A JOURNAL OF THE PRESS INSTITUTE OF INDIA ISSN 0042-5303

April-June 2014
Volume 6 Issue 2 Rs 50

The curious case of Asok

Kumar Ganguly CONTENTS
Supreme Court ruling
The Press, or the Fourth Estate, is expected to set things on IPC Section 377:
How progressive
right when the other three administrative machineries the is Indian democracy? /
Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary have gone Mukesh Rawat
wrong or are trying to either condone wrong or help cover
New media technology and
up wrongs. Shoma A. Chatterji collates facts on the Asok sexual crimes /
Kumar Ganguly case gathered from various national and Bharat Dogra
regional media. She says it is for readers to draw their own
Who will cast the first vote
conclusions
Shoma A. Chatterji for equality? / Ammu Joseph

A
n allegation is not proof of guilt. This is an Attention TV news anchors
axiom that seems to be honoured only in the breach in India, and and reporters! /
especially in West Bengal. This is the opening sentence of the first J. V. Vilanilam
editorial in The Telegraph dated January 9, 2014. The media has largely backed Connecting stakeholders in
retired Supreme Court Justice Asok Kumar Gangulys denial of the allegation healthcare / Pradeep Nair
that when he was a judge he had harassed a law intern. Yet, the powers-that- and Harikrishnan Bhaskaran
be in political circles across the country, including those with vested interests, Private FM, community
succeeded in forcing him to resign as chairperson of the Human Rights radio stations have a case/
Commission in West Bengal. Mr. Ganguly said that he put in his papers to Ankuran Dutta and
preserve his dignity against the hostile attitude of the state government. The Anamika Ray
latter has been proceeding on the assumption that Mr. Ganguly is guilty even
View from the Northeast: /
before anything has been proved against him, states the same editorial. Nava Thakuria
Who is the intern? No one knows who she is, where she lives and what she
does. She charged the judge with sexually harassing her in a hotel room. If her History of Kannada
charge was true, why did she take the vehicle arranged by the judge to travel Journalism /
back from the hotel, instead of asking the hotel to book her a car? Why, instead Mrinal Chatterjee
of going to the police or instigating legal action, did she raise the issue through A real woman at last /
a blog which has much less credibility than an FIR? Ranjita Biswas
The term sexual harassment will need to be looked at from a different Bollywood & stereotypes /
perspective in the Asok Kumar Ganguly case. Media coverage, especially in Fatima Siddiqui
the press, traces his impeccable professional record, which leads any intelligent
and objective person to conclude that the phrase sexual harassment has not Adultarated TV and our
once been used against the erudite man. outdated laws /
Edara Gopi Chand
On January 4, 2014, www.ibn.in.live stated in a report that a PIL had been
filed by Padma Narayan Singh before the Supreme Court alleging that Mohun Remembering Khushwant
Singh / Suchitra Sen / Ila
(Continued on page 3) Pathak

April-June 2014 VIDURA 1

FROM THE EDITOR

May 3, and why we must value

press freedom
W
hy is press freedom important? It is important because people everywhere have a right to know what
is happening, journalists have a duty to report facts as they are, and readers or viewers have a right to
voice their opinions and be heard. It is in many ways an extension of individual freedom. A journalist
called me an hour ago and asked why there wasnt any semblance of World Press Freedom Day (May 3) being
celebrated or talked about in India. For a moment I was nonplussed. I then said that it was indeed true and that
very little is being done by news publishing houses here to raise awareness about the crucial role a free press plays
in the regions development.

When the United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day, the objective was
to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to Freedom of Expression enshrined in Article
19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. When I received the call from the journalist, I was reading a
news report in The Times of India, about the controversial editing of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra
Modis interview to Doordarshan. Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar, the report said, had acknowledged that
certain portions were apparently edited. What was more significant in the report was Sircar drawing attention
to this long traditional linkage between the ministry and the news division which has continued unabated even
after Prasar Bharati was born. He also hinted at the Information & Broadcasting Ministry having failed to give
the public broadcaster the autonomy it had sought. The I & B Minister later said that the ministry has an
arms-length relationship with Prasar Bharati.

I did not find it particularly surprising, considering that in a recent report, Reporters Without Borders, a non-
profit body, had ranked India 140 out of 180 countries surveyed for the freedom it gave the media. We have all of
course heard about a leading publishing house withdrawing a book, about the clampdown on social media, about
Twitter accounts sought to be blocked, etc. Quite ironical when you think that in todays world where there are no
bars to communication, you should be actually encouraging young people, regardless of gender and ethnicity, to
play a proactive role in advancing press freedom and finding ways to express its importance.

Press freedom is about so many issues, it is impossible to put it all down in an edit piece. But certainly, the
freedom has not been valued or used well. Accuracy, fairness and balance have taken a beating in recent years.
Youngsters from journalism schools are finding it difficult to cope up with the pressures on the ground; there is
a great deal of attrition. There is not enough mentoring happening. Editors do not find time to spend with young
reporters. It is again ironical that when todays youngsters have good opportunities to train or apprentice, there
has not been an appreciable improvement in the quality of journalism. In the mad scramble for news and bytes,
checking, condensing and clarifying have taken a back seat, as a veteran journalist told me recently.

