STUNT JOURNALISM IS AVOIDABLE

It was 1984 when our Prime Minister Indira Ji was assassinated; thousands of people were coming to pay their respect to the departed leader. They were obviously angry and were shouting ‘khoon ka badla khoon se lenge’. This slogan was shown to viewers all over India over and over for almost three days and riots started. The scenes were true and factual but their display caused irreparable damage to the social fabric of our country. Should journalists not observe a little discretion?

When the country was stunned and shocked by the terrorist attack in Mumbai, one TV channel was broadcasting live the conversation with the terrorists challenging the might of India from the Taj Hotel. It appeared the channel was flashing the conversation with Neil Armstrong from the surface of Moon. Have the government of India or journalist community or public at large done anything against the channel? Did the media condemn unequivocally the act of the channel? How could it because all the rest were competing with each other to show a glimpse of one or the other terrorist.

Investigative journalism is a crucial aspect of media. Most of us know how President Nixon of the USA had to resign as a consequence of master piece investigative journalism on phone taping. But in India it has put the other aspects of journalism in background. Every other TV journalist is roaming around with a hidden camera and the moment you utter a word in the unguarded moment, they flash it as News.

Days were spent on the coverage of the so called crimes by Shankaracharya, Pragya Thakur and many others. What if they are proved innocent in the court of law? Will the same amount of time be devoted on the issue? The reporters are turning to be accusers and pretend to be running a parallel intelligence agency. Media trials cannot be a substitute for judicial trials.

TV sets and News papers are common in the country side in India. It is up to the journalists to decide if they want to give some time to 72% population of India living in villages. Is there no News other than rape, murder, molestation, nudity, loot and gamble? There must be something creative and constructive happening in the country but that would not be a ‘Breaking News’. Instances like a snake chasing a man, a boy with a tail, a fake Sain Baba, gimmicks like magic cure of diseases and so on do not deserve hours and hours on TV.

In spite of the fact that Indian media has lost its way in the woods, I strongly condemn the acts of hooliganism, on the pretext of protest against incorrect reporting. The aggrieved can go to the court and file a defamation suit against the channels and journalists but the decision might take a few decades. Media itself should decide and educate the people how to deal with the errant News in a speedy manner.

COMMUNAL RESERVATION CAN BE DISASTROUS FOR INDIA

The Communal Award of 1935 was the basis of religion based reservation in undivided India. Patel was opposed to it and Nehru was emphatic and said “This way lies not only folly but disaster”. Patel as Chairman of the advisory committee saw to it that communal reservation was abolished unanimously. Are the present day politicians wiser than the stalwarts of yesterdays? Muslims ruled India for over a Thousand years and held high positions during the British rule. Late Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto, the father of Benazir Bhutto, had thundered in the United Nations a few decades ago “we have ruled India for a Thousand years, will rule again for a Thousand years”. Ancestors of Hindus had no occasion to do injustice against the ancestors of Muslims. Even in free India, Muslims have not been discriminated against by Nehru Ji, Indira Ji or Rajiv Gandhi at any point of time. No one ever stopped Muslims from going to schools. They are not Dalits by any definition. They have the legacy of Nawabs. It is intriguing why, how and when did Muslims become backward. There is no basis for compensating the injustice.

Muslims never faced Manuvaadi System of Society and have never been trampled like Schedule Castes. Today, they have preferential treatment in jobs in all the countries of Middle East by virtue of their religion. The neo-rich Muslims transferring money from the Middle East are visible in Kerala, in parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, in parts of uttarakhand and elsewhere. Their rate of financial growth is much faster than the rest of India. For the sake of argument if reservation is granted to Muslims, it is the English knowing affluent Muslims who will get advantage, not the poor ones. Muslims need modern education not communal reservation. Dr. Kalbe Sadiq, the senior Vice-Chairman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, while speaking on ‘Islam versus Muslims’ on November, 4, 2006 in Lucknow, said the only solution to Islam is modern education. His words that Muslims cannot progress without rational approach and use of intellect are prophetic.

Muslim community gave three presidents to the country, a Chief Justice to the Supreme Court and a Chief of the Armed Forces. Then what is the reason of their low representation in services? Apparently, they seek employment in science, technology and computers based on their knowledge of Arabic, Persian and Urdu. Educated Muslims are not available even in the exclusive areas like Urdu teachers and translators. Hindus take over a large chunk of these jobs.

