Veteran journalist P. Sainath has said that the nation is in a crisis. And this crisis is not limited to just the rural area. It has become a national crisis at various areas such as agriculture, education, economy, job creation etc.
He was delivering the endowment lecture on the topic ‘Indian democracy at the post-liberalization and post-truth era’ at Media Manthan 2020 organized by the PG department of journalism and mass communication at St Aloysius College (Autonomous).
Mr Sainath said that the many policies adopted in the 90s led to India becoming unusually unequal. Referring to the speech Ambedkar had made at the Constituent Assembly while handing over the draft of the Constitution, Mr Sainath said, “Ambedkar had warned about the weakness of Indian democracy that liberty without equality allows the supremacy of a few over the multitude. Liberty, equality and fraternity must be kept together as we cannot have one without the other.”
Mr Sainath stated that the agrarian crisis was no longer about the loss of productivity, employment or about farmer suicide; it was a societal, civilizational crisis. Commenting on the lopsided policies such as cow-slaughter ban, he explained how cow slaughter ban had adversely affected many industries due to their interdependency. While Muslims who slaughtered cows were rendered helpless, the cattle traders who were mostly OBCs lost their earnings as the cattle prices crashed. An important industry like Kolhapur sandals industry in Maharashtra went bankrupt as a result of the cow slaughter ban in Maharashtra. He said the policymakers had no idea how the rural industries were interconnected. Demonetisation too devastated the rural economy as 98 percent of rural transactions happen through cash.
Mr Sainath also spoke about the crisis of inequality which affects the Dalits and the Adivasis far more than anyone else as 90 percent of the rural households take home less than Rs 10,000/- per month. “Women are yet another group whose labour is never counted in the gross domestic product. Women and girls globally do unpaid work which amounts to about 12.5 billion working hours per year. Monetarily speaking, this is worth 10.8 trillion dollars,” Mr Sainath added.
Speaking about the crisis of jobs Mr Sainath said that major companies were laying off employees just to create more profits for the investors and the adoption of artificial intelligence in the industry would further destroy millions of jobs.
Rector of St Aloysius College Institutions Fr Dionysius Vaz SJ, Principal Dr (Fr) Praveen Martis SJ, HOD of Journalism and Mass Communication department Dr (Fr) Melwyn Pinto SJ were present.
‘Veerappan and Vijay Mallya’s business models are interesting!’
Addressing the gathering during his endowment lecture on Friday, Mr Sainath made an interesting comment on the so called ‘revenue model’. “Whenever I visit IIMs and IITs for lectures on my PARI project, the students there ask me what my revenue model for my project is. I tell them that I do not have a revenue model. In fact, journalism does not begin with a revenue model. Gandhiji, Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh were all great journalists. But they did not have a revenue model,” Mr Sainath said.
On a lighter note, he said that the best revenue model that he liked was that of forest brigand Veerappan and liquor baron Vijay Mallya. “Veerappan ruled the forest for forty years and from the top ministers to the villagers he could dictate terms and liver royally. Similarly, Mallya’s revenue model was to steal the banks and run away abroad and live like a king,” Mr Sainath added.
Journalism is not and can never be a business. It is a calling, he opined. While newspaper can be a business, television can be a business, journalism per se cannot be reduced to a business. “Unfortunately today, journalists are recruited on a contract basis and they have no bargaining power; and there are no unions to fight for their cause. Hence, they are at the mercy of the corporate media houses for their survival and are made to write stories that cannot be called journalism,” Mr Sainath said.
Answering a question as to the pressures he faced as a journalist, he said that external pressures from the government or others could be very well handled. It is the internal pressures from once own media house that journalists find it difficult to manage.
Comments
Shiva Lingam and Youni
LINGAM & YOUNI
Lingam and Yoni in Sanskrit means the male and female sexual organs respectively. Hindus are allowed to worship anything – including sexual organs. It is not unknown for them to name their children as Shiva Lingam (God Shiva’s sexual organ) or Rama Lingam (God Rama’s sexual organ), (in some places in Karnataka, the gods demand both male and females to pray naked together).
“One day the sage Atri was performing tapas with his wife Anasuya. Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva came and offered him a boon, but Atri remained silent, meditating. Then the three gods went to Anasuya. Siva had his linga in his hand, Visnu was full of erotic feeling, and Brahma was beside himself with desire, saying to Anasuya, ‘Make love with me or I will die.’ When she heard this coarse speech, Anasuya made no reply, for, although she feared the anger of the gods, she was true to her husband. But they were overcome with delusion, and they raped her by force. Then she became angry and she cursed Siva to be worshiped as a linga, Brahma to be worshiped in the form of a head, and Vishnu to be worshiped as feet, in order to ridicule them all, and she cursed them all to be reborn as her sons. Because of this, Siva was reborn as Durvasas.
comment 16#rum... samadhana kanappa ... when allah can allot 1:4 and 1:72 in jannath .. dont worry he will allot 1000 also ... bejar madkobeda guru ... samadhana nimma kashta novu artha agatte ... adakke anthane bunder nalli burnol and itch guard sigthade from 2014 . nam faizhal bhai ne distrubutor ... please go and tell my name ... 50% discount bere kodthare ... hahaha
ALLAH can bring 1000 0f zakir naik. Allah is the best plaaner.
