| Revision as of 05:00, 15 January 2009 editHarshray (talk | contribs)79 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 05:02, 15 January 2009 edit undoHarshray (talk | contribs)79 edits Insert contains too many falsehoods, such as "Chellaney surrendered" to police and Maharaja of Patiala "challenged as unconstitutional" the government law. Let's be accurate.Next edit → | ||
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| Until January 2000, Professor Chellaney was an adviser to India’s National Security Council, serving as convenor of the External Security Group of the National Security Advisory Board, as well as member of the Board’s Nuclear Doctrine Group. Professor Chellaney is a potential contender for the post of India's ], in particular if the opposition comes to power in nationwide elections scheduled for April-May 2009. | Until January 2000, Professor Chellaney was an adviser to India’s National Security Council, serving as convenor of the External Security Group of the National Security Advisory Board, as well as member of the Board’s Nuclear Doctrine Group. Professor Chellaney is a potential contender for the post of India's ], in particular if the opposition comes to power in nationwide elections scheduled for April-May 2009. | ||
| == Reporting of Operation Bluestar casualities== | |||
| {{main|Operation Bluestar}} | |||
| Before the storming of ] by Indian Army starting June 03 1984, reporters were removed from Punjab (India) by the authorities and ] was enforced.<ref name=HamlynMediaBlackout>{{cite news | last = Hamlyn |first = Michael | title = Journalists removed from Amritsar: Army prepares to enter Sikh shrine | work =| pages =36| language = English| publisher = The Times | date = 1984-06-06| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-25}}</ref> The foreign journalists were picked up from their hotels at 5 a.m. in a military bus, taken to the adjoining border of the state of ] and "were abandoned there".<ref name=HamlynMediaBlackout/> All main towns were put under curfew, transportation was banned, news blackout was imposed and Punjab was "cut off from the outside world".<ref>{{cite news | last = |first = | title = Gun battle rages in Sikh holy shrine| work =| pages =1| language = English| publisher = The Times | date = 1984-06-05| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref> Brahma Chellaney, who then worked for ], was the only foreign reporter who managed to stay in ] despite the media blackout<ref name=FirstReportBrahma>{{cite news | last = Hamlyn |first =Michael | title = Amritsar witness puts death toll at 1000| work =| pages =7| language = English| publisher = The Times| date = 1984-06-12| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref>. He provided the first non-government news reports from Amritsar on telephone about the causalities which was published in the ] (London) and stated 1000 dead in the storming of temple including 800 militants and 200 troops<ref name=FirstReportBrahma/>. Chellaney reported that by June 12 1984, 780 dead bodies had already been burned in groups of 30 by the authorities.<ref name=FirstReportBrahma/> The number of causalities reported by Chellaney were far more then government reports<ref name=underestimated>{{cite news | last = |first =| title = Toll in assault on Sikh Temple termed vastly underestimated | work =| pages =| language = English| publisher = Miami Herald| date = 1984-06-11| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref> and revealed several other human rights violations<ref name=ArrestOrdered>{{cite news | last = Hamlyn |first =Michael | title =Arrest ordered of journalist who reported temple atrocities | work =| pages =8| language = English| publisher = The Times| date = 1984-10-16| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref>. He reported that many dead bodies had their hands tied behind their backs and were shot in their forehead<ref name=tiedandshot>{{cite news | last = Chellaney |first = Brahma | title = Sikhs in Amritsar 'tied up and shot'| work = Brahma Chellaney, for the Associated Press, was the only foreign correspondent in Amritsar during the storming of the temple | pages =1| language = English| publisher = The Times| date = 1984-06-14| url =| accessdate =2008-12-26}}</ref>. He reported that elderly men who surrendered on the first day of army attack were taken away by army and tortured by pulling their beards, removing their turbans, tying their long hair around their necks and putting sand in their eyes.<ref name=shotpointblank>{{cite news | last = Chellaney |first = Brahma | title = Sikh rebels were shot 'at point-blank range'| work = Brahma Chellaney, for the Associated Press, was the only foreign correspondent in Amritsar during the storming of the temple | pages =3| language = English| publisher = The Times| date = 1984-06-14| url =| accessdate =2008-12-2}}</ref> Chellaney also reported a local journalist who saw Sikh youth were made to pull their trousers above their knees, kneel and march on the hot road while the soldiers repeatedly kicked and punched them.