Muslims, for whatever reason, opt out of higher education. Muslim graduates are only 1.3 % and 6.1% in rural and urban areas respectively compared to 5.3 % and 25.3 % Hindus. School drop out in Muslims after primary school is up to 90 %. The cause of their lagging behind is their preference to madarsa education over common school system. Hindus will become like that only if all of them give preference to Sanskrit Pathshalas over the common school system of India. It is the change of attitude not reservation that will solve the problem of imbalance if any.

We were destined to serve and be happy

Forty years back after returning from Canada, when I started a school up to class VIII in remote rural area inhabited by the weaker section of society, I had a dream to produce a 1000 people like me through the school. I frankly admit that I could not fulfill even one percent of the dream. But, the Almighty has been kind to us and did not let us disappoint or break. For one thing, the people in the government administration and also in the government then understood the meaning of social work. I got full cooperation from them whenever I needed. I cannot say so about the present scenario.

The type of work my wife and I had undertaken is the job of kings (governments) or Fakirs. Born in a poor family myself, I was neither. Nevertheless, my wife and I have a success story to tell because we have been privileged to receive blessings and assistance from saints like Swami Pathik Ji and Swami Chidanand Saraswati of Rishikesh. Why they came forward and helped us is anybody’s guess. We had nothing except sincere efforts and desire to help my fellow villagers. People kept coming and helping in our efforts every now and then.

In the meantime my sons Neelesh and Shailesh became capable of extending a helping hand to us. We are getting the pleasure of completing the task assigned to us by the Almighty. Efforts of my son Neelesh and his friend Sharat Pradhan helped our school gain Grants-in-aid, but only up to Class VIII. Neelesh funded the electricity connection bill and internal wiring in the school. Karan Dalal from Mumbai, a noble soul and IT professional, came from nowhere and with his friends arranged for large sums of money for completing construction work. His father Mr. Shishir Dalal arranged for solar lights in the school with which the campus is well lit in the night and six computers are running uninterrupted. Other computers run with normal electricity and back-up.

When Adam Gilmore a friend of Neelesh and a senior scientist in NASA came to our school and delivered a lecture, using projector, on how space crafts are launched and stationed in space, the entire community of teachers and students including ourselves were thrilled. In spite of our unfinished dream, we are contented in life that God has chosen us to deliver something for the needy.

In an area of about 400 sq. km., there still is no Inter College or a High School. Our only desire remains to see that students of my village and surrounding do not have to walk or peddle a cycle for 12 km each day for secondary education. But, officers of education department insist that infrastructure must be at par with the affluent areas. They are not able to appreciate that challenges before social workers in rural areas are different from those of the urban counterparts.

We have adequate building for secondary school in a remote village Kunaura in Lucknow, district, thanks to contribution of our well wishers and friends. Incidentally, the mason included the thickness of walls in the room lengths therefore some rooms are 4 inches short of 25 feet. The education administrators say the class rooms must be 25 feet long nothing short of it. They demand the building must measure inch by inch, fees should not be charged, teachers be paid salary as per the government scales, library and furniture be at par with the urban counterparts and the government would not help financially. The government in the rural areas could at least relax conditions of recognition, if they are themselves unable to open secondary schools in villages. In a situation like this, I have limited options. Compromise with my inner self and bribe the babus or leave the dream project and spend energy on the other modes of social work.

There is no dearth of areas of social work to serve the rural areas. We have made our contribution in the past in the fields of adult education, training in tailoring, food processing, dairy farming, agricultural extension and child nutrition. We can devote our remaining part of life to any of these areas but these are no alternative to quality education to rural poor.

Should the rural youth be deprived of good secondary education because they are unable to construct huge buildings? Should the rural poor be provided only spade work under NREGA for ages? Should there be no distinction between the rural and urban norms for school recognition? I hope the Education Policy makers would address to the needs of the rural youth.

Reservation Rejuvenates Manuvad

Manu, the first socialogist of the World and creator of caste system must be smiling in the heavens that his social divisions have become an effective tool for social, political and economic management of Indian society for all time to come. From the four castes that he had created, we now have about 6000 in modern India. And the people say Islam has castes, not realizing that the Prophet did not believe in dividing the society, or did he?