World Press Freedom Day is also a time to spare a thought about the detention and imprisonment of journalists
around the globe, individuals who have been sent to jail simply for doing their jobs. In India, of course, the
situation is far, far better. But we must salute journalists who venture into the back of beyond or inhospitable
terrain to bring news to the reader or viewer.

The Daily Mirror in Sri Lanka printed a mirror image of its front page on May 3. The lone legible sentence on
the page read: Only true freedom of the press can turn things the right way around. Celebrating World Press
Freedom Day 2014! The objective was to raise questions about the state of press freedom in that country. Its time
we raised questions about ours.

Sashi Nair
editorpiirind@gmail.com

2 VIDURA April-June 2014


Photo: Internet
Retired Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly says the allegation is false and that he is
innocent.
(Continued from page 1)
Bagan Club of Kolkata used the law
intern to defame Ganguly, who was
handling the arbitration between
Mohun Bagan and the All India
Football Federation (AIFF). The PIL
comes down heavily on criminal
law, police, media, judiciary and
government in the country. The
petitioner alleges that the response
of the above organisations has been
too harsh, as the whole purpose
was to malign the image and
reputation of a public figure like
Ganguly. The PIL states: "In this
well-planned conspiracy against
Justice Ganguly, Mohun Bagan has
used the female intern who had
prepared the case report on Mohun
Bagan in the matter of arbitration
between Mohun Bagan and All
India Football Federation, in New
Delhi in December 2012. AIFF also
corroborates the said conspiracy."
The petitioner has questioned
additional solicitor general of India
Indira Jaising for taking action
against Ganguly. She alleged that
Jaising had ulterior motives.
A response to the above posting
states: If she [the intern] was being
April-June 2014
used by someone, then she would
not have put it on a blog instead of
taking legal action. There is a lot
of confusion here. This is a valid
point. But who is listening? Besides
this, the intern had only raised the
issue 11 months after the incident
and after Ganguly had retired as
judge.
On the other hand, in a blog
posted on the website of the Journal
of Indian Law and Society, 12 National
University of Juridical Sciences
(NUJS) teachers said they were
appalled at Gangulys statement
that the law intern was a political
pawn. However, in his letter to the
vice-chancellor stating that he was
quitting as guest lecturer at NUJS
the day after the Union Cabinet
cleared a proposal for a presidential
reference seeking an apex court
probe into allegations against him,
Ganguly stuck to his stand that the
allegation was false and went on to
assert that I have never said that
the intern was a pawn in a political
game. I have no ill feeling towards
her and wish her well in life. (The
Telegraph News Bureau, January 4,
2014.)
If the case was genuine, why has
the intern not come out in public
VIDURA
now that her victimiser has been
punished? Why have the parties
who have indicted and taken action
against Ganguly not brought her
into public space?
In a letter to the editor of The
Statesman, Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee
of Faridabad on 20th December 2013
writes about Khurshid Anwar, the
55-year-old executive director of an
NGO, who committed suicide a day
after he was booked for allegedly
raping a 25-year-old woman, an
allegation that was since rebutted as
false and motivated by colleagues:
In the aftermath of Anwars death,
how does one distinguish between
a false allegation and an actual
incident? .the new law should
be amended so that an innocent
person is not harassed; the burden
of proof should be on the accuser.
If the woman complainant fails
to do so, she should be punished
severely.
The Protection of Human Rights
Act, 1994, Section 23 clearly states
the following:
The chairperson or any other
member of the state commission
shall only be removed by order
of the President of India on the
ground of proved misbehaviour
or incapacity
The Supreme Court, on a
reference made by the President
of India, has to hold an inquiry
and report that the chairperson
or a member has to be removed
on the ground mentioned
above;
The President of India may
remove the chairperson or any
other member if any one of them
(a) is adjudged an insolvent, or
(b) engages during his term of
office in any paid employment
outside the duties of his office,
or (c) is unfit to continue in office
by reason of mind or body, or (d)
is of unsound mind and stands
so declared by a competent
court, or (e) is convicted and
sentenced to imprisonment for
an offence which in the opinion
of the President involves moral
turpitude. (Report by R. Balaji
3
 in The Telegraph, 20th December,
2013).
Balaji also reports that the alleged
sexual harassment took place
in December 2012 in a five-star
hotel in Delhi where Ganguly was
staying while handling the Mohun
Bagan case. As per the sections
quoted above, allegations against
Ganguly could only fall within
moral turpitude and that too, in
the opinion of the President.
What is moral turpitude? In
an article in The Hindustan Times
(March 05, 2006), B.C. Shukla writes:
According to the Supreme Court,
the term 'moral turpitude' should
not be given a narrow interpretation.
Thus, any act done contrary to
justice, honesty, modesty or good
morals undoubtedly falls within
the sweep of moral turpitude.
How would the President of India
decide whether Ganguly was
guilty of moral turpitude or not?
Even the panel of three Supreme
Court Judges who had gone into
the interns allegations said it was
of the considered view that the
complaint, prima facie, discloses
an act of unwelcome behaviour
(unwelcome verbal/ non-verbal
of sexual nature) by the retired
judge. Unwelcome conduct
of sexual nature is too broad a
phrase to come even remotely close
to the punishment meted out to
the offender whose offence was
never proved in a court of law and
who was never called to be tried in a
court of law.
According to Indira Jaising (The
Indian Express, December 16, 2013),
The intern gave her statement
to the committee, provided the
affidavits of witnesses to whom
she spