NATIONAL PRESS DAY
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: "Social media portals have been becoming threats to media and society due to the nature of stories they air intending to blackmail the people," Minister for Information and Public relation Pijush Hazarika said addressing the World press Day programme organised at PWD Convention Centre at Dispur here on Tuesday.
"We need some checks and balance," said Hazarika, adding that if such a trend is allowed to continue one day there will be a great disorder in our society.
"This time there is a big threat to the media. The portals are posing a threat to the media. The portals also pose a threat to the people. I saw a husband and his wife hosting two portals separately. Many senior journalists told me about it. Their main agenda is to threaten people
"For acts of a section of people, the entire media community will be reproached. We can't allow this trend to continue" he also said.
"Being a political leader, I feel that the importance of media is imperative in developing our country in the global arena. We must respect all media persons. But I appeal to you to be impartial. Who is not afraid of media," he questioned.
"In some cases, the media or a journalist publish a negative report to threaten a person. In this way, the media can't create social order. I am talking of a senior journalist who never saw a single good work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last seven years. Did not Modi do a single good work in the last seven years? The people will judge him if he does any illegal act. But there are many good works done by Modi in the last years. Surprisingly, this journalist never found a single good work of Modi in the table of his shows.
"Every time I saw his reports opposing Modi's activities. His view has been revealed in his journalism."
The Minister added, "You may have a separate ideology. But you have to respect all other ideologies. It will kill the impartiality of journalism."
"India is the largest democracy in the world. Everybody honours our democratic system," said Hazarika urging all journalists to uphold the democratic values.
Stating that the country's democracy is vibrant, the Minister said, "Both India and Pakistan achieved independence on the same day on August 15, 1947. But there was no soldiers' mutiny in our country for a day. However, Pakistan has been under army rule for half of its years. That is why, the world says that Pakistan's democracy is a big farce. But the democratic system is our country more vibrant; and, we all have to honour it," he said.
The holding of elections in a country with a population of 140 crores is a big job. There are many allegations of EVM manipulation from a certain party that has been continually defeated in the polls. Nobody can prove that we have manipulated the election results in the last years since 2010. But when these parties win elections in Punjab, Delhi or Chattishgarh, they never speak of such EVM manipulation," he added.
"Our democratic system is vibrant. The press is the Fourth Pillar of democracy. The media has not only to play a pivotal role in strengthening democracy but also to maintain social order. Today I want to talk about independent journalism. If we the "executive" pressurizes the media, how can they do free journalism? Then you can't publish a report of illegal acts taking place the society. And if you can't report, such illegal acts will go on unabated," he further said.
Hazarika felicitated 12 senior journalists on the occasion: They are Padma Patar (Kamrup Metro), Baikuntha Goswami (Kamrup metro), Animesh Majumdar (Hojai), Ramesh Munda (Hojai), Pradeep Ghosh (Darang), Sunil More (Sonitpur), Kushmathar Upadhaya (Nagaon), Kanak Hazarika (Nagaon), Dipak Kumar Sarma (Nagaon), Jiten Bartakaky (Nagaon), Dalim Phookan (Morigaon) and Ajit Sarma (Morigaon).
Speaking on the theme, Professor of Sociology of Tezpur University, Dr Chandan Kumar Sarma said that credibility is the first and the foremost responsibility of media.
Additional Chief Secretary (IPR) Paban Barthakur, Commissioner and Secretary (IPR) Neera Gogoi Sonowal and Director of IPD Bishnu Kamal Bora were also present on the occasion.
Several hundreds of senior journalists and students of several colleges and universities were also present in the programme.
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