<ref name=tiedandshot/> Chellaney interviewed a doctor who said he was picked up by the army and forced to conduct postmortems despite the fact he had never done any postmortem examination before and was just an eye specialist .<ref name=tiedandshot/> The doctor Challeney interviewed also reported women and children among the victims and called the attack on Golden Temple a "virtual massacre".<ref name=tiedandshot/> The accuracy of the reports was "supported by Indian and other press accounts" according to Associated Press; and reports in The Times and New York Times <ref name=reportsverified>{{cite news | last = Stevens |first = | title = India is said to drop prosecution of A. P. reporter in Punjab case =| pages =5| language = English| publisher = New York Times| date = 1984-10-30| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26 | quote= ''Mr. Chellaney reported a death tool of 1,200 at a time when the Indian Government said the figure was 576. He also reported that 8 to 10 Sikhs had been tied up and shot by soldiers. The Government called his dispatches false and inflammatory. The A. P. defended the accuracy of his reports, which were supported by Indian and other press accounts.''}}</ref>. | |||
| ==Reaction of authorities on Chellaney's Operation Bluestar reports== | |||
| For Challaney's coverage of Operation Bluestar causalities published in ] (London) newspaper in June 1984<ref name=ArrestOrdered/><ref name=ArrestOrderNT>{{cite news | last = Stevens |first = William K. | title = Reporter faces arrest in India| work =| pages = 10| language = English| publisher = The New York Times| date = 1984-17-10| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref> , the government issued arrest warrant against him<ref name=ArrestOrdered/><ref name=ArrestOrderNT/> and inspector P. N. Mehta reached Associated Press's Delhi office on October 15 1984 to arrest Mr. Chellaney who was then not present in office.<ref name=ArrestOrdered/> Government then charged him with the newly formed TAAA (Terrorist Affected Areas Act) which meant a person charged can be "arrested without bail and tried in camera; prosecution witnesses need not be identified, and he is assumed to be guilty until he proves himself innocent" <ref name=chargedTAAA>{{cite news | last = Hamlyn |first =Michael | title = Terror Act journalist gets hearing | work =| pages =5| language = English| publisher = The Times| date = 1984-10-31| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref>. The new law was called a ''"disturbing amendment"'' by then London Bureau Chief of the Associated Press, Victoria Graham <ref name=DisturbingAmend>{{cite news | last = Stevens |first =Wiliam K. | title = Charges Against a Reporter in Punjab Stir Protest =| pages =A4| language = English| publisher = New York Times| date = 1984-10-30|quote=Under what is called the Terrorist Affected Areas Act, which was to apply to terrorists, suspects are to be tried in camera unless the prosecutor seeks and open trial. Moreover, the law makes what Victoria Graham, bureau chief here for The Associated Press, calls a "disturbing amendment"}}</ref>. Mr. Chellaney surrendered later and challenged in the court both, the TAAA act and the press ban in Punjab<ref name=chargedTAAA/>. The interrogating officer, P. N. Mehta who was accompanied by army officials on two other occasions, told Mr. Chellaney that "the government is determined to pursue his case" and that the "order and instructions are directly from Delhi" and also of the new charges of sedition.<ref name=chargedSedition>{{cite news | last = Hamlyn |first =Michael | title = Reporter may face sedition charges| work =| pages =7| language = English| publisher = The Times| date = 1984-11-27| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref>. The interrogators are also reported to have told Chellaney that "they intend to teach him and thereby other journalists a lesson" and that they will extract information about Chellaney's sources of information by "hook or by crook"<ref name=chargedSedition/>. The government actions against Mr. Chellaney caused concern in the journalism world<ref name=ProtestsInPunjab>{{cite news | last = Stevens |first =Wiliam K. | title = Charges Against a Reporter in Punjab Stir Protest =| pages =A4| language = English| publisher = New York Times| date = 1984-10-30|quote=''An effort to prosecute an Associated Press reporter here has set off protests by representatives of western news organizations, some of whom see the case as a gross violation of the principle of freedom of press, a principle officially subscribed by the Indian Government.'' }}</ref> and civil liberties organizations.