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The Print
31-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Pahalgam, Pakistan generals, pitches—what readers wrote to us in May
I did think of writing about ThePrint's coverage of Operation Sindoor in this piece but decided against it since the April column had dealt with our reporting on the Pahalgam terror attack. Operation Sindoor, launched by India against terrorist targets in Pakistan on 7 May, has been the story of the month. Instead, this column will feature readers' comments that I have received over the past few months. However, before we get down to the compliments and the complaints—and even a few curses—let me just say that ThePrint spent days and several nights covering all angles of Operation Sindoor, the subsequent military battle between India and Pakistan, the 10 May ceasefire, and the domestic and international impact of these actions. Up to 14 ThePrint journalists were sent to Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab to report from the ground during the four-day conflict. In-depth analysis of India's defence capabilities, its strategic gains, and the long-term consequences of its strikes were also covered extensively. The Opinion section of the website had military and diplomatic experts explain what many consider a defining moment in India's strategy against terror, as articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation, in which he outlined a 'new normal' policy. There's no space to mention all the good work done at ThePrint in May. But I would like to cite one story that best illustrates the teamwork which contributed to ThePrint's 'war' effort in significant ways. The breaking story came from ThePrint's science writer, Soumya Pillai. Her report of 9 May—'Orders for Pahalgam satellite images from US firm peaked two months before attack'—was perhaps the only story in the news media to provide proof of the planning behind the Pahalgam attack, and to link it to Pakistan. To quote from the story: 'Two months before terrorists killed 26 people in Kashmir, a top US-based space tech company saw an unprecedented spike in orders for high-resolution satellite images of Pahalgam and its surrounding areas… These high-resolution images are often used by defence agencies for monitoring troop movements, weapon installations, and infrastructure development…' Pillai wrote that the company, Maxar Technologies, first received orders for images of Pahalgam in June 2024 '…just months after Maxar acquired a new partner: a Pakistan-based geo-spatial company linked to federal crimes in the US.' That's pretty plausible evidence, right? Congratulations, Soumya Pillai. Also, while we are in a self-congratulatory mood, three journalists from ThePrint have won the Justice Media Award 2024-25. Apoorva Mandhani, Bismee Taskin, and Khadija Khan have been recognised 'for their contributions towards enhancing public understanding of justice and the legal system.' Read all about it here. Also Read: ThePrint's in-depth ground reports are now multimedia-interactive. 2025 vision board In the words of readers Right, now it's to the readers' mail. Readers had many issues on their minds, and India's conflict with Pakistan was just one of them. Articles and comments on the latter were submitted: 'Will Pakistan attack India again?' asked one reader on 15 May, adding that there was a complete blackout in his city — '…as per TV news there is a danger that Pakistan may attack India again?' he wrote. Then there was an article titled 'IMF's $2.3 billion loan to Pakistan: A history of bailouts casting shadows on the Fund's credibility in combating the financing of terrorism'. Another piece was 'How Pakistan wins the war it never fights'. One reader had a bright idea: why not collaborate on a documentary about Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who has been very vocal in his support for the Modi government's actions. In 'Proposal to explore Shri Shashi Tharoor as a potential PM candidate', the reader said Tharoor is '…a unique and compelling leader on the national stage'. A more sombre submission was an article titled 'How the Pahalgam attack reflects India's descent into communal darkness'—and this piece, 'Faith didn't kill them. Fanaticism did' from a Class 11 student, which in his words '…emphasises the need for unity while rejecting communal narratives.' We had other submissions too on Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor, but unfortunately, we've been unable to publish them given the volume of expert views we did carry on these topics. But thank you for your interest, readers— we do appreciate it. I also received a few complaints. Some readers objected to individual opinion pieces. In response to journalist and TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose's piece 'After Operation Sindoor, let's choose truth over TV theatre', a reader wrote: (she is) 'quite one-sided and full of anti BJP rhetoric without much rational thought… Is criticism the default option of Ms Ghose come what may?' Objections to tone, length, ads More criticism came our way on articles written about other subjects. I was in the firing line for recent Tele-Scope columns. One reader began gently enough: 'There are three people in total at ThePrint whom I have very high regard for: U, Mr Gupta, and Snehesh… (But) I was extremely disappointed by your article today… you sounded less like a serious journalist, more like the alleged rabid Islamist Rana Ayyub or the congress doormat (to quote Mr Amit Malviya) Rajdeep Sardesai… Unfortunate!!!' What had upset him so was this article. A ground report on the sex lives of college students got a lot of reader interest—and some criticism. A worried reader thought the piece was 'avoidable' as '…the publication of such report perhaps will serve as an encouragement to other young readers… and more members of other sex will be hence victimized.' My reply was that the 'secret' lives ought to brought out into the open so that the public becomes aware of the need to create a healthy environment for normal, sexual behaviour. A really angry mail came from students of the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences regarding the article 'World's largest indigenous school in Odisha is a jail; we're all monkeys, says a tribal student'. They expressed 'immense pain' and a 'deep sense of betrayal'—'Have you ever visited our campus? Have you spoken to us, the children of KISS, before labelling our home as a 'jail'?' they wrote. 