A Journal of the press Institute of India ISSN 0042-5303 October-December 2016 Volume 8 Issue 4 Rs 50 A lifelong commitment to ridding the world of hunger

Prof M.S. Swaminathan, a world scientist of rare distinction whose vision it has been to rid the world of hunger and poverty and whose CONTENTS • Declining media interest work has touched the lives of millions at the grassroots in India, in panchayati raj / Bharat spoke about how “a combination of scientific skill, political will Dogra and farmer’s participation in pulses production could help achieve • Uri, and all the media hype / zero hunger”, at a programme focused on pulses for addressing Shreejay Sinha food and nutrition security which was recently conducted at the • Does a journalist merely MS Swaminathan Research Foundation. A few weeks earlier, report or also offer Prof Swaminathan, despite a nagging cough, spoke to Sashi Nair solutions? / Sakuntala about his life and times for the better part of an hour Narasimhan • The sun shines bright on digital platforms / Santosh August 7 is the birthday of Prof M.S. Swaminathan and the Foundation Day of the Kumar Biswal MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Taramani, Chennai. This year, a selection of • Translation: no two windows important publications related to agriculture, food security and policy were released by can give an identical view / the Foundation on the day. Its founder-chairman called for the setting up of ‘seed villages’ Shoma A. Chatterji to ensure the availability of quality seed with farmers, as well as ‘pulse panchayats’ to • Girls are still denied the ensure commitment of farmers and local bodies. At 90, Prof Swaminathan, who in 1999 chances they deserve / featured in Time Magazine’s list of the ‘20 most influential people of the 20th Century’ Susan Philip (along with Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore), is as sharp as ever. • A national objective for education is a must / Tell me about your early days in Kumbakonam. Your father was a Gandhian J.V. Vill'anillam who influenced you, isn’t it? He ingrained a sense of service early in you? • A focus on challenges in My father came from a place called Monkombu in Kuttanad in Kerala. Once caring for the mentally ill / he got his MBBS from Madras Medical College, his professor Dr Pandalai Shobha Menon said you go to Kumbakonam and practise, there are a lot of diseases such as • AIR News Services Division filariasis, malaria, elephantiasis, etc. When I was young, I remember many moves with the times / individuals used to have big bloated legs there… my father was the only Pulugurta Chandra Sekhar surgeon in Kumbakonam. He then went to Vienna to equip himself first – in • Why I would like to be those days Vienna was one of the top centres for surgeons. He returned and transported back to 1971 / started a hospital with an x-ray institute where he trained his brother too. At the Partab Ramchand time it was the best hospital in Kumbakonam. • Not much luck at the In 1936, my father died very young. He was also at the time a very strong Olympics, ever - but why? / Congressman. He was also part of the Vedaranyam Salt Satyagraha, the temple Partab Ramchand entry movement, etc. Once, he burnt the clothes he had bought from Vienna in a • The challenges of saving bonfire outside our house, for the sake of khadi. He would have been normally India's cinematic heritage / Bishaldeb Halder (Continued on page 3)

October-December 2016 VIDURA 1 From the Editor Striving to put public interest first is great, but do it with humility

As I sit down to write this piece, I submission, but whether you loved as if Indian television has seen the receive a phone call from my aunt. him or hated him, you did spare last of him. The competition must It is almost 9 pm. She is in quite a time to watch him. have squealed in delight when bad way, combating vertigo. But While debating issues, he made no the news broke out but they will that is secondary for her – what is bones about letting viewers know be waiting and watching. There most important is her daily date where his sympathies lay, in certain will also be millions, like my with the News Hour on Times cases pressing the patriotism button aunt, waiting, which is all well Now. She is calling to say she will too many times for comfort. That and good. So, what’s the moral miss Arnab Goswami terribly and really wasn’t healthy journalism of the story? There may be more hopes he will be back on television at all. At the other extreme was than one. Whether it is personal soon. I cannot resist reaching out his chameleon-like change – his or business, both the sides have to for the TV remote and switching it interview with the Indian Prime work to keep a relationship going, on. Goswami is still anchoring the Minister appeared so thoughtfully which, of course, is easier said show, the day reports had appeared choreographed that Twitterati had than done (news about Goswami in all the major newspapers, even described the show as if they were quitting Times Now arrived the on the front pages of some, that “watching a date”. day Gautami announced her split he had quit Times Now. It was Whichever way you may look at with Kamal Haasan, and a few my daughter who sent me news it, most will agree that television’s days after Cyrus Mistry was ousted the previous afternoon about Angry Young Man not only changed as chairman of the Tata Group). Goswami quitting, her WhatsApp the debating style in the television The other thing is, no matter how message providing the link to the studio newsroom but, more big a star you are, it pays to work news report that had appeared on significantly, voiced the feelings with humility, and this is where The News Minute site. By then, the of the common person. Goswami Goswami fell far short, earning news had already gone viral. In vented his ire on the rich and famous, dislike by the loads in the bargain. all my life I haven’t seen a media the film star, the sportsperson, the You may be the No. 1 news channel personality being discussed so diplomat, the religious head and or the first with the breaking news, much, someone who mattered so several others, but, mostly, his but it needn’t be announced from much to competition. seething anger was directed at the rooftops every single day. You There has been a certain drag and politician. It was as if the collective can do much better without such monotony to News Hour the past frustration of a country had finally braggadocio. And when you are in few months with even some of the found an outlet, a worthy outlet the media, you have to be absolutely early faithfuls keeping away but which people in high places just neutral and unbiased, allow people what was it really that made Arnab could not ignore. It was as if India’s to speak and listen to them with Goswami attractive to young and common man had finally found an respect, and at all times be humble. old alike? I have seen youngsters effective, thundering spokesperson. Some of the reasons we have watch his ‘super prime time’ show And much like Amitabh Bachchan another star on the horizon who in what can only be called mute reflected the hopes and aspirations well-meaning journalists now look admiration. Clearly, here was a of Indians in the 1970s, intolerant of up to. His name is Ravish Kumar, man who held people of all ages exploitation and delivering speedy but that’s a story for another day. enthralled, almost like he was a justice, Arnab Goswami came down storyteller unfolding a magical tale. hard on oppressors of varying kinds, Sashi Nair Of course, there were many who not by using his fists but by his sheer [email protected] hated his high-decibel volume, his gift of the gab. constant hectoring tone of voice, Goswami’s innings at Times Now and his elbowing participants into may have come to an end but it isn’t

2 VIDURA October-December 2016 (Continued from page 1)

arrested… In a short duration of 20 years or so, he became very prominent. He adopted a two- pronged strategy to eradicate mosquitoes in Kumbakonam — education and social mobilisation. He educated people in every street where malarial/ filarial mosquitoes were breeding. He asked them to fill up breeding grounds if they didn’t want them or spray crude oil emulsion. Within a year, the mosquitoes disappeared. He Photos: MSSRF achieved this purely by making M. S. Swaminathan out in the fields, which have been home to him in a sense people aware. for decades. His work on high-yielding and semi-dwarf varieties of wheat are all For social mobilisation you well documented. should have some authority. So he stood for election as municipal chairman; he was unanimously important – my father would say My younger brother became a elected. The municipality had 5000 be a trustee of your money, not pharmaceutical chemist; therefore, or 1000 rupees, so with that… In the owner. He himself was very I applied to the medical college. 1933-34, Mahatma Gandhi came generous. His greatest achievement But at the time, the famous Bengal to our house and stayed; he used was in getting the Travancore Famine happened as did the Quit to stay in the hospital part of it. I temples opened for Harijans. India Movement. It was an idealistic remember Mirabehn driving us all When he died, my father’s elder stage of life. I decided to go to out asking us not to trouble him. brother was chief secretary to the agriculture. Kerala did not have an He used to collect the gold chains Government of Kerala (Travancore agricultural college. I applied to the and ornaments and auction them. then). He was a trusted man of Agriculture College in Coimbatore Those were early Gandhian days. the Maharaja. He had somehow and joined in 1944. So I did one I read here (showing me the day’s persuaded the Maharaja at the more BSc — this time (1944-47) in newspaper) our PM asking us to instance of my father to open all the Agricultural Science. In 1947, I went Make in India. Well, khadi was temples to Harijans. The Maharaja to Delhi to do postgraduate work the first such initiative. It taught of Travancore was thus the first to at the Indian Agricultural Research us self-reliance, self-sufficiency do so; in 1936 he announced all the Institute. and dependence on yourself. temples in Travancore would be These are qualities which I might open to Harijans. Unfortunately, So what really inspired you to have inherited from my father, my father did not live to see it. It take up agriculture? very difficult to say what I learnt all went off smoothly considering We had a collector in Kumba- and what I didn’t. Money is not that these days they are objecting to konam, S.V. Krishnaswamy, who temples being opened for women was an ICS officer. He told me to sit and so on. for the competitive exam since there was not much scope in agriculture. What about your move to Since he was a highly respected Trivandrum and later Delhi after figure in the family, my mother opting for agriculture? told me you do what he says. So I After my father passed away, I sat for the competitive exam, the went to Trivandrum for study. My Federal Public Service Commission uncle was there. I then had the idea at the time. Anyway, I got an offer of studying in Trivandrum Science of appointment in the Indian Police College or Maharaja’s College – Service. I have still preserved the Photo: Smithsonian DC Institution, Washington, first intermediate and then BSc in order. I was asked to report to Mount Abu. In those days you The First World Food Prize Zoology. At the end of my BSc, my Award was presented to mother wanted me to go to medical gave two subjects for IPS and three M.S. Swaminathan by Ferguson college because we had a hospital for IAS and IFS. I gave three but I of General Foods, on 6th October and there was nobody in the had not prepared for anything, did 1987. family who was a medical person. not have the remotest idea of going

October-December 2016 VIDURA 3 for the civil services. My rank must have been higher for the IPS, so they must have offered. At the same time in 1949, August or September, I also got an offer from UNESCO to study in Holland – the UNESCO Government of Netherlands Fellowship. I had no idea to go to the police service or any other service, so I took advantage of the offer and went to Holland. The Bengal Famine and Mahatma Gandhi influenced me. Even when we got freedom in 1947, although the front pages of newspapers had Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous tryst with destiny speech, other pages had stories about the impending famine in India, the food shortage. We had to start the PL 480 (Public Law 480 Researching to help develop new varieties and new technologies. signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower in July 1954, which created the Office work with them, the president even always been one of my main thrust of Food for Peace) after waiting for wrote me a letter saying a person areas. a long time. Until the war (1971 war of your ability should not waste with Pakistan), we had to depend time there (in India). But I returned Why did you, between 1955 on American wheat; Nixon stopped (1954), went to Cuttack, to the Rice and 1972, conduct field research all that. Anyway, I thought the best Research Institute. That is how my specially on Mexican dwarf way of serving the nation would ties with Orissa began. We have a wheat varieties? be to improve food production large project there, our Foundation. During 1955-62, we were trying and that too through science and Then I went back to my old to identify varieties of wheat and technology. My idea was not to institution, the Indian Agricultural rice which can respond to fertiliser become one more farmer or one Research Institute (IARI), where I application and irrigation. In the more planter. I wanted to start my started work on high-yielding and case of wheat, we found that the work in research, develop new semi-dwarf varieties of wheat – all varieties from Japan having the varieties, new technologies. well documented. Norin dwarfing genes would be Reducing hunger and poverty has able to do well under irrigated Why did you choose potato been my objective. Hunger is really agriculture. Similarly, in the case genetics? triggered by poverty. Today, the sex of rice, the dwarf varieties from Potato genetics, cyto-genetics or ratio has come down in Delhi – they China could use fertiliser better. cell genetics, was the area I chose are attributing it to the malnutrition In other words, a change in plant to specialise because it gave me of mothers. In 1968, the term Green architecture was needed and this the best opportunity to create new Revolution was coined. At the time was provided by the Mexican genetic combinations. The UNESCO I said it should be sustainable. We dwarf wheat and the subsequent Fellowship was for one year. I use too much of fertiliser. Then you wheat varieties developed by us worked with another professor have the problem of environmental by cross-breeding.. and we worked on developing a degradation, yields will go down, so new variety of potatoes. Then I sustainable agriculture is important. During 1972-79, you were went to Cambridge (Plant Breeding That is why when UNEP (United director-general, Indian Council Institute) for my PhD (1950-52), Nations Environment Programme) of Agricultural Research (ICAR). also on potatoes. And then on to the gave me an award, they called me This must have been something United States, to the University of the Father of Economic Equality in close to your heart – guiding and Wisconsin. I had left India in 1949 the citation. In other words, it’s all managing research and education on a small ship called Jal Azad. It about sustainable development. And in agriculture. And subsequently, was not very comfortable but being then I coined the term, Evergreen as principal secretary, Ministry of a Gandhian we had to promote Revolution, and outlined the steps Agriculture. all things Indian. The university needed to move to sustainability. During 1972-79, I was DG of (Wisconsin) was very keen that I Conservation of biodiversity has ICAR, when I introduced several

4 VIDURA October-December 2016 organisational changes. The most Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore important was the organisation of both of whom I worshipped. I was an Agriculture Research Service informed by Time that this was on (ARS), which could provide, the basis of a survey made all over like the IAS, a kind of stability Asia. of service, ability of movement and opportunity for financial and You have said your vision has professional advancement. I also been to rid the world of hunger started several other initiatives such and poverty. To what extent would as the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, the you say you have been successful, National Academy of Agriculture as far as India is concerned. Research Management, the National Unfortunately, a hunger-free Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, world is still remaining a dream. I the National Bureau of Soil Survey am particularly disappointed that and Land Use Planning, etc. Further, we allowed in India the coexistence I established research centres in all of mountains of grains and millions areas where none existed before, of hungry. Fortunately, we now like the Northeast Region and the have the National Food Security Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As Act. The transition from the Bengal Taking time off in his younger days to Agriculture secretary, I developed Famine to the ability to confer the enjoy a game of cricket. a detailed strategy for drought legal right to food based on home- management during 1978-79. It has grown food is almost without which I helped to develop 25 years become a model since then. parallel in the world. ago had laid considerable stress on do-ecology, that is, to learn how to

What was your focus as chairman You have been an advocate do right and not just abstain from

of FAO in Rome between 1981 and of sustainable development, of action. No development is not < 1986? environmentally sustainable sustainable development. As Chairman FAO, I established agriculture, and of preservation a commission on Plant Genetic of biodiversity. Do you see this (Professor M.S. Swaminathan Resources. I also developed actually happening in India? received the Padma Shri in 1967, methods by which South-South Sustainable development involves the Padma Bhushan in 1972, and collaboration could be strengthened ecologically, economically and the Padma Vibhushan inj 1989. in agriculture. socially sustainable growth. This He received the Ramon Magsaysay will require ecotechnologies and Award in 1971.) What was your reaction when bio-logical software for sustain- you won the First World Food able agriculture. Biodiversity Prize in 1987? You were then conservation is exceedingly cited as "a world scientist of rare important, since biodiversity WAN-IFRA India has a distinction". provides the feedstock for I was happy when I received the sustainability. This is why we new manager First World Food Prize in 1987. formulated the mandate of MSSRF M. Srinivasan has joined WAN- I mentioned at the time that the as “pro-nature, pro-poor and pro- IFRA in Chennai as manager - Sales recognition was not only to me woman” orientation to technology & Events. He will be responsible for personally, but to my colleagues as development and dissemination. events and expo services of WAN- well as the institutions which gave IFRA in South Asia. me the needed support, like IARI In the 21st Century, how can Srinivasan comes from a and ICAR. such battles against environmental business development and account degradation be won, do you think? management background. He had In 1999, Time Magazine listed What is the way forward? earlier worked for Timesjobs.com you as one of 20 most influential The conflict between environ- as Business Development manager people of the 20th Century, ment and development can be - Sales.

alongside Mahatma Gandhi and ended only if we can stop economic Srinivasan replaces V. Antony Rabindranath Tagore. How did greed. Scientific skill, political who left WAN-IFRA in March this < you feel then at achieving such a will and people’s action should year after a long innings. distinction? come together if we are to have I always wondered how I was sustainable development. The included along with Mahatma National Environmental Policy

October-December 2016 VIDURA 5 Declining media interest in panchayati raj

Is there a decline of interest in the traditional system of local governance? Bharat Dogra analyses media coverage of panchayati raj issues and is convinced it is so. The declining interest is unfortunate, he says, because it is too important an issue to be ignored by the media. A solution still repeatedly suggested for various complex issues is encouraging rural decentralisation and, hence, it is all the more important that media coverage of panchayati raj should be better, he feels

ndia has the largest rural ed page article on the subject was newspapers has come down very decentralisation network com- published in the Hindi newspapers considerably.” Ipared to any other country in covered. while there were no such George Mathew, chairperson, the world. Unlike several other in English newspapers. Institute of Social Sciences, a nations, the entire structure of Some reports give useful research and training institute which three-tier rural decentralisation information. A report from specialises in rural decentralisation is sanctioned by the Constitution, Maharashtra in The Statesman and has been publishing Panchayati which means elections have to be dated August 21 titled ‘Red belt Raj Update for nearly two decades, held regularly. Due to reservation gram sabhas rake in crores’ agrees. He feels media concern of seats for women and weaker describes how the Panchayat about panchayati raj has certainly sections, representatives from these Extension to Scheduled Areas or declined of late. Due to increasing sectors are regularly elected in PESA Legislation has helped tribal difficulties, the institute was recently huge numbers. There is between 33 communities to increase earnings forced to suspend the print edition per cent and 50 per cent reservation from minor forest produce. Another of Panchayati Raj Update, though the for women in various states. Special report in Mint dated October web edition continues. separate legislation exists for even 17 titled ‘Rs 70000 crore budget What can be the reason for the stronger decentralisation in the and not even 70000 connected?’ decline in the media coverage of context of tribal communities. criticises the poor progress of plans panchayati raj? While an overall You would imagine that all this to provide Internet connectivity tendency to give less than their due would lay the ground for significant to Panchayats. The Indian Express to rural and development issues reports regularly appearing in the and Grassroots (a Press institute of certainly exists, it cannot by itself media. However, a careful reading India journal) published profiles of account for the decline of interest of national or Delhi editions of women panchayat leaders doing in the topic. One other causative seven English newspapers, six inspiring work in their villages. factor could be the overall decline Hindi newspapers and nearly 15 All this is good and useful, but in the importance given by the magazines in the two languages there is so little of it. We certainly Union Government to panchayati reveal that coverage of panchayati need more coverage of this kind. raj and the cut-back in budgetary raj (rule by panchayats, the oldest As I had been researching this issue allocations as well. This means system of local governance in while writing a monthly column for that organisations working in the India) is meagre, sometimes almost a specialised journal, Panchayat Raj sector also have lower funds, and negligible for several weeks at a Update, in English and Hindi (my fewer initiatives are being taken. stretch. column ran for nearly three years), There is a decline in the number My research for the three-month I can say with some conviction of seminars, research projects, etc period from July 21 to October 20 this that coverage of panchayati raj and being conducted in this field as well, year reveal that only 12 news items related issues was somewhat greater so much so that easily accessible and articles relating to panchayati earlier; it has come down in recent news and press releases are not

raj were published during the time. times. Sanjay Sharma, a member of available as readily as before. This Of these, only six were specifically the editorial team at Panchayati Raj probably has an important bearing < about panchayati raj while the Update, confirms my assessment. on the extent of media coverage. remaining six took up panchayati “You are absolutely right”, he told raj-related issues as part of wider me when contacted over telephone. (The writer has authored booklets and stories. Only one editorial or op- “The coverage of panchayati raj in articles on panchayati raj).

6 VIDURA October-December 2016 Uri, and all the media hype

If the coverage of the Uri attack by Indian television in general was rather irresponsible and tended to create sensation, the debates and narrative following India’s LoC strikes bordered on being triumphalist and even comical at times. The news anchors’ swagger, their hyperbolic presentations, and boastful graphic displays of India’s superior military might were clearly not necessary, says Shreejay Sinha

n September 29th this year, the flailing of hands and the tonality “The doves have been cornered,” India's financial markets of debates gave the impression declared an anchor triumphantly, Oconvulsed. The BSE Sensex, that the country was in a state derisively asserting that the the pulse of the Indian capital of emergency and that war was argument of India’s pseudo- market, tanked over 500 points inevitable and imminent. liberals to engage Pakistan was intra-day, government bonds It was difficult to find an anchor comprehensively isolated. On registered a precipitous fall, while or a panelist calm and composed another channel, known for its the rupee shrivelled against the US (the rare ‘peacenik’ who favoured sobriety and liberal editorial line, dollar. Reason? India’s Director restraint as the better part of valour the anchor was visibly dismayed General of Military Operations had sat through the debates, bullied and when a former diplomat-turned- announced that the special forces of battered). They demanded nothing politician warned against under- the army had conducted “surgical short of military action to “teach taking “overt” or “covert” strikes strikes” along the Line of Control Pakistan a lesson”. It appeared against Pakistan for the simple to destroy terror launch pads and that TV studios had turned into reason that while retaliation was in neutralise terrorists who were virtual garrisons, as the debate India’s control, escalation was not. preparing to infiltrate. panel would overwhelmingly Television channels here did not A leading female anchor of a consist of former defence personnel bother to analyse the economic leading Hindi news channel said and strategic experts. While any consequences of a war with Pakistan, India’s military action was a matter debate is expected to throw up a busy as they were with stirring the of sukoon (roughly translates as variety of contrasting opinions, war cauldron, and engendering satisfaction). Contextualising the the discussions on the Uri attack hysteria and lust for revenge “surgical strikes” is in order here. invariably converged. They only among people. In their obsession Alleged militants from across differed on the degree of lethality, to draw viewers, and jack up TRPs, the border had killed 18 Indian the scale of Indian retaliation. ‘No Indian TV channels ignored the fact soldiers in a pre-dawn attack in war’ was simply not an option. that a growing economy like ours Kashmir’s Uri Town near the LoC While politicians may advocate has a lot to lose in case of a war, on September 18. While the people “a jaw for a tooth” policy, as they howsoever limited, with Pakistan. of India were justifiably outraged, have to placate their electoral India’s industrial output contracted most TV channels sensed in the Uri constituencies, journalists have in July. A worsening security attack an opportunity to draw on only one constituency to serve – the scenario will discourage foreign the evocative ideas of ‘nationalism’, reader or viewer. And the quality and domestic investment, hurting ‘patriotism’, ‘martyrdom’ to ratchet of such service is determined by economic growth and aggravating up war jingoism and grab eyeballs. the kind of fairness, balance and employment prospects for millions However, the vast majority of objectivity you bring to the story. of Indians. people in India remained calm. The “We can’t be a sitting duck for The day the Indian Army government leadership displayed another terror strike,” an anchor announced it had struck militants maturity and restraint. But the said, almost prompting the across the border, India’s Labour television channels were in no discussant to take a harsh, hawkish Bureau put out a report that said mood to let go of the opportunity line against Pakistan. A panelist the unemployment rate in 2015-16 to amplify the sense of anguish to obliged: “A rogue state has to be had risen to a five-year high of five

serve their commercial interests. handled in a rogue manner.” per cent. Now, here was a report In the aftermath of the Uri attack, Another indignant panelist on that perhaps merited threadbare < most TV channels seemed to have a different channel sought overt analysis. jettisoned all sense of proportion, military action, arguing that the instigating passions and keeping nation, which has been crying for (The writer is a journalist based in them high. The hyperventilation, 30 years, needed a “catharsis”. New Delhi.)

October-December 2016 VIDURA 7 Does a journalist merely report, or also offer solutions? Should journalists be objective and merely report, without comment, or do they have a duty to go beyond and add their own perspectives, and help in finding solutions? The debate is as old as media itself, but it has been revived on the Internet, recently on the Communications Initiative Network, particularly with reference to reporting on conflict situations such as those prevailing in Afghanistan, Syria and South Sudan. Sakuntala Narasimhan offers her opinion

he comments shared on the sticking to facts and statistics (so as well as dimensions of touching Communications Initiative many killed, so many injured, humaneness? One chooses what TNetwork about whether so many displaced) so that their one wants to see and report on. journalists should merely report readers are able to make informed One chapter of the Nordicom or offer comments and solutions decisions. Is it that simple? When a book is on photojournalism and as well were triggered by Warren journalist reports on a corrupt deal, the use of images. Recall last Feek’s response to a recent book, whether at the local, regional or year’s picture of a three-year-old Journalism in Conflict Conditions: national level, doesn’t just giving the Syrian boy lying face down on a Worldwide Perspectives, published facts itself amount to ‘taking sides’, sandy beach, dead, after the boat by Nordicom in collaboration in the fight against corruption? he was on with others fleeing as with UNESCO (United Nations A recent report from Reporters immigrants capsized, and the Education, Scientific and Cultural Without Borders says India is more recent picture of a five-year- Organisation) and the chair of Asia’s deadliest country for media old boy, disheveled and covered Freedom of Expression, Media personnel, ahead even of Pakistan with blood, sitting dazed after a Development and Global Policy at and Afghanistan. According to the bomb attack in West Asia. Can the University of Gothenburg. The Committee to Protect Journalists one say that journalists covering ongoing discussions raise some (CPJ) quoted on the website such conflict situations should relevant points that journalists MoneyLife (founded by well-known only ‘report objectively’? No way. ought to ponder over. investigative journalist Sucheta The coverage itself introduces Here’s one opinion (Prof Dalal), 27 Indian journalists were elements of subjectivity, calling for Mahmood Mamdani, Ugandan murdered in the past 24 years – the sympathy from the reader. Words academic, author and political gruesome case of Jagendra Singh of and photographs complement commnetator): “Reporting on Uttar Pradesh who was reportedly each other, and the visuals help events is not just a passive process; set on fire by the police last year draw attention and deliver the in constructing a narrative for the for exposing wrong-doings by VIPs, news faster, more eloquently, than readers, the journalist plays an comes to mind, as does the case of written words. active role in defining the event Akshay Singh in Madhya Pradesh. The discussion also covers in question (an uprising, protest, Straight, objective reporting can journalists’ choices when confronted invasion) and underlining what is in itself be loaded with subjective with their own dilemmas as at stake. In so doing, the journalist dimensions, because of the choice of professionals – the reduction in the both reports as well as joins the the subject (“going for the corrupt”). number of newsroom reporters in effort to forge a way forward.” A stringer too, for that matter, can the West, for example. Technology Another comment prefers to “expose” corrupt goings-on, and can render human reporters classify journalists into three help focus attention beyond the redundant (one can cull news different categories – those whose local readership. We do not have reports via the Internet, instead of job is merely to report, others who water-tight compartments. visiting the police headquarters, or are mere stringers reporting on local Does reporting on conflict sports arena, for instance) Can one happenings, and those (at a higher situations differ from other remain untouched and ‘objective’ level) who are authorised to make reporting? Can one remain strictly in addressing or reporting on editorial comments on an issue. For ‘objective’ in the face of conflict developments? the two former categories, reporting that is laden with human misery, As a journalist with four decades on events is just a passive process, courage, turbulence and brutality, of working in various capacities

8 VIDURA October-December 2016 Illustration: Arun Ramkumar Illustration:

(covering events, reporting on the mainstream media). Whether nebulous elements that separate developments, investigating leads one is reporting on malpractices in good reporters from the run-of- plus writing opinion pieces), I government hospitals, or tracking the-mill colleagues. Whether one feel we cannot generalise – each insurgents through forest territory, should merely report or offer journalist has strong points the ‘writer’ or reporter can never be solutions, is not a yes-or-no binary. different from another’s, and kept separate from the writing, even There are shades, and as in music different proclivities. And these when strict objectivity is maintained. or the culinary arts, some inputs can colour a report just as much as That is the difference between good defy measurement or classification. personal biases or agendas. In the reporting and passable coverage. Good writing or reporting is, well,

collection of personal anecdotes Some ‘citizen journalists’ (citizens good reporting. The proof is in the by the winners of the prestigious not trained as journalists and not response it elicits from the reader. < Chameli Devi Jain award of the professional reporters) do a great Media Foundation, published job of reporting, others provide vital by Tranquebar, each contributor links to big stories that someone (The writer, based in Bengaluru, recalls how she came to journalism else can follow up if the story merits is herself a recipient of the Media and wrote the stories that won her larger coverage. Foundation’s Chameli Devi Award for the coveted award. Some time ago, there was Outstanding Woman Journalist 1983. The stories were winners a ministerial suggestion that Her fortnightly columns on gender precisely because the reporters journalists should also have issues and consumer rights ran in the addressed their subjects in a norms of training drawn up, just Deccan Herald for 27 years. She had manner that riveted attention and like doctors or professors. The earlier worked for The Times of India urged the reader to read on till suggestion was turned down in Mumbai.) the end instead of glancing at the quickly, but the bottom line is that headline and turning the page (as some inputs cannot be imparted by with routine, daily news reports in training or textbooks, and it is these

October-December 2016 VIDURA 9 The sun shines bright on digital platforms

Over the past decade or so, India has been witnessing the emergence and growth of various digital journalism start-ups or online news sites of various hues. Since the investment required is low, more such platforms can be expected. However, not all will survive. Competing with mainstream media isn’t easy. Since the Internet is expanding and the tastes of media consumers are changing, the future of digital journalism is bright, says Santosh Kumar Biswal

he mode and pace of journalism in India is changing even in Tthe digital platform because of advancements in technology, political developments, ideological shifts, economic growth, etc. The influences have given rise to fragmentation of the media, with consumers having a large bouquet of alternative sources and narrative styles and opinion pieces to choose from. Digital journalism start-ups, often considered as alternatives to mainstream media, are run by a new generation of journalists, technologists and entrepreneurs who aim to inform audiences in an unbiased manner, aided by speedier and interactive delivery A screen shot from The Quint website. of information. Even though such start-ups are an alternative Almost all start-ups have websites as Inshorts and Dailyhunt, suited to mainstream journalism, the and a presence in social media and for mobile. Websites Sheroes and content may not be free of business are also operational via mobile apps. Youth Ki Awaaz are also popular pressures, shoddy professional They facilitate video, audio and text but cater to specific audiences. ethics and the funder’s conflict of in customised and general formats. Most of the sites may not have a interest. The mode of distribution Some digital journalism start-ups strong editorial standpoint or view of content is an important aspect. are profit-oriented, others are not. but there is no doubt that they are Some are content-based ventures. more open and like to call a spade a They all have their own editorial spade. To add to the Indian digital strategies and business models. offerings are international biggies Entities like Scroll, The Wire, The – Huffington Post, Quartz and Citizen, Catch News, DailyO, The Buzzfeed – who have launched Print, The Quint, Newslaundry, India editions. News Minute, Peoples Archive of The Quint keeps readers engaged Rural India (PARI), OneIndia and with politics, policy, entertainment, Khabar Lahariya are the popular food, sports and business. It Photos: Internet ones, with some veteran media amalgamates articles, audio, and The News Minute is a digital news persons and business and social videos. The contents are original, platform reporting on issues, with more entrepreneurs associated. Then curated and from wire services. focus on South India. there are news accumulators such Scroll lays claim to rigorous

10 VIDURA October-December 2016 reporting, objective analyses and expert commentary. Even though it is an alternative to the mainstream media, it adheres to age-old news values and editorial credentials like fairness, objectivity and proper sourcing. In certain ways, it offers a challenge to the mainstream media. Incidentally, Scroll and The Wire have recently appointed a reader’s editor, reflecting professionalism. Inshorts and Dailyhunt curate and distribute content to meet the readers’ demands. Going beyond traditional content, Dailyhunt delivers a mix of news, preparation material for examinations like IBPS, UPSC and SSC, and e-books as well. Its varied contents are in English, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil Scroll.in, yet another independent news, information and entertainment venture. and Telugu. The Wire, PARI and Khabar Lahariya claim to be non-profit The resource or funding needed media. However, the convergence ventures. Their content adheres to to sustain journalism start-ups of media is making journalism the journalistic spirit. The Wire sets is extremely relevant. Reliance better and it is good to see that the out to be an unbiased entity. PARI Industries acquired a stake in mainstream media is taking content aims to provide informative and Network18, which is funding The from alternative digital journalism lively educational resources for Quint. The business model for platforms, he says. Jawhar Sircar, students, teachers, schools, colleges Inshorts is opening up. Dailyhunt former chief executive officer, and universities. Khabar Lahariya, is earning revenue based on PrasarBharati, predicts that since associated with the literacy advertising and sale of e-books. The the content of certain alternative movement, is packed with content Wire, PARI and Khabar Lahariya, media is effective and the mode of which is written, edited, illustrated, all non-profit ventures, rely on distribution is digital, the future produced, and marketed by rural grants and donations to sustain of alternative digital journalism is women in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. their digital platforms. bright. Since more and more users The idea is to make the content Partho Ganguly, Business head are getting into the digital platform

socio-economically relevant and at The Quint, says their digital of news consumption, their survival participatory. It is available in journalism start-up is a perfect from financial aspects won’t a< English, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Bundeli, blend of video, audio and text for problem in the future, he feels. Awadhi and Bajjika, and the matter media consumption, especially for the youth. Since the investment is (The writer is an assistant professor is reportedly free from political and less, more digital platforms are in with Symbiosis Institute of Media business interference. the offing. Noted Indian journalist and Communication, Symbiosis Catch News, run by the Rajasthan DileepPadgaonkar, asserts that International University, Pune.) Patrika Group, has a range of there is no end to traditional content that includes politics, business, culture, health and environment which is of national and international importance. Sandeep Bamzai joins Financial Chronicle Similarly, DailyO, run by the Senior journalist Sandeep Bamzai has joined Financial Chronicle as editor- India Today Group, is an online in-chief. At Chronicle, Bamzai will work towards creating a smarter, reader- opinion platform, for consumers friendly newspaper. He spent 15 months away from journalism writing a

who believe in alternative media. book for Harper Collins, Princestan – How Nehru, Mountbatten and Patel < Youth Ki Awaaz is different, in Foiled It. that it is completely crowd-sourced (Courtesy: exchange4media.com) and prioritises public opinion on contemporary critical issues.

October-December 2016 VIDURA 11 It’s just fast-paced news youngsters want

Today’s is a fast-paced society that wants quick changing news at every moment. Convenience and flexibility have gained importance. Shorter stories are preferable to detailed ones. People have become sceptical about the reliability of news. A survey conducted among college students tried to determine what is considered ‘responsible journalism’ and identify preferred mediums of news and information. Arpita Maitra has more on the survey which threw up some interesting results

e live in changing times. states, citizen leaders, and of the Today, we see a highly- Socio-political and econo- media as well. commercialised media, be it print, Wmic developments all over Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution electronic or social, with each the world have made a deep impact of India guarantees freedom of constituent organisation wanting on many institutions. Globalisation speech and expression and includes to be the first in breaking news. has added a new dimension to within its ambit the Freedom of the Unchecked freedom is open to abuse capitalist economy, investing Press. Especially in a mixed society and could lead to disorder and nations with new roles and like India, the media has a pivotal anarchy. The media is no exception responsibilities. The developments role to play because of its ability to this rule. While traditional media have raised questions about to mobilise the thinking process of is characterised by the ‘one-to-many’ democracy, the role of nation- millions. information flow pattern, new media Illustration: Arun Ramkumar Illustration:

12 VIDURA October-December 2016 is characterised by the ‘many-to- based on facts, recorded footage, every moment. Convenience and many’ information-sharing pattern. photographs and documents are flexibility have gained importance. A sea-change is apparent in the more reliable while information Shorter stories are preferable to nature of communicative practices based on comments and forwards detailed ones. People have become themselves, apart from changes in are less so, they feel. very sceptical about the reliability the news-gathering techniques and Though the survey was chiefly of news. the new diversity in genres that are about information and its As an aside, almost 30 per cent developing through people’s use distribution and absorption, it of the students did not answer of Internet-based services such as brought to light new disturbing the open-ended questions – this Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter. trends in the ways in which provides an insight into the It is incumbent on the media information is assimilated. It was analytical ability of the student

to exercise its freedom within found that the young generation generation and the extent of their reasonable boundaries, and and the one preceding it want patience to write, or even to read < practise what is called ‘responsible information at their fingertips, newspapers and editorials. journalism’. But are we really plagiarism is on the rise and original witnessing responsible journalism stories and original research are on (The author is assistant professor, today? A survey conducted among the decline. The practice of cross- Department of Communication, students aged between 18 and checking facts with two or more MOP Vaishnav College for Women, 21 years sought to answer the sources is not being followed as it is Chennai. This paper was presented questions as well as identify the found to be time-consuming. at a national seminar on Implications preferred medium of news and With the increased role of and and Influences of New Media information among the age-group. importance attached to the media, Technologies on Journalism organised The study specifically aimed at the need for its accountability by the college. Some of the other comparing print and online media and professionalism in reportage papers presented were published in the sought to examine the relationship cannot be emphasised enough. April-June and July-October issues of between the uses of print medium Times are changing in the world Vidura.) and gratifications obtained, of media, especially when it comes examine the relationship between to consumption of news. Today’s the uses of the online medium is a fast-paced society which and gratification obtained, and wants quick changing news at analyse the gratifications provided by both print and online media. Altogether, 300 media students in the identified age-group were pre- sented a questionnaire which had K.N. Shanth Kumar to chair both open-ended and close-ended WAN-IFRA South Asia Committee questions. The selected students were users of both print and online K.N. Shanth Kumar, editor, Prajavani, and director, The Printers Mysore, media. was unanimously elected as the new chairman of WAN-IFRA South Asia An analysis of the responses to Committee at a meeting held on 20 September, on the sidelines of WAN- the survey show that tablets, mobile IFRA India 2016, Kolkata. He takes over from K. Balaji, director of Kasturi phones, laptops and desktops are & Sons, who stepped down from the position. merely instruments which allow The South Asia Committee was formed in September 2004 to help and access to information. Coverage of guide WAN-IFRA to shape its activities to serve the industry better. K Balaji news by newspapers and magazines was the first chairman of the committee. both in the print and broadcast The committee has done several industry leading projects including the categories are considered authentic setting up the Research and Material Testing Centre in Chennai, to offer and reliable because they are in testing of paper and ink, and also simulated press training. The committee

writing and/or are well-established also was instrumental in WAN-IFRA setting up the World Printers Forum as entities, the respondents feel. the central point of the international news media print community, and to < Whatsapp, Twitter, Facebook promote the power of print and the sustainability of print production. are individual, sometimes gover- nmental or non-governmental sources which are not bound by any laws and therefore can be true, misleading, false or even illegal, the respondents believe. Information

October-December 2016 VIDURA 13 The information deluge and the understanding of it

Social media puts a plethora of information at users’ fingertips. But does the present student generation process the information suitably? And does such information make them politically aware? Activism and awareness creation are long-term processes, says Shakti Swaminathan, as she tries to provide some perspective

ecember 16th 2012 will Modi as prime minister. The million Facebook and 33 million be remembered for more elections were also noteworthy for Twitter accounts. India marks the Dreasons than one. It was the the role that social media played in highest growth in social media day when a young paramedical generating political awareness and usage in the Asia-pacific region. student was brutally raped on buzz before voting commenced. With the rapid growth of social a moving bus in Delhi. The girl, Some even believe that social media media, there is an abundance of named Nirbhaya or the fearless one, played a big role in deciding which political information available, died while undergoing treatment. party won the most seats. news articles shared, blogs, The rape generated a wave of The then ruling Congress Party online groups, online petitions, protests across India. Young people and the BJP, which was the main status updates, Facebook pages of thronged public spaces demanding Opposition party, earmarked 2-5 newspapers, magazines, politicians justice for the girl and better per cent of their election budgets etc. The cache of information is safety measures for women. What for social media, according to an available to the youth, who are was striking about the protests October 2014 study by IAMAI and the largest consumers of the social was that while they were led by Mumbai-based market researcher media and the majority of India’s young men and women who were IMRB International. The BJP's prime population. The information is educated, urban and middle-class, ministerial candidate, Narendra available. But do the youth process they reached out and connected Modi, was among the first Indian the available information? And with others from a diverse range politicians to set up a website and by doing so, do they become of backgrounds throughout Indian today is on Twitter, Facebook and politically aware? society. The main tool that helped Google+. A total of 200 students (both male them connect and initiate protest The three American social media and female) were administered was social media – Facebook and giants – Facebook, Twitter and a questionnaire and invited to Twitter. These spaces played a vital Google – emerged as major players participate in a focus group. role in expressing the collective in the general elections with political They were asked a wide range of public anger, frustration and parties and candidates competing questions which covered aspects outrage against the government’s with each other to break the news. such the number of hours they failure to respond effectively. After the seventh round of polling, spent on the Internet, their sources Due to growing public pressure, there were 49 million Indian of news, use of social media, and expressed through social media elections-related conversations voting experience. They were and at public gatherings, the on Twitter, more than double the quizzed on their awareness of government responded with the 20 million such conversations on current affairs and what their setting up of a judicial committee Twitter for all of 2014. political opinions were most headed by J. S. Verma, a former The pervasive and persuasive shaped by. chief justice of India. The five power of the Internet today cannot A majority of youngsters surveyed accused in the Delhi gang-rape case be ignored. It is estimated that the (98 per cent) had smartphones were convicted and sent to jail. number of broadband connections and, consequently, access to 24- India's 16th general election was in India is more than twice the size hour Internet connectivity. They held over nine phases in April and of the British general population. log in for at least five hours a day May 2014. It was a landslide victory Social media adoption among (49 per cent) and spend their free for the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) Internet users is around 84 per time scrolling through Facebook and saw the installation of Narendra cent today, which translates to 110 (90 per cent), checking out videos

14 VIDURA October-December 2016 for Women, Chennai. Some of the other papers presented were published in the April-June and July-October issues of

Vidura.) < Illustration: Arun Ramkumar Illustration:

on YouTube (92 per cent) and knowledge of the stories that make sign and needs to be addressed, uploading pictures on Instagram. it to the front pages or headlines since India has the highest youth Over the years, Facebook has also of a channel (86 per cent). These population in the world. become their source of news (86.5 are the stories that are defined by Involvement in social media has per cent). Compared to the college- the media as important. News that the capacity to have an impact going youth of a decade or so ago, involves celebrities and eminent within political and legal systems. information is more accessible to personalities has higher recall value Social media, if used effectively, today’s generation and they are among students. has the potential to put pressure on perhaps more aware of what is In terms of understanding the and influence governments. Social happening in their environment. political milieu of the country, media tools offer people a chance A fleeting glance at their Facebook analysing news and questioning the to gain a perspective on issues in news feeds is enough to give them different kinds of information that other nations and allow people a faint picture of happenings in the they are exposed to, the youth had to become involved in means of world. a long way to go, the study found. communication often perceived However, the study revealed The first step in making the youth as controlled by ‘mainstream’ and that though youngsters are aware politically aware is to persuade ‘elite’ media outlets. However, the of news in general, they have only them to take part in the electoral study showed that the youth failed a superficial understanding of it process. The 50:50 divide in voting to capitalise on the benefit of online or lack sufficient analysis to form and choosing the NOTA (None of news. Their source of news was a political opinion. Students have the above) option is a disturbing largely confined to the Facebook

October-December 2016 VIDURA 15 pages of the top newspapers of the city. Though it is evident that students Malnutrition, the focus at of today have the ability and the urge to act when they see or hear about injustice in the country, it PII-UNICEF equity talks is imperative that social media is As part of a new initiative, the Press that the child received the proper used properly in order to work Institute of India and UNICEF will nutrition. The period of lactation effectively. Those who engage in be organising a series of talks that was critical too, they stressed, with activism through social media have will address inequity and exclusion Zachariah adding that if the child to be dedicated, persistent and reach severely affecting children realising was weaned off the mother’s milk out to those who are affected by the their rights. only after the first six months, the issue that is being raised through Titled Equity Talks, the initiative child would grow to be a healthy it. There is the danger that online is focused on understanding and child, evening gaining in height. activism can result in ‘slacktivism’ improving social equity through Bose also made the point that (63.5 per cent believe that the education and dialogue and by unless the community understood Internet helped in channelising offering opportunities to individuals the importance of nutrition, both their need to act) and movements and organisations to build and for mother and child, and the can slow down and supporters can strengthen the voice for children and need to feed the newborn mother’s lose interest easily. There is also their rights. milk, it was a tough task to gain the possibility of the issues and The first talk, on Adverse Effects results on the ground no matter movements turning into popularity of Malnutrition, was conducted what campaign was undertaken. contests through personal use of 23rd September at the Visual The challenge, he said, was to get social media. If today’s youth are Communication Department of communities, especially in rural to become more involved in online Loyola College, Chennai. Subhadra India, to adopt healthy practices activism, it is important that young Seshadri, former professor and even it meant going against people really believe in the issues head of the Food & Nutrition tradition. The government could do they are standing for. They will Department in Maharaja Sayajirao its bit, Zachariah said, but the onus then attempt to gain support for University of Baroda; D.K. Bose, was on individuals and families to movements even when interest former president, Ogilvy Outreach change behavioural patterns and seems to be fading. (a division of Ogilvy & Mather); adapt to methods that have proven However, there many positives, and Job Zachariah, chief, UNICEF useful worldwide in combating including the fact that the overall State Office for Tamil Nadu and malnutrition. interest in politics among the Kerala, spoke. Avis Viswanathan, life coach and college-going youth has increased The speakers agreed that the first author, moderated the discussion since the advent of Facebook (58 1000 days in the life a child were and effectively summarised at per cent). Students are more vocal the most crucial. If a child remained regular intervals, for the benefit of today and are choosing to express malnourished during the period, the audience, the points made by their views through various forms, chances of recovery were slim or well- the speakers. More than 60 students be it online or participating in rallies nigh impossible. Seshadri pointed from the visual communication and

– healthy signs of a democracy. out that the role of the woman and media departments of Loyola and It appears that students are not the family was critical in ensuring other colleges attended. < entirely shying away from politics. Given a suitable platform, perhaps Job Zachariah in college, there can be greater speaks about political consciousness among the need for the youth of the country (70 per individuals

cent want politics to be initiated at < to change college level). behavioural patterns, as (The writer is a lecturer at Mount (from left) Avis Carmel College, Bangalore.This paper Viswanathan, was presented at a national seminar Subhadra on Implications and Influences of New Seshadri and D.K. Bose Media Technologies on Journalism listen.

organised by the Department of Photo: UNICEF Journalism, MOP Vaishnav College.)

16 VIDURA October-December 2016 BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH WAN-IFRA

Your Guide to the Changing Media Landscape World News Publishing Focus A wake-up call: Recoup trust, revenues The publishing industry appears to be facing a crisis, at least partly of its own making. In some markets, more than a quarter of online users are so fed up with online advertising that they’ve opted to download an ad blocker. In this excerpt from WAN-IFRA’s newly published report on ad blocking, Cecilia Campbell, the lead author, examines some of the reasons for this growing crisis and what publishers can do about it

ow did we arrive at Publishers must consider readers' in subsequent ones – the courts have this situation and more perspectives found consumers to have every right Himportantly, what can be Publishers can no longer afford to install and use ad blockers. In the done about it? The good news is to close their eyes to their readers’ most recent case, the judge even told premium publishers are trusted perspectives about the ad experience the publisher it was up to them to brands and have an opportunity they deliver – and the tracking that innovate. to build on that trust – through goes with it – because the inevitable The thing is, no matter how communication, transparency and consequence of that affects the publishers feel about ad block taking control of the ad experience. bottom line. companies – or the users who Rewind back to April last year While brands and advertisers download the software – markets and the WAN-IFRA team was are losing access to their potential tend to regulate themselves. getting ready to launch our Data customers – indeed the young, Remember email marketing back Privacy Report. Its basic tenet was male, tech-savvy audience is in the 1990s? Marketers suddenly that consumers’ concern for their becoming something of a blind spot woke up to the amazingly personal, online privacy was growing and in some markets – publishers are not to mention cheap, way of that publishers, by being open and the stakeholders hit in the pocket. reaching huge groups of consumers: transparent, could turn privacy Even quality publishers who take Send an email! It worked for a few policy into a competitive advantage. an active role in protecting their years (if that, in fact). Consumers To be honest, while we were working readers’ data must take action as were understandably incensed at on that report, it was evident that the they will be caught in the crossfire being bombarded with unsolicited industry interest was limited. And it of those same readers reacting to messages. didn't really mention adblocking. practices of less scrupulous websites And where there’s a problem In April 2016 there are few elsewhere. there’s invariably an entrepreneur. publishers – at least in the West Little wonder, then, that the gut Enter companies like Spamhaus, – who are not acutely aware of reaction of many in the publishing who created lists of bad actors, consumer’s concerns about being industry has been to go after the based partly on what people marked tracked online. Because they have enablers of the current crisis, the as spam. Their business model was told us so. An estimated 200 million+ ad block companies themselves. In to sell those lists to email service users in the world have downloaded Germany, a handful of court cases has providers, who would then block an ad blocker to shield themselves been brought forward, in particular the offenders. Sound familiar? Email from increasingly intrusive against Eyeo, the company behind marketing has of course come full advertising, which interrupts the the most downloaded ad blocker, circle, and today many publishers reading experience, slows down site Adblock Plus. In fact, judgment build great relationships with their performances, and gobbles up data in the first one was passed almost readers through daily inbox round- about what they do online. exactly a year ago. In that case – as ups of the news they want.

October-December 2016 VIDURA 17 also be able to charge a premium. This leads us to a basic economic premise: supply and demand. If a premium publisher creates scarcity of ad placements, demand should go up and CPMs (or whatever metric is used) should follow. From the advertiser’s point of view, their message is then presented in a less cluttered environment where users are more likely to see and engage with it. Most importantly, users would be happy with the advertising experience and be less likely to Google “ad blocker.” And looking at it long-term, the publisher is building a lasting relationship with the user, who in turn maintains his trust in the publisher’s integrity. Of course, as a publisher, the

Photo: WPNF challenge is to keep your cool and not worry that some advertisers The all too familiar symbol publishers have lately become wary of. may go and buy huge pop-ups from the competition. Which is In the (equivalent) current ad block serve your users. And there may be why collaborations such as one in situation, the offenders are all the an opportunity to sell what you’re Sweden have come about, where stakeholders in the advertising value left with at a premium – on desktop everyone agrees on a set of formats chain – and that includes publishers. as well as mobile. and (it is hoped) sticks to them. Brands, agencies, ad tech (including Mobile is serious business at ad networks as well as many of the Schibsted in Sweden. At flagship Time to focus on contextual tech companies who have built their title Aftonbladet, mobile ad revenues advertising? businesses on leveraging user data), outperform print advertising. The second, and probably more and publishers have all contributed to Schibsted surveyed some 37000 of challenging, aspect of taking control a situation where users frankly have their mobile users in the first half of is getting on top of how to protect had enough. This may be anecdotal, 2015. The survey participants were your users’ data and keep third- but several people we talked to in exposed to 30 campaigns from 10 party ad tech players in line. The the publishing industry admit to global brands in three formats; static latter is a tough nut. On the face of using ad blockers themselves. What image, rich media and video. The it, the obvious answer would be to does that tell you? result showed that compared with bring ad serving in-house, but that video and rich media, a single static remains unrealistic for all but a very Get in the driver's seat image is the advertising creative that few publishers. Looking over how The basic message is take control will most likely trigger mobile users publishers sell programmatically and clean up. It’s a tough one to buy a product. would be a start. to respond to, not least because Schibsted’s result shouldn’t come There also is an opportunity here it involves forgoing short-term as a surprise. It’s in line with what around contextual advertising. financial gains and focusing on the Internet users in general have been Of course there’s nothing to say only thing that really matters long- saying: Ads that move and cover the publishers cannot include some of term: keeping readers. content are bad, and are part of the the first-party knowledge they have Here’s the thing: none of the problem that’s led to the huge ad of their customers’ behaviour and research done indicates that block uptake. The point is that armed preferences to add value to that. consumers (on the whole) are against with insights like this, publishers The key is to put safeguarding and online advertising per se. What have an opportunity to convince respecting your audience at the they object to is the intrusion and advertisers and agencies to go for front and centre of everything you interruption it carries with it today. creatives that their target audience a) do. From a publisher’s point of view, doesn’t object to, and b) actually acts To that end, it might also be time for the easiest aspect to tackle should on. Furthermore, publishers who can publishers to give customers more be cleaning up the ad formats you show proven effectiveness should control over their own advertising

18 VIDURA October-December 2016 that you’ll protect their interests events such as Ad Blocking Action Day, WAN-IFRA Report: and that you care about and control but also curated links to the latest stories

what is published on your website, around the world about ad blocking. See Best-practice cases, < as well as who has access to the [www.wan-ifra.org/adblocking]. expert advice underlying data. If we’re to stop more people from resorting to ad (This article was originally published in blocking, everything must flow from the April-May 2016 edition of World News this: trust. Publishing Focus, the bi-monthly magazine Those interested in this topic published by WAN-IFRA.) should also bookmark WAN-IFRA’s Ad Blocking microsite, where you will find not only the latest posts on the topic and information from

In April, WAN-IFRA published a Relief material for affected 76-page report titled Ad Blocking: Implications and Strategies for people in Jammu & Kashmir Publishers. The report looks not only at the state of ad blocking and why people install ad blocking software but also at a number of case studies from Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States to see how some publishers are taking action by listening to their readers’ concerns about intrusive advertising and then making the necessary adjustments to regain their users’ trust. The report is available free to WAN- IFRA members and is for sale to With terror stalking the border areas in Jammu & Kashmir in recent non-members. See [www.wan-ifra. weeks, people living in the areas have been forced to move to safer org/ad_blocking_report]. places in Jammu District. The Punjab Kesari Group has been sending truckloads of articles for daily use for about 300 migrants since mid- experience. A first step would be October; 425 trucks have been dispatched thus far. Pictures show Vijay to give them a direct and easy way Kumar Chopra, editor-in-chief, Punjab Kesari Group, Jalandhar flagging

to give feedback, not just through off the 425th truck full of relief material (above), and distribution of a customer service department, but < actually on each page, in conjunction relief material (below). with the offending ad(s). Another opportunity could be letting users create their own profiles, in which they can set up preferences for what categories of marketing information they are interested in – on quite a granular level both in terms of topics and time periods. For all the talk of data, your customers are actual people. They will respond to how you treat them. They may respond to explanations about the cost of good journalism and the value exchange. But first and foremost, they need to know

