Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, it has been learnt that the Government ‘owned Indian Television Network has cancelled the telecast of the television documentary “Rajiv’s India”, made by the American Journalist, Mr. Jack Anderson.
Ambassador: That’s right. A
Journalist: The cancellation according to official sources has been done on the basis of some technical flaws and because the documentary highlights the burning of brides by Hindus. Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: How far is it true that the telecast has been cancelled because the documentary contained an interview with the newspaper magnate, Mr. Ramnath Goenka in which Mr. Goenka had condemned Mrs. Indira Gandhi for “running amok with power” and had also claimed that Rajiv Gandhi’s father, late Feroze Gandhi, was his employee?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Rajiv Gandhi has reportedly assured Sri Lanka’s President, Mr. Jayewardene, that India will not support the separatist move of Tamil guerrillas in Sri Lanka.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: He has also suggested that Indian Government cannot for long ignore the feelings of the Southern States in India which are insisting that Sri Lanka Government must grant independence to the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: How does Rajiv propose to reconcile the two opposite Positions? Don’t you think he is telling Jayewardene to come to terms with the Tamil guerrillas if he wants to avoid Indian military intervention?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, ever since Mr. P.C, Alexander’s appointment as Indian High Commission in London, attacks on Congress (I) Sikh supporters in England have suddenly started.
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: Mr. Alexander is also considered largely responsible for escalating violence in Punjab by getting Hindu bus passengers killed through Congress (I) goondas simply to discredit the Dharam Yudh Morcha and to paint peaceful Sikh movement as a “terrorist” insurgency,
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t you think that this discredited adviser to late Indira Gandhi has been specially sent to England to discredit Sikh movement abroad by engineering murders of Congress (I) supporters and by blaming them on Sikh patriots?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose,
Article extracted from this publication >> February 21, 1986