'Your article reeks of prejudice, ignorance, and insensitivity.' ThePrint replied with a point-by-point rebuttal of the allegations. For example, nowhere in the article did ThePrint claim it had entered the KISS premises—we had no permission to do so. We did speak to students, parents, and alumni, and the story cites a report by the National Human Rights Commission in 2025: 'The KIIT University and KISS have both been unable to comply with the law and failed to provide safety and security to their students.' Quite often, I receive backhanded compliments that are actually complaints. Like this one: 'I'm a long-time reader of your journal, and I find its reporting better and truer than the propaganda churned out by Godi media…' Great. But then: 'On the other hand, your journal does suffer from certain handicaps… Some of the articles are too long… they fail to hold my interest. For instance, the article by Manasi Phadake (sic), 'How big stars and bloated blockbusters are bleeding Bollywood dry', is way too long…' Finally, the reader has a word of advice: 'What you need is a good Editor who will ruthlessly trim the fat…' Personally, I found Phadke's article informative and the data it presented, persuasive. ThePrint has a very competent editing team who do 'ruthlessly trim the fat' but I have passed this on to them, nevertheless. Readers frequently complain about advertisements interrupting their reading of articles: 'I admire print journalism… it would be ideal if the articles could be printed without any ads interfering,' wrote in a reader. I wish we could all enjoy an ad-free experience but financial imperatives dictate otherwise. So, apologies, but please bear with us. Also Read: How ThePrint's small newsroom brought you Pahalgam from every angle, minus the noise Conversations—and compliments I also receive mail that is neither complimentary nor critical. Readers simply want to share their views. One reader, for example, wrote about 'When truth breaks its bones in the fall from power'—'The battle between truth and power is not new, but its stakes have never been higher…'' And this, on taxes: 'Taxed for earning. Taxed for spending. Taxed for saving'. 'You work 12 hours a day / Income Tax cuts your salary. You go shopping /GST slaps your bill. You save and invest /Capital gains eats your reward… You die. And they're considering inheritance tax next.' A very long mail arrived in the mailbox on the ruling party, titled: 'Hallo — all the Lordships of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India: please DO NOT UNDER-ESTIMATE the RSS of BJP…' Some readers ask for our opinion — or rather that of Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta: 'One thing which is not talked about a lot is that Gen. Munir is the first general of Pakistan Army who was commissioned (in 1986) when Zia was firmly in control of the army. Gen. Zia was in his conservative avatar, transforming Pakistani society… What are your thoughts on this? Would this mean the coming crop of generals from Pakistan would be more radical and conservative Islamists than their predecessors?' Finally, let me share a few compliments. The first — 'Thank you all for your reporting on the Pehalgam (sic) attack… Unlike some other channels, you guys have not tried to portray it Hindu vs Muslim. I felt that all your reports were subtly trying to tell the readers that it's a terrorist act effected by Pakistan and Indian Muslims are together in this with the rest of India.' And there's this one: 'Dear The Print (sic) team and Mr Shekhar Gupta, Thank you for doing what you are doing and please continue. I have been a big fan… of The Print. I have been diligently consuming important information pieces, and have been referring to The Print articles/videos anytime I needed a reliable source of information. Thank you for your non-hyphenated journalism.' Thank you, readers, for your continuing faith in ThePrint. Shailaja Bajpai is ThePrint's Readers' Editor. Please write in with your views and complaints to (Edited by Asavari Singh)
The Print
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
3 ThePrint journalists win prestigious Justice Media Award for demystifying the law for the people
'We are all part of the fourth pillar of democracy. The Bar cannot be segregated from the media because the Bar is the biggest champion of civil rights and rights of citizens,' former Supreme Court judge and India International Arbitration Centre chairperson Hemant Gupta, chief guest at the award ceremony, said in his keynote address. Sumedha Manhas also received an award for a report she wrote for ThePrint. New Delhi: Three journalists of the ThePrint, Apoorva Mandhani, Bismee Taskin and Khadija Khan, were Friday conferred the Justice Media Award 2024-25 by the North Delhi Lawyers' Association (NDLA) in recognition for their contributions towards enhancing public understanding of justice, and the legal system. The awards were presented during the NDLA Annual Conference at the India Habitat Centre. This year's theme—'Bar, Bench & News Reports: A Bridge between Common citizens'—underscored the importance of transparent, accessible legal reporting in strengthening democracy. Advocate Vineet Jindal, secretary general of the NDLA, emphasised the association's commitment to fostering a symbiotic relationship between the judiciary, the Bar, and the media. 'This conference is more than an event—it's a movement. Journalists are the lens through which most citizens see the law,' he said. Apoorva Mandhani, a senior assistant editor at ThePrint, received an award in the Legal Anchoring category. Covering politics and the judiciary, she has become one of the organisation's key voices decoding complex legal proceedings for a wide viewership and readership. Principal Correspondent Bismee Taskin was recognised in the category of Legal Investigative Reporting. She primarily reports on crime and national security and has consistently covered complex legal investigations in considerable detail. Senior Correspondent Khadija Khan was honoured in the Legal Reporting category. Her reportage spans the judiciary, Parliament, policy issues and intellectual property rights (IPR) law, offering detailed insights into areas often underexplored in mainstream news. Recalling his early days as a lawyer, Justice Gupta shared a telling anecdote, 'Before filing a writ petition, I wanted to read the judgment of a case. I couldn't find the copy in my office, but to my surprise, a journalist had it before I did. That's how efficient legal reporters can be.' Other guests in attendance included Justice M.M. Kumar, former Chief Justice of the J&K High Court and member of the NHRC, Justice B.R. Sarangi, NHRC member and former Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, Ashok Srivastav, senior editor and anchor at DD News, and P.K. Malhotra, former law secretary and patron of the NDLA. Kartikay Chaturvedi is an intern who graduated from ThePrint School of Journalism. (Edited by Gitanjali Das) Also Read: ThePrint dug deep into Manipur crisis. 7 journalists receive IPI excellence award for ground reportage
