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vishwanathprasad
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The formation of a special team to carry forward the probe from now on is a
positive sign, but the lapse of nearly a year bodes ill for the prospects of gathering
credible and relevant evidence to unearth the whole truth. The investigation has
undoubtedly been tardy, hesitant and overcautious: a clear sign that it has been
weighed down by the stature of Mr. Tharoor. Some caution is justified when
political personages are involved to avoid the impression of favouritism or
vindictive targeting, but it should not be at the cost of a free and impartial
investigation. Sensitivity towards the privacy of individuals involved cannot
detract from the quest for the truth. The horrific terrorist attack in Paris at the
office of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo is a direct assault on the freedom of
speech, thought and expression, the fundamentals on which all open, democratic
societies are built.
Ten staff members at the satirical weekly, including four of its top
cartoonists, were gunned down by masked men who entered the building and
targeted the editorial meeting in what seemed to be a well-planned and
professional operation. They left shouting Allahu-Akbar, killing two policemen on
the street outside before driving off in a getaway car. Since 2006, when it first
published the Danish cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, Charlie Hebdo had been
under threat of violent attacks by Islamist groups. Refusing to be intimidated, the
publication continued to caricature Islam even after a firebombing in November
2011, just as it also relentlessly lampooned Christianity and Judaism — its
Christmas week cover caricaturing the birth of Jesus was designed to provoke and
cause offence. Self-censorship in order not to hurt religious sensibilities is now the
norm in most parts of the world, so too in India, where media and expressions of
popular culture including cinema, art and writing have to walk the tightrope daily
in deference to what Salman Rushdie in an interview to this newspaper
described.