Nation doesn’t want to know what previous governments have done !

But the nation definitely wants to know what the elected government has done or is doing !!

Dr Santosh Kumar Mohapatra

The role of a journalist/columnist is not to oppose or support any party. They should  not cater to any ideology too, except catering to reforms of the system and pro people views, journalism. When one imbibes pro-people journalism, he/she will scrutinise performance of rulers regardless of party. But to camouflage failures of the ruling class, the media is targeting opposition, even dead people.

Arnab Goswami did this more. So he is a blot on journalistic ethics. I am not supporting the Maharashtra Government or else, though Arnab’s arrest has nothing to do with journalism, but no genuine, pro people journalist will support Arnab who annihilated pro-people journalism.

Nation does not want to know what previous governments have done as the same is known to everybody or for this there is a history book, but the nation wants to know what the elected government has done or is doing as it immediately affects us. Why does he refrain from criticising the ruling class at centre but confine to Maharashtra govt who are at loggerheads with BJP?

Humbug of stimulus package:

Fiscal package or stimulus means how much the government is going to spend beyond what is already allocated in the budget. Government claims package declared in various phases to be around Rs 30 lakh crore. But our budget size is also Rs 30 lakh crore. How additional money will come?

The provision of liquidity infusion, interest reduction should not be considered as a package but only fiscal outgo which is around 2 to 3% of GDP, the lowest in the world. Still the government publicises it and people are deceived.

What is reprehensible is that the finance minister creates more confusion. If she wants to give something, make the proposal simpler. But the package is linked with so many conditionalities that in the end, nobody can avail it. Even I lost patience to read about packages.

When corporate tax was reduced for which state exchequer was depleted by Rs1.45 lakh crore, matters were too simple.  Attempts should be to raise purchasing power and spending of people along with more investment in health, education.

It appears that the government is interested to derive political mileage out of the package rather than taming the corona induced recession. Unfortunately, highly qualified people are maintaining stoic silence.

Please see consumer inflation is 7.6 % in October which is 77 month high. In the time of decline of income, destruction of jobs, if consumer inflation becomes intolerable, can you imagine the plight of poor and vulnerable sections of society.

What for RBI? Nobody prevents you from voting for your favoured party, but not questioning the ruling class for failure is a crime before humanity. Nobody will take any wealth, power to heaven.

Impact of views:

A channel, newspaper, articles of a writer may provide some inputs to cadres, but will have no impact on masses, readers if people know that it represents any particular party or working as a mouthpiece of any party.

Now many politicians have their own media houses and some are planning to enter in a grand scale. They should be very careful that their purpose of gaining political dividend will be nullified if they use the media house according to their own whims and caprices.

Media should not be used for taking revenge or political vendetta. It should not deliberately show such a programme which is the antithesis of journalistic ethics.

Never reflect your political or personal rivalry on a media platform. Do not be selective in penalising or exonerating guilty. Do not ignore genuine intellectuals simply because his/her views do not suit the political or business interest of owners or some powerful people are not able to counter views.

This trend was not seen 4-5 years ago. Atmosphere is totally destroyed,  journalists are divided in party lines. Very pathetic situation. Who will be held responsible?

In the last few years, I’ve confronted so many problems, veiled threats that sometimes it occurs in my mind to take shelter in any liberal party. But I’ve avoided it till today. That same may kill my independence or the impact of my article may be reduced.

Though I get respect from many top people, it is equally painful, sometimes humiliating when you criticise all. Nobody will be with you. Sometimes question creeps in mind that who will come to rescue in case of any major problems.

Biggest danger to our democracy and governance:

Voters are made to evaluate politicians not based on contribution to development of the masses, increase in standard of living but how much individual interest is satisfied. So politicians are not giving stress on general development but individuals. That is why health, education, agriculture, job creation are getting neglected.

Some schemes are floated. People hoodwinked. Money plays a dominant role.  If a politician does many things but does not spend money in elections or does not cater to the interest of his followers, he cannot win.

Actually without increasing the size of revenues, if the government floats more schemes, it cuts expenditure in somewhere which people do not know. In the 2019-20 budget, total estimated expenditure was cut by nearly Rs 3 lakh crore.

Ujjuwala yojana is a good scheme. But benefits is outweighed by the huge amount of tax that we pay which not only raises the price level but erodes the purchasing power of people. Demand should be free health, education not schemes.

The nation needs another Nehru & Patel:

No human being is free from blemish, so Nehru. But he was a great statesman, leader. Unlike the present leader, he was not curbing freedom of expression. If we see a democratic India, and whatever development achieved is because of these leaders.

They have done their best in a given situation. The way some are giving disparaging remarks is unwarranted. It is just blaming forefathers who had worked hard to nurture their offspring.

Sardar Patel was a great leader and some others too who had not got due weightage in the past regimes. In order to give weightage to them, there is no justification in slandering any great leader or making any odious comparison.

Why is Pakistan behind us in development when both were independent on the same day? It is because of those great leaders and their policies, their accommodative nature.

In present critical juncture when so much hatred, disdain against democratic forces / dissenters, people are made to fight each other, and the nation is plagued by communal skirmishes,  linguistic antagonism, religious fanaticism, we need another Nehru & patel to save the nation, and its democratic character.

Courtesy: Social Media

I'm not agree the way of #journalism of #Arnab but the way he was arrested & manhandled as if he was a hardcore criminal must have terrorised demoralised & devastated thousands of #media persons!
If a #Modi_Shah's spokesperson could be treated like this what would happen others? pic.twitter.com/0KaU0TQGnn

— RAILWHISPERS (@Railwhispers) November 5, 2020