There are exclusive organizations not only for Brahmins, Kshattriyas and Vaishyas but also for sub-castes like Nishads, Kurmis, Tailik Samaj (oil men), Jats, Gujars, Yadvas, Pasis and you name it. Our politicians are trying to free us from caste-prejudices using the basics of Manuvad.

In the ancient India one’s caste was license to certain privileges, in modern times the governments talk of ‘positive discrimination’ to give caste-based advantages aimed at removing caste hierarchy and establishing social equality. The so called positive discrimination is no different form the concept of caste as a parameter of entitlement of privileges like priesthood, teaching profession, right to rule, or to do business.

Dr. Ambedkar had given a time limit of 10 years for reservation to correct the social anomaly that ended in 1960. However, the greedy politicians in free India thought that people can be herded on the basis of caste. They decided that the caste be the parameter of selection on a post, of election to Parliament and legislative assemblies even village panchayat, representation in the ministry, allocations in the Central and State budgets, admission in schools and colleges, permit, quota and license. They wishfully thought and still think that the castes would vanish and a secular, democratic, secular caste-less society would emerge in this process.

More than 50% government employees owe their positions to caste. Many members of parliament and assemblies even ministers and Chief Ministers are there by virtue of their caste. The goal of caste-less society, if at all it was there, has become no more than a pipe-dream.

In spite of the above, the governments of the day avoid caste based census. They might be thinking we would have to utter, read and write the ‘jaati suchak shabd’ (caste indicator words) but they fail to make distinction between the caste indicator word and the stigma attached to it? It is naïve to think that replacing the caste indicator words would bring respect to Dalits. It is often forgotten that the words mean what we make them to mean. The word scheduled caste over the years has come to carry the same meaning as the ‘Harijan’ of Mahatma Gandhi. Has exchange of words brought about any change in the mental attitude of people.

If you do not believe, go to a village and tell a Brahmin or Thakur and reveal your identity as scheduled caste and ask for a glass of water f. Watch the glass he brings water in. Should we look for a substitute of the phrase scheduled caste? Social equality and respect are linked to social contribution you make. Legendary personalities like Valmiki, Kabir, Ravidas, Tukaram, Ambedkar, Karpuri Thakur, Jagjeevan Ram, Vallabh Bhai Patel and thousands like them did not beg for respect.

Political leaders are heroes either of their caste or caste combinations. They feel ONLY THEY can be the saviors of their caste. The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh did not take kindly of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to scheduled caste families. Yadavas have been made to believe that only Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh yadava can save them. Other caste groups are also herding behing their caste leaders. With this scenario, the caste barriers are sharpening, the social harmony is disturbed and chasing the dream of caste-less society would be endless. I hope our leaders know what they are doing.

(originally published in H.T.)

It is pleasure to feed the needy

My young friend Karan Dalal from Mumbai has sponsored mid-day meal to pre-primary kids in our school. You can see the feeling of satisfaction on his face in serving the kids.

I spoke against Cooperative Farming

I was in Lucknow University in B.Sc. in the year 1958 when some department in the university had organized a debate competition on cooperative farming. I had been a popular speaker in Government Jubilee Inter College of Lucknow where my debating companion used to be Ravi Shanker who recently retired as the Director General of the Geological Survey of India. Two of us used to win shields but this was a new platform for me. Just a week before I had undergone an operation for a boil in my chin that was in the process of healing. My face with bandage was looking funny but I had decided to speak, and speak against the topic. When my turn came and my name was announced, I stood up to move to the podium; the student gathering in the A.P.Sen Hall had a big laugh, apparently due to bandage. Without looking left or right I went straight to the podium and glimpsed at the crowd. Then without going into formality of addressing the chairman or the judges, I thundered a village saying “Sajhe ki kheti gadahau na khain, khati khati khain to koi hanke na jai’ (shared crop will not be eaten even by donkeys and in case they do eat, no one will go to chase them away). My voice was so loud and clear, the same crowd applauded instantly. I continued and got applause several times during the speech.

Recently when Lucknow University felicitated me for my contribution to science and society, the function presided by Prof. R. P. Singh, the Vice Chancellor was held in the lawn facing A.P.Sen hall. Seated with the distinguished alumni of the university on the dais, I remembered the incident and smiled.