Attack on Tourists in Thekkady Kerala

A dirty Attack of A Maniac v/s Dirty Reporting by the Media

On January 6 2007 a (maniac?) attack took place at the Thekkady wild life sanctuary in the state of Kerala. One Swiss couple Jan Coaster and his wife Eva Coaster were injured in the incident that took place without any provocation. The attacker was one young man by name Santhosh. Why he did it, no body knows. As the culprit is in police custody and not permitted for a press interview it may better be left to the guess.

The initial reports suggest that this young man is perfectly sane if that is so some thing is seriously wrong with the perceptions he had about foreigners, most of the public think that all white skinned persons are American or British. The ideology that governs the present rulers and their youth wings frequently blame the Americans for all the illness of the world.

American inperialism attacking Iraq. Multinational monopolists who steal our drinking water, stooges of imperialism, imperialistic dogs etc are the common phrases which decorate the speeches and proclamations of the party leaders. This exercise is a nonstop business of twenty four hours.

These are enough and more for a young man; desperate of his circumstances to be provoked, if his instinct for violence get directed to a hapless foreign couple who happened to be here, who the real culprit is.

The innocent tourists who are lured to this land by beautiful tourism advertisements are falling victims to the xenophobia nurtured by the so called ideologists.

If the government hates foreigners it should say it plainly. Don’t invite them with smiling face. What the government at present is doing is provoking their youths’ mind with hatred against foreigners and set a stage apt for such incidents then invite tourists with colorful advertisements, what happens next is any body’s guess.

The most disturbing show was by the media, they played their part by showing very pathetic pictures of the victim with hacker still in her eye. For whom such a photograph was shown may bewilder any body’s mind, at least they should have shown some mercy to a couple brutally assaulted by a misguided youth of and that too without even a slight provocation.

An instance the media would not have forgotten may just quoted for attention. When Sri Vidya the favorite actress of Kerala was laid up her request to the media was that don’t show me in your papers in this condition. There Malayalam media showed kindness to her. Such a noble culture should have shown to Mrs. Eva Coaster also.

No doubt tourists to this country are a frightened lot. Next year’s tourism will be badly affected and time will take to repair the damage that has happened. The healing touch should come from the politicians as they are the primary culprits in corrupting the minds of youths. The media instead of crawling in sleaze should come with some ethics. Sticking to the ethics of journalism would not lose their readers as they fear.

May god bless the Coaster couple.