1 October 2011

The world's largest democracy should not deny entry to a journalist

Thanks to The Progressive, I've been alerted to an injustice -- a minor one, but an injustice nonetheless.  About a week ago, Alternative Radio founder and journalist David Barsamian was denied entry into India at Indira Ghandi International Airport.

Progressive editor Matthew Rothschild has called on readers to write to the Indian Ambassador in Washington, D.C. (mailing address provided on their site) to protest the ban on Barsamian.   I think it's a great idea, and I did just that.  For those of you who are not inclined to send a letter by post, you can send an email to the embassy by clicking here.  My letter is below.

Dear Ambassador Nirupama Rao:

Congratulations on your recent appointment. I trust you will make important contributions to mutually beneficial relations between India and the United States.

I am writing about a concern I have regarding American journalist David Barsamian. I have just read that he was recently denied entry into your country. While I only know the facts as they have been presented in this article <http://www.progressive.org/david_barsamian_india_ban.html>, I've been a longtime admirer of Barsamian's and know that he practices good journalism. While his work may be critical of governments, I believe it helps those governments live up to the tenets of freedom and democracy they espouse.

As the caretakers of the world's largest democracy, I cannot understand how India's government could deny entry to a peaceful individual doing such good work. Please add my voice to the list of people displeased with the government's decision. If this, as the government has communicated, is simply a visa issue, I hope you will pursue whatever actions you can to resolve it. Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,
Charles Ian Chun

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