Need for formidable and unfettered media

By Parmanand Pandey
Among the many roles that the media has to play is the building of a just and egalitarian society with emphasis to inclusive growth. It has not only to serve as the mirror of society-be it good, bad, ugly or beautiful as is often stated by some people. It has to see that the perpetrators of atrocities on weak and humble do not go scot-free, that the corruption is banished, if not completely at least in good measure, that iniquitous administration of justice and governance and distribution of wealth is got rid of, that the gender bias is removed etc.

It may be recalled that the Press played a remarkable role during the freedom struggle. After independence every thing changed radically. Technology rightly got the place of pride. The shape and presentation of the news and views got metamorphosed. Television and Internet appear to be ultimate revolution but it will continue to amaze as this is an on-going process. One gets awestruck with virtually mind-blowing changes. Such changes brought about courtesy science and technologies are always welcome.

Here, however, the question remains, how for the media has been able to achieve its cardinal goal of improving the lot of the people? Why there is so much cynicism among the people about the media. There can be hardly any doubt that media is a sine qua non in a democratic set up. It is unthinkable to have a democratic system without free media. Robust democracy ensures free media and vice versa.

It will be pertinent mention here that there has not been seen any devastating famine in India after independence, thanks to free and watchful media. It has always kept the government on toes as and when such situations arose. Recently there have been some deaths of farmers particularly in Maharashtra. But visualise a scene if media had not been free and vigilant. The death toll of scores of farmers would have gone unnoticed and the government must have remained sleeping. However, the sustained reporting of suicides of farmers in print and electronic media kept the government alert and careful forcing her to swing into action to save the lives of precariously placed farmers.

Media has done laudable works during natural calamities; be it floods or droughts or earthquakes. The promptness of media reporting of such matters brought Godspeed in the relief and rescue operations.

Many sting operations that were carried out particularly by the electronic media have rendered yeoman service in cleansing the society. Nobody could have thought of any action to be taken against corrupt Members of Parliament if they had not been caught on TV cameras taking money for asking questions in Parliament.

Believe it not, corrupt politicians and bureaucrats shudder to take bribes not because their hearts have been changed but because of the fear of the media. Let me hasten add, this does not mean that the bribery has been rooted out; in fact, it has increased at many places but it is no longer as openly and blatantly as it used to be in the pre-TV days. Needless to say, Media has significantly awakened the people against the social evils like; dowry, child marriage, bride burning, fossilised caste-ism or religious bigotry. What the police and administration have failed to do, that has commendably been done by vigilant media to curb and control the communal riots and fake encounters. Only two decades ago when media was not so strong the police used to often resort to barbaric methods but that has been reduced to a large extent and the credit must be given to Media only for its salubrious impact. Having said it all, it will be virtually losing sight of the fact that the media has also played very negative and destructive roles. It has done incalculable damage to some innocent people, in particular and also to the society in general with its nonchalant, irresponsible, callous and apathetic behaviour. Uma Khuran’s case is a glaring example. The image of the poor school teacher was tarnished beyond repair due to irresponsible media.

Kargil war was perhaps the first war that was fought in media glaze. It had the desired effect on the psyche of the people. Armed forces were praised, honoured and awarded across the board primarily because of the media. The feeling of patriotism and nationalism overpowered the people. But on the other hand it during the Kandhar crisis its role was very negative. The media had, for all practical purposes, capitulated the government of India forcing her to take the shameful decision of surrendering the hardened terrorists for securing the release of 198 passengers and crews of the hijacked plane IC 814. The accusations made by some people against media persons of indulging into blackmailing are also not without weight and substance. The media must look into it without inviting any interference from the Government.

The last two decades have seen the immense growth of media during the last two decades. And in the days to come, it will, undoubtedly, become more formidable. It is in the interest of the society that the media remains absolutely free from the shackles of the unscrupulous and selfish business houses as well as blackmailing journalists. It is not exaggeration to say that the formidable and unfettered media will enormously help in building the healthy society and a strong nation than all other constitutionally recognised organs of the State put together.