October-December 2016 VIDURA 19 Translation: no two windows can give an identical view

Translation of literature from one language to another is a complex procedure that requires thought, commitment, and even training. With the 2016 Man Booker International Prize recognising equally the original author and the translator in awarding the top prize, translators have started coming into their own, says Shoma A. Chatterji

he Vegetarian – a Novel is about cultural identity and is therefore “There is a lyricism to the bare a woman who “wants to reject different from another Indian tone that Deborah Smith, the Thuman brutality” and give language from a different region. translator, uses – at times the book up eating meat. It won the 2016 The positive impact of translation reads almost like a poem. Was the Man Booker International Prize. is that it gives the target readership original Korean novel as poignant? The book was translated from the access to some of the most How do you judge a translated original Korean by Deborah Smith, outstanding literature in the world work when you do not know the who started learning Korean in 2010. which they would not otherwise language in which it was originally The panel chairman Boyd Tonkin have been able to enjoy because they written? In any text, the content said South Korean author Han do not know the language in which is irrevocably tied to the style, Kang's work was “unforgettably it was originally written. On the there is no separating the two. The powerful and original”. For the first flip side, cultural issues embedded difficulty of translating is in the time in the history of the Booker, in a language cannot be wholly reconstruction of this relationship the prize money of £50000 was translated into another. without the translator letting too equally shared between the writer Problems come up while trying much of herself into the translated and translator. The translator now to transpose from one language work. While it is impossible for gained a respect that hitherto into another the nuances of certain the non-Korean speaker to know seemed elusive. In fact, the shortlist words, the many layers of meaning how much of the novel is Smith was filled with works not originally in an idiom, forms of address, and how much of it is Kang, the in English – by authors like Turkish interjections and other sounds that end product is one that balances Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk, are not proper words but convey serenity with horror.” This would Elena Ferrante from Italy, Jose a specific meaning or emotion in a apply to many outstanding works Eduardo Agualusa of Angola and particular language, and other such of world literature, such as the Yan Lianke from China. elements, without diluting their works of Orhan Pamuk or Pablo Language is an arbitrary means of essence and spirit. Some translators Neruda. symbolising an image or thought. choose to transliterate words in This perception of the translator In other words, even the original vernacular languages, italicise them completely reverses the general work of an author is a translation. and explain them in a glossary. notion that translation of literature The mental process of a writer can Some choose to avoid the use of a from one language to another never be conveyed exactly through glossary and allow the readers to is somewhat lower down in the language. It stands to reason then enjoy a smooth read and either guess hierarchy than original creative that no literary work can be exactly at the meanings of words in other writing. How a translator translated into another language. It languages, or ignore them. Though approaches the work to be will fall short in conveying the exact translation is a professional job that translated is entirely up to the meaning or even an ‘equivalence’. demands special training and skills, translator. The dilemma is whether A particular language is deeply amateurs take up the work too. to become emotionally involved rooted in its culture and history. Srimoyee Bagchi, in an with the original work or maintain Different feelings and emotions outstanding review of The Vegetarian an objective distance in order have different ways of being – A Novel (The Telegraph, September not to intrude into the author’s expressed in different languages. 2, 2016) highlights the limits of thoughts, ideology, approach Each of the many languages in translation even when the translator and perceptions. If distance is India reflects a distinct ethnic and has seemingly done a brilliant job. maintained, there is a risk that the

20 VIDURA October-December 2016 translation might become very dry. The Sahitya Akademi, Kolkata, created history of sorts on July 29, 2016 by organising the release of a wonderful Anthology of Bengali Short Stories, the English translation of Bangla Golpo Sankalan Volume IV edited by none other than (late) Sunil Gangopadhyay, a former president of the Akademi. The volume comprises 34 Bengali short stories translated by scholars and academics from colleges in the The Sahitya Academy book cover. University of Kolkata and edited by Prof Sanjukta Dasgupta, former their respective stories with the Co, by Upendrakisor Raychaudhuri head, Department of English and translators, thereby investing the and Father Gabriel's Crypt, by former dean, Faculty of Arts, very work of translation with a Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay. This Calcutta University. new dimension and lifting it to a is part of Thema’s commendable Gangopadhyay chose stories different plane altogether. In this initiative of translating classic written by young and noted Bengali volume, the translator is credited at Indian children's literature. Lal Kalo writers who were born a little after the end of the story and the original was written in 1930, a world and India’s Independence. Among them writer’s name is placed just below several generations ago. Majantali are Swapnamoy Chakraborty, Tapan the title. & Co was written in the first few Bandopadhyay, Anita Agnihotri, The Sahitya Akademi is engaged years of the 20th Century and its Ramkumar Mukhopadhyay, in a long-term project of translating author was the father of Sukumar Jaya Mitra, Ansaruddin, Suchitra works in various Indian languages, Ray and grandfather of Satyajit Bhattacharya, Kankabati Dutta and including books in little-known Ray. The most modern of the three Amar Mitra. dialects into English and making books is Father Gabriel's Crypt, an The entire body of translation reasonably priced versions adventure story authored by one is the product of a three-day available to the reading public. of the most outstanding figures in translation workshop organised The Akademi also bestows awards contemporary Bengali literature. It by Sahitya Akademi’s former once in two years on outstanding is targeted at the 8-12 age-group. regional secretary Ramkumar works of translation of fiction and According to Ketaki Kushari Mukhopadhyay and conducted non-fiction. Dyson, a well-known and trained by Prof Dasgupta. An interesting Thema, a small but noted translator from Bengali to English, feature of the workshop was that publishing house in Kolkata run “Each language is a window on when the going got tough for some mostly by women, published the world, and no two windows of the translators – for instance, three translations of immortal give an identical view. For some when they came up against either classics from Bengali literature into reason, perhaps because of the little-known dialects or very English, mainly targeting children. nature of Indian pedagogy and the complex writing – the original The three works are: Lal Kalo, by importance of rote-learning in it, authors were invited to discuss Girindrasekhar Bose, Majantali & the troublesome illusion that one can achieve total correspondence in translation can be persistent in India. At the other end of the spectrum, people may, in a mood of exaggerated loyalty to their mother tongue, persuade themselves that the beauties of their native tongue or their favourite author in it can never be transferred to another

language. They may rule out the possibility of any good translation < even at the outset.” Photos: SC/Sahitya Akademi Photos: SC/Sahitya (The writer is a senior journalist and Sahitya Academy translators with the book. film historian based in Kolkata.)

October-December 2016 VIDURA 21 An orientation programme for journalists After reviewing a host of applications received, 14 journalists from Kerala and Tamil Nadu were selected for the PII-UNICEF Fellowships for 2016. An orientation programme for the selected journalists was held on September 13 at the Press Institute of India.

They have been asked to focus on Photo: PII--RIND/N.S six high-priority issues affecting children in Tamil Nadu: maternal Journalists selected for PII-UNICEF Fellowship 2016 pose for a picture with and infant mortality, malnutrition Sashi Nair, PII director, and Job Zachariah, UNICEF chief (seated), and Sugata Roy, communication specialist UNICEF (standing behind Nair). and anaemia, open defecation, ending violence against children, substance abuse/ use of tobacco In doing so, the fellowships aim to: (Malayala Manorama), Johnson among children, and children and bring various issues affecting children Poovanthuruth (Deepika Daily), disability. into the realm of media discourse to Lavanya (News 7 TV), Laxmi The objective of the media influence decision-makers; create Prasanna (The Times of India), fellowship programme is to greater awareness in the media about Mahesh Gupthan (Malayala encourage mid-career journalists child rights, its implementation and Manorama), K. Nagappan to analyse and report on the violation; strengthen public opinion (The Hindu Tamil), P.K. Navya different dimensions related to the in building an enabling environment (India Together), Renjith John implementation of child rights in for positive measures to be taken; (Deepika Daily), Ranjith Chathoth Tamil Nadu and Kerala – the right promote effective communication that (Mathrubhumi), K.H. Remya to survival, the right to development draws attention to children’s issues; (Mathrubhumi), Reji Joseph (Rashtra and the right to participate, and and facilitate informed dialogue Deepika), Sukanya Satyam (The

also to encourage journalists who among key stakeholders on children’s Times of India) and K.S. Sugitha can act as one voice for children issues. (Kalaignar TV). < against violation of their rights and The journalists selected are: Cissy for their overall betterment. Jacob (Mathrubhumi), Jerin Joy

Austria's news in education work honoured for excellence Zeitung in der Schule (ZiS – News at School), an initiative founded by the Austrian Newspaper Association (VÖZ), has been honoured as a Center of Youth Engagement Excellence by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), for its innovative and strong News in Education programs that have reached more than 1 million students in the past decade. “Our ‘Center of Youth Engagement Excellence’ designation honours initiatives that have a deep, long-term commitment and devote resources to news literacy and youth engagement,” said Vincent Peyrègne, CEO of WAN-IFRA. Nadja Vaskovich, CEO of ZiS noted that “although Austria is among the richest countries in the world, one in five Austrian teenagers cannot properly understand, use and reflect on written texts according to the latest OECD PISA results, Therefore, ZiS’s efforts are more important than ever – concerning not only the faith of the newspaper industry, but the future of the country.” Gerald Grünberger, CEO of VÖZ, concurred, pointing out that “ZiS is Austria’s largest private initiative enhancing media and reading literacy of children and young people on a national level. The programme is supported by almost all of the country’s print media and promotes our democracy.” ZiS has developed a variety of different projects. For example, all Austrian schools are encouraged to participate in ZiS’s Newspaper Project and to order free newspapers for four weeks. Hence, the Austrian newspaper publishers reach about ten per cent of all the Austrian pupils throughout all grades and all kinds of schools. ZiS also offers trainings for teachers and student teachers on how to use newspapers and journals in class in the context of media literacy. Journalists give them insights on how newspapers work – from September to June 2016 ZiS trained nearly

500 teachers and students. The induction took place at the 2016 News Publishing Expo in Vienna and was followed by the 2016 WAN-IFRA < Youth Engagement and News Literacy Committee Briefing in Vienna.

22 VIDURA October-December 2016 EDUCATION, GENDER EQUITY Girls are still denied the chances they deserve

Is the education system inclusive? Does it achieve the desired result of making girls conscious of equity? At a programme organised recently by the British Council, Chennai, panellists discussed the situation in Tamil Nadu. Susan Philip reports

he Sustainable Development her experience in a particular field under which government made Goals (SDGs) of the United of expertise to the discussion on lumpsum deposits in the names TNations, a historic, partici- Inclusive and Equitable Quality of girls enrolled in school, payable patory exercise in goal setting, Education being Able to Ensure a with interest when they complete envisages among other things World Free of Discrimination for schooling, she explained. universal education, with every Young Women and Girls. Talking of rural areas and far- child in school. As far as primary Mei Kwei Barker, British Council flung villages, Kulkarni said the education is concerned, that goal director for South India, set the challenge was to take the school has more or less been achieved ball rolling, saying that though the to the student, and in this Tamil in Tamil Nadu. The question is, gender gap in primary education Nadu had succeeded remarkably, how relevant is the learning being had greatly reduced, much still as it had around 31000 government imparted? Does it make the girls remained to be done. The opinion schools, with one primary school confident that they are not ‘weak’? was echoed by all three speakers. within one km of every habitation. A panel of experts debated this Kulkarni outlined the successful Drop-out rates of girls were not issue at a programme organised by initiatives taken by Tamil Nadu very different when compared the British Council, Chennai. to not only bring the girl child to to boys, and the government Pooja Kulkarni, TN State Project school, but ensure that she stayed tracked children who discontinued director, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan; there and went on to acquire education and brought them back Akila Radhakrishnan, Planning, higher education. Monetary and to the mainstream. Tamil Nadu Monitoring and Evaluation logistics hurdles were addressed also ran a programme to teach 1000 specialist, UNICEF; and Annie with schemes to provide free girls in every district self-defence Mohan, principal, Union Christian of charge all the paraphernalia for one month every year, and the Matriculation Higher Secondary needed for schooling, including response and the impact on the self- School, Chennai, each brought bicycles, and financial plans confidence of the girls had been terrific, she said. Radhakrishnan corroborated Kulkarni’s assessment of the success of Tamil Nadu’s schemes, saying a random survey conducted by the UNICEF had revealed that the reach of the social protection schemes was excellent. “We’ve brought a lot more children into school. But do they progress, is education meaningful, are girls and women on a level playing field,” she asked. Postulating that education was a bridge connecting the child with all the rights which should be available – the right to survival, development, participation, protection – Akila Photo: British Council pointed out that only 70 per cent It was a packed hall at the British Council, as the discussion on education for of the births of girl children were girls and gender equity gathered steam. registered, which meant that many

October-December 2016 VIDURA 23 girls did not even have citizenship away to another family’ still and Government schools. Other rights. Female foeticide and prevailed across social strata, and countries and states come to learn infanticide were both still high, and hence girls were often denied the how it is being done. The state has immunisation cover was not 100 per chances they deserved. Making a a historical advantage as it was in cent for girl children. About a third strong case for the promotion of co- southern India that the Christian of the girls in India were married educational institutions, she said missionaries started schools for off before they were 18, despite an ambience where girls and boys girls. The Self-Respect Movement legislations that sought to prevent studied together fostered respect and other such social movements this. “Education is important, but between the sexes, and healthy as well as good governance picked we need to reap its benefits with relationships were founded. She up on this advantage and took it reference to human development. also stressed the importance of the further. We have a long way to go in this,” teacher’s role in moulding girls and Organised in connection with she cautioned, adding that India in educating parents when signs International Day of the Girl needed to take a serious approach of discrimination between sons Child on October 11, and in to achieving the UN’s SDGs. and daughters were noticed. And keeping with the British Council’s Mohan talked about the role importantly, boys needed to be policy of Equality, Diversity and of schools in ensuring equitable educated so that they treated girls Inclusion, the programme drew an education for the girl child. She of the future better, Mohan said. enthusiastic, participative audience echoed the other panellists’ views The panellists’ responses to from different sectors of society,

that though the girl child had questions from the moderator including students and working come a long way, much remained and points raised by the audience people. < to be achieved. Drawing from her illuminated other facets of the experience, she said the perception issue: Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in (The writer is assistant editor, that daughters were to be ‘given activity-based learning in aided PII-RIND.)

Rammanohar Reddy is Scroll.in Readers’ editor In an initiative aimed at maintaining high standards, Scroll.in has appointed senior journalist C. Rammanohar Reddy as its Readers’ editor. He will work “independently, but from within the organisation, to consider, inquire into and respond to readers’ concerns, criticism and complaints related to articles on Scroll.in and the manner in which they have been reported”. Readers can contact him at readerseditor@scrollin. Reddy, who lives in Hyderabad, is a journalist with more than 25 years of experience. As editor of Economic and Political Weekly in Mumbai from mid-2004 to early 2016, he worked to make the journal more contemporary, widen its readership and paid special attention to digitisation. Before EPW, he was with The Hindu from 1993 to 2004 in Chennai and Hyderabad where he focused on economic policy, writing in the main editorials. He started his career in journalism as an assistant editor at Deccan Herald in Bangalore in 1988. Reddy has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Madras University and a postgraduate diploma in management from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. He then received a Master of Philosophy and PhD, both in Economics,

from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, via the Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. Before

< turning to journalism he worked for a couple of years with the Planning Commission and was also on the faculty of < the Centre for Development Studies. (Courtesy: Scroll.in)

Mint is now a broadsheet Almost a decade after it was launched in February 2007, HT Media's business daily Mint has turned into a broadsheet. “Keeping pace with the evolving demand of the reader, Mint, the business daily from HT Media, which is known for popularising the Berliner format in India, is set to turn into a broadsheet,” HT announced. The company reasoned that the change in style was owing to increased demand for Mint among readers. Being a digital pioneer, Mint is known for its long-form narrative journalism. The integrated newsroom of the organisation was among the first

in the country to experiment with data journalism. The newspaper prides itself for putting into effect a strict “code of conduct for its journalists” along with acknowledging mistakes by “carrying every year, a graphic of the number and < kinds of mistakes, and who made them.” (Courtesy: exchange4media.com)

24 VIDURA October-December 2016 A national objective for education is a must The time has come to take a re-look at the British systems that have been in force as a residue of the colonial past of the countries that now make up South Asia, J. V. Vil’anilam feels, because they exacerbate the dichotomy between the educated elite and the less qualified masses. Many large businesses in India control educational institutions, he says, and wonders whether it will help educate the millions who are illiterate and denied access to good systems of education

he South Asian countries – communication and legal in order to involve the masses in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, procedures be conducted in local communication. The conventional TNepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, languages. Freedom Movements devices of communication – the big the Maldives and Afghanistan – encouraged indigenisation of newspapers, radio and television more or less maintain the systems administration, but a great deal – are losing their pre-eminence of education, administration, more has to be done in order to in the face of the sudden growth manufacturing and medical make day-to-day administration, of social media; but the second services introduced by the British the legal systems, policing and and third sectors in the triangle of when they ruled the region as public relations more oriented communication – inter-personal colonisers. English is spoken and towards the common people and and intrapersonal communication understood by the many people in easily accessible to them. The Right – still suffer from the mass-elite these nations, and it has influenced to Information Act, the Right to divide. There is, therefore, a great the economic, industrial and socio- Education Act, etc, introduced need to strengthen these facets. cultural aspects of life, as can be in India in recent years, are After Independence, the seen from the evolution of the mass examples of catering to the need Government of India made some media and the present status of the for indigenisation of information, attempts to introduce education media, including social media, in education and democratic and legal for economic and socio-cultural the region. For historical reasons, principles. development purposes on a national the political and administrative Even after the British left the scale, but education was mostly left systems introduced by the West region, English continues to exert to the states for a long time. Then in are also exerting their influence on great influence on education and 1976, the Government of India made these countries. mass communication. However, education a concurrent subject. All the countries in South newspapers and other media in The Central Government began to Asia had traditional systems South Asia in indigenous languages have a say in certain vital matters of education under religious are becoming prominent. The concerning higher education. and spiritual leaders until Lord newspapers with the biggest However, there are certain Macaulay’s Education Minute in circulation in India are in Hindi and drawbacks to be overcome. School 1835, following which English Malayalam, apart from English. education is still mostly under education was introduced in many Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Urdu and the purview of individual states, port cities and industrial towns Sinhalese newspapers are thriving perhaps because of the lack of a of the region. The 19th Century too. TV and radio channels in local common language for India as a saw the establishment of colleges languages are also flourishing in whole. However, there is need for a and three major universities – the the region. Even so, the dichotomy common curriculum for high school Universities of Calcutta, Bombay between the elite and the masses education. Regional and local and Madras. Universities were continues to exist. differences can be catered to, but a established in Nepal and Sri Lanka India produces the third largest common curriculum and common towards the end of the 19th Century. number of books and journals in national objective for education are English-medium high schools and English; perhaps this is the case in Sri a must. colleges were already functioning Lanka and in Pakistan, too. But the The influence of powerful business in some major cities of South Asia, number of books and periodicals, establishments on education is but mainly for the elite. including dailies in local languages, strong in this era of globalisation Today, the masses have started has to increase at least ten-fold and privatisation. Many big demanding that education, in all the South Asian countries businesses (and industries) in

October-December 2016 VIDURA 25 status, religious affiliation or Asian education. Children have financial strength, must have easy to think in their mother-tongue access to pre-primary, primary and first and, acquire later on, the secondary education, preferably capacity to learn other languages in a free and compulsory manner. and cultures. They will do this as No child should be compelled to a matter of course. Let them learn seek admission in distant schools. English properly when they are This is possible only when there old enough to do so, particularly is a common curriculum and the under teachers familiar with what instruction is imparted by properly is significant to people in English- qualified teachers proficient in the speaking nations. local medium. All children in the modern The hunger for English language world, irrespective of their instruction at the lower levels has caste background, should get established that the majority of opportunities to learn certain skills the children are neither good at essential for living in modern English nor at the local language. societies – the basics of wiring, This is a serious drawback in South machine work, plumbing, lathe- work, farming, tailoring, home economics, etc. No child should consider any type of work as menial or below her dignity. If the high school graduate at 18 is eligible to vote, he must be mature enough to choose a career, a course of study, and stand on his own feet. Children should

Illustration: Arun Ramkumar Illustration: also be exposed to the practice of social life – the sociology of living, including a socially-productive, India are controlling educational students whose forte and aptitude practical, religious attitude in a

institutions. Perhaps, the situation are in technical skills, irrespective multi-religious society, based on in other South Asian countries is not of their caste, may be provided universal love and respect for all < far different. Will this help educate vocational education starting from human beings. the millions who are illiterate and the lower levels of school education denied access to good systems of so that they can quickly become (The writer is former vice- education? productive. chancellor and head, Department Mass education (perceiving All children in the region, of Communication and Journalism, education as a basic human right) is irrespective of caste, creed, social University of Kerala.) the key to a nation’s development, but it is seen only as a means to a job these days, a job that pays well but may not be quite relevant to Vikram Chandra steps down as the needs of the country. There Group CEO, NDTV are complaints that unqualified students are given admission to Vikram Chandra has stepped down as Group CEO of NDTV. K.V.L. professional colleges and many Narayan Rao will replace him. Chandra will now be consulting editor. of them fail to appear at the Chandra joined the organisation in 1991 and has played a critical role in qualifying examination. Is this not cementing its position among the top news broadcasters in India. Besides a waste? Moreover, many children being a prominent television face, Chandra has spearheaded NDTV’s online belonging to the lower castes and operations since a long time. classes do not get admission even at Chandra was appointed Group CEO in 2011 for three years, further

the pre-primary level and are left to extended by another two years. He is the anchor of the Big Fight, Gadget fend for themselves. Most of them Guru and 9 o'clock news and has also been associated with NDTV initiatives < remain idle or turn to undesirable such as Cleanathon and Save our Tigers. paths to make quick money through drugs and narcotics. Perhaps,

26 VIDURA October-December 2016 12 women’s groups, one dream: total sanitation Ever since the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) has been launched in India, there have been many interesting, innovative ways in which communities have taken ownership of the crucial Mission Sanitation that aims to eradicate open defecation by 2019. In select blocks of Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul District, village councils, local women and technology have come together seamlessly to not only ensure that every home has a toilet but that families are indeed making use of them. Kirthi Jayakumar has the story

n May 2016, the Gandhigram on the establishment of competent issues on the ground. At the same Trust, a resource agency with waste management systems with time, they keep in constant touch Ithe government’s Department strong community participation. with the villagers and are ready to of Rural Development, set up an Specifically, the idea was to get built clarify all their doubts on scheme online platform to position the 12000 individual household latrines, related matters on real-time Swachh Bharat Abhiyan into the or IHHLs, in the region. To get the basis.” digital space. Incidentally, this ambitious operation off the ground, Interestingly, before the is one among a range of capacity 12 all-women clusters were created clusters were formally formed, building efforts the trust has and then trained to talk to families the trust had held a series of introduced to attain the targets set about the benefits of making toilets discussions with the panchayat under the sanitation campaign. and keeping their surroundings as well as block level officials. The virtual platform has been clean. Acknowledging the pivotal role instituted with an idea to facilitate Talking about the reasons for panchayats play in taking the the implementation of the scheme choosing women to lead the project forward Shivakumar and to build a system of receiving initiative, K. Shivakumar, secretary, says, “The village councils have regular updates to monitor its Gandhigram Trust, says, “The been the key activators. They progress. Of course, central to its Trust formed these clusters because work together with the women execution and success are feisty women know the ins and outs of to identify beneficiaries, disburse village women, who have been their panchayats, the community’s funds and spread awareness on trained to become proactive agents particular needs, and where the toilet construction.” of change for their communities. gaps in service delivery lie. Each Indeed, it’s only when there is The trust had started working group is responsible for four or availability of adequate, proper on the sanitation project in five gram panchayats. They enjoy infrastructure along with sufficient Athoor, Nilakkottai, Bathlakundu, a good rapport with government understanding among the people Reddiarchatram and Vadamadurai officials which allows them to speed that total sanitation can become a Blocks in 2014 with the objective of up the process of toilet construction lived reality. Whereas the first can creating model villages that focus and resolve any immediate related be attained with some concerted efforts and funding, often it’s the widely-held regressive attitudes that end up playing spoilsport. Observes Ushree Mukhopadhyay, an independent researcher who studies the interplay of socio- psychology and development, "Most times, people don't know how to use a toilet. It's all very well to suggest that we must use toilets and, therefore, establish them,

Photos: WFS but in several parts of rural India, communities have been defecating Women show off their smartphones on which they use the specially designed in the open for years together. This app that enables them to monitor the progress of sanitation activities in their has made it difficult for them to areas. understand the confines of a toilet

October-December 2016 VIDURA 27 and what they have to use it for. It is vital, therefore, to educate them." All the aspects have been covered under the trust’s project, which effectively combines infrastructure development, awareness genera- tion and monitoring. “In order to improve the sanitation conditions in their panchayats the women’s groups are going all out to raise awareness on the various government entitlements, the trust’s revolving fund assistance, setting up of school health committees, and so on. Regular meetings ease the process of purchasing materials Grassroots women in five blocks of Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul District hold regular meetings to discuss the work being done to achieve 100 per cent toilet coverage in for construction as well as the the region. actual building. For those who are not in the know, we have published a handbook on Construction of Low during construction and the third Thus far, this app has proved to Cost IHHL, and we also make it a on completion. We have been be very useful; it’s been able to chart point to commemorate occasions checking the progress at each stage. the progression of sanitation work like the World Toilet Day to spread So far, three blocks and a total of 60 taking place at the grassroots. Over a positive message on sanitation. panchayats have been covered.” the past year, the trust has reached The online app for data collection When the smartphones were out to households in 881 villages has been developed for efficient distributed, two software experts and lent financial and technical monitoring and evaluation,” interacted with the cluster women assistance for the construction of elaborates Shivakumar. to take them through the basic 3176 latrines, even as 2576 more are The Gandhigram Trust has operation and its applications. being built. been able to initiate such activities Arghyam’s technical team also Clearly, the plan of roping in with financial and technical taught them how to collect and enter women and technology to achieve support from the Bengaluru-based the relevant data, and how to upload 100 per cent toilet coverage is foundation, Arghyam, which, and update it online. Once collected, working well. “Looking at the besides offering revolving funds the data is transmitted via internet wonderful way in which the and interest-free loans for villagers to a central server. "When collected sanitation intervention has rolled for the construction of IHHLs, over a period of time and from out, panchayats that don’t come has developed the software for various gram (village) panchayats, under the project have approached the special monitoring app. The this kind of information gives a us for help in improving conditions software is equipped to collect data clear picture of the bottlenecks in their respective areas. For us,

with fields such as the name of the in the system, backed by hard that’s a heartening development panchayat, name of the beneficiary, numbers. The centralised server and we are gearing up to take things < survey numbers, date of application even has an in-built tool to produce forward,” signs off Shivakumar. received, type of construction, charts, graphs and other pertinent the source of construction, loan visualisations," adds Shivakumar. (Courtesy: Women’s Feature Service) details such as the total amount and dates of disbursement, the date of completion of construction, photographs taken after completion, WaPo ropes in Barkha Dutt as columnist total cost of the unit, date of NDTV’s consulting editor and well-known journalist Barkha Dutt has been repayment and the date on which roped in by The Washington Post as contributing columnist. The Global the subsidy was received. Opinions Section is part of The Post’s wider effort to increase its international Shivakumar explains, “We have presence by expanding its offerings of quality journalism, commentary, and

given each of the 12 clusters mobile video projects from and about other parts of the world. Since its launch in phones preloaded with the app. the spring, more than a dozen columnists from around the world have joined < Members have been instructed to Global Opinions as contributors. Dutt’s will be a monthly column. fill in three forms – the first one before construction, the second

