesha’ Awards for the year 2020.

Announcing this at a press meet in the presence of Sandesha director Fr Francis Assisi Almeida, writer Na D’Souza said that the award ceremony will be held on 9 February 2020 at 5:30 pm at the Sandesha Premises.

Bishop of Ballari Diocese and president of Sandesha Foundation, Dr Henry D’Souza will preside over. President of Karnataka Sahitya Academy Dr B V Vasanth Kumar will be the chief guest. Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese Dr Peter Paul Saldanha and Bishop of Udupi Diocese Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo will be the guests. MLA of Mangaluru South Constituency Vedvyas Kamath and Film Music Director Cajetan Dais will be the guests of honour”.

Awards and Awardees

1. Sandesha Literature Award (Kannada)- Mr. Boluvaru Muhammad Kunhi

He was born in 1951at Puttur. He has secured gold medal in Kannada Post Graduation from Mysore University. At present he is retired and settled at Bangalore after serving 40 years in Syndicate Bank as an officer.

He is the only Indian writer conferred with Central Sahitya Academy twice (2010 & 2016) for creative prose. He is also the first ever Kannada writer conferred with `BalaSahityaPuraskar’ by Central Sahitya Academy. His epic 1,110-page opus named "Swathranthada Ota" (in English: The run for independence) released on 18 March 2012 at RavindraKalakshetra, Bangalore by the world famous Sarod artist Pandit Rajiv Taranath.

He worked as Senate Member in Hampi Kannada University, Kannada Sahitya Academyand KannadaPustakaPradhikara. He also worked as State president for `Samudaya’ Cultural Organisation, as Convener to BandayaSahityaSangha, as Edirot to GIANT (Syndicate Bank's House Magazine) KRISHILOKA (Syndicate Bank's Magazine), as member to RDC (Syndicate Bank's Rural Development Institute), Self-Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI- Dharmastala). He was the President for Kannada BelesiBalaga and ChitraSamudaya (Film Division)

2. Sandesha Literature Award (Konkani): Mr. ValliVagga (Mr. Valerian D Souza)

He was born at Vagga of BantawalTaluk of Dakshina Kannada in the year 1947. His pen name is ‘ValliVagga’. He was an industrialist and at present he is retired and continuing is service in literature. In 55 years of his service in the field of Konkani literature, he has written some 150 short stories, 140 poems and 120 articles in different papers, magazines and websites. Out of these articles, some 40 articles have been translated and published in different papers.

He has published 8 books and his Konkani drama “KhandhiKuris” has already had 13 exhibitions. He has been honoured by Karnataka Konkani Academy, Konkani Kutam Bahrain and Daiji Dubai and also he has worked at various capacities in the field of Konkani Literature.

3. Sandesha Media Award: Mr. Shiv Kumar

Professionally he is an engineer and living in Bangalore. For the last 32 years he has been running a magazine called “Aparanji” as an editor. Already he has written 12 books and through his jokes, literature and science he has been decimating information to the general public.  For his literary work in jokes, he has been awarded with Karnataka Sahitya Academy award.

4. Sandesha Konkani Music Award: Mrs. Helen D’Cruz

Mrs.Helen Correa was born in Africa to late Flora and Alexander Correa. In Mumbai Helen was working for women’s magazine Eve’s weekly and had the opportunity to meet some of the best Bollywood actors and singers notable among them GeetaDutt and Hemant Kumar. She has also worked closely with late DivyaniChaubal, writer-columnist and well-known film critic.

She is one of the greatest legends of Konkani stage who stood her own along with Bollywood fame Hemanth Kumar and SangeethSamrat Henry D’Souza. She is known for immortal Konkani hits like ‘Ye..Ye..Katrina’, ‘ChondremUdevnAilo’, ‘GharasoDivo’, ‘SuryachiKirnam’, and many more. Helen’s music journey from Africa–Mangalore–Mumbai-Kuwait-Mumbai is quite astonishing.

Helen had created a sensation in the Konkani music world with her melodious and mellifluous voice in the early 60s and 70s thus giving a big fillip to Konkani music. She was the first reputed Konkani female singer in Mumbai. “SuryachinKirnan” of Jerome D Souza was her first song in radio in 1961 and with that Helen the singer had arrived on the scene. She sang many songs with Alphonso D Costa and also with Henry D Souza.

Helen has also cut an album with Henry D’ Souza with some memorable songs like “ChandremUdevn”, “Sezari”, “GharachoDivo” and of course “Katrina”. Though all the songs were quite melodious and hummable Katrina song hit the bull’s eye. Helen recalls that in during the general elections in Goa the Katrina song had gained lot of fame. Helen also reached the zenith of her popularity with some of the evergreen numbers like “DaryachaDaryachaLarani”, written by Henry, “KalzanthUllasBhorla, BhovtinVaren Valla.” “NaamvmujeLeena”, “Sanjecha Velar” (both tunes by Helen). Helen has also written lyrics of the song “TuMaka”. Apart from Alphonso, Henry and Hemant Kumar, Helen has sung with Jerome D Souza and Henry Moraes (in plays).

5. Sandesha Art Award: Dr. K. S. Pavithra

She is Psychiatrist by profession. Not only she is a good physician and researcher but also a good dancer (Artist). She has done her studies in Bharatnatyam and presently teaching several students. She is the director of Shri Vijay Kalanikethan ® at Shimoga. She has performed various dance programmes at the international level too.

As a dancer and also as a coordinator she has performed many programmes at the national and international level. She has received regional, national and international awards and also she is one among the 25 artists selected by India to participate for the International Festival.

6. Sandesha  Teacher Award: Mrs. Justin D Souza

For the past five decades, as a head of the Siddaganga Education Institution at Davanagere, Mrs. Justin D Souza has served in the field of education along with areas of culture, sports, science and art. She has given prominence to her students to build the leadership in the society by providing them proper channels and avenues.

She has set an example to others by creating environment friendly school and worked hard to recognize her school as a ‘school free from waste materials’. She has been working as a member of several associations of literature and published a book by name “SiddagangeyaSiri”.

She has bagged several awards namely “SevaDhurine”, “Shikshana Shri”, “ShikshanaSiri”, “ShramikaMahile” “Sharada” “Avva” “Kayaka Shri”, “VratthiChaitanyaRatna”, “ShikshanaShiromani” “VidhyadhareSarsvathi” and so on. She has been honoured with Kannada Rajyostva Award too.

7. Sandesha Special Recognition Award- Achievement: Mr. Vincent Prakash Carlo:

For the past 31 years, he has been in the field of Body building and power lifting and he has represented India at International level and brought honour to the nation. He has been a great inspiration to the youth and others to get motivated to keep a healthy body by getting trained themselves under his effective training.

He is from Mangalore. He is a Body Builder and Power lifter. He has participated in 11 international competitions and bagged 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 bronze. He has participated in 24 National Level and 28 state level Competitions and bagged 28 Gold, 17 silver and 7 bronze medals.

He has been honoured twice with “Strong Man of India” and twice as “Strong man of South India”

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News Network
May 2,2020

Mangaluru, May 2:  Fishermen in the coastal districts fear that the fishing season ending on May 31 every year might be rescheduled early this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement department of fisheries on sturday said fishing season is closed for 61 days every year before the arrival of the monsoon.

As per the data with the Fisheries Department, this year the number of fishes caught has set a record.

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