We want people like Brother BOPANNA Brother Naren. Do not hurt them by Cursing,they are innocent they are not aware of Allah or Islam. Let us try our best to knowledge them about Life after Death. So that they too can join us in Allah's Beautiful Jannath. We can just pray for their Hidayath rest all in Allah's Hand.
\#9 , mr ANAL\", haha allah is the best planner? We saw the plan when 8 of them were given tickets to Jannat .... maybe the 72 virgins were bored waiting for them ?"
Hahaha superb maama ... chaddi jarisodaralle busy antha kanuthe ... enu madakke agalla 4 wives and mele 72 wives option iddaga ... chaddi haakodakke purusottu yellide .. hahaha ... nin ummah chummah kathe gottu bidappa ... hgappa working hours nangu and ningu ... toilet correct agi tolililla andre arab milk shake hodittaane :) haha... hogu hogu ... hogabekadre chaddi haakondu hogappa , papa chaddi gala mele dwesha ondu kade , 4 options na maintain mado bharadalli chaddi bagge ne gamana iralla ... muahhhhhhh.....henge mama ...
Center wants to ban peace promoter like Dr Zakir naik but not hate mongers like sangh parivars. Dr naik has inspired millions around the world towards truth and peace which doesn't go down the throats of anti muslims. He is internationally respected man even by the non muslim leaders. India need many more men like Dr Zakir Naik to remove misconceptions and promote the truth.
naren kotian, singapore
After reading your 9 lines of comments i can only say that as a Fenku Bhakt only you are best at Fenku. I am not saying like you that i will do this and that. Because of frustration you are himself trying to make proud and happy. Look at your anti-national comment already 9 dislikes has given. Never call yourself again as a nationalist. You and your sanghis cant be nationalist. Lo magane Ninge yen gottu Muslim ummah takattu. Ummah manassu madidre nin tarah Billions chaddigala chaddi in seconds jarisabahudu.
kill naren ... hahaha ... we can make out how third rated jihadis are frustrated ....magalchiiiii...... mark my words ,if you are dreaming about another partition ... it is just day dream ... gone or the days ,where back stabbing from behind used to happen ... when it comes to india ...ninnatha koti jana gun ethkondu bandru ... we nationalist indians will face and ruthlessly massacre for trying to split our nation ... look at 3 likes for this anti national comment , wwho supports his version of partition ....sanghis and bhangis na eradicate madakke neenalla , nin entire ummah manas madidru sadya illa ... dont give buildup ... hogo le fish maaro time aithu ....bholo bharath mata ki jai... vande mataram ... india is safe under our powerful modi, jihadists are getting frustrated day by day as they are losing grip .. so it is truly visible .look at mujra and khoja dance u r ummah is doing infront of israel , then u think about india .... hahaha...
Kuffars are on full scale devilish mode. Let them plan, Allah is the best planner.
Religion of PIECE ! India should build stronger jails for Naik and his followers
naren before you ban youtube regards all thinks you first understand the truthness after i will not get you,,, try to get truth ness
#2 naren kotian
Relax man! Relax! In one breath how much you will speak bad about zakir naik and his followers. You are missing one point here indian govt must monitor foreign funding of terrorist organization RSS and its other groups. Also have to keep close vigil on his sympathisers , enact goonda act.
What do you think only you have mouth to speak. You cheddi bhakt!!!
Naren, everyone know that hawala king is once ratayatra master and UAE business man who is changing sanghis black money into white money who took chaywala to dubai visit.
Neevu maadiruva paayikaana bekadastiruvaga innobbar paayikaane hudukikondu hogabedi iruvudanne tindu bidi, hotte uri sariyaagabahudu
NARENA ...Burnol hachko ...you can ban PEACE but you CANT STOP INDIA BEING PIECE .....because of you people another Freedom struggle soon start to eradicate all Sanghis and Bhangis .......
JAI HIND
We condemn this and ask Supreme court to intervene and tell Center to avoid such cunning acts and miss leading normal citizens
monitor hawala network ,90% funds they get via hawala ... this particular segment doesnot use banking system much .put him on interpol most wanted list , ban his programs and youtube . keep close vigil on his sympathisers , enact goonda act . profiling is must as entire world is facing jihadist threats , we must screen like israelis and even trump is keen to follow and japan already imposed it .
It doesnt matter to those who have IMAAN in their heart...
Millions of honest people who look for TRUTH have already Got the message of the TRUTH of Worshiping one TRUE GOD...and bringing them near to the TRUTH.
Add new comment