28 VIDURA October-December 2016 A poet who is also an ‘immovable boulder’ A poet may seem misplaced as a politician. But perhaps this is exactly what we need: people who can bring sensitivity in the public domain and drive us to look at our lives, our politics and our ethics anew. Irom Sharmila’s politics stems from deep sensitivity; she dreams of a world free of fear. Deepti Priya Mehrotra, who has met Sharmila several times, says the latter and her ilk firmly believe that sustainable development, education, health, livelihoods and attention to the distinctive culture of their land is the need of the hour, not guns, murders, rapes

rom Sharmila writes: “I’ll spread to her sustained non-violent protest, 1980s. Consequently, Sharmila, born the fragrance of peace/ From she figures it is time for her to try in 1972, grew up reading about the IKanglei, my birthplace/ In the another track. atrocities committed and observing ages to come/ It will spread all over In a democracy, when nothing the crusade of the firebrand Meira the world” (Kanglei is an ancient else seems to be working, people Paibis and Apunba Lup, a network name for Manipur). Sharmila began power almost always has the of civil society organisations. an indefinite fast on November 3, capacity to bring change. So now In October 2000, Sharmila 2000, a determined solo step on she is considering electoral politics interned with Human Rights Alert, the slow, very slow, road to peace. to further the same cause: to end the a small organisation in her home- Almost 16 years on, she decided violence that cripples her state and town, Imphal. She met with victims to break her fast on August 9 this remove, in particular, the Armed of army atrocities, read reports and year and resume life as we all know Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). attended meetings. On November it: eating food, drinking water, The draconian law empowers armed 2, when ten ordinary villagers walking the streets, a free citizen. forces to kill any Manipuri citizen were killed by Assam Rifles at the The state having failed to respond on mere suspicion; over the years, Malom bus-stop, she realised that under cover of this law, atrocities the existing means of dissent were – murders, rapes, disappearances, insufficient. After deep reflection torture – have piled sky-high. she came up with the idea of an Although Sharmila is the most indefinite fast. public face of the anti-AFSPA Sharmila’s fast has been struggle, others, older than her, extremely effective in drawing have protested against the law ever attention to the cause, building since it was first enforced in the awareness and solidarity. In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that the armed forces cannot use excessive force even in areas that come under AFSPA. As per the Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM), there have been 1528 fake encounters in Manipur since the 1980s by the armed forces and state commandos. The apex court has questioned the impunity and noted that all these “must be Photos: Tripti Nath/WFS investigated”. So far, six incidents While thus far, Irom Sharmila The most public face of the have been thoroughly investigated has made a silent appeal for the anti-AFSPA struggle. and all of them have been proven to withdrawal of the Armed Forces be unprovoked killings of innocent Special Powers Act from her state, persons. Commissions appointed Manipur, she wants to explore by the Central government, electoral politics to further the such as the Justice Jeevan Reddy cause. Commission (2005), too, have

October-December 2016 VIDURA 29 clearly recommended that this “much-hated” law be repealed. Sharmila and her ilk firmly believe that sustainable development, education, health, livelihoods and attention to the distinctive culture of their land, is the need of the hour, not guns, murders, rapes. I had first met Sharmila in Delhi in November 2006. By then, she’d been routinely arrested, convicted for ‘attempted suicide’, released after 365 days; and, then, as she continued her fast in public, re- arrested. In 2006, the day she was released in Manipur she came to Photo: Ninglun Hanghal/WFS the national capital to spread the word on her cause, sat on dharna Irom Sharmila’s resistance has brought people from across India together in the (form of protest) at Jantar Mantar, common cause of ending the writ of the draconian law, AFSPA, in Manipur. and was picked up by Delhi police and kept in the All India Institute represents Manipur… The twenty- considering marrying him. For of Medical Science where she was first century is the century of Irom most people, if not all of us, the force-fed through a nasal (Ryle’s) Sharmila. Her story is the story of political and the personal coexist tube. When I visited her she was mother earth…” in uneasy proximity. And Sharmila sitting cross-legged on the hospital Earlier this year, Sharmila was once will face several challenges in bed, full of vitality and questions; again in Delhi at Manipur House. the upcoming phase. Yet, as with a pile of books beside her included The Delhi High Court was trying every difficulty she has been the Quran, Hindu scriptures, Bible, her for attempted suicide, a case able overcome, her customary Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries, that was dragging on from 2006-07. thoughtfulness, intelligence and Manipuri poetry and newspapers; It was finally dismissed on March indomitable spirit will enable her we discussed Japanese folk stories 30. When I met with Sharmila, she to ride these out as well. and she borrowed Chinua Achebe’s was lively, communicative, her eyes What of the struggle against Things Fall Apart that I had with me. often wet though she smiled a lot AFSPA? All this while Sharmila in We became friends and I visited and laughed too. The tape holding jail seemed to be a fact of nature; she often before she left for Imphal in her nasal tube in place seemed was the immovable boulder that March 2007. to chafe the skin. I, like many of would not budge until her demand Soon after, I decided to write her supporters have in the past, for withdrawal was met. The Meira about her saga, threw myself into requested her to give up the fast, Paibis have already shown the the research and visited Manipur, suggesting she lead the struggle way: on December 10th, 2010, they where I met her in jail-hospital. She from the outside. She was quiet began an indefinite relay hunger read out a 1000-line poem she’d at first and then said, “I am fully strike, in a shed in Porampat, just written; asked if I’d eaten Manipuri surrendered to the will of God. He across the hospital where Sharmila curries and offered to cook, one day, is looking after me and I know that had been incarcerated. Everyday a sagem pamba, a dish of fermented soon I will succeed. Very soon one group of women come, and fasted, soya beans, roots, vegetables and day the government will remove the in solidarity with Sharmila and water plants. In November 2009, I Act. Then I will be free.” for removal of AFSPA. Protestors went to Manipur to participate in a Whereas to many, Sharmila’s like Ima Mangol, Ima Mamon, Festival of Peace, Justice and Hope decision to end her fast may seem Ima Taruni and Ima Ramani, Ima held in solidarity with Sharmila’s sudden, I think it has actually been Gyaneshwari and Loitam Ibetombi protest. The late writer Mahasweta building up within her. It is time Devi have devised courageous,

Devi and I had run from pillar to for her to move on, into a new powerful forms of protest. Without post, but were denied permission to phase of life. In this, she hopes to collective struggle, there can be no < meet Sharmila, even for a minute. explore politics in a different way, solutions. Later, Mahasweta wrote a foreword and also the personal. She is in love, to new editions of my book (Burning with somebody she got to know (Courtesy: Women’s Feature Service) Bright): “…For me, and many five years ago, with whom she has others like me, it is Sharmila who corresponded regularly, and is

30 VIDURA October-December 2016 Investing in women, and ensuring their right to choice

At the landmark London Summit on Family Planning in 2012, 69 countries pledged to facilitate access to family planning services for an additional 120 million women globally by 2020. India committed to spending over USD 2 billion dollars towards family planning services for 48 million women by 2020, in addition to sustaining its existing coverage of approximately 100 million users. Today, if the gaps and needs in family planning are clearly evident, what is also undeniable is that there has to be a significant increase in government spending if women are to lead healthy, productive lives, which is their right, says Ajitha Menon

recent study on Family Planning Budget and AProjections for Meeting FP2020 Commitments by the Population Foundation of India (PFI) indicates that, at the current growth in the modern Contra- ceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR), the country will only have reached out to an additional 32.8 million women, 15 million short of the committed target. “Meeting the FP2020 goal is essential for India, because, despite significant progress in the family planning, it is still far behind in both quantitative and qualitative terms,”

states Prof Barun Kanjilal, Indian Photo: Tarannum/WFS Institute of Health Management Research, Jaipur, who lead the PFI Freedom to choose the numbers and spacing between children is a basic study. reproductive health right of any woman. “The population has reached an alarmingly high level and there is According to PFI’s Policy Brief imperative. The private sector is an urgency to drastically reduce the on Resource Requirement, which expected to cater to 42.5 per cent fertility rate. Increasing population is based on the study, while of all modern contraceptive users implies increasing pressure on states like Rajasthan, Madhya between 2013 and 2020. But if existing resources like schools, Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and only non-permanent birth control roads, water, healthcare, and so on. Chhattisgarh are on track towards options, like pills, condoms and Essentially, there is a huge burden meeting the FP2020 goal, others IUDs, are considered, the private or cost waiting for the future like Bihar, Odisha, Uttaranchal, sector is expected to serve 76.5 per generation if some urgent and Uttar Pradesh and Assam need to cent of the users. Current trend, drastic steps are not taken,” Prof drastically improve their mCPR to however, indicates that the private Kanjilal warns. He links FP2020 meet the target. sector will only reach an additional to human rights, gender equality, Prof Kanjial enumerates the 10 million users by 2020, 12 million and empowerment by adding, “in three key challenges that must be short. Therefore, the government qualitative terms, FP2020 paints a addressed if many more Indian has to work towards building desirable scenario where the women women are to benefit from the effective partnerships with the and girls have full right to decide availability of family planning private sector to bridge the gap. freely and for themselves, whether, services. First, since private players Second, the percentage share of when and how many children they dominate the spacing contraceptive limiting and spacing contraceptives want to have”. market, their involvement is – known as method mix – is heavily

October-December 2016 VIDURA 31 skewed towards limiting or terminal There is ample evidence linking services through public funded methods. Female sterilisation birth spacing to improved mother providers. Targeting low-progress is the ‘preferred’ method of and child health – in fact, it has a states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, approximately 75 per cent of total particular impact on child survival and Uttar Pradesh, and diverting users. But whereas for couples with as well. But while the accredited money towards improving two or more children, a permanent social health activists (ASHAs) do availability of commodities, such as sterilisation solution may be viable, distribute contraceptives in local contraceptives, and lifting demand this often isn’t the case with younger communities, more has to be done will have an added impact. Current couples who may not have had the to step up coverage and also affect spending trends, nonetheless, show desired number of children and but positive behavioural change. that the government will shell out still go in for a permanent method Dr Nilima Thakuria Haque, only about Rs 11600 crore during because they lack access to spacing sub-divisional medical officer, 2013 to 2020. contraceptives like condoms and Sonapur District Hospital, Assam, Notwithstanding the reality that pills. says, “Intensive counselling on there has been an increase in the “Freedom to choose the numbers the use of spacing contraceptives family planning budget, the fact is and spacing between children is is the need of the hour. Illiteracy, that the total allocation for family a basic reproductive health right poor awareness and social taboos welfare has decreased. Moreover, of any woman. But the popularity lead to the majority saying no to although the NRHM allocation of female sterilisation not only IUDs. Most don’t know how to use for FP services has increased by 47 impinges on that freedom, it condoms or take pills properly. So, per cent from 2013-14 to 2015-16, a strongly indicates poor accessibility unfortunately, when couples with shortfall of about USD 231 million to contraceptives and lack of two children are looking for birth persists. Consequently, it will be information, especially for spacing,” control they almost always end up difficult to reach a target of even 33 points out Prof Kanjilal. Indeed, it going for female sterilisation instead million additional users by 2020. is difficult for a married woman in of, say, even vasectomy.” Effective family planning happens the hinterlands to traverse five to The third challenge concerns “the when couples are duly aware of ten kilometres to a pharmacy or quality of FP services offered free of their options and have equitable, health centre to get birth control charge which, in reality, are ‘freely easy access to quality services, pills even if she is so inclined. unavailable’, especially in rural both of which are impossible to Then, social and cultural barriers, areas”. According to Dr Mukherjee, ensure without adequate financial including a husband’s reluctance there is a tendency to medicalise resources. It really comes down to to go in for spacing, as well as family planning where it is one smart decision: investing in the low awareness further combine to important to “incorporate women’s future of the people by securing curtail an exercise of choice. And if education and counselling into the women’s basic reproductive rights. financial incentive is provided for family welfare and family planning “Right now, the focus has to be on one particular method then it does programmes for it to really work”. investing in women and ensuring indirectly result in shaping skewed He says, “For married women a social acceptance of their right to choices. interested in planning their family choice,” says Prof Kanjilal. < As someone who has closely informed advice is hard to come by observed the workings of the and so it all comes down to either (Courtesy: Women’s Feature Service) rural healthcare system and sterilisation or abortion.” interacted with several couples Prof Kanjilal explains that the over the years Dr Sanjib Mukherjee, government spends on family gynaecological consultant and planning in two ways: programme former president, Health Service costs, through the National Health Subscribe to Association, West Bengal, believes Mission (NRHM), and in-kind that when it comes to “our family support and non-programme VIDURA planning programmes hardly any routine costs. “So far, the focus has thought is given to what women been on the first aspect since it is Rs 200 for and girls want”. He elaborates, directly linked to number of users,” “They are mostly imposed from the he says. four issues top down and there is rarely any Number crunching, done as part input taken from doctors working of the PFI study, has put together in primary health centres, who are a figure of Rs 15800 crore, if not the ones actually in touch with the more, to enable the country to meet grassroots needs.” its commitment of providing FP

32 VIDURA October-December 2016 They are willing to fight the odds, yet justice eludes them

Like most young women Revati’s life changed the day she became a bride in 2009. Whereas she had dreams of building a wonderful life with her husband, things didn’t get off to a great start. Her parents-in-law were not too happy with the “meagre dowry” she had brought with her and even the handsome five-figure salary she made as an IT professional in Delhi was not enough to satisfy them. Within six months of marriage, the harassment and abuse started. Anuradha Shukla reports

nitially, Revati did try to adjust to the situation and hoped for Ithings to get better. But she gave up soon enough, which is perhaps why she is still around to tell her tale. “My husband and I were drawing a handsome pay packet. But my in-laws were not pleased with the dowry and would often taunt my husband. When they demanded cars and a plot I put my foot down and asked him to speak to his parents. We started fighting often,” she recalls. Eventually, the verbal and physical abuse got worse. “One day, when I refused to Section 498A is a criminal law that safeguards the interest of married women in call my parents and ask them to gift India. him a car he hit me so badly that I broke my hands and collar bone. Later, I lost my job. That forced me towards a woman by her husband money he resorted to beating me. to go to the police,” she says. and/ or his family members. Offence His aggression increased and Revati decided to file a case registered under this section is one day he tried to strangle me. under Section 498A of the Indian cognizable, non-compoundable and Fortunately, my neighbour came Penal Code (IPC), going against the non-bailable with a provision for to my rescue. Despite my severe advice she received from her family immediate arrest of the accused. wounds the police refused to take and friends. After two months of Nonetheless, access to justice has action and asked me to reconcile investigations her husband was only gotten tougher for women with my husband. What should I taken into custody and after five like Revati, ever since efforts to do to get justice? Do I have to die years of marriage, three of which amend the law to make the offence to prove that my case is genuine?” were spent battling in court, she got compoundable and bailable have questions a deeply distressed a divorce. “My parents had told me gained ground. The proposed Rekha. Ever since she lodged the to bear everything till my younger changes have made things worse police complaint some months sister got married but there is only because it has led to a noticeable ago, Rekha has been hiding at so much one can endure. I dared to change in the attitude of the law her relative’s place because her take legal action and that’s why I enforcement agencies. husband has threatened her with am alive,” says Revati, who moved Rekha’s miserable experience tells dire consequences. to Bengaluru last year. all. “After three years of marriage, Of course, there are many Passed by the Indian Parliament my husband wanted my parents women today who are being made in 1983, Section 498A is a criminal to give him Rs 5 lakh so that he to run from pillar to post to seek law that safeguards the interest of could sponsor the honeymoon justice because they dared to stand married women, as it deals with of his newly-wed sister. When up against dowry harassment. domestic violence and cruelty they were unable to give the According to women’s groups

October-December 2016 VIDURA 33 working on the issue, whereas earlier the police was at least open to taking quick action once an incident came to light, increasingly they are reluctant to even book a case under Section 498A even if the complainant comes to them in a pitiable condition. This has been a severe setback for women survivors of domestic abuse. Rights activists and legal experts unanimously declare the changes in Section 498A as regressive and against the very purpose for which it had been introduced. Indira Jaising, former additional solicitor- general, points out, “This law gives protection and relief to a harassed Photos: WFS woman and should continue in its original form. Violence Misuse of Section 498A could come down if the domestic violence law is made against women is a violation of more gender-sensitive and trials are fast-tracked. human rights. There must be no compromise on that.” law and has little or no knowledge police is usually caught between Significantly, a large number of of its possible outcomes.” Recalling two families and when educated women continue to suffer domestic one such case, Thakur shares, “The people are involved, tracking the violence – physical, sexual, verbal, woman was a victim of domestic crime gets tougher. Whenever a emotional, mental – at the hands of violence and all she wanted was a case of domestic violence comes their husband or the marital family. divorce. Yet, the police sent her back to us, we advise the woman to According to National Crime to her husband. Finally, her lawyer come to a compromise and send Records Bureau (NCRB) data, on suggested that she file a case under her back to live with the person. an average, 8800 dowry deaths and Section 498A as it was the only way It’s only Section 498A that really domestic violence cases are booked to get a divorce. Being uneducated, empowers her today. If provisions every year. This is apart from all the she was unable to understand the of the domestic violence law are cases that simply go unreported. implications of this.” well-defined and more gender- One of the reasons being offered The ground reality is that it is sensitive, and the trials are fast- in support of the dilution is the so- not easy to file a domestic violence tracked any misuse of 498A will called rise in false dowry harassment complaint let alone gain a conviction automatically come down.” charges. In fact, the argument has largely due to the fact that there For women who anyway have been supported by the Supreme is an inherent bias in the system to fight tooth and nail for their Court (SC), which issued an order toward women who are ‘audacious’ rights and dignity, discrediting in July 2014 preventing the arrest of enough to want to complain against complaints under Section 498A the husband or his family members their husbands. Added to this are is a gross human rights violation. till there were sufficient and valid irregularities in police inquiry. In Thakur concludes, “When someone reasons. fact, Justice Prasad’s SC order clearly tries to kill another person, Section Delhi-based lawyer Sunita states that the police do not follow 307 ensures justice. But when the Thakur opines, “There is a need the guidelines on arrests under person trying to murder a woman to carefully examine and analyse Section 41 Criminal Procedure Code. happens to be her husband, she is the data regarding these cases of Then how can women alone be expected to go back to him. Where misuse. For instance, cases that responsible for the alleged misuse? is the justice in that?” < end up in settlement are also listed The onus lies with the investigating under the category of false cases. So officer as well. (Courtesy: Women’s Feature inferences cannot be made merely on Police officials do concede that Service. The names of female the basis of the numbers recorded. there are times when the lack of survivors have been names changed to Generally, in the instances of the evidence does lead to the building of protect their identity. ) so-called misuse of 498A, we have false cases. A senior woman police observed that the woman is not official in Delhi, on the condition even aware of the provisions of the of anonymity, observes, “The

34 VIDURA October-December 2016 ‘Consumerism is creating huge inequity’

Give at least a year of your lives to a people’s movement against inequity, for justice, for security – this was the challenge thrown out by veteran social activist Medha Patkar to students of a Chennai college. Susan Philip reports

ar-reaching social and economic changes were Fhappening in India, bringing in their wake tremendous inequity, but the repercussions are far less talked about than the effects of climate change, said renowned social activist Medha Patkar. Patkar, founder of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save the Narmada Movement) and national convener of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), was addressing students of the Stella Maris College in Chennai. She had stopped by in Chennai while on a march from Kanyakumari to Bhopal to campaign for the Nasha Mukth Bharat Andolan (NMBA) – Photo: Stella Maris College Movement for an India free from intoxicants. Medha Patkar talks about how the lives of women are being destroyed thanks Consumerism was not about to the consumption of liquor and drugs by the men-folk at home. offering a wide choice of soaps or clothes, it was about creating Quoting statistics, Patkar said the responsibility of prohibiting huge inequity in fields as diverse in Mumbai, 52 per cent of the the consumption of substances as health and education, housing, population lived in slums, which that are injurious to health. Yet, farming and land distribution, occupied only nine per cent of the governments ran liquor shops, Patkar said. Construction workers, city’s total land area. The preamble Patkar pointed out. TASMAC, most of them women, built big of the Constitution of India the Tamil Nadu Government- buildings, but didn’t have a owned company selling alcoholic chance to get a little plot of land guaranteed equity and justice, yet for their own, and build a shelter a mind-numbing 93 per cent of beverages, notched up a revenue of for themselves and their children. the population was without social around Rs 24000 crore in 2015, and Bank employees, who already security, she said. this had gone up to about Rs 26000 have money in their accounts, got Talking of the campaign against crore in 2016, she said, describing pensions, but not poor agricultural liquor and other intoxicants, Patkar the impact as “murderous”. labourers, she pointed out. The UN said: ‘This is a national cause, a Referring to the status of the and the Supreme Court of India had human cause. The community’s Narmada Bachao Andolan, Patkar mandated that the conditions of the right to life is being impinged said, “The gallows are ready, but underprivileged be improved – but upon. Women are being widowed, the neck is still outside the noose.” the fact was that a large percentage their lives, their peace, destroyed by The height of the Sardar Sarovar of India’s population still lived on liquor and drugs.” Article 47 of the Dam was being raised incredibly pavements or in slums. Constitution of India gives the state but the gates had not been closed.

October-December 2016 VIDURA 35 When that would happen, life, the people were sensitised about to comprehend the reality in other as it has been going on in the the issue, alternative ways could be ‘worlds’, we don’t have the chance submergence area for centuries – found to ensure equitable sharing to go into depth about issues ordinary everyday life with all its of the water resources, she felt. in those worlds,” she told the bustle and buzz – would literally Referring to the Singur struggle students. be drowned. “The state can dare (in Bengal), Patkar said it was “These stark realities must to do this without ensuring proper successful thanks to the Supreme compel us to join hands to fight for rehabilitation of and compensation Court judgment and all those who security of land, housing, food and for the affected, and the people fought together with the people of water,” Patkar said, and elicited dare to question them. And still the area to safeguard their heritage. full-throated support from her the struggle goes on. This is the But much remained to be realised young audience “Give a year of movement we want you to join,” and achieved. Development should your lives to a people’s movement she told the students. not be at the cost of agriculture and of your choice,” she appealed. “It In the south, there were agriculturists, she stressed. will be a long path, but for a good problems between Tamil Nadu “Are you aware of the actual cause. There should be no casteism, and Karnataka over the Cauvery impact of the 2015 floods in communalism or gender injustice. River, and between Tamil Nadu Chennai on the lives of the poor The focus should be not citizenry but and Kerala over the Mullaiperiyar slum dwellers? Do you know how humanism,” she added, drawing a River. The real issue, according to it really affected the livelihoods of distinction between ‘political’ as in Patkar, was that the water of the construction workers, particularly movements to correct wrongs, and rivers had not been managed in women?” Patkar asked. “The truth party politics. < such a way as to ensure food and is, there are worlds within worlds water security for all concerned. If here, and most of us are not able

Press in India under attack, CPJ data shows Despite being the world’s largest democracy, India continues to figure among the top 10 deadliest countries for journalists, according to statistics from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an ‘independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to the global defence of press freedom’. Its latest data show that there have been 30 murders of journalists with motive confirmed in 2016 (until August), with two of them having occurred in India (Syria was top with eight). Data from 1992 to 2016 show that a total of 1209 journalists were killed worldwide, with deaths occurring owing to murder (796), crossfire/combat (257) and dangerous assignments (152). It is telling that 47 per cent of the victims were covering politics while 20 per cent were tracking corruption. The CPJ has also created a global impunity index which tracks the number of journalists who have been killed with complete impunity globally in the past 25 years. Distressingly, India figures in the top 10 in this index too. Murder is not the only form of attack that journalists have to contend with: imprisonment is another tool of oppression that governments routinely use to muzzle media persons. In the past five years there has been a steady rise in the number of journalists thrown into prison compared with the previous 10 years; it hit a peak in 2012 (232). CPJ data shows that in India, since 1992, as many as 40 journalists were killed with motive confirmed and 26 journalists killed with motive unconfirmed, while three media workers were killed. Similar to the global pattern, 50 per cent of the victims were covering politics, while 40 per cent were tracking corruption, 25 per cent crime and 23 per cent business (the total exceeds 100 as more than one category applies in some cases). The top five dangerous States for journalists were Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Punjab. <

(Courtesy: Frontline / report by Ramesh Chakrapani)

