Jourlists bearing the brunt of Corporate sector, political influence on media: Varadarajan

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 9: Noted jourlist and writer Siddharth Varadarajan said that Indian media has been facing the situatiol problems. “So much is the influence of the corporate sector and politicians on the media that professiolism and ethics in media are far away, and the result is that jourlists like Kamala Saikia have to bear the brunt,” he said.

An alumnus of London School of Economics and Collumbia University Siddharth Varadarajan, former Editor of The Hindu, said this while delivering the 14th Jourlist Kamala Saikia Memorial Lecture, organized today by the Jourlist Kamala Saikia Memorial Trust, in association with Guwahati Press Club, at Vivekanda Kendra in Guwahati today.

Varadarajan said: “Neither the UPA government at the Centre allowed the CBI to work independently, nor does the present NDA government gives the investigation agency its independence. The media has no memory, but the public has. Such a situation doesn’t augur well for democracy. Present jourlists don’t have thorough study on the past events, and as such they can’t deeply alyse the current situations. Media freedom will be a reality only when there’s awareness among the masses. That will help solve many problems.”

Jourlist and writer Amulya Khatoniar from Tinsukia and educationist Khiroda Baruah were felicitated at the function that was presided over by senior jourlist Kaksen Deka. Jourlists Sanjib Kumar Phookan and Dillip Chandan were also on the dais. On behalf of Khiroda Baruah, one of his kin received the felicitation.