Open Letter from Prasenjit Bose to Arnab Goswami on His Refusal to Take Part in the Verbal Lynching of Prof. Partha Chatterjee on the Republic TV and His Challenge for an Open Debate as Co-panelists

 

Dear Arnab Goswami,

I was flummoxed to receive yet another call from the Republic TV yesterday at 7.15 pm, inviting me to participate in your show, this time on “General Dyer” #DyreWire. I had brushed it aside as yet another manifestation of your shamelessness – getting your helpless employees to call me every other evening, even after I have unequivocally communicated (both privately and publicly) that I would never participate in your lurid théâtre de l’absurde, since it lacks even a semblance of media integrity. But a friend drew my attention to the content of your show yesterday night, where you have dastardly attacked the author of an article for comparing the recent actions and utterances of Indian army officials with regard to the shameful incident involving Farooq Ahmad Dar in Kashmir to that of the infamous Reginald Dyer of Jallianwala Bagh.

Let me inform you that I have read the article in question penned by Prof. Partha Chatterjee and very much agree with the essence of his argument: https://thewire.in/142901/general-dyer-indian-army-kashmir/

Rabindranath Tagore taught us a century ago – in the thick of the freedom struggle – that any nationalism, shorn of universal human values, gets impregnated with cannibalistic instincts. Prof. Chatterjee’s articulations stem from the same convictions. I am not surprised though that a person like you, who relies more on the larynx than on the cerebellum to judge and communicate, has failed to make any sense of this profound Indian wisdom. What more can be said of someone who nods in agreement with the delusional Mr. Sambit Patra, who confuses constitutional democracy with a theocratic medieval monarchy.

It is not that I am unwilling to debate these issues with you. But the debate cannot happen with you as an anchor in your studio – not only because you manipulate the volume levels of your guest speakers 😉 and shout them down uncouthly but also because an opinionated person like you should stop the funny pretense of being “neutral” and join issues with the “secular liberals” on a level playing field.

I am inviting you for an open debate, at a time and place of your choosing, on any issue – nationalism, Kashmir, Pakistan, Indian army, terrorism, the performance of the Modi Government and the Opposition, the state of the economy, demonetisation, GDP, fuel prices, corruption, crony capitalism, beef, cow, cow urine, calf, peacock, celibacy or anything else which we have discussed and debated during your earlier days at Times Now or you think is relevant to the political discourse today. Only on one condition – you have to debate with me as a fellow panelist, not as an anchor. We can mutually decide on the moderator of that debate. Do you have it within you to accept this invite? Please call me next time if you do.

Regards,

Prasenjit Bose
Kolkata, 06.06.2017