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
This passage has always been quoted out of context and never post other verses 9:1-14, If they did, people would find out that it says the opposite of what they claim. Read from 9:1 – 9:14,
Islam never says to kill non-believers and this wording is related to pagans at the time of renovation. Quran is not an ordinary book. To understand the quran better you need to study Hadith and history. Dear brother Rudra I really appreciate your quote and I advise you to study more and more about islam to find truth. May Almighty Allah Guide you and your family in a right way. May Allah bless you if he wishes. Insha halla
Dear Asokan, dont trust on sanghis who are trying to brain wash you. Whatever you have stated is wrong. Your daughter has no passport to go out of india. Secondly your son-in-law is not a terrorist but those sanghis who are brain washing are the real terrorists who killed Bapuji.
All claims, no proof.
Kill unbelievers where you find them. koran 9:5
Do you dare to deny it? Do you follow it ? pseudo muslim.
As per Quran, All muslims are not terrorists, there is no doubt in it.
I agree with you whatever legal points of view expressed. Hadiya is matured, educated lady and free to convert, believe and marry the boy of her choice.
There is another face to this, which also to be a face of parents! irrespective of Ashokan's Sangh parivar leanings, keep in mind that he is father of Hadiya.They born & bought up her for 24 years and all of sudden they lost her! How their agony, misery and sufferings will be? Just keep us in his place and think, don’t we require little introspection?
Mr.Ashokan Miscerabley failed to prove his claim as said! now even the supereme court allowed Hadiya to meet Mr.Shafin Jahan! the above statement is out of his frustration he maight have said. Now a days it is very easy to paint some one as terrorist , and some as nationalist! media and some Govt. agency under RSS control anything may happen in future as they decide who is nationalist and who is anti national!
Pray for Mr.Ashokan, Please read Islamic history before you comment.
Every one misunderstood that accepting islam is just taking membership. Islam is way of Life proved scientifically and logically. It is just way of Life. any one can learn Islam and practise it. It is open and no body will force to accept islam. It is choice to practise Law defined by Our creator. No body wil be a True Muslim unless he practice the way of life defined by creator. increasing membership in islam no use. Every one should understand their creator and obey him. It is very simple and beautiful. If any one understand the principles of Islam. automatically he will attract. and identify his creator. Only our creator can read our mind and understand true believer. by name we cannot say he is true beleiver.
"If thousands of crminals escape also no innocent should be punished"
"one should not eat full if neighbour is starving"
what a beautiful teaching. We pray Al mighty Allah shows right path for all human being.
Now he need Treatment from Mental Hospital.
How dare Asokan to call a man terrorist without a proof ?
He has the rights to object to the marriage but, can't call a man terrorist.
Drag him to court of law for defamation.
LOL
mr. jahan, file defamation case against this ignorant human...
In sha allah on judgment day hadiya's father will realize that her daughter had made a right decission by entering to the fold of islam and saved her life from hell fire. But sad part is her father is not realizing this now. I pray with almighty that to give hidayah to hadiya's father.
If ALLAH wills, one day you will come to realise that my daughter hadiya has taken a good descision, from dark to light. and i hope that hadiyas entire family will be enter to islam. May ALLAH guide you to understand islam. Aameen.
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