36 VIDURA October-December 2016 A focus on challenges in caring for the mentally ill

Severe and enduring mental disorders contribute greatly to the global burden of disability and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Huge barriers in access to care, besides heightened vulnerability and disadvantages due to stigma and discrimination, mean that most victims of such disorders are abandoned by their families and forgotten by policy makers. Experts and researchers from across the world met recently in Chennai to discuss what can best be done. Shobha Menon reports

he clinical and functional first-episode psychosis in Chennai A psychiatry unit in a general recovery of patients with and Montreal were provided by Dr hospital was opened in Kerala Tmental disorders poses a R. Padmavati of the Schizophrenic back in 1967, and the state has huge challenge. At the seventh Research Foundation (SCARF). been in the forefront of efforts to International Conference on With the impact of social remove the stigma attached to Schizophrenia (IConS), a biennial determinants such as poverty and mental illness. Dr Roy Abraham event, experts and researchers from violence on women’s mental health Kallivayalil, secretary-general of across the world met in Chennai to becoming clearer worldwide, the World Psychiatric Association deliberate on this year’s theme – improving mental health for (2014-17), and head, Department of Schizophrenia - The Puzzle and the women and girls required early Psychiatry, Pushpagiri Institute of Perspective. intervention for depression and Medical Sciences, Thiruvalla, said While Dr John McGrath of the other mental disorders, with “Our psychiatric services merge Queensland Centre for Mental gender-sensitive clinical care and with general health services in both Health Research, Australia, support for recovery in primary public and private hospitals. This presented a Cross-National health care, and mother, child mode of consultation–liaison and Analysis of Psychotic Experiences and reproductive health settings, the work of sensitive NGOs have among 261 Respondents from 18 said Dr Helen Herrman from the helped reduce stigma.” Countries, Dr Vikram Patel from the University of Melbourne, Australia. The importance of the various Public Health Foundation of India She added that gender equity and voices that were heard in society as (PHFI), spoke about innovative observance of human rights needed they conversed about mental illness approaches to increase global to be embedded in policy and and health, and the concern of access to psychological treatment. practice in health and non-health ‘stigmatising stigma’ was touched Dr Julian Eaton, London School of sectors. on by Dr Anuradha Sovani, head of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, On the subject of custody issues Department of Psychology, SNDT, described the work of two well- with relation to parents with Mumbai. Dr Uma Ram, obstetrics established services in West Africa schizophrenia, Dr Prabha Chandra, and gynaecology consultant, (Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire), “which Department of Psychiatry, Chennai, said, “Reproductive for over 20 years have succeeded in NIMHANS, Bangalore, said, health issues among women are reintegrating, homeless people with “Current parenting assessments often accompanied by stress and severe mental illness in the most lack measurements that are psychological morbidity. Our challenging of environments”. comprehensive, objective, reliable, training pays scant, if any attention The care of homeless people age-appropriate and culturally to crucial aspects of mental health.” with untreated mental illness in relevant. In a majority of the cases, Research findings proved that many low- and middle-income mothers with schizophrenia may psychotic experiences were more countries is challenging because be good enough parents or have prevalent in women than men, of the complexity and intensity of the potential to be one. There is a and also showed how childhood care required, particularly because need for Wraparound Services for adversities were connected to psychosis has gone untreated for mothers (and indeed fathers) with psychosis, and how issues such as long periods in most cases. Research schizophrenia that encompass parental mental illness, violence in findings on family involvement and family systems and address these the home, physical abuse, divorce support in the lives of persons with issues too.” and economic adversity could

October-December 2016 VIDURA 37 prevent or stunt a big chunk of (PSR) interventions are delivered, is giving global mental health a role brain development, she said. a successful model to emulate. in the Sustainable Development In spite of diversity in India being Research and evaluation, Goal (a UN initiative) of ‘leaving a major hurdle in scaling up effective workforce training and increased no one behind’. The programme community-based mental health understanding of how practitioners, included a presentation on the life services in the 25 years since the policy-makers and communities can and work of Dr M. Sarada Menon, National Mental Health Programme work together continue to be priority India’s first woman psychiatrist. < was launched, the SCARF Tele concerns for improving mental Psychiatry in Pudukottai (STEP) health and human rights worldwide. (The writer is a freelance journalist programme, in force since 2010, IConS VII reiterated the urgent based in Chennai.) where psychosocial rehabilitation need for a comprehensive approach

Seminar on road safety throws up issues, challenges India accounts for 10 per cent of a realistic assessment had to be made the 1.25 million fatalities that occur of the cause of accidents. He was also worldwide every year, according to for the blood alcohol content being a WHO Report. Figures trotted out measured as a mandatory procedure. by Indian Government agencies say Presenting her analysis of media there have been 146133 fatal road coverage of issues relating to road Photo: PII-RIND/NS accidents in India in 2014, with safety, Sumana Narayanan felt that injuries affecting 500279 people. coverage of policy issues, pedestrian Arun Ram talks about the Fifty-four per cent of the victims problems and road-safety campaigns challenges news editors face. are in the 15-34-year age group, were fairly good, but there were some of the most productive years. quite a few areas that the media Ram admitted that there was the And speeding is cited to be a major could devote greater coverage to: problem of reporters being flippant reason for road accidents. issuing driving licenses, scientific sometimes, of sources being These were some of stark facts investigation into accidents, causes unreliable, police reports being that came to light at a seminar of road accidents, road rules and rather casual, and government titled, Reporting on Road Safety: international standards. There was the officials refusing to speak. “This Issues and Challenges, conducted need to link some of the issues and leads to inaccuracies. It is not good by the Citizen Consumer and Civic look at them holistically and also how for journalism or for society,” he Action Group (CAG), and the Press India compared with other countries said. Institute of India (PII) on October 27 in such aspects, she added. Gitakrishnan Ramadurai, asso- in Chennai. The figures were from Dwelling on the challenges in ciate professor, Transportation Nalin Sinha’s (consultant, Global reporting road accidents and whether Engineering Division, Indian Road Safety Partnership, New Delhi) the media was sensitive enough, Arun Institute of Technology-Madras, presentation, conveyed on his behalf Ram, resident editor, The Times of speaking about road infrastructure (since he wasn’t present) by Sumana India, Chennai, said that one of the and its contribution to road safety, Narayanan, CAG. primary challenges for editors was provided the French example of Talking about what he called “anti- making the story readable, especially how the government there had social” (drink- and drug-influenced) since many of the road accident dealt with drunken driving as and “dangerous” (reckless) driving, stories were about numbers. “As a way back as 1978, with even the Dr Prashant Kekre, consultant spine society we are spending more time French President speaking about surgeon, Chennai, referred to the on the roads,” he said, pointing to 40 the consequences. Seat belts were “terrible human cost” and “economic deaths resulting from road accidents made mandatory in cars. Such burden” arising out of road every day in Tamil Nadu, on average. initiatives helped bring down the accidents and stressed the need for Another challenge was to “humanise number of accidents drastically, he more public participation to create a tragedy, bring in more people, said. Education, enforcement and awareness. “Reporting drunken show how families coping – bring in emergency care had to go hand driving is the moral responsibility the human interest angle”. in hand, Ramadurai stressed. His of everybody,” he said. He added There was also the dilemma whether presentation showed that accidents that comprehensive data was to have a storyboard or publish a usually happened at junctions, needed – from the police, insurance picture. And in the newsroom, you calling for better channelisation at companies, doctors and others – if hardly had five or six hours to decide. intersections. <

38 VIDURA October-December 2016 Flawed legislation could hamper child rights

By allowing children to work in family enterprises, amendments to the Child Labour Act have made them more vulnerable to exploitation. Tracking the issue will be more difficult, writes Preeti Mehra

hen the two houses of to work after school hours to help been slashed from 83 kinds of jobs Parliament put their stamp in 'family enterprises'. to just three -- mining, explosives, Won a few amendments Home based work can be anything and occupations mentioned in the to the Child Labour (Prohibition -- on the fields, in the forest, work Factory Act. This means it leaves and Regulation) Act 1986 a couple contracted to the household or children open to employment in all of months ago, they also signed caste-based occupation. And the other kind of hazardous industries away the dignity of children and definition of family has been including construction, asbestos, the status, childhood has gained extended to mother, father, brother, brick kilns, glass factories and in seven decades of the country's sister and father's brother and sister garbage picking. independence. as well as mother's brothers and Apart from the debilitating Some may argue that the sister – in short the whole village psychological impact, many of amendments are just, as they could loosely be called 'uncle' and these jobs can cause injuries, and prohibit the entry of children below 'aunty' (read report from Gujarat). ailments including tuberculosis, the age of 14 in all occupations tetanus and parasitic diseases. and processes so that they can Hazardous jobs redefined Further, even the ones listed as enjoy their fundamental right Similarly, a new section has been hazardous in the new legislation can to education, under the Right of added in the legislation that pro- be removed, according to Section Children to Free and Compulsory hibits employment of adolescents 4, at the discretion of government Education Act of 2009 (RTE). But, (defined as children between the authorities without the consent of in the same breath, they take away ages 14 and 18) to work in hazardous the Parliament. that very right by allowing children industry. But, what is hazardous has Those who are aware of how reality unfolds on the ground say that these two changes in the legislation can take the children of our country backward by many centuries. According to the 2001 census, there were 12.6 million child workers between the ages of five and 14 in India. In 2011, this number fell to 4.35 million. The National Sample Survey Office's survey of 2009-10 put the number at 4.98 million. Despite the fall, India has the highest incidence of adolescents in hazardous work in the world.

Advocates ask for reversal Since the amendments to the Act, prominent child protectors have pointed out the seriousness of the Photo: BL situation. Efforts online and offline The amendments have also altered the definition of a hazardous industry. Now through petitions are still continuing only three industries, from 83 earlier, are termed hazardous, leaving children to reverse the legislation, but there vulnerable to injuries and ailments. has been no response from policy-

October-December 2016 VIDURA 39 makers and no attempt to re-look at from affluent families enjoy.” Lives India study suggested that the issue. Sanjay Gupta who runs Child 12-year-olds who spent three hours Komal Ganotra, director, Policy Enhancement through Training and or more on household chores in a Advocacy & Research, Child Rights Action (CHETNA) in Delhi pointed day were 70 per cent less likely to & You, feels that the Act is based out that on every traffic junction the complete secondary education and on a flawed premise that work and children who sell a whole host of 65.5 per cent of them dropped out education can go hand in hand Chinese products are doing so at the from the schools. for the child. “We have commonly behest of their 'uncles' or 'aunts' who observed that most children who bring them from the village. “In most Safety and working children take up economic roles work for cases around Rs. 1000 is sent back to Coming to the issue of safety of long hours, have lower attendance their parents in the village.” He and adolescent working children, by in the school, are absent for long others believe that with no identity clubbing child work with adult periods especially in case of season documents needed to establish work and the Factories Act 1948 in migrants leading to disinterest in relationship, child trafficking that the new legislaton, there are no dis- education and drop out. Most of is rampant today will only increase. tinctions left. “In the Child Labour these children are not able to cope The amendments are also likely to (Prohibition and Regulation) Act with studies, leave touch with the make it worse for girls. 1986, the hazardous employments school and prefer to move ahead “In 2007, India included domestic included 18 occupations and 66 working full time.” labour as a hazardous employment processes listed in the schedule. Ganotra gives the example of and this did lead to a curb in This list was arrived at by girls who support their families trafficking of girls for domestic recommendation of the Central in bidi rolling. They have to work labour. Now that the law allows Technical Advisory Committee at least six to seven hours to roll a domestic work below 14 years, this over the years and various Supreme thousand bidis to earn a meagre would bring a larger number of girls Court judgements. The new Act income. After work, they do in the fold of employment,” Ganotra bans the employment of children not have the time or inclination pointed out. in hazardous employment, but to pursue studies. Similarly, in has reduced the dangerous jobs to jasmine plucking which is done in Who will enforce? three,” says Ganotra. the early hours of the day, children While the amendments soft- Ganotra and many others feel start work around 4 am and are peddle helping the family, child that aligning the Act with labour completely exhausted by school rights activists say there is no way to legislations rather than social time. In families in Marathwada distinguish help from work and no legislation dilutes the spirit of that migrate for the sugarcane machinery to conduct inspections at the Act and adversely impacts harvest, children miss months of the household level. The distinction children. “It is important for the studies. between 'help' and 'work as help' is Ministry to note that Factories Act, Thomas Chandy, CEO, Save the neither defined nor bound by any and other labour legislations are Children, too, had pointed out that number of hours, nature of work. regulatory acts while the Child the provision of allowing children “In fact, the enforcement machinery Labour Act is protection oriented in family enterprise can potentially (labour department) does not even with larger social implications. The be misused by employers. “While have the mandate of inspecting process of determining hazardous the Bill has provisions to penalise households.” for children needs to be scientific employers, it will prove to be In 2015, Save the Children found and evidence-based.” difficult to monitor and track children working in Delhi’s garment when child labour is hidden and in industry, which is dominated by Regulatory versus protection homes; or in ensuring that children small, home-based enterprises. That the amendments have not are only working during vacations/ These formed the unorganised been thought through for their after school.” sector of the industry. Here, children long term impact is obvious. In an opinion piece, Shanta employed were poor, exposed to While they are bound to increase Sinha, former head of the National risks and hazards like loud noise, child workers in the country, the Commission for the Protection poor lighting and ventilation and enforcement machinery under the of Child Rights, had noted: “By sharp tools. “Children mostly work Act remains primarily with the justifying in law the participation in households (87 per cent), they are labour inspector. He in turn has of children in work before and after poorly paid and receive no benefits many primary roles in regulating school hours, the Bill denies them and with 36 per cent of those the massive unorganised industry the time and space to develop and working at home not paid at all,” which keeps children in the back grow as citizens with similar choices found the report. seat. Also, as Save the Children and opportunities that children Another Save the Children-Young observed, “there is no cross-

40 VIDURA October-December 2016 reference to other laws, like The feeling that even this pace will not cultivator and household workers.

Protection of Children from Sexual be maintained. Keeping track of With data vanishing, keeping watch Offences (POCSO)Act 2012, RTE child labour is becoming difficult on child labour statistics may be a < and Juvenile Justice Act, which are as over the years sectoral data has tough proposition. important for enforcement. CLPRA been decreasing. The 2001 Census stands in isolation.” released sectoral data from 18 (Courtesy: The Hindu Child labour decreased over a hazardous occupations including BusinessLine) decade by a rate of 2.2 per cent gem cutting, construction, detergent per year, which was felt to be slow making and brick kilns. Whereas in and highly insufficient. But with 2011, the sectoral data was limited the new norms in place there is a to three main sectors – agriculture,

US consular officer interacts with journalists, talks about the election process

At an interaction with journalists Prime Minister Modi had worked attempted immigration reforms. “It and journalism students at the Press hard to strengthen it. “America is is not easy to pass a comprehensive Institute of India on September 7, always open for legal immigration. immigration reform.” Eric T. Lund, Cultural Affairs officer, We welcome legal immigrants. It has J. Sam Daniel Stalin, NDTV US Consulate General Chennai, strengthened our society and country. Bureau chief in Chennai, joining said that the US Presidential The United States is a diverse country. the interaction on Skype from candidates (Hillary Clinton and Every American can trace their Nagapattinam, said political Donald Trump) were focused entirely ancestral roots to a foreign country. party national conventions in the on the election, on persuading the Wave after wave of immigrants United States were platforms for American electorate to vote for them came to the United States and built the candidates to appear before and, therefore, US foreign policy our country. It makes us better and a national stage to establish and was currently on the backburner. “In is a source of unabated strength promote their candidacy. “Both order to garner votes and persuade that pushes us forward. We have candidates are campaigning and potential registered voters to vote people from all around the world. trying to woo the involvement of for them, the candidates focus their Immigration is bringing innovation youth in the elections. They are also time and energy on reaching out to and vibrancy to the United States,” he using social media in a big way for US domestic audiences and various said, stressing that the outcome of the the campaigning,” he said, while local constituencies to deliver their Presidential elections would not affect sharing his recent experience of messages; not overseas audiences. the immigration front. having attended the Democratic However, election rhetoric and Lund pointed out that many polls Convention in Philadelphia, US. policy changes are two different had shown that Americans supported Earlier, Sashi Nair, director things,” he added. improvements and reforms in the and editor, Press Institute of India, Lund said that India-US bilateral system and several presidents, welcomed the gathering and relationship was at an all-time high including George W. Bush and introduced the speakers. The event and that both President Obama and Barack Obama, had over the years was organised by the United States Consulate General Chennai and the Press Institute of India. From the Consulate’s Public Affairs Section, Sujatha Srinivasan, Punnoose

Mathen and Elayaperumal Paramasivan were present. < Photos: PII-RIND/N.S

Eric T. Lund (left) engages A view of the audience. journalists in conversation.

October-December 2016 VIDURA 41 AIR News Services Division moves with the times Living up to its noble ideals of bahujan hitaya, bahujan sukhaya (for the happiness of many, for the welfare of many), the New Services Division of All India Radio Division will strive to provide news and views to every person in India, 24X7, in all major languages and dialects, while adhering to the highest professional ethics and standards in radio broadcasting, says Pulugurta Chandra Sekhar, while tracing some of its history and looking at the present

ll India Radio (AIR) has the distinction of being one Aof the major broadcasting organisations in the world. The News Services Division (NSD) of All India Radio, now under Prasar Bharati, has a proud history of more than 80 years during which it has grown to be the biggest news organisation in India. NSD fulfills its mandate by providing the information needs of people in every nook and corner of the country. One of the oldest news broadcasting organisations, NSD's twitter handle has recorded three million-plus likes for its news items. providing accurate, balanced and credible news since 1937, it has a committed listenership. Division. It was de-linked from the bulletins were broadcast. Now, NSD broadly functions at three Division on September 15, 1948. it caters to listeners in India and levels: Regional, National and However, the external news bulletins abroad with a staggering 443 External. It also contributes to the are compiled and provided by NSD bulletins daily and 1060 news- news broadcast of the External to ESD. NSD also caters to localised based programmes monthly from Services Division of the All India areas in many locations. 46 Regional News Units located in Radio. Initially, External Services NSD had a modest beginning far-flung areas like Port Blair in the were part of the News Services in 1936 when only a few news East, Bhuj in the West and Kohima in the Northeast. In addition to the daily news bulletins, NSD also mounts a number of news- based programmes on topical subjects from Delhi and some other Regional News Units. According to the Audience Research Unit, news, especially regional news, is one of the most listened-to programmes. A recent study shows that regional news has a very high listener rate, going up to 25 per cent in some states, especially the northeastern and southern states.

Photos: PCS Today, NSD produces bulletins in 92 languages/ dialects. These NSD's account on Soundcloud, which has proved to be a very popular audio include bulletins in Arabic, Baluchi, platform. Burmese, Dari, French, Nepali,

42 VIDURA October-December 2016 with the number of page likes standing at 3.06 million currently. The reach is over 12 million on a given day. NSD’s website newsonair.nic.in provides national, international, sports and business news, besides news-based programmes, features and special programmes. Audio- and text of news bulletins broadcast from headquarters and regional news bulletins broadcast from RNUs are also uploaded. The audio and text of the Independence Day address by the Prime Minister, A shot of the AIR News Facebook page. the President’s addresses on Independence Day and Republic Persian, Pashto, Sinhala and are also put on Soundcloud shortly Day, and speeches delivered during Tibetan. Further, special bulletins/ after their broadcast. The link is the presentation of the Union Budget programmes are aired during provided through NSD’s Twitter and Railway Budget, and on other elections, budgets and sessions handle and Facebook account. At special occasions are uploaded on of Parliament/state legislatures. the time of writing, NSD has over the website. A special photo gallery From conventional terrestrial 8049 followers and 1996995 plays has been created for Independence broadcasting, NSD is also moving on Soundcloud. Day and Republic Day celebrations, with the times, marking its presence Twitter: @airnewsalertsof All Swachh Bharat Campaign, etc. The in new media such as Facebook, India Radio News started in January website also has links to NSD social Twitter, Soundcloud, Youtube 2013. The handle has three million- media platforms. and Instagram. News updates are plus likes for NSD’s news items In view of the exponential growth available on Live Streaming on with a rating of 4.5 out of 5; the of mobile telephony in the country, the FM Gold Channel. A mobile account has 1.23 million followers. the NSD Mobile App for Android application has also been developed Successful Twitter conferences are phones has also been uploaded on for National and Regional News. being organised to get questions and the website and is very popular. It NSD opened its account on suggestions on various discussion has an average user review of over Soundcloud (a very popular audio points. Hashtages (#) are created 4.1 on a scale of 5. On the app, NSD platform) in May, 2014. It uploads for different topics to get response updates its hourly bulletins. More audio clips of English and Hindi from followers. All India Radio than 34.3 million successful visits headlines, and important news News started its Facebook page in have been recorded per month. stories and major national bulletins June, 2013. The popularity of the The initiative also won the Gold and current affairs programmes page has increased exponentially Icon Web Ratna Award in 2012 from the Government of India for outstanding content of news dissemination. NSD does live webcasting of the Prime Minister’s monthly Man Ki Baat, on its website www.newsonair. nic.in. A special window and page are created for the purpose. For the first time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-tweeted from his personal twitter handle one of NSD’s tweets. Live tweeting is done in English and Hindi simultaneously. NSD has been putting out news headlines on the FM Rainbow channel since Delhi from May 28, NSD's website newsonair.nic.in provides national, international, sports 1995. Twenty-four news headlines and business news and has links to NSD social media platforms. bulletins on FM ’Rainbow’ are

October-December 2016 VIDURA 43 broadcast round-the-clock from current affairs. The channel carries with prominent personalities), Delhi. The duration of each news on the hour originating from Aaj Savere, Parikrama and Public headline is approximately one Delhi. Speak (audience across the country

minute. At present, 22 AIR stations Composite news programmes participate in the programme to are broadcasting FM headlines. Dophar Samachar in Hindi pose their questions and answers < A news and entertainment and Midday News in English are given by subject experts). channel called FM Gold (earlier AIR are broadcast every day for a FM-II) was launched on September duration of 15 minutes each. The (The writer is a research scholar, JJT 1, 2001. The channel is on air for channel has also some specialised University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, about 18 hours a day from 6 am programmes like Market Mantra and works for the News Services to 10 minutes past midnight. It is and Sports Scan. Other news- Division of All India Radio, New a composite blend of information based programmes mounted on Delhi.) and entertainment with one third FM Gold include Vaad Samvaad, of its contents devoted to news and Countrywide (based on interviews

Recognition for a distinguished psychiatrist Photo: MSSRF/IDF

Dr Sarada Menon (centre) receives the award from Prof M.S. Swaminathan. Others in the picture include Dr Shanta, A.R.K. Pillai and B.S. Raghavan.

Distinguished psychiatrist Accepting the award, Dr Menon of her signal contribution to mental Dr Sarada Menon was recently said it was an immense pleasure to health and her commitment to honoured with the Mother Teresa receive the honour in the name of providing rehabilitation services for Memorial Award 2016. The award Mother Teresa who had set a sterling schizophrenics. was presented to the nonagenarian example of serving the sick and the Praising Dr Menon’s contributions founder of SCARF (Schizophrenia needy. She also commended IDF’s towards the care and rehabilitation Care and Research Foundation) efforts to enlist people’s participation of patients with mental health by noted agricultural scientist and support for national health issues, Prof Swaminathan, founder- Prof M.S. Swaminathan at a and development programmes. chairman, MSSRF (an earlier function organised by the Indian The Mother Teresa Memorial recipient of the award), said her

Development Foundation (IDF) at Award instituted by IDF is given to initiatives would strengthen India’s the MS Swaminathan Research people who have been change-makers efforts towards care and welfare of < Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, of India. Dr Menon was conferred the mentally ill. in October. the prestigious award in recognition

44 VIDURA October-December 2016 Yet another example where community radio scores

While structural limitations make it difficult for national media to highlight the realities on the ground, community media can be an important tool to educate and inform people, especially in a developing country like India. It provides an ideal platform for grassroots issues to be discussed. Here, Ashwini Kamble tells us how Radio Sadhana is striving to strike a positive note in Vidarbha, known for farmer suicides

ndia has an agrarian economy. But agriculture is not reflected Ito the extent it should be in national media. It was only after farmers started committing suicide that it got attention of sorts. The Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra has been described as a graveyard for farmers. P. Sainath, former Rural Affairs editor of The Hindu has been constantly writing about farmer suicides in the region. The Tata Institute of Social Science, Sakal Group, Gokhale Institute of Economics and many other institutions have conducted studies to try and understand problems

and issues facing agriculturists in AK Photo: Vidarbha. Although a number of newspapers have reported on the Sanjay Gharde looks after the programming at Radio Sadhana. issue in detail, there is still much to cover. Sadhana Krishi Vigyan Kendra selection of Marathi and Hindi While structural limitations (KVK-Agriculture Science Institute) film music along with bhajans and make it difficult for national media in Badnera in Amravati District kirtans (folk music) sung by local to highlight the realities on the with the focus on agriculture. The artistes. ground, community media can be station works for the betterment of Crop-related issues, including an important tool to educate and the farming community in nearby latest developments in the inform people in a developing villages and conducts many training agriculture sector at various country like India. Community programmes and short-term courses levels, policy issues and job radio is an ideal platform for for farmers and their children. On vacancies, new technology to grassroots issues to be discussed, average, every year 10000 farmers improve yield, organic farming unlike national print or television get some kind of training on various methods, animal husbandry, media. Incidentally, community practices such as dairy farming, integrated crop management, food radio was started in India soon tissue culture, animal husbandry, processing, water conservation after the airwaves became public. soil-water examination, etc. and successful implementation of Today, there are 191 such radio Radio Sadhana starts the day village-level schemes are among stations operating in India. with prayers, and an update the topics covered. It also gives a In the Vidarbha Region, Radio about the significance of the day regular weather update. Thought- Sadhana is the only community – noting if it marks the birth or provoking book-reading sessions radio station meant for farmers death anniversaries of eminent feature in the programme list. and the farming community. personalities, for instance. It Other regular items, some daily, Radio Sadhana FM 90.4 is run by entertains the audiences with a others weekly, are success stories

October-December 2016 VIDURA 45 Programme Subject Target audience Krishi Varta Information on agriculture Farmers Pashudhan Wealth of animals Farmers Shetkaryanchya Yashogatha Success stories of farmers Farmers GramVishwa Rural universe Entire village Gram Panchayat Panchayat of the village Entire village Jal Sandharan Water conservation Farmers Mi Shetkari Boltoy I am farmer speaking Farmers Krishi Tantra Vikas Mantra Techniques of agriculture, Farmers tone of development Bandhavarchya Goshti Tales from the bund Farmers Krishi Ghadamodi News from agriculture sector Farmers Shetkari Geet Songs of farmers Farmers/ artistes Shetkaryanchya Mulanchya B’day Wish Birthday wishes for farmers’ children Farmers and their families Aajche Pahune Today’s guest General Yuvajagar Awareness in youth Youth Tichya Manachya Avkashat In the realm of her mind Women Sahbhagatun Sankruti Darshan Show of culture through participation General (for preservation of local culture) Hasyatarang Waves of smiles General KVK Happenings KVK Happenings Farmers Aayurarogya Healthshow based on Ayurveda General Meri Awaj Suno Listen to my voice General/ local artistes Gane Tuzya-Mazya Manatale Songs from the Heart General

of farmers, a first-person account for a positive atmosphere by giving Radio Sadhana busy and motivated. by a farmer and a health magazine farmers a platform to express Requests are also received for soil

centred on Ayurveda. There are their problems. They consciously and water examination, proof that programmes targeting the women focus on motivational stories. The the initiative is making an impact. < and youth of the community, too. station reaches out to more than Radio in-charge A.A. Dhapke 200 villages in and around Badnera. (The writer is assistant professor identified climate change, Five to seven phone calls a week, at regional centre of the Indian traditional ways of farming, the messages and sometimes even Institute of Mass Communication in tendency to take private loans letters of appreciation and requests Amravati.) and ignorance about government for repeat telecasts keep the staff of schemes as the main reasons for the farm crisis in Vidarbha. To mitigate the situation, Radio Sadhana is HuffPost India has a new deputy editor trying to promote modern farm practices. He said community radio Building on his previous role of contributing editor at Huffington Post India, was a bridge between government journalist Shivam Vij has now been appointed as deputy editor of the digitally and the farming community. It native publication. Vij’s last full-time job was at Scroll where he worked in

was a medium with more social the capacity of associate editor. Since his departure from the left-leaning responsibility than mainstream website in June 2015, he has been contributing blogs to HuffPost’s website. < media, he feels. Radio Sadhana programmes (Courtesy: exchange4media.com) do not dwell on farmers suicides. Officials say they deliberately strive

