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[parthasarathy k s]

Friends,
 
The terse comments of  Cal Salters, a TV producer, on Dr. Canton's well reasoned and factual arguments on nuclear power remind me of my mortifying experience with a well known TV journalist Mr Karan Thapar in 1991. He interviewed me for a popular TV programme "Eye Witness".Mr Thapar asked me 40 questions in 10 minutes. He tried his best to bias my views towards his opinion on the impact of Rajasthan Atomic Power Station on the villagers living in the neighbourhood. He was somewhat successful.  The biassed editing of the script was evident to me as I had taped the entire interview.
 
I had no other way but to explain the entire story by a series of letters to the editor in many multi edition news papers. In the ensuing controversy, I stated the well known scientific fact no genetic effects were found among the thousands of children born to the atomic bomb survivors at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mr Thapar unhesitatingly contested my statement as "inexplicable"; "where did Dr. Parthasarathy form the impression that no genetic effects were found among the thousands of children of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?" he countered,"the opposite is not just a fact, it is the truth", he asserted. My impotent rage notwithstanding, the TV interview led to a stormy discussion in the Indian Parliament.
 
I was not in the least surprised at the scientifically unsupported conviction of the interviewer, as misgivings and myths about the effects of radiation have been rampant even among technologists, social scientists and other highly qualified experts.
 
After the recording of the interview, I had a heart to heart discussion with the interviewer. I see a surprisingly refreshing similarity with his views and those of Mr Cal Salters.He expected an agreeable nod from me indicating that the allegation of birth defects in children  is due to the impact of the nuclear power station. My seasoned statement that the dose due radioactive releases from the power station is too trivial did not satisfy him! he expected that the impact is too high!
 
 I protested against his using telling visuals of polio affected children in the programme. He implied  that it is due to the nuclear power station. I told him that it is "criminal" to create such suspicions in the mind sof innocent villagers; "It is no more an entertainment", I told himm. He argued that TV is for entertainment.
 
Mr Thapar could not wish me away, as I was facing him in response to his demand to the then Prime Minister to send a scientist to answer his queries on camera. The difference between Mr Cal Salters and Mr Karan Thapar is that  the latter wanted to thrive on the  controversy. He won as the item kept me busy for several days answering  questions from national news papers and international news agencies such as the BBC.
 
Regards
K.S.Parthasarathy



		
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