The Honourable Prime Minister of India
October 24, 2014
Subject: Request to issue clarification and/or apology - Mr Bimal Nepal
My dear Modiji,
It was real pleasure to see the entire nation united and happy on the day of Diwali over your decision to spend the auspicious day with our dear soldiers at Siachen. Your gesture was appreciated by almost all political parties and most political observers. I take this opportunity to firstly thank you for your generous decision.
Whilst you made the nation proud on the day of Diwali, some of your followers were bringing shame to our country by abusing and trolling an award-wining photographer on Facebook. I am not sure whether you have been apprised about the issue because it is of comparatively lesser or of no significance at all to be brought to the knowledge a Prime Minister of a country. But, as a Prime Minister who likes to hear from his people and, as one who cares even about small and minute issues, I think this must be brought to your notice.
Mr Bimal Nepal is a Nepal-born US-based award-wining photographer who, in his Facebook page on October 21, the day of Dhanteras, claimed that the photograph that your Facebook page used for greeting the people was his, and that it was used without his permission.
He claims that all of his photographs are protected by US copyright laws. For the moment, let us keep the legality aside. For a photographer's work to be shared by the Prime Minister of a country like ours is in itself a great honour. But, one cannot use this as a shield to deflect the issue of not taking his permission. It is basic courtesy that one takes prior permission or give due credit to the creator of the art before using it. Just like how we respect the brave soldiers we must also respect artists and their contribution to the society.
This may be a trivial issue for many but now that he has raised the concern, your Facebook page managers are duty bound to issue a clarification, sir. The mistake, yes it is a mistake, that they committed is a small one. But however small the mistake on ones part is, an apology and/or adequate correction only makes us great.
You are from the land of Gujarat which produced greats like Mahatma Gandhiji, Sardar Patel and Morarjibhai Desai. All the three had kept ethics above everything in their lives. I am sure you will be able to understand.
I truly trust that you will ask your Facebook page managers to do the needful. A small positive gesture from your side will instil a lot of confidence in the people of Nepal, America and here in India. In today's world where ethics is taking backstage, a word from you will be seen as a great effort in changing the status quo.
I should also bring to your notice that some of your followers are trolling him on his Facebook page. I wish that you put out a small advice for them urging them to refrain form such slander.
A 140-character tweet from the Honourable Prime Minister of India can make a lot of change!
Jai Hind!
P.S.: I am making this letter public so that the probability of it reaching you is more.
Your friend,
Siddharth Mohan Nair
Kerala, India.
October 24, 2014
Subject: Request to issue clarification and/or apology - Mr Bimal Nepal
My dear Modiji,
It was real pleasure to see the entire nation united and happy on the day of Diwali over your decision to spend the auspicious day with our dear soldiers at Siachen. Your gesture was appreciated by almost all political parties and most political observers. I take this opportunity to firstly thank you for your generous decision.
Whilst you made the nation proud on the day of Diwali, some of your followers were bringing shame to our country by abusing and trolling an award-wining photographer on Facebook. I am not sure whether you have been apprised about the issue because it is of comparatively lesser or of no significance at all to be brought to the knowledge a Prime Minister of a country. But, as a Prime Minister who likes to hear from his people and, as one who cares even about small and minute issues, I think this must be brought to your notice.
Mr Bimal Nepal is a Nepal-born US-based award-wining photographer who, in his Facebook page on October 21, the day of Dhanteras, claimed that the photograph that your Facebook page used for greeting the people was his, and that it was used without his permission.
He claims that all of his photographs are protected by US copyright laws. For the moment, let us keep the legality aside. For a photographer's work to be shared by the Prime Minister of a country like ours is in itself a great honour. But, one cannot use this as a shield to deflect the issue of not taking his permission. It is basic courtesy that one takes prior permission or give due credit to the creator of the art before using it. Just like how we respect the brave soldiers we must also respect artists and their contribution to the society.
This may be a trivial issue for many but now that he has raised the concern, your Facebook page managers are duty bound to issue a clarification, sir. The mistake, yes it is a mistake, that they committed is a small one. But however small the mistake on ones part is, an apology and/or adequate correction only makes us great.
You are from the land of Gujarat which produced greats like Mahatma Gandhiji, Sardar Patel and Morarjibhai Desai. All the three had kept ethics above everything in their lives. I am sure you will be able to understand.
I truly trust that you will ask your Facebook page managers to do the needful. A small positive gesture from your side will instil a lot of confidence in the people of Nepal, America and here in India. In today's world where ethics is taking backstage, a word from you will be seen as a great effort in changing the status quo.
I should also bring to your notice that some of your followers are trolling him on his Facebook page. I wish that you put out a small advice for them urging them to refrain form such slander.
A 140-character tweet from the Honourable Prime Minister of India can make a lot of change!
Jai Hind!
P.S.: I am making this letter public so that the probability of it reaching you is more.
Your friend,
Siddharth Mohan Nair
Kerala, India.