46 VIDURA October-December 2016 Recalling the impact made by an effective communicator The methods Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi used to rouse a nation into acting as one and standing firm against the British in defence of a common cause are valid even today,says C.V. Narasimha Reddi. Gandhiji’s success as a communicator was based on his philosophy of truth and non-violence and his ‘ITM model’ of public communication, Reddi points out, adding that the model is relevant in India even today

ahatma Gandhi in the East Rabindranath Tagore called him “a day was celebrated as Independence and George Washington great soul in beggar’s garb”. The Day since then, till India attained Min the West both fought to ‘dress code’ of the poorest of the freedom. (After Independence, that free their respective countries from poor that he adopted worked in date was marked as Republic Day). the British. However, there was a the way today’s TV channels do, In tune with the Civil Disobedience difference in their approach towards to reach out to the people across movement, Gandhiji organised a freedom. If George Washington the country with empathy. And historic 240-mile arch to Dandi in led the violence-centred revolt as the people were receptive to his Surat with 78 satyagrahis from the commander-in-chief of the Colonist messages. They regarded him as Sabarmati Ashram to break the Salt Army for the creation of the United one of their own, a man who was Tax which was hitting the poorest. States of America in 1783, over a on their side. Salt became an idiom, a powerful century later, Mahatma Gandhi When Gandhi entered the tool for mass mobilisation. launched a freedom struggle with Indian freedom movement, it was In his 24-day-long march, Gandhi a weapon called ‘satyagraha’. The confined to a few elite, without stopped at 22 villages and exhorted movement was based on truth, any involvement of people at the people to participate in the Civil passive resistance and nonviolence. grassroots level. What was needed Disobedience Movement. He urged It was the ‘soul force’ or ‘love then was mass movements with an them to boycott foreign goods and force’ against the ‘brute force’ of effective communication and media wear khadi clothes and advised the British that won freedom for strategy. The three mass movements women to picket liquor shops. His India in 1947. Communication was launched by Gandhi were the Non- entourage included musicians who a major force in mobilising public Cooperation Movement (1919), recited bhajans and keertans (songs opinion against the British in both the Civil Disobedience Movement with religious themes or spiritual countries. But Gandhi’s approach (1930) and the Quit India Movement ideas) to involve the people in the was unique in this respect too. (1942). The Non–Cooperation march. Having spent over two decades Movement was against the Rowlatt The Salt Law was broken on April in South Africa combating Act that empowered the Army 5th, 1930 when Gandhiji picked discrimination against Indians, to arrest any Indian without any up a lump of salt. Sarojini Naidu Gandhi returned to India in 1915. evidence, and also against the hailed him as law-breaker. Millions Instead of entering active politics, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 defied the law, the salt depots were Gandhi “with his eyes and ears when 1200 unarmed people were attacked and illicit manufacture of open and mouth shut” crisscrossed killed by the British General Michael salt went unchecked. Gandhiji was the country to understand the Dyer. Gandhiji roused a storm of imprisoned, but the long march minds of the people and their enthusiasm in the hearts of the united a nation of 350 million needs. The journey spurred people with his call to not cooperate people (then) against the British. Gandhi to identify himself with with the British administration and The result? The British invited the common man and transformed boycott foreign goods. This first Gandhi for talks with Lord Irwin at him from a barrister dressed in suit mass movement marked a new a Round Table meeting in London and tie to a daridranarayana (a poor turn in the direction of the freedom arranged in February 1931. man) wearing nothing more than a struggle. The last but most important loincloth. In 1930, on January 26th, Gandhiji people’s struggle started by Gandhi If British Prime Minister Winston launched the Civil Disobedience was the Quit India Movement in Churchill described Gandhi as “a movement with a pledge for ‘poorna 1942 with a slogan Do or Die – half–naked fakir”, Nobel Laureate swaraj’ or total independence. The either achieve freedom or die. It

October-December 2016 VIDURA 47 Later, the woman asked Gandhi why he took 15 days to give such simple advice. He replied that he too had been in the habit of consuming a lot of sugar and it took 15 days for him to reduce his intake. Today, rhetoric is 80 per cent while performance is only 20 per cent. In contrast, Gandhi based his communication philosophy on the dictum ‘preach and practice’. An ounce of action, Gandhi said, wasworth tonnes of promises.

Illustration: Arun Ramkumar Illustration: Gandhi’s model of communication synthesised traditional media and modern mass media to meet the communication needs of both urban and rural India. While referring to the role of the media, Gandhi said, “I have taken up journalism not for its sake, but merely as an aid to what I have conceived to be my mission in life. My mission is to teach

people by example and precept in was also the period of the Second Once a woman at Gandhiji’s order to attain independence for < World War. Gandhi declared that ashram asked him to advise her the country.” India would not be a party to the son on the ill-effects of consuming war as the British was unable to a surfeit of sugar. He asked her to (The writer, former director, ensure India’s defense against bring him after 15 days. When she Information & PR Department, Japanese advance into Indian soil. did so, Gandhi told the boy how Government of Andhra Pradesh, is Gandhiji was held for two years at excessive sugar intake would not advisor, Public Relations Department, the Aga Khan palace in Pune. As only adversely affect his body and Dr BR Ambedkar Open University, India rose as one man, the bold Quit health but would ruin his life, too. and editor, Public Relations Voice.) India movement shook the British Government and the Clement Attlee administration announced in 1945 that India would be granted independence within the British 'Education for all' Commonwealth. If Gautham Buddha gave us the parables-based Household is still a distant dream! Communication Model to spread Buddhism, Mahatma Gandhi Annual contributed the ITM model of Subscription Public Communication – I for intrapersonal and interpersonal Rs.180 media (meditation, prayer meetings, public meetings, interviews, paada- yatras, slogans and symbols); Get to know the representing traditional folk media real face of India. (bhajans, devotional songs, street plays, puppetry); and M is for mass Subscribe today! media (Young India, Navajeevan and Harijan, all published by Gandhiji himself, and other Indian and foreign newspapers, and reports RIND Premises Second Main Road. Taramani CPT Campus, Chennai 600 113 from news agencies). Ph: 044 2254 2344 Fax: 044 2254 2323 www.pressinstitute.in

48 VIDURA October-December 2016 NOSTALGIA Why I would like to be transported back to 1971

Remember the 1985 classic sci-fi comedy, Back to the Future, in which a teenaged Michael J. Fox through a time machine is transported back to 1955 and the hilarious action-packed events that occur? Well I certainly wish I had a time machine to transport me back to my favourite year – 1971. That was my golden year and, all things considered, the best year of my life. We allow Partab Ramchand to elaborate

he year had barely been three Gavaskar, the triumphant return 1971 the greatest year in Indian weeks old when I turned 22. of Dilip Sardesai, the change in the cricket and even with time having TIn the flush of my youth and captaincy with Ajit Wadekar taking lengthened such purple phases, in the pink of health with my new over from the Nawab of Pataudi nothing can take away the aura that Rajdoot motorcycle and fortunate which led to the shift in fortunes, will forever be associated with that to have parents who gave me the the start of the spin quartet’s peak India Rubber Year. freedom with the full confidence period and the vast improvement For those of us who had seen Indian that I wouldn’t abuse it and a in the fielding exemplified by the cricket going from one setback to job that I loved, I really had no fearless Eknath Solkar all made another during the 1950s and 60s complaints with life. Indeead, life seemed a bed of roses with a lot of friends around, the occasional bottle of beer (which by the way cost Rs 5 then) and then, of course, there was cricket and movies – my two passions. I had always been fond of sports, particularly cricket, and was now associated professionally with it in my capacity as sports reporter with The Indian Express in Madras. I was given charge of the local cricketing beat and there was nothing I liked better than going around the various grounds and covering the matches from school and collegiate cricket to league matches and other competitive games and making cricketing friends. Of course, there were other sports also to be covered but cricket always remained my first love. Arun Ramkumar Illustration: Which brings me to the main reason why 1971 will always remain a special year for me, for, after all, wasn’t it the India Rubber Year? The historic victory in the West Indies in February-April followed by the even greater triumph in England in July-August meant that it was an epochal year for Indian cricket. The discovery of Sunil

October-December 2016 VIDURA 49 it was something unbelievable. Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Coincidentally, through the two Did the triumphs at Port of Spain Bachchan, to Johnny Mera Naam, weeks of the war, I was sick and and the Oval really happen? Was with Vijay Anand’s light touches confined to my bed. But I could Gavaskar a myth or a reality? How very much in evidence. Then there appreciate the work done by could an Indian batsman score 774 was Andaz, with Shammi Kapoor the news desk, especially my runs in four Tests on his debut with and Hema Malini though Rajesh colleagues who came up with four hundreds including a century Khanna stole the show in a cameo banner headlines that warmed and double century in the same (it was after all the Superstar’s peak the patriotic heart and which I match? How could the Indians win period and he could do no wrong) remember even today. JESSORE in England where, in six visits from and Hare Rama Hare Krishna, FALLS, COMILLA TAKEN, 1932 to 1967, their record read: which had everyone humming CHITTAGONG BOMBED. Oh played 19, lost 15, drew 4? How ‘Dum maro dum’. yes, it was a great year to be an could all this happen with India There were many others too, Indian, any which way you look at having a woefully inadequate new most starring Rajesh Khanna. So, it – cricket lover, avid moviegoer ball attack? there was no lack of entertainment, or patriotic countryman. And if But at the end of it all on August particularly with Rahul Dev you were a young Indian it was an 24, that memorable Ganesh Burman’s peak period just additional bonus. < Chaturthi day when Abid Ali cut beginning. And oh yes, I almost Brian Luckhurst to the boundary to forgot. In those days I doubled up (The writer is a senior journalist herald India’s triumph, and when as film critic for The Indian Express. who had covered sport and cinema for Brian Johnston’s cheery voice was on Covering my two favourite beats The Indian Express for many years.) BBC radio to announce the historic and getting paid for it – there verdict, no one could deny that this certainly was no luckier journalist was no dream but reality. And so, in Madras then and that is one more from one victorious reception to reason why 1971 is my very special Sanjay Sharma another, the conquerors came back year. from England. And now, the chief reason why I is chief officer, Oh yes, I almost forgot about my would like to be transported back Sunday Guardian other passion. And it was certainly to 1971. Cricket and movies and a great year for movies, too. I forgot everything else is all fine; they Sanjay Sharma has joined The the number of times I laughed and do have a special place in every Sunday Guardian as the chief laughed through Buena Sera Mrs Indian’s heart. But can anything operating officer. In his new role, Campbell, that delicious comedy be bigger than the country? In Sharma will be spearheading the starring Gina Lollobrigida and a December, war broke out between Sales & Marketing function along host of top American stars. That India and Pakistan. It was a with The Sunday Guardian’s was also the year I saw Midnight development waiting to happen forays in other markets. Cowboy and few movies come more ever since Bangladesh declared its Sharma has a rich experience realistic than John Schellsinger’s independence in March which was of over three decades in sales and Oscar-winning classic. followed by the genocide across marketing, advertising, branding, For the sheer entertainment of the border, which in turn led to marketing and corporate seeing Paul Newman and Robert thousands of refugees from what communications. His foray into Redford doing their con act together, was erstwhile East Pakistan fleeing the media happened with his entry there was nothing better than Butch to India. into the Hindustan Times Group. Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Relations understandably soured He is an alumnus of the Indian for a long time ‘Raindrops keep and over time became worse, leading Institute of Mass Communications falling on my head’ was the tune to all-out war. In two weeks it was (IIMC). < everyone was humming. And for all over, with defeat for Pakistan, sheer majestic grandeur there was victory for India and liberation (Courtesy: exchange4media.com) always Anne of the Thousand Days for Bangladesh. I will never forget and I remember falling in love the proud and happy voice of with Genevieve Bujold who was Prime Minister Indira Gandhi over outstanding in the title role and for the radio as she announced to a which she won the Golden Globe cheering Parliament” “Bangladesh Award for Best Actress. has been liberated. Dhaka is now Hindi movies too provided plenty the free capital of a free country.’’ It of entertainment from Hrishikesh made all us Indians stand taller. Mukherjee’s weepie Anand, with In a way I missed all the ‘action’.

50 VIDURA October-December 2016 Not much luck at the Olympics, ever – but why?

Just one silver and a bronze from India’s campaign at this year’s Rio Olympics automatically makes it a dismal one. That the largest ever Indian squad (nearly 120) for the Games could produce just two medals and finish as low as 67th in the overall standings is a cause for concern as far as the future of Indian sport is concerned, says Partab Ramchand

here will be the usual (2000) and shooter Rajyavardhan many Indian sportspersons do we postmortems but soon Singh Rathore (2004), India had know who possess these qualities? Teverything will be forgotten little to show as far as the Olympics For starters, the average Indian and things will be back to normal were concerned. sportsperson is too easily satisfied. in this cricket-crazy nation. Indeed, Our athletes seem to take the They prefer to rest on their laurels the postmortems have already Olympic motto of the importance of rather than striving for further started with some experts calling participating in the event a bit too and higher goals. The ‘killer’ for the abolition of the Sports seriously. Indeed in four Olympics instinct is sadly lacking in the vast Ministry and an entire overhaul of – Montreal (1976), Los Angeles majority of them with the result the system if India is to do better in (1984), Seoul (1988) and Barcelona that when it comes to international future Olympic Games. (1992) – India drew a blank coming competitions they come a cropper. The fact remains that India back empty-handed. After every Then, of course, there are other has always been one of the also- Olympic Games, the question factors such as outmoded coaching rans in the quadrangular event arises as to how and why India’s methods, inadequate facilities and and even in international meets showing is so dismal. Why, when corrupt and self-seeking officials involving various sports. Given even smaller countries with a tiny who head or hold important posts the background of India having percentage of India’s population in the various sports bodies. The taken part in the Olympics for can produce champions and finish seamy scenario is hardly the kind more than 100 years and regularly high in the medals tally, can’t to inspire young talent. participating in world events athletes from this vast country with It is all very well to say that with since Independence, the names well over a billion people do much a population of over a billion, India of outstanding sportsmen and better on the world stage? Why should rank among the top sporting women have been very limited. does India finish near the bottom nations. But the fact remains that The joyous moments in world sport of the medal standings when it there is hardly anything that have been few and far between, should be at least somewhere in constitutes a ‘sports culture’ in the while the disappointments and the the middle if not near the top? And country. Despite all the economic debacles have been far too many why do Indian sportspersons finish advances made in recent years, which historians have painfully nowhere in other international India still remains a poor country documented. events too? in which the top priority of the The expectations might have been Obviously, there are many vast majority is to make ends meet. higher this time around thanks to factors that are responsible for the What is imperative is to get a good the six medals India picked up last continuous sorry showing. And education and a good job. in the London Olympics in 2012. a start has to be made with the For parents and children likewise, There were three medals won at participants themselves. That there excelling in sport is never really Beijing in 2008, including the first is no short-cut to success is a well- on the agenda even though, as individual gold by an Indian. But worn cliché. The road to the top has been proved in recent years, before all this, the record was bleak. is full of toil and sweat and really one can make a career out of it if But for the hockey team winning hard work marked by dedication, a certain standard is reached. But gold eight times to go with a silver determination and concentration the odds against this happening and two bronzes and medals won and punctuated with the kind of are too high and those involved by wrestler K.D. Jadhav (1952), sacrifices and renouncement of prefer to take the safer route, opt tennis player Leander Paes (1996), worldly desires that enables one to out of sport and concentrate on weightlifter Karnam Malleswari focus fully on the goal ahead. How making good in the profession

October-December 2016 VIDURA 51 WAN-IFRA signs €1 m partnership with Norwegian Ministry The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has formalised a three-year, NOK 9000000 (EUR 1000000) agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support WAN-IFRA’s Media Freedom activities in Central East Africa and South East Asia. The agreement will allow WAN-IFRA to continue its efforts to increase women’s leadership and voices in the news in Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania, and strengthen independent

Illustration: Arun Ramkumar Illustration: media in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam through to 2019. WAN-IFRA cooperated closely with member association MBL (Norwegian Media Businesses' Association) to first establish the partnership with the Ministry in 2013 and grow it into the multi- year partnership that it is today. “The particularly with sports equipment No. 1 in any other sport which is continued support from the Ministry is a and specialised training being so played worldwide? Occasionally we testament to WAN-IFRA’s unique ability expensive. In the circumstances, may produce a shooter, a badminton to engage with media at a global level. It the number of sportsmen and player, a tennis player, a wrestler or is also a shining example of what can be women able to compete against a boxer who brings us a medal at the achieved when WAN-IFRA collaborates the best internationally constitute Olympics which is the true world closely with our members,” says Vincent a microscopic minority. It is their stage with over 200 countries taking Peyregne, CEO, WAN-IFRA. “We are ambition and burning desire to part. But these constitute no more delighted to be able to continue the fight against the odds that steers than crumbs of comfort. good work that we’ve begun in these them towards success. There was hockey, of course, when regions.” In this unhappy atmosphere, we were the masters but that is now The Media Freedom and Democracy women face even more odds than only a glorious past. More relevant, Programme aims to build strong the men and that is why the feats of in the world’s No. 1 spectator sport, independent media that support Dipa Karmakar and Sakshi Malik football, India are ranked around democratic development, hold powers in particular at Rio have come in for 160. With outmoded coaching to account, and promote human rights, much praise. In India, it is not easy methods, fitness levels are low and with an emphasis on gender equality. It for women to take to sport seriously this is another factor where Indian achieves this through two distinct given the patriarch society that is athletes lose out despite possessing projects under one framework: Media prevalent. There are all sorts of skill and admirable hand eye Professionals Programme South East restriction on women and they face coordination in some ball games. Asia, and, Women in News: Central- hurdles and obstacles and even Whichever way you look at it, the East Africa. Both programmes apply derision when they say they want future of Indian sport is bleak and mentoring, coaching and networking to concentrate on sports. the medal count at the Olympics will tactics alongside traditional skills Being No. 1 in cricket actually continue to be in ones and twos. The development to promote financial doesn’t mean much given the fact six medals at London in 2012 can be sustainability, editorial quality, and, that just ten nations play it at the Test taken as a one-off and I’m afraid the gender equality within programme level and a few more at the limited- same can be said about Abhinav media partners. < overs level. But with the exalted Bindra’s feat at Beijing in 2008. < status it enjoys in this country that is all that matters for the vast majority that follows the game. But are we

52 VIDURA October-December 2016 The challenges of saving India’s cinematic heritage

At any given moment in archiving, the mass of material whose provenance is unknown is a formidable one. And when the material in question is related to Indian cinema the prospect of relying upon available documentation is rather remote. There are, of course, available records of films along with their cast and crew going back to the earliest period of motion picture production in the subcontinent. But the basic apathy and lack of clemency, even towards the preservation of Indian cinematic heritage, both at a physical level and at an epistemic one, ensures that any available information on the subject is tenuous at best, says Bishaldeb Halder

substantial part of the work language; and according to the cast I did for the Film Heritage and crew members of the film the AFoundation was drawing artifact is associated with. For the upon available scholarship on film latter axis, especially, knowledge history in archiving and catalogu- of film history and the evolution of ing the mass of film memorabilia the modes of film production were that we have undertaken to essential. preserve and make available for For instance, film production posterity. Our founder-director, began as a mish-mash of cottage Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, industry production often run by a being an ardent collector of film single individual or a rag-tag bunch Photos: Film Foundation memorabilia himself, is acutely of enthusiasts and later diversified A song booklet, as stored archivally. aware of the dearth of efforts in this into rudimentary partnerships and regard. While already possessing collectives before forming the well- an enviable collection privately, organised and smoothly flowing A major portion of our collection it was in 2014 that the foundation assembly lines of film studios. The is paper-based which necessitates was formalised and the collection ownership of a film, therefore, the use of storage material that is made a part of it. changed over the years, and this strictly acid-free. We are very careful For purposes of cataloguing, it was reflected in the form, content to ensure thorough and complete was best to classify artefacts into and aesthetics of films. These factors dry-cleaning of all artefacts in order discrete clusters based on multiple were of essence in classifying film axes of classification: based on memorabilia, in tracking down physical type, say a song booklet, a unidentified film artefacts and poster, a film still; according to year indexing them. of production, since most artefacts In order to follow the best practices are supplementary material to in conservation and storage of a film production; according to artefacts, we worked with an expert paper conservator and museologist. Under her guidance, we were able to procure the best storage and packaging material, make the most optimum utilisation of space as well as streamline our enormous and, rapidly burgeoning, memorabilia collection. Conservation of damaged and fragile artefacts was carried out in earnest, employing lots of techniques such as solvent cleaning, oil separation, drying, The storage facility at the Film besides stop-gap mending and Heritage Foundation archive. fortifying methods. A collection of film magazines.

October-December 2016 VIDURA 53 fragility, size and value. Large envelopes of plastic with high tensile strength and perfect transparency are created to house posters safely while allowing for unencumbered visibility. It must be added here that our entire archive is situated within premises where temperature and humidity are strictly regulated and checked multiple times daily. Conservation treatment for paper In addition to the physical storage artefacts. of the collection, we are working on a virtual system of cataloguing and to rid them of dust, fungus, insects indexing, essentially an information or their spores and any moisture management system. It has a two- before placing them in their fold purpose: the first, obvious one respective storages. In several cases, is the taxonomical entry of data we had to take calls on whether to pertaining to artefacts and their keep or discard the original storage attributes. The second purpose form of the artifact, given its relates to the digitisation of artefacts propensity for deterioration. This in our archive, from the point of view was especially true of photographs of preserving them for posterity. bound in albums, cardboard or While we are certainly desirous of caged in metal frames. The entire preserving artefacts in their original architecture of storing artefacts is physical forms, we are aware of the built according to a chronological deterioration caused to them by arrangement, within which is frequent exposure to light, moisture inscribed an arrangement by letters and human contact. Digitisation, of the alphabet. being an accurate rendition of Besides this, a lot of storage forms the artifact, saves it from further were contrived by us in-house too, deterioration by minimizing such especially for storing posters with exposure and contact. ample attention given to their Over the past year, several eminent film families have vouchsafed their collections of memorabilia to the foundation. These include the families of filmmakers A.R. Kardar, A reel of Zanjeer (1973) being cleaned Kidar Sharma, Saeed Akhtar and checked for damage. Mirza, J.B.H. Wadia, Sohrab Modi, thespian Pran and the doyen of film Ritrovata, one of the foremost film archiving in the country, P.K. Nair. restoration facilities in the world, Additionally, the foundation holds located in Bologna, Italy. Through prints of films by Bimal Roy, Govind careful restorative treatment and Nihalani, Gulzar, Kumar Shahani, scanning of the reel, they managed Vishal Bhardwajand Amitabh to recover a substantial portion of Bachchan. Every reel of film is the visual material in it. Taking cleaned and checked for damage a cue from this process, we have before storing them. The archive is installed a facility for repairing equipped to repair minor damages damaged film through sustained to film. drying treatment in our archive. In April last year, a considerably Apart from such endeavours, damaged reel of the first ever Konkani we produce content on our social film, Mogacho Aunddo (1950), media outlets fairly prolifically, was deposited to the foundation, a based on the information collated serendipitous discovery, since it was by us from various sources. The widely believed to have been lost. It object of the process is to engage Posters of Satyajit Ray’s Chiriakhana was promptly sent to L’Immagine (1967) and Ganashatru (1990). cinephiles in a conversation,

54 VIDURA October-December 2016 even debate, that is historical in screenwriters, and literary figures from hitherto neglected spheres its perspective and structurally of Indian cinema. of sub-continental cinema. As an comprehensive in its outlook. Such A less apparent object of the archive, to be discerning of film content is usually structured along process and indeed of our entire memorabilia, based on its inherent specific themes, on which serialized archive is to counter widespread merit or any notional hierarchy, posts are produced and uploaded and culturally hegemonic notions of is at cross purposes to our raison daily. Till date, there have been what constitutes Indian cinema, by d’etre. < over a dozen such series that have engaging with figures, phenomena been produced, for example, on and movements in film history (The writer had recently worked as the pioneering cinematographers, regardless of language and region, an archivist and researcher at the Film sound designers, art directors, and thereby privileging these Heritage Foundation, Mumbai.)

