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Media has to fight divisive forces: Sonia

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said the media must fight divisive forces threatening the country's social fabric.

Bigotry and fundamentalism have no place in the country's polity, she said, speaking on the theme of 'A free press ensures a free democracy' at a function marking the inauguration of the 60th jubilee year celebrations of the All-India Newspaper Editors Conference.

Gandhi urged the media to help keep politics away from development so that issues dominate the country's political agenda, not numbers games or opportunistic manoeuvres.

She showered praise on the Indian press, asserting that it was "vibrant and fearless", but cautioned against the growing tendency to sensationalise news based on gossip and speculation.

She also asked the media to effectively discharge their obligation of strengthening local institutions, village councils and municipal bodies, numbering more than one million, which she termed the "pillars of Indian democracy".

Gandhi, stating that credibility was the main strength of the press, urged it to contribute towards promoting social harmony, tolerance and liberalism, strengthening the bonds of friendship while at the same time preserving and protecting "our rich diversity".

The media also have a vital role to play in spreading literacy, basic education, women's empowerment, public health and child care, she said.

Referring to the revolution in information technology and the latest instruments in news-gathering and dissemination, she said these have helped in the enormous growth of newspapers and magazines and the electronic media. They have also helped in the presentation of a wide range of issues and interests, even at the local level.

She complimented both the print and the electronic media for taking up a wide range of issues of public importance, including social justice, human rights, ecological imbalances, environment, and the economy.

Gandhi honoured two veteran journalist-social workers, Jamnadas Akhtar and Prahalad Bhai, who weren't present.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit called for a system whereby a corpus could be set aside to help journalists who die or sustain injuries while performing their duties.

Strongly advocating the cause of the small and medium newspapers, she said that unless some support was ensured for them, they would die slowly.

She complimented the regional and the vernacular press for reflecting local needs and aspirations.

AINEC president Vishwa Bandhu Gupta said the role of the press was not only to disseminate political and social information but also to educate the rural masses about their social, civil and political rights.

Criticising those who held that sensation, sleaze and spirituality were the ingredients to boost circulation in a market-driven society, Gupta said the "Indian press and media have always believed in restraint, temperance, moderation and self-control".

Newspaper editors from various parts of the country participated in the daylong celebration that included a lecture by Election Commissioner G V G Krishnamurthy on the 'Media's adversary role with political parties in the run-up to elections'.

UNI

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