Gutter language of Rita Joshi has shamed all

By Parmanand Pandey

One would be dumbstruck to hear the language of Ms Rita Bhaguna Joshi, the Chief of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee that she used against the U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati while addressing the meeting of Mahila Congress Workers in Moradabad. She said that ‘It is shameful that the U.P. Chief Minister is doling out Rs two lakh to the victims of rape.’ There is nothing wrong to this extent but what she said after this was enough to shame and benumb any civil society. In her simulated rage she went on ‘I say these women to throw that amount at the face of Mayawati. I will pay Rs.one crore to Mayawati as compensation if she is raped.’ Some were wonderstruck whether this gutter language was coming from the mouth of the UPCC Chief but then some were there who clapped in applause. Rape is, no doubt, a ghastly crime. It kills a woman every day that she lives. No amount of compensation will wipe out her mental agony and pain. But then that is not the issue being discussed here. The point in consideration is the type of political leaders we have, who have no qualms, shame or guilt in stooping down to the bottom of vulgarity.

Ms Joshi is the daughter of the late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, who was an illustrious leader of the country. Late Bahuguna had fought for the freedom of the country. While he was studying in Allahabad University, he was a regular visitor to Ananad Bhavan, which was a hub of freedom-activities. He was jailed for quite long time and as a result of it, he could not complete his formal university education but he shaped up a formidable, dignified and visionary leader of the country. He rose up to the level of the Deputy Prime Minister of India.

Shri Bahuguna started his career as a trade unionist and was the leader of the Rickshaw Union of Allahabad. His concern for poor and deprived sections of the society was clear and obvious. He was one of the most beloved Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and always espoused progressive and secular politics. He wanted that poor people, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes must get major say in the governance and the administration of the country. He was removed from Chief Ministership of Uttar pradesh in the heyday of the Emergency. That again shows that he was feeling suffocation during the Emergency and had become persona non grata for the coterie that was dictating everything during the Emergency. This was the reason that immediately after the Emergency was lifted he teamed-up with Babu Jagjivan Ram, the other disgruntled Congressman, who was, undoubtedly, the tallest Dalit leader in those days and formed a new party-Congress for Democracy. This party played very important role in unseating the Congress Party from power.

It is necessary to say all these things because one expects that Ms Rita Bahuguna Joshi must have been tempered with the political training of her not-so-ordinary father. Apart from it, Ms Joshi is a Post-Graduate in History and she has also earned her Ph.D. in the same subject. By any reckoning she is qualified enough to set the trend of decent politics. The politics, in today’s environment, has become the calling of the lumpens, who are devoid of any ideology, whose only aim is to make money, bully others, bend and break the rules and laws ,to enjoy the fruits of power by grabbing or usurping it by adopting all crook means. Coming from a political family and being a highly educated person, as Ms Joshi is, her fault or indiscretion becomes doubly serious, reprehensible and deplorable, which deserves to be roundly condemned by one and all.

What Mayawati is doing in Uttar Pradesh is egregiously wrong and nobody in his/her senses would countenance her megalomaniac activities. She is behaving worst than a tin-pot dictator but then that is a different matter. And that does not justify even a wee bit what Ms Joshi has slandered about her.

Ms Joshi appears to be blissfully ignorant of the fact that Mayawati is providing compensation to the rape victims as per the provisions of a Central Act. One can safely say that if Mayawati had to give it her own, she would not have given a single penny.

Being a woman, Ms Joshi was also expected that she would not use such obscene language for a women politician, who is occupying the high post of the Chief Minster of an important State, which has produced number of tall politicians from its cauldron. Mayawati, it can be said without doubt, is not fired with any political, economic or social ideology, which can take the State out of political marsh or quagmire. She is virtually an illiterate woman (though she is a Law Graduate) known for her uncouth and brusque style of functioning. She lives on an emotive issue of ‘Dalit ki beti’. Although the people are slowly realising her gimmicks and that was why; she got a sound drubbing in the recently concluded Lok Shabha elections. She has realised that earth beneath feet is drifting very fast. Developmental activities in Uttar Pradesh have virtually come to a naught. She indulges only into rabid caste politics and outsmarts even Mulayam and Lalu. She thinks that bullying is a good tactics. The number of takers of her politics is fast dwindling because people have seen through it.

Needless to say that nobody can beat Mayawati as far as foul language is concerned. Such type of language coming from the Opposition Parties suits Mayawati as has gained expertise in using it in her favour. Sabji Mandi language is not the reply to Mayawati’s anti-people policies. She has to be opposed politically and ideologically. Alas! Rita Joshi has miserably failed. Any sympathy to her will be misplaced and would not auger well for the state, country and politics as well. No tears should be shed for Ms Joshi. Her jail term could have served a salubrious and fitting lesson to all politicians but that that could not happen as she is out on bail.