WAN-IFRA partners with børding Holding GmbH The World Association of Newspapers and News Media (WAN-IFRA) and børding Holding GmbH (børding messe) will in future jointly organise the IFRA World Publishing Expo and DCX Digital Content Expo exhibitions. For the purpose, the two organisations have agreed on a joint venture and founded the Publishing Exhibition GmbH & Co KG. The managing director of børding messe, Alexander R. Petsch, will manage the new company. The joint venture combines exhibition competence and publishing expertise under one roof. WAN-IFRA has traditionally organised the IFRA World Publishing Expo trade exhibition for 46 years. The trend towards digitisation has brought about a fundamental change in the newspaper industry. With the launch of the new DCX Digital Content Expo, WAN-IFRA and børding aim to substantially support and develop the growth market of digital content production. At the same time the tradition of the IFRA World Publishing Expo will be continued as the interface between print and cross-media publishing, highlighted under the motto of Make Publishing Successful. The common objective of both organisations is to offer WAN-IFRA customers and members the best networking platforms. Starting next year, there will be exhibitions held simultaneously under one roof: IFRA World Publishing Expo and DCX Digital Content Expo. børding Holding GmbH is one of the largest private exhibition organisers in Switzerland. It specialises in the design, organisation and realisation of trade fairs in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. børding Holding GmbH is the leading organiser of online marketing exhibitions, such as Swiss Online Marketing (SOM), Swiss e-Business Expo, DMX Austria and eCom World. While WAN-IFRA has announced the joint venture, starting next year, the two shows are scheduled to take place from 9 to 11 October 2017 under one roof at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre. Visitors will have access to both Expos with a single entry ticket. Berlin, named one of the top 15 cities in the Innovation Cities Global Index, was the site of World Publishing Expo in 2013. <

New managing editor for NewsX NewsX has augmented its leadership with a key appointment. The channel has lined up aggressive growth plans and the addition of the new leader is in-line with these plans. Hector Kenneth Kumar has been entrusted with the role of managing editor. Kumar shall be responsible for managing day-to-day newsroom operations and strengthening newsgathering processes. His rich experience in output, input, broadcast operations and editorial strategy shall provide leadership insight to NewsX editorial team. Kumar is an engineering graduate from MIT Manipal University and worked briefly as an engineer before venturing into mainstream media. He was a core team member of the Times Now launch team. < (Courtesy: exchange4media.com)

October-December 2016 VIDURA 55 The deleterious effect of the use of tobacco in films Does persistent exposure to visual images of smoking on screen either as public service advertising or within cinema influence child viewers to pick up smoking? This has been a much discussed subject across the world among health activists, medical consultants, paediatricians and child counsellors. In India, the subject is very important because we are the largest film-producing country in the world and we are also the world’s largest democracy. Shoma A. Chatterji provides the perspective on why the portrayal of tobacco in Indian cinema continues to be a major cause of concern

ndian films target an estimated take up smoking as a strategy of these very inferior shorts that are 250 million youngsters in India rebelling against their parents, trying to educate the public about Ialone. In addition to this, are teachers, elders not necessarily the ill effects of active and passive the millions of Diaspora Indians in because smoking provides them smoking. Juxtaposed against South Asia, West Asia, parts of the pleasure or a respite from boredom the main film, they appear like UK, US, Africa and Europe. There but almost only because they use it watered-down versions of badly are more than a dozen film channels as their language of rebellion. orchestrated messages that make that telecast films round-the-clock However, cinema and television them counter-productive. in addition to the 12900 cinema outstrip such direct influences Cinema has three different kinds halls where 188 million viewers several times over. There are other of impacts on growing children. One a year buy around 5000 million visual influences at work as well is the open access to watching films tickets. Indian cinema reaches 61 and these include billboards, across the board – cinema theatres, million people directly through cell phones, the Internet, and movie channels on television, free theatres and 70 million households promotional items that are viewing access on the Interbet through television channels in significant ways of communicating (YouTube, Vimeo and similar links) India. Therefore, whether it is done tobacco-related messages because and hand-held gizmos like the cell as brand placements or by the they are visible across the board, phone and the tab. So, you need filmmaker for reasons of creating have repeat value and, sometimes, not spend money to go to a theatre absorbing cinema, the portrayal of are visually attractive, especially for to watch a film. DVDs cost money tobacco in Indian cinema continues children. However, it is cinema that but the above viewing channels to be a major cause of concern. is the most dominating influence for are free. The second is the idea of External influences from real life children, adolescents and growing hero-worship that cinema creates, environment already exist specially adults and the ‘no smoking’ legal sustains and promotes all the time with reference to children. Some of statutes have little bearing on among fans of certain celebrities the causes are traced back to smok- viewers, irrespective of age, class, and stars. If these stars are shown ing within the family such as father, gender and occupation. smoking in the films they act in, or mother, older sisters, brothers and Public service advertising shorts if they are known to be smokers in other members of the extended are mandatory before the screening real life, then their adolescent fans, family. The other is peer pressure of the main film begins in every both boys and girls, are more likely – children who do not smoke begin public theatre in India shown again to imitate their style. smoking when they find their after the interval. But the poor script, Alongside imitating hairstyles, friends are smoking; they want to the very inferior technical quality of mode of dress, footwear and body be part of the crowd. Sometimes, the production of these films, and language, smoking becomes an they are actually initiated into the production and aesthetic values add-on. The difference is that smoking more as a fun thing, by a carry no weight with the mass smoking harms the health and has close friend or a family member. audience in any way. Besides, these a negative impact on mortality But once the addiction takes root, public utility shorts have remained that hinders both progress and it is tough to come out of it unless the same for not less than five years the life-line. The third is smoking one is determined to cut the habit. and the lack of new, innovative introduced as an active agent that There is also the factor commonly shorts have rendered the impact forms a part of the character of known as ‘teen revolt’ against any of the existing films meaningless the hero/heroine/vamp/villain. kind of authority. Teenagers often and futile. There is another effect of Interestingly, positive characters

56 VIDURA October-December 2016 Illustration: Arun Ramkumar Illustration:

such as the hero and the heroine pro-tobacco content is stronger than million consumers under the age smoking on screen have a deeper the anti-tobacco one as explained of 15. The early initiation age is a impact on young viewers than above. pointer to the urgent need to plan negative characters. How much has Indian cinema effective interventions to safeguard Over the years, smoking within contributed to the portrayal of the vulnerable group. While social films has spilled over to smoking smoking in films? What is the acceptability of the use of tobacco by young men and women in real extent and quality of its impact among older persons may be life. The linkages they seem to on the youth? How has it affected declining, its use among the young have made with mainstream films smoking in general and smoking is on the rise. are that of style, romance, tragedy among the youth in particular? In a recent study among Delhi and rebellion, too tempting for The questions were addressed by students (aged 11 to 14 years), 9.3 youngsters not to emulate, either in an interesting study that sheds per cent said they had experimented order to seek closer identification considerable light by offering quite with smoking in the absence of with their favourite stars, or to a few significant answers. In India, interventions. By the time the gain peer acceptance, or both. many tobacco users start as young Union Ministry of Health extended Though the visual media exposes as 10. More than 5500 adolescents the ban on smoking in public places the audience to both pro and anti- join the rank of tobacco users from October 2nd, 2008, according tobacco content, the impact of the daily in India, adding to the four to an article by Aditi Tandon in The

October-December 2016 VIDURA 57 Tribune, Chandigarh, more than has been also increased nearly three your health and your life-span. 5500 adolescents were already folds. Tobacco brands now appear Says Subhash Ghai, maker of taking to tobacco everyday and in 46 per cent of movies having super-hit films: “When I was there were an estimated one million tobacco scenes. Cigarette companies young, I was influenced by Dev deaths annually. Places where have almost all the tobacco product Anand’s smoking. He would light smoking was restricted included placements with two companies up, take a drag, get an idea and auditoriums, movie theatres, accounting for over 90 per cent of then would bash up the criminals. hospitals, public transport (aircraft, the brand visibility. Association of This led to the perception that a buses, trains, metros, monorails, tobacco with glamour and style has person who smokes, thinks better, taxis) and related facilities such as also been established, with 75 per is a better actor, a better artiste and. airports, bus stands, railway stations, cent of movies also showing the that an artiste is not creative unless restaurants, hotels, bars, pubs, main/ lead character consuming he smokes.” Ghai claims he has amusement centres, government tobacco. been approached umpteen times and private offices, courts, post It was found that the general by agents of tobacco companies for offices, markets, shopping malls, public did not feel that banning product placement and that he has canteens, refreshment rooms, tobacco scenes in the films would refused. banquet halls, discotheques, coffee affect their decision to watch Amir Khan a Bollywood superstar houses, educational institutions movies, or indeed the quality of says, “I have been approached and parks. However, the ruling movies. A large section admitted many times by tobacco companies added that smoking would be being influenced by films, reflected with very attractive offers, so far permitted in airports, restaurants, in their behaviour such as a desire to I have refused all such offers. If bars, pubs, discothèques and some hold a cigarette or something akin smoking is harmful to me, how can other enclosed workplaces if they to a cigarette. The research revealed I recommend it to my fans?” Soon provided designated separate that favourable images shown on after his involvement with the smoking areas. mass media created considerable victims of the Tsunami, actor Vivek According to research conducted influence on youngsters and Oberoi gave up smoking. He was by Goswami and Kashyap that increased their receptivity to tobacco a chain smoker and was felicitated focussed on tobacco use in Indian use. The main problem with cinema by the World Health Organisation movies released in 2004-2005 and showing characters smoking is that having given up smoking. Will our the influence of such movies on it actually ‘normalises’ cigarette growing youngsters take a lesson youngsters, instances of showing smoking and mainstreams it among from such examples? < smoking/ tobacco use in movies youngsters. Now, this runs counter had increased significantly to 89 per to all advertisements that promote cent of all movies released in 2004 ‘no smoking’ and create awareness and 2005. The brand placement about how smoking can damage

Economic & Political Weekly turns 50 The Economic & Political Weekly, often referred to as EPW, has completed fifty years of existence. The journal was originally christened as The Economic Weekly and began publishing in 1949. Later on, it came to be known by its current name which was born in August 1966. “I think EPW is unique not only in India but also in the world. It is a combination of scholarly research work done by academics with analysis, commentary and reports on current affairs,” says Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, editor-in-chief of EPW. Describing EPW as a “multi-disciplinary journal”, Guha compared the journal with a book as it publishes an average of 70000-80000 words in every issue. Much of content is derived from individual contributors who retain the copyright. Elaborating on the financial setup of the journal, Guha termed it as a small organisation with an annual turnover of Rs 10 crore. According to Guha, roughly 40 per cent of the revenue came from subscription and sales. He mentioned that EPW sells 12000 printed copies and has a digital subscription of 6000. Another 40 per cent of the revenue is sourced from advertisements with the primary advertisers being banks. The remaining 20 per cent is pumped in by the interest income from the corpus of Sameeksha Trust that controls EPW. “We have been able to maintain our independence and autonomy because we are not dependent on a set of individuals or organisations for our funding,” claimed Guha. < (Courtesy: exchange4media.com)

58 VIDURA October-December 2016 Bringing ‘ghetto’ into mainstream Indian cinema Tinsel town has not neglected the seamier side of life – the ‘ghettos’ or areas where the marginalised are confined, often below the radar of mainstream society, says Shoma A. Chatterji

he dictionary meaning of the term ‘ghetto’ has changed Tculturally from place to place and from time to time. The word, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, originally referred to “the quarter in a city”, chiefly in Italy, to which the Jews were restricted. But the word has metamorphosed. American writer and social activist Jack London, speaks of “the working-class ghetto”. In India, that strikes a chord. The term can be used for geographical neighbourhoods peopled by given groups in terms of caste – a Muslim or a Dalit ghetto for instance. Also,

occupation – marginal occupations Photos: sent by SC such as porters, cycle-rickshaw drivers, cobblers, small-time Those who work in the fringes of society are drawn out to portray themselves peddlers – and, mainly, by the on screen, such as in Chandni bar. poor and the underprivileged – scavengers, waste-pickers, also live in areas that have evolved example, capturing vignettes of sweepers, workers at cremation into ghettoes. a colony in Kolkata peopled by grounds or burial sites and so on. But ghettos in India also signify rickshaw-pullers, peppermint In other words, they live away marginalised people not necessarily sellers and bootleggers, all migrants from the mainstream and are low confined to a given geographical from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. down in the hierarchy of the urban location. They may be spread across The credit for re-creating an population. Displaced persons the expanse of a small town or city, interest in ‘ghetto people’ should such as illegal refugees from but united by their marginalised go to Madhur Bhandarkar. With Bangladesh or Sindh (in Pakistan) status, including unemployment Chandni Bar, he trained his lens and poverty. on the struggles and tragedies of Has Bollywood cinema, defined dancers in Mumbai pubs and bars, by lavish production values, high centred on the life of a young girl and budgets and glossy stars addressed spreading out to the underground the issues of ‘ghetto people’ in mafia that controls their lives, and terms of story, plot, characterisation deaths. Traffic Signal shed light on and theme? Yes, it has indeed a parallel economy that runs the paid tribute in different ways to lives of people who eke out a living this section through many films, at Mumbai’s numerous traffic starting with no less a personality signals. Bhandarkar’s talent lies than Raj Kapoor with his Awara, in in discovering the underbelly of a which he plays a vagabond created mega city like Mumbai and laying Masaan, a film that brought the focus by the environment. Bimal Roy’s it bare for his audience. to a 'smaller' city like Varanasi. Do Bigha Zamin is another classic In 1975, we had the one-and-only

October-December 2016 VIDURA 59 Sholay, a film that showcases two delightful Munnabhai, who, instead small-time thieves, in Veeru and of studying medicine, prefers to Jai, who turn the tables on dreaded become a lovable henchman. His dacoit Gabbar Singh, who holds friend Circuit is also as lovable an a village to ransom. Basanti, the entertainer. This is a film where the tangeawalli (driver of a horse-cart), ghetto people intrude into the lives a working women nonetheless, of the mainstream population and belonged to a ghetto of marginal triumph over them. people. Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay Masaan shifts our vision from (1987) offers an insight into slum life the glamorous chutzpah of cities in Mumbai, filled with musclemen, like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and pimps, drug-runners and addicts, Kolkata where most Hindi films runaway children who have lost are set, to a relatively subordinate their childhood in the dirt and ‘smaller’ city like Varanasi. The city debris, and prostitutes who fail to is showcased by the stories of five understand why they have to give characters trapped while trying away their children to the state. to discover/rediscover themselves Talaash portrays, a pimp between the ancient that the city (Nawazuddin Sheikh) from the represents and the modern the fringes of society peopled by sex city cannot reject. Masaan means workers, musclemen and goons. crematorium. The depressing Munnabhai MBBS is almost a tribute connotation is belied by the form to a group of henchmen hired by and content that is character-centric, property dealers and real estate the incidents emerging out of the millionaires to bash up those who characters and their interactions, The Talaash release poster. refuse to leave their homesteads. rather than the other way around. The group is headed by the In Ashwini Iyer Tiwari’s Neel Battey Sannata, Chanda (Swara Bhaskar) is a multi-purpose maid who works as housemaid in an affluent but ageing couple’s home. She also works in a masala factory, a shoe factory, a collective laundry and then at a dhaba (cheap restaurant where Punjabi food is served) to save money for her daughter’s higher education. But daughter Apeksha (Ria Shukla) hates studies in general and Mathematics in particular and cheerfully flunks the paper all the time. Her logic is that since she will become a maid like her mother, what is the point in her being a ‘matriculation pass’. <

Vidura articles can also be assessed on our website: www.pressinstitute.in The evergreen eye-catching poster of the 1975 blockbuster, Sholay.

60 VIDURA October-December 2016 Home he brought their heroes alive The power of the audio-visual medium is more than the power of the written word when it comes to documenting reality, as Parthajit Baruha proves in The Dhemaji Tragedy – An Undefined Chapter. The film is about a blast targeting school children that shocked the world. The most challenging task was to persuade the parents to speak before the camera because the images of the blast were still fresh in their minds, hurting like a raw, bleeding wound. Shoma A. Chatterji on how the film was made

he Dhemaji Bomb Blast is considered the most barbaric Tact perpetrated by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). It happened during the Independence Day celebrations in 2004. ULFA had appealed to the people of Assam to boycott the celebrations. The group chose Dhemaji in the eastern-most part of Assam as the target, to raise its voice against the Central Government. Located on the north bank of River Brahmaputra, with the Arunachal Hills on the other side, the area is one of the most remote in Assam and the region is perennially affected by floods. The simple-living, easy-going residents of Dhemaji had backed A scene from the horrific incidient. ULFA when the organisation raised its voice against corruption and anti- original ideology and began to lose years later, on December 13, 2009, social activities. But towards the mass support. On the fateful day, a Paresh Barua, the commander-in- later 1990s, ULFA shifted from its crowd, comprising mostly school chief of the outfit, made a public children between the ages of 12 and apology and requested forgiveness 14 and their mothers, had gathered for the blast. Eleven years after the at the Dhemaji College grounds tragedy and two years after the for the Independence Day Parade. public apology, Parthajit Baruha At around 8.45 am, a powerful took a fresh look at the incident, bomb planted near the college gate and tried to understand whether triggered by a remote control device the affected families were ready went off, killing ten school children to put the black day behind them, and three adults and leaving many forgive the perpetrators and move others critically injured. People on with their lives. came out to demonstrate against “I was psychologically shattered. ULFA, which was blamed for the I decided to pick up this subject incident. It also caused internal because it enfolds the boundless turmoil in the organisation. Every sadness of the parents of the child year, Assam observes August 16 as victims. They condemned the Mourning Day in memory of the terrorist organisation vehemently,” innocent souls. says Parthajit. The result was The Photos: Parthajit Baruha Photos: Parthajit Immediately after the bomb blast, Dhemaji Tragedy – An Undefined Parthajit Baruha. ULFA denied involvement, but five Chapter. “My focus was on this

October-December 2016 VIDURA 61 a commissioned programme but a self-financed documentary,” Parthajit recounts. When the film was screened for the parents and other family members of the victims on June 21 2015 at the Dhemaji auditorium, there was pin-drop silence. There were no sounds of weeping. “When the film ended, Manashi Borgohain, mother of one of the victims, came to me and said, ‘We will preserve this film. It makes me feel as if my daughter is still alive’. That made my day.” <

Sakal Media Group A scene being shot on the sets of The Dhemaji Tragedy. appoints new CEO tragedy because the local people, footage and victims’ photographs. including children, had defied So, I did not try for the censor Sakal Media Group has the outfit’s warnings against certificate. If I had tried, my visuals announced the appointment celebrating Independence Day. would have been cut and I would of Pradeep Dwivedi as chief The power of the audio-visual not have been able to convey what executive officer for the group’s medium is more than the power I wanted to. My aim was to send a media business. Dwivedi would of the written word when it comes message that could reach out to a be based in Mumbai/ Pune in his to documenting reality... decided larger audience,” Parthajit says. new role. He would also work very to place the tragedy on a larger, The film has been screened at closely with other initiatives of the single canvas… [in] a 28-minute various places and it has won many group. Dwivedi has an experience documentary I finished in 2015,” he awards – Best Documentary, Delhi of over 23 years of B2B as well as points out. International Film Festival; Best B2C management, cutting across How did he manage to get hold Director, North East Festival (2016); functions and industries. Prior to of original clippings of the tragedy Best Director, 4th Kolkata Short this, he was the chief Corporate that happened more than ten years International Film Festival (2015); Sales and Marketing officer at ago? Parthajit explains: “After the Best Documentary, 3rd Indian Cine Dainik Bhaskar Group. blast, the superintendent of Police, Film Festival (2015); and Best Script, The Sakal Media Group is T. Thangou, and the additional 4th Delhi International short Film one of the largest independently superintendent of Police, Abu Festival (2015). owned media business in Sufian of Dhemaji, were suspended The most challenging task was to Maharashtra. The newspapers for negligence of duty. The deputy persuade the parents to speak before and magazines owned by the commissioner was immediately the camera because the images of group in Marathi and English transferred. The new DC wanted the blast were still fresh in their have a combined readership of to leave no sign of the blast minds, hurting like a raw, bleeding over six million The group runs and whatever photographs and wound. Parthajit tried to meet some businesses across various media visuals existed, were seized by the parents in 2011, but they could not of print, digital media, television administration. When I decided to talk to him and wept inconsolably. as well as on-ground events. The make the documentary, I visited “They were emotionally and group publishes five regional Dhemaji several times to collect psychologically shattered. I news dailies including India’s first original stuff. Finally, I got hold of a approached some people close to and only agriculture daily. The video of 1:15 minutes. For security the families of victims like Jyoti group also publishes two Marathi reasons, I do not want to name the Gogoi, Bandana Dutta Hazarika weeklies reaching a readership of person who provided me with the and Jyotshna Borgohain, to explain over six million readers. < original footage. But I am grateful to them my intention of making a to him.” documentary film. After nearly two (Courtesy: exchange4media.com) “I knew I would not get a censor years, they understood and agreed certificate for using the original to speak. I clarified that it was not

62 VIDURA October-December 2016 A Bengali adaptation of Othello catches the eye Hrid Majharey, a major film from India that has deftly handled a Shakespearean theme, is included in the list of Top Ten Film Adaptations of Shakespeare’s Works Since 1949. Shoma A. Chatterji gives an overview of what she calls a beautifully made film, with some of the most outstandingly aesthetic cinematography seen in recent times

rid Majharey (Live in My Mathematics at a noted college and Heart) is a Bengali film is popular among his students. A Hadapted from William chance encounter with a woman Shakespeare’s Othello. It was soothsayer in a city restaurant directed by Ranjan Ghosh, a young triggers a chain of events. She debutant who studied screenplay makes dark and ominous comments writing at Whistling Woods in which affect Abhijit so deeply that Mumbai. A graduate with honours from a rational, sensible man with in Physics, Ranjan was intrigued by a scientific bent of mind, he slowly Newton, who discovered gravity, gets sucked into a vortex of chance took a keen interest in alchemy and that he comes to believe is ruling also studied astrology. A similar his life. This happens after he meets conflict between reason and things and falls in love with a beautiful that cannot be explained by science cardiologist (Raima Sen). underpins Hrid Majharey. But Much like Shakespeare’s tragic Scenes from Hrid Majharey (here, and Shakepeare’s tragic hero also finds hero Othello, Abhijit finds things bottom). place in the story. spinning out of control. The Hrid Majharey is a story of situation worsens when the couple closures leaving the audience to intrigue rooted in love and its loss. moves to the Andaman Islands in take its pick. The story explores these areas the hope that a change of scene Othello in Shakespeare’s play mainly from the point of view of will bring Abhijit back to normal. and Abhijit in Hrid Majharey are the protagonist Abhijit Chatterjee Does it? Ghosh keeps the film tragic heroes. It was a commercial (Abir Chatterjee). Abhijit teaches open-ended with two alternative risk for Ghosh, especially for his first film. Why did he take this risk? Says Ghosh, “We often see weak characters becoming strong, fearful people becoming fearless and so on. It is always a ‘positive’ character arc. But how often have we seen a character moving from strength to weakness, from being positive to being negative? Possibly I was trying to explore and address these dichotomies that lie within us, waiting to come out,” he explains. Hrid Majharey was released in theatres in Kolkata and the rest of Bengal on July 11, 2014. It was a commercial disaster because the audience did not warm up to it at all and found the going very slow. This happened also because the film had a tragic ending. The critics too were Photos: Ranjan Ghosh quite unkind.

October-December 2016 VIDURA 63 Hrid Majharey as a reference film Technically, Ranjan Ghosh’s Hrid grouped within World Adaptations Majharey is beautifully made with of Othello in its syllabus for its some of the most outstandingly A-Level Drama and Theatre course aesthetic cinematography (Shirsa under the title Heroes and Villains Ray) one has seen in recent times. – Othello. The music (Mayookh Bhaumik) is In end-April this year, a conference melodious and deep, beautiful too, on Indian Shakespeares on Screen mood-centric in the background was jointly organised by the British score and providing pleasant Film Institute and the University of relief in the few song numbers. London to mark the bard’s 400th Kaushiki’s lilting voice enriches death anniversary. The organisers the song lip-synced by Raima. The felt that Hrid Majharey incorpora- sound track is creative, filled with ted: “… stylistic elements, themes bird-cries, footsteps sounding on and narrative devices that make it the floors, and so on. both self-reflexive and in keeping The production design, covering with Shakespearean traditions. the corridors of the college, Ghosh’s cinematic treatment of the staffroom, the playground, Director, Ranjan Ghosh. Hrid Majharey... [is] refreshing and Abhijit’s home with the sister and effective precisely because it is able to the artist boyfriend, the unsmiling But hope was waiting at the end circumvent the colonial implications old family retainer, the apartment of a dark tunnel for the young and gravitas of Bengal’s literary/ in the Andaman Islands and the director. cultural heritage – frameworks small trip to the cellular jail, is In 2014, Hrid Majharey featured that are usually employed in a praiseworthy. in a project named Shakespeare in discussion of Shakespeare in Bengal Hrid Majharey was recently Bengal, organised by the English – modifying and playing with screened at New York University. Department of Jadavpur University. Shakespeare’s characters/ styles in The film was included in a PhD It paved the way for the film to be order to make his own statement conference paper on Shakespeare included in the Literature Archive about what Shakespeare means to a and Indian Cinema and in the of the UGC. contemporary audience.” It became university’s Cinema Studies “Prof Ananda Lal sent me an the focus film at the conference. curriculum. < invitation requesting a copy of the film and its screenplay. A panel of research scholars of the English Department interviewed me. They took Hrid Majharey as the first ever M.K. Razdan retires as Bengali adaptation of a Shakespeare play. Tey felt it marked a new PTI editor-in-chief beginning for Bengali cinema… but Maharaj Krishen Razdan, better known as M.K. Razdan, who joined the I had no clue that this was to be the PTI in 1965 and has been its editor-in-chief for more than two decades, beginning of a new journey for me retired on September 30. Razdan, one of the longest serving editors with the and for the film,” says the elated agency, was also its chief operating officer. Razdan became PTI’s general Ghosh. manager in 1995, after serving the organisation as its bureau chief in its The following year, Hrid Majha- one-member bureaus first in London, then in New York. He superannuated rey was included in a PhD thesis subsequently to become PTI’s contractual CEO-cum-editor-in-chief. < titled Shakespeare and Indian Cinema at the Tisch School of Arts (Courtesy: exchange4media.com) at New York University. The film faculty there felt that Hrid Majharey was refreshing in that it managed to break away from any colonial implications linked to Bengal’s British past by giving it an entirely independent and topical feel. The same year, Oxford, Cam- bridge and the Royal Society of Arts (OCR) Examination Board enlisted

64 VIDURA October-December 2016 A director creates an oeuvre that is quite refreshing

Noted film maker Joshy Joseph creates two complementary documentaries on noted writer-activist Mahasweta Devi. The films have acquired historical and archival value after the demise of the activist.Shoma A. Chatterji says Journeying with Mahasweta Devi is more dynamic and action-oriented than Close-up. She brings us up to speed on the two films

rik India, Images for Cha- nge, a non-governmental Dphotographic organisation focussed on photography as an agent of social change and developmental journalism, has produced a two-part documentary on Mahasweta Devi. The two films, Journeying with Mahasweta Devi, and Mahasweta Devi – Close-up, each with an approximate running time of 45 minutes, are directed by Joshy Joseph, whose works have won several national awards over the years. They stand independent of each other but perhaps carry fuller meaning when seen together. Both capture the revolutionary

writer and activist who worked Photo: Joshy Joseph for tribal people in a way she has never been captured before. Joseph Mahasweta Devi, being filmed by Joshy Joseph. has dedicated the films to Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami who journey of the maker as it is of the Golpo. It shows three silhouetted, was alive at the time. Mahasweta subject of the film. It was completed shadowy dancing figures in black Devi, who passed away recently, in 2009. against a white background, was 85 at the time of the shooting Journeying with Mahasweta symbolising the three elements of the films. Devi is not a biographical in human communication – logic, Following Mahasweta Devi’s documentary in the popular sense argument and story. Towards the demise, the films have acquired of the term. At the same time, it end of the dance, two figures, logic archival documentary and is interesting to see how Joseph and argument, disappear and only historical value not only within imaginatively weaves in tiny story remains. the world of documentaries but, nuggets of the writer-activist- Journeying with Mahasweta more importantly, within the scope crusader’s early life through black- Devi is a low-key, understated film of biographical films. The second and-white pictures picked out of infused with the overpowering part, Mahasweta Devi – Close- the family album that have taken presence of the subject in every up, co-presented by Mony Bency, on a sepia tint over time. It offers frame. Nor does Joseph make any was recently telecast on an Indian a picture of the rebellious woman, reference to her awards and her news channel. The approach, style who at 83, could still belt out her writing except when she is shown and focus on the writer differ favourite Tagore song, or recite talking about her biography of the between one part and the other. Tagore’s famous poem Proshno (The Rani of Jhansi or writing at her desk Journeying with Mahasweta Devi Question) extempore. The opening at home. covers the travels and discourses frames use a clipping from Ritwik Mahasweta Devi – Close-up has of Mahasweta Devi. It is as much a Ghatak's last film Jukti, Tarko O a different approach because it

October-December 2016 VIDURA 65 captures the writer-activist mainly When the man re-married, his to see her settled with her husband within the study of her flat near second wife was childless too, and and children. The point Mahasweta Golf Club, Kolkata, where she lived she also left him. He was advised makes through the story is that for many years. The film opens a medical check-up and tests tribal societies such as those of the with waves of the sea lapping at the revealed that a vasectomy had Lodhas and the Sabars are much shore, moving away and coming been performed on him without his more progressive and open-minded back again as Mahasweta Devi’s knowledge when he was a teenager than the so-called, intelligent and voice overlaps the sound of the during the Emergency. He later educated urbanites. These real life waves. visited his former second wife and experiences became the subject of The camera captures her in her new family and was very happy her shockingly real stories later on. close-up. She talks about her < having left her first husband, Bijan Bhattacharya, which was heart- breaking for her mainly because she Exploring best practices for online was worried about their son Bappa (the late Nabarun Bhattacharya) comment moderation who was just a teenager at the A new report from The World Editors’ Forum (WEF), the network for time. She says she had built a wall editors within the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers around her loneliness, so much so (WAN-IFRA), explores how news media are managing conversations with that her second marriage did not their audiences in an increasingly toxic online environment; and highlights rid her of that, and she found an best practice where comments are generating reader loyalty and revenue. outlet through writing. The camera The 2016 Global Online Commenting Report is the culmination of a three- catches her at her informal and month survey of 78 organisations in 46 countries. casual best, wearing a floor-length The study confirmed widespread dissatisfaction with the abusive gown and combing her hair as tone and poor quality of many online conversations, which saw some she talks, without looking into the news organisation abandon comments below articles altogether or shift camera. conversations to Facebook. Even so, the majority of editors surveyed (82 per The early part of the film is filled cent) are persisting with comments, most in the hope that a technical solution with nostalgia for the small house will emerge to help newsrooms better manage and moderate conversations she had lived in, surrounded by on their own sites. The report, which can be accessed online or downloaded squirrels, birds and other small free, set out to update the 2013 study, Online Comment Moderation: creatures, and a local water tank in Emerging Best Practices, and find examples where news organisations are which she and her siblings would succeeding in promoting constructive conversations with their audiences, swim. She talks about her fondness building loyalty and making money. for cats over dogs and how she Closing the comment section remains a strong consideration due to happened to “inherit” 19 well- quality issues, the cost of moderation, legal liability and lack of use. A disciplined cats and learnt to love handful of news organisations maintain a vibrant constructive commenting them. She acknowledges that she community through consistent investment in comment moderation and are was physically attractive and was reaping the benefits in terms of reader loyalty and revenue. Most of the news aware that she was so since her organisations surveyed say comments are important, “adding to the debate” teens. (53 per cent), “providing ideas and input for future stories” (53 pc) and The films tell us a lot of what “encouraging diversity of opinions” (47 pc). Specific laws concerning the we never know about the writer- liability of reader comments and hate speech are emerging. activist. She talks about a young Different interpretations of ‘freedom of speech’ and its limits, and the man from the Sabar Tribe, country’s stage of democratic development influence the approach to categorised as one of the ‘criminal managing comments. Despite the challenges, many news organisations tribes’ by the British Government, continue to seek ways to engage and solicit comments using best practices who got married to a girl from the such as: revisiting their mission and making commenting a priority; same community. “For girls among reducing the number of stories open for comments, enabling tighter, focused the Sabars, giving birth to children moderation and rewarding good commenter behaviour; continuously is the greatest dream. But this looking for better technological solutions; and building a community and young girl could not bear a child incorporating comments into content. < even after three years of marriage. She simply tore a leaf off a tree and said she was leaving her husband. Divorce is that simple in the tribe. She married again.”