<ref name=govtchallenged>{{cite news | last = Hamlyn |first =Michael | title = Terror Act journalist gets hearing | work =| pages =5| language = English| publisher = The Times| date = 1984-10-31| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref>. The ] (Brussels) protested the "continued harassment" of Mr. Chellaney at the hands of government<ref name=IFJprotest>{{cite news | last = |first =| title = Jounalists Group Protests Treatment of Indian Reporter | pages =| language = English| publisher = New York Times| date = 1985-05-04| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26 | quote= BRUSSELS, May 3 (A P) - The International Federation of Journalists cabled Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India today to protest what it called the continued harassment of a reporter for The Associated Press, Brahma Chellaney, and to ask for the free exercise of journalism in India. The Brussels-based organization, which has a membership of 105,000 journalists, also protested 'the refusal by Indian authorities to return his passport and renew his press card'.}}</ref>. The Editors Guild of India also protested the curbing of press and illegal charges put against Mr. Chellaney by government<ref name=EGIprotest>{{cite news | last = |first = | title = Indian Editors Say Governments Threatens Free Expression =| pages =4| language = English| publisher = New York Times| date = 1985-02-17| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26}}</ref> The government act was also challenged as "unconstitutional" by Maharaja of Patiala, Amrinder Singh in a separate application filed in the supreme court.<ref name=govtchallenged/> Charges against Chellaney were dropped in September 1985.<ref name=chargeDropped>{{cite news | last = |first =| title = Case dropped | work =| pages =| language = English| publisher = The Times | date = 1985-09-09| url =| accessdate = 2008-12-26 }}</ref> | |||
| == Publications == | == Publications == | ||
| He is the author of five books. His latest book is the best-selling ''Asian Juggernaut: The Rise of China, India and Japan'' (HarperCollins, 2007). Another recent publication is a smaller, 100-page book, ''On the Frontline of Climate Change: International Security Implications'' (KAF, 2007), with Heela Najibullah. He has published research papers in ''International Security, Orbis, Survival, Washington Quarterly, Security Studies'' and ''Terrorism'' |
He is the author of five books. His latest book is the best-selling ''Asian Juggernaut: The Rise of China, India and Japan'' (HarperCollins, 2007). Another recent publication is a smaller, 100-page book, ''On the Frontline of Climate Change: International Security Implications'' (KAF, 2007), with Heela Najibullah. He has published research papers in ''International Security, Orbis, Survival, Washington Quarterly, Security Studies'' and ''Terrorism.'' | ||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 05:02, 15 January 2009
Brahma Chellaney is Professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, an independent, privately funded think-tank. He is also a Member of the Policy Advisory Group headed by the Foreign Minister of India.
Education and career
Chellaney holds a Ph.D. in arms control. A specialist on international security and arms control issues, Professor Chellaney has held appointments at the Harvard University, the Brookings Institution, the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies and the Australian National University. His specialization includes energy and climate security. Professor Chellaney is also a newspaper columnist and television commentator. He writes opinion articles for the International Herald Tribune, Wall Street Journal, The Japan Times, The Asian Age, Covert, The Times of India and The Hindustan Times. In 1985, he won the Overseas Press Club of America's Citation for Excellence.
Until January 2000, Professor Chellaney was an adviser to India’s National Security Council, serving as convenor of the External Security Group of the National Security Advisory Board, as well as member of the Board’s Nuclear Doctrine Group. Professor Chellaney is a potential contender for the post of India's National Security Advisor, in particular if the opposition comes to power in nationwide elections scheduled for April-May 2009.
Publications
He is the author of five books. His latest book is the best-selling Asian Juggernaut: The Rise of China, India and Japan (HarperCollins, 2007). Another recent publication is a smaller, 100-page book, On the Frontline of Climate Change: International Security Implications (KAF, 2007), with Heela Najibullah. He has published research papers in International Security, Orbis, Survival, Washington Quarterly, Security Studies and Terrorism.
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