66 VIDURA October-December 2016 A look at responsible reporting on energy governance

he Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), Tthe World Resources Institute, and the Press Institute of India organised in Chennai on August 31 a seminar for journalists that looked at reporting responsibly on energy governance. Media coverage of energy issues has not been looked at too closely. It is an important subject in India, even in a progressive state like Tamil Nadu where energy sector receives widespread attention thanks to power cuts and shutdowns that have kept occurring the past few years. Photo: PII-RIND/N.S Setting the tone for the deliberations, Bharath Jairaj, World Participants seen following the proceedings with interest. Resources Institute (WRI), said the objective of the seminar was to electrification and climate change the electricity sector should be discuss how the media could play hardly received coverge. in tandem with infrastructure an important role in promoting B. Sivakumar, senior assistant augmentation, he pointed out. positive and responsible reporting in the field of energy and related editor, The Times of India, Chennai, Toine van Megen, Auroville issues such as governance and said how difficult it was to glean Consulting, spoke on the technical finance, and also to raise the level data and figures, indeed information aspects concerning solar energy and of discourse within the media and from government sources, even with net metering. He highlighted that outside. rapport with sources being built the concept of ‘prosumer’, where Based on a study he had carried over a period of time. Sivakumar consumers could become producers out recently, K. Vishnu Mohan felt that periodic statements with of electricity using decentralised Rao, CAG, presented an analysis of detailed reasons by concerned energy systems such as rooftop how newspapers presented stories government officials would help solar power. The distribution relating to energy, the areas that the media. Media reporting should licensee saw clean energy as a threat received attention and the ones be seen as a knowledge-building and the notion should be changed that did not. He had analysed exercise by the administration and through media education, he said, more than 250 Tamil Nadu-specific not as an adversarial role, he said. adding that journalists should raise news items that appeared between According to N.L. Rajah, senior questions about the inequality in 2009 and 2016 in leading English advocate, Madras High Court, the power shortages between urban newspapers, to try and understand deteriorating situation in the sector and rural areas. the trends in energy reporting. was a direct result of inefficient Deepak Krishnan, WRI India, His study revealed that the media performance, which had led to spoke about global and local focused on topical issues, such financial losses accentuated by developments in renewable energy, as financial aspect of electricity subsidised power to farmers and such as ‘green corridor’ to evacuate utility, tariffs, administrative and other consumers. Lack of regulatory renewable energy, renewable policy-related subjects. Demand- independence was seen as an energy management centres, Niti side management, energy impediment to progress. Enabling Aayog’s energy strategy etc. He poverty, energy efficiency, rural rules to promote competition in stressed the need for media to write

October-December 2016 VIDURA 67 Speakers and coordinators of the programme pose for a picture at the end. stories related to energy storage Sivakumar, formed deputy T. Ramakrishnan, associate technology, energy access and rural financial controller, Tamil Nadu editor, The Hindu, spoke about the electrification. Electricity Board, expressed his issues and challenges in reporting Sumeedha, WRI India, focused on concerns over its administrative responsibly on energy governance. urban energy efficiency, especially inefficiencies. According to him, He shared his experience on building efficiency, and the need the main reason related to lack working with officials in the for sustainable urban energy of streamlining of accounting electricity sector and said that there systems. Increasing electricity methods, such as transmission and was a need for the media to engage generation might no longer be the distribution losses. He advocated more with the executive for better right choice considering there could a single-tariff regime within the reporting on energy issues. be volatility in availability and same category of consumers. and Journalists from various news prices of imported fuels, adverse promotion of cheap renewable publishing houses were present. < environmental impacts. Making the energy sources. ‘energy conservation building code’ mandatory required immediate attention, as did overcoming financial barriers and introducing All New DNA in Mumbai, New Delhi attractive financial solutions to English daily DNA restaged the product offering and brand identity in promote energy efficient products Mumbai and also launched in New Delhi recently. The all new DNA promises and solutions, she said. more than just news. The 32-page volume includes four pages of DNA of Muthuswamy, former director, Money as a separate pull-out. Apart from cutting-edge reporting, DNA will Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory service a long list of interests including environment, education, faith, what’s Commission, said reporting on trending socially and much more. electricity was an important social The launch in New Delhi and restaging in Mumbai has been amplified with responsibility as there were 2.7 a 360-degree marketing campaign across OOH, television, digital, radio crore consumers in Tamil Nadu and affluent touch-points such as corporate parks, airports, premium malls paying around Rs 55000 crore as

and multiplexes. The campaign was rolled out in two phases – Announcer electricity charges, accounting for (with the theme Say No To Junk News) and the Revealer (focusing on the < almost one-third of the Tamil Nadu brand proposition – More You Know, More You Become). budget. He highlighted the common person’s lack of understanding (Courtesy: exchange4media.com) of the electricity tariff due to its technical nature, which required demystification by the media.

68 VIDURA October-December 2016 BLAST FROM THE PAST A star from the Golden Age of Hollywood She played Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind, won two Best Actress Oscars for To Each His Own and The Heiress, and is acknowledged as one of the leading stars of all time. But her sweet exterior, infectious smile and enduring charm camouflaged a fierce determination and fighting spirit strong enough to take on the establishment and emerge with a famous victory. Partab Ramchand on Olivia de Havilland who completed 100 on July 1st this year

s the luminous star and gracious lady completes Aa century, it is time for all of us to give Olivia de Havilland a standing ovation for her many memorable performances. One recalls two-time Oscar winner for best actress Luise Rainer living till 104 (she passed away in 2014) but one cannot recall too many famous stars reaching a century. Kirk Douglas would appear next in line for he will turn 100 in December. In a career that stretched from 1935 to 1979 de Havilland appeared in almost 50 feature films and loved the challenge of taking up varied roles. She ran the entire gamut of acting and her filmography includes romantic comedies, swashbucklers, costume dramas, harsh and bitter melodramas and horror movies. Born in Tokyo of English parents she and her younger sister Joan Photo: Internet Fontaine (who passed away in Olivia de Havilland as Melanie in Gone With the Wind (1939). 2013 at the age of 96) both began their screen careers in the mid-30s. in eight films together. O’Hara played by Vivian Leigh. Early in her career De Havilland Then came her most famous But by now she was also involved was constantly called upon to look role, that of Melanie in Gone with in a running feud with Warner lovely and permit herself to be the Wind (1939) and she succeeded Brothers, the studio to which rescued in such swashbucklers as in making that perhaps too-sweet she was contracted to. On being Captain Blood (1935), The Charge and rather pallid Southern lass suspended, de Havilland took of the Light Brigade (1936), The into a three dimensional and the studio to court against the Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) highly sympathetic human being, “slavery’’ contract as she put it and and Santa Fe Trail (1940). In all the winning her first Oscar nomination won a famous victory, a decision moves she starred with Errol Flynn for best supporting actress. The that helped the acting profession and the handsome Tasmanian- goody-goody role but with a quiet mightily. It was considered a born leading man and the sensitive inner strength suited her image milestone court decision against and delicate looking de Havilland and de Havilland was thoroughly involuntary servitude. shared an amazing on-screen believable playing the ideal foil to Olivia de Havilland’s rebellious chemistry. Totally, they appeared the fiery and temperamental Scarlett action did not in any way hinder

October-December 2016 VIDURA 69 her film career and indeed the roles mature woman over a period of time. at the 75th Academy awards. The became bigger and more important. Under William Wyler’s guidance, following year, Turner Classic In the 1940s she emerged as an her portrayal of Catherine Sloper Movies produced a retrospective actress par excellence who could was developed through carefully piece called Melanie Remembers, tackle any role and the result was crafted movements, gestures and in which she was interviewed for awards and honours galore. She facial expressions that conveyed the 65th anniversary of the original won an Oscar nomination for a submissive and inhibited young release of Gone with the Wind. Hold Back the Dawn (1941), only woman. Honours and awards have been to lose the award to her sister who De Havilland remained active showered on de Havilland like won for the Hitchcock suspense through the Fifties and Sixties, confetti at a wedding. In 2006, drama, Suspicion. But she was not making the transition to character she made appearances at tributes to be denied an Oscar for long and roles smoothly. Her most famous commemorating her 90th birthday deservedly won it for To Each his film during the period was Hush at the Academy of Motion Picture Own (1946) in which she played an Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964) directed Arts and Sciences and the Los unwed mother who gives up her by Robert Aldrich and co-starring Angeles County Museum of Art. In child for adoption and then spends her good friend Bette Davis. Joan 2008, at the age of 92, de Havilland the rest of her life trying to undo Crawford and Davis had appeared received the National Medal of that decision. in the same director’s Whatever Arts, the highest honour conferred The role required de Havilland Happened to Baby Jane (1962) and to an individual artist on behalf to age nearly 30 years over the with the film being a success Aldrich of the people of the United States. course of the film from an innocent wanted to do a follow-up. The medal was presented to her by town girl to a shrewd ruthless However, after Crawford left President George Bush who hailed businesswoman devoted to her the picture due to illness, the her as “independence, integrity and cosmetics company. This was the story goes that Davis had Aldrich grace that won creative freedom for movie that was remade in Hindi fly to Switzerland to persuade a herself and her fellow film actors”. as Aradhana almost a quarter of a reluctant de Havilland to accept In 2010, de Havilland was century later. the role of Miriam Deering, a appointed a Chevalier (Knight) of A couple of years later, de cruel conniving character hidden the Legion d’Honneur the highest Havilland won rave reviews behind the charming façade of decoration in France, awarded by for her role in The Snake Pit for a polite and cultured lady. One French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which she got an Academy Award critic wrote, “de Havilland’s quiet, who told the actress, “You honor nomination and the New York Film restrained performance provides France for having chosen us.”' In Critics Award for Best Actress. It a counterbalance to Davis’ ranting February the following year, she was a difficult role about a woman characterization”. Another hailed appeared at the Cesar Awards in

placed in a mental institution by her de Havilland’s performance as “a France, where she was greeted with husband to help her recover from a subtle piece of acting that was a vital a standing ovation. < nervous breakdown. contribution to the effectiveness of De Havilland deliberately lost the film”. weight to help create her lean and With suitable roles hard to come haggard appearance on screen by in the 1970s and 80s, de Havilland Our and visited a mental hospital to turned to television besides being research her role and observe the busy with speaking engagements patients. She was able to deliver a in cities across the US and attending Journals restrained and electric performance regular tributes to Gone with the portraying the extreme aspects of Wind, being by this time the only her character from a shy young survivor of the leading quartet of woman to a tormented and stars. Though de Havilland and disoriented woman. Joan Fontaine are the only siblings A second Oscar came her way to have won the Academy Awards the following year for The Heiress in a lead acting category, a lifelong (1949) besides bringing her the rivalry between the two resulted in New York Film Critics Award for a an estrangement that lasted over second successive year as well as the three decades till the latter’s death. Golden Globe. This was one of her Olivia de Havilland has lived in finest performances of her career as Paris since 1956 and in retirement has she had to transform herself from a been active in the film community. shy, trusting innocent to a guarded In 2003 she appeared as a presenter RIND Survey

70 VIDURA October-December 2016 REMEMBERING A LEGEND Gentleman Jim – his voice and the words The versatility of Jim Reeves knows no bounds. He is at home rendering Blues numbers as well as gospel songs though he is best remembered for his Western country songs for which he figures in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Analysing the continuing popularity of Jim Reeves in India more than fifty years after his death in a plane crash, Partab Ramchand is convinced it is because of his velvety voice and the meaningful words that tug at one’s heart

or innumerable Western music fans in India, their idea Fof nirvana or total bliss is to close their eyes and listen to the velvety voice of Jim Reeves. His 52nd death anniversary was on July 31 this year, and his 93rd birth anniversary on August 20. It is not a bad time to remember the singer whose voice and words touched millions of lives around the world. And among the many countries that Gentleman Jim is popular, India and Sri Lanka rank very high. Outside of the United States where he was born, Reeves enjoys unprecedented popularity in South Photo: Internet Africa among Western singers but perhaps it would not be wrong Jim Reeves pictured in his prime; and (right) a list of his hit numbers. to say that India and Sri Lanka are next on the list. Indeed, it is a medley of his super hits. Either Put like that, it would appear that reckoned that Reeves is probably clones of Jim Reeves belt out his there is a lot of melancholy about the all-time most popular English melodious numbers or the originals Reeves’ songs. Be that as it may, he language singer in the island nation are played on the soundtrack – the is able to convey the hurt through but his overall popularity in India ultimate in entertainment. his rich baritone and apt usage of too cannot be far behind. I well Of course, when it comes to words. In his numbers the music remember how in the 1960s and Reeves the entertainment is very stays in the background; it is the early 70s when the Listeners Choice different from what constitutes voice and words that are of utmost programme over All India Radio entertainment today. There are no importance. Madras on Saturday nights was computer graphics, no laser lights, In India, Reeves continues to not complete without numerous no razzle-dazzle, no fog lights or enjoy immense popularity more requests for a Jim Reeves song. other special effects. Gentleman Jim than half a century after his I suppose the same was the case holds centre stage with his mellow death. Among the Anglo-Indian with Western music programmes voice, tuneful guitar and expressive community there is no function or all over the country. words. In many ways, Reeves is the event that does not feature a song In Madras that is Chennai, I have Mukesh of the West for his songs or two by Reeves. The following over the years attended numerous are almost always emotional. He he enjoys is not restricted to one Jim Reeves Nites, where either has either lost the girl he loved, or or two communities. His music on his birthday or on his death is a victim of unrequited love and transcends regions and countries anniversary events are held to keep has been unjustly treated by the girl and Western music followers from the great singer’s memory alive with who has ditched him. a broad section of society have

October-December 2016 VIDURA 71 remained his fans in some cases for One can also be mesmerised by hits Similarly in ‘Golden Memories and well over 60 years since his first big like Four Walls, One Dozen Roses, Silver Tears’, after he has loved and hit Mexican Joe was recorded in the Snowflakes, Rosa Rio, Heartbreak in lost the girl, he sings “oh memory mid-Fifties. Silhouette, Welcome to My World, of love, bringing me pain, oh how Our most humdrum days are best and In the Misty Moonlight. Among sad to love, and love all in vain”. enriched by the voice of Jim Reeves. his gospel numbers, the best include And there is something that tugs There is no question of swaying or the likes of May the Good Lord at our heart for who among us has dancing or doing a little jig when it Bless and Keep You, This World Is not been through this feeling? comes to a Reeves number. You are Not My Home, and Take My Hand The ultimate tribute to just lost in the melody of that rich Precious Lord. Gentleman Jim is that his fan base voice and the meaningful words Reeves’ words mirror life and keeps growing and even those and transported to an ethereal touch us all, for the truisms he who were not born when he died world as it were. And there are so utters we have all been through. In in a plane crash three weeks before many gems that one just does not What’s in It For Me when he sings, his 41st birthday keep singing his know where to start and where to “why I do I dream of you, when I songs – thanks mainly to YouTube finish. am just dreaming of what used to – enraptured as they are by the His most famous numbers include be, there’s no future in the past, so twin qualities that made him an

Guilty, Distant Drums, I Love You what’s in it for me”, the line ‘there is endearing artist – the mellifluous Because, Am I Losing You, He’ll no future in the past’ besides being voice and the meaningful words. < Have to Go, Adios Amigo, and subtle is something we have come to Golden Memories and Silver Tears. believe as one of the truisms of life.

Arnab Goswami parts ways with Times Network Arnab Goswami, TV anchor and president-news and editor-in-chief, Times Now and ET Now, is moving on from the Times Network (confirmed by news reports). While his next project is not confirmed, speculation is that Goswami may start an independent news venture, TV or digital. Goswami started his career with The Telegraph, where he worked for a little under a year between 1994 and 1995 before joining Pranay Roy’s New Delhi Television (NDTV) as a reporter and anchor. He rose through the ranks at NDTV, becoming a part of the core team as a news editor, helming the show Newshour from 1998 to 2003. Later, he became the senior editor at NDTV and continued working in that capacity till he left the network to join Time Now in 2006. At Times Now, he shot to fame with his firebrand anchoring on the Newshour, which went a long way in pushing the channel to the number one position, which it continues to hold till date. According the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC), Times Now is the top-rated English News channel in the country by a massive margin. The Goswami led channel clocked 632000 impressions in week 42 of 2016 (October 15 to October 21) while its closest competitor CNN News18 clocked 289000 impressions in the same week (‘impressions’ refers to the total number of views a show gets during its telecast). The leadership position enjoyed by Times Now also reflected in the ad sales might it could muster. On an average, English news channels enjoy a peak ad-rate (for a 10 second spot) of around Rs 3000 during normal weekdays (prime time). Industry estimates peg Times Now’s prime time ad-rate at around Rs 20000. This could increase in case of an important development or during election time. The show went a long way in making Times Now a money churning asset within the Time Network, contributing 70 per cent of the channel’s total ad-revenue.

Given his success with Times Now, Goswami was elevated to president-news & editor-in-chief, Times Now and ET Now, from editorial director and editor in chief, Times Now in June 2015, which he shall continue to hold till date. < There is no word yet (at the time of this issue going to print) on who will replace him at the network.

(Courtesy: Business Standard)

72 VIDURA October-December 2016 REMEMBERING AN EDUCATIONIST A passionate teacher and a loving guardian

Well-known educationist Aparna Kumar Padmapati breathed his last on 16th September at his ancestral home. Professor A.K. Padmapati was 82. He is mourned by a huge number of well-wishers and his former students, one of whom is Nava Thakuria

passionate teacher, Prof instruct the watchman to close the Padmapati was also a strict college gates and not let anyone in. Aadministrator and a loving Up against such determination, the guardian for his students. The minister put aside his plan to visit news of his death saddened me. the college. I was one of his students at the But there was more. A group Assam Engineering College (AEC), of students, including me, was Jalukbari. He was my mentor summoned to Prof Padmapati’s throughout my AEC days. I had office. We were given a dressing joined the hostel at AEC, and it down. We remained silent, letting became my second home for many him talk. After a while, I asked him, years. During the second year, in a conciliatory tone, “What should life at the hostel was jolted by the we do now?” Mollified, he advised allegation of ragging leveled by a us to go back to the hostel and try to fresher. The matter quickly spread build bridges with the fresher who beyond the AEC campus, and made had complained of ragging. We did front page news. this, and gradually things returned Some senior students decided to to normal. stage a protest against the paper Prof Padmapati was born on 23rd which published the report, and October 1934. His father, Annada

boarders from other hostels joined Kumar Padmapati, was an eminent Photo: NT in. We proceeded to the newspaper lawyer His mother was Kanakprobha office and demanded that the editor Padmapati. The family was based Aparna Kumar Padmapati. withdraw the news item. We failed in the Barahalia locality of Tezpur. in the task (in a twist of fate, I, a A brilliant student, he studied at of sports, particularly tennis and graduate engineer, ended up being the Tezpur Government School and cricket. He also took keen interest a journalist) and the incident did later at Cotton College, Guwahati. in the environment, nature and not end there. After completing his B Tech in wildlife, and wrote letters to the The State Education minister Mechanical Engineering from IIT editors of local newspapers on

called Prof Padmapati and asked Kharagpur in 1958, he went to these subjects. for a briefing. He informed the the US to pursue his master’s in Rest in peace, Padmapati Sir. < professor that he would visit the Aerospace Engineering at the college to take stock of the situation. University of Arizona. The principal reportedly asked the Prof Padmapati joined AEC (The author is a senior journalist minister not to come right away (Gauhati University) as a faculty based in Guwahati.) as classes were in progress. The member and eventually headed infuriated minister announced he the esteemed technical institution. would arrive immediately. Such After retirement, he also served the was the stature of Prof Padmapati State Technical Education Board as that he retorted that he would director. A bachelor, he was fond

October-December 2016 VIDURA 73 OTHER NEWS

Gurdial Singh passes away World Digital Media Awards Prominent Punjabi writer and presented Jnanpith awardee Gurdial Singh passed away recently in Bathinda. World Digital Media Awards recognize publishers He was 83. A resident of Jaitu town that have created ground-breaking digital products of Faridkot, Gurdial Singh was the that engage readers while increasing online business. only living Punjabi writer to win the The winners are drawn from WAN-IFRA regional Jnanpith Award. Singh is known for digital media awards in Europe, Asia and Latin Gurdial America and for the first time from India, West Asia Singh. giving impressive messages in his story and novel writings with high and Africa. The awards are part of WAN-IFRA's wide simplicity. Writer of many famous novels, he received variety of awards programmes, designed to recognise the Sahitya Akademi award for his novel Marhi Da and share best publishing cases across the global Diva. Marhi Da Diva and Anhe Ghore Da Daan, his two industry. This year's winners are: novels, were made into films. His other noted novels are Parsa, Dukhiya Daas Kabir Ha, Adh Chanini Raat and 1. Best News Website: Malayala Manorama Company, Anhoe. Kottayam, Kerala, India Singh’s 1976 novel Anhey Ghore Da Daan was made Project: Manoramaonline.com, the hub for news in India. into a feature film by Gurvinder Singh; something for 2. Best Entertainment and Lifestyle Website: which the younger generation and a wider audience Media24, Cape Town, South Africa know him today. The film won four national awards, Project: Kick Off, the magazine’s website that brings 24/7 besides the Golden Peacock Award at the International coverage and information on football. Film Festival of India and the Black Pearl Trophy at 3. Best Use of Online Video: Guardian News & the Abu Dhabi film festival. Singh wrote many short Media, London, United Kingdom stories for children as well. His novels were translated Project: Building the Atom Bomb: the full story of the in several Indian languages and in English. He Nevada Test Site remained rooted in his hometown and did not move 4. Best Data Visualisation Project: Muscat Press and beyond Bathinda where he taught at the regional Publishing House SAOC, Muscat, Oman centre of Punjabi University for some years. Project: The dress styles to mark the 45th National Day of (Courtesy: The Tribune, Hindustan Times) Oman 5. Best News Mobile Service: Clarín A.G.E.A. SA, Nonagenarian Assam scribe Buenos Aires, Argentina Project: Clarín Balotaje en Telegram, the messaging app no more service to cover the presidential election. Assamese journalist-editor Tilak 6. Best Entertainment & Lifestyle Mobile Service: Hazarika passed away on October Media24, Cape Town, South Africa 22nd following a stroke he suffered Project: Men’s Health – Belly Off, the mobile payment almost a month earlier. He was 95. app about weight loss to build an alternative content and Hazarika was associated with the revenue stream. popular Assamese weekly, Sadin 7. Best in Tablet Publishing: WeltN24 GmbH, Berlin, Tilak (of which he was founder-editor), Germany Hazarika. till the end. He wrote on various Project: DIE WELT Edition, the new tablet edition to give contemporary issues. He also authored a few books, its loyal audience a deep, lean-back reading experience. and translated others. He received the prestigious 8. Best Reader Engagement: Pictoline, Ciudad de Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996. Hazarika began his México, Mexico career in journalism at Natun Asomiya in 1949. Before Project: Pictoline, the visual media company that produces founding Sadin in 1989, he worked with Asam Bani, winning visuals to share own social media platforms. part of the Assam Tribune Group. Hazarika’s last 9. Best Digital Advertising Campaign: Quartz, rites were performed with state honours. London, United Kingdom (Inputs from Nava Thakuria.) Project: Quartz/GE World in Motion, the partnership to create a global destination for GE storytelling and content discovery. 10. Best New Product: S.A. La Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina Project: MUY LIEBRE, the millennial-focused product powered by user-generated content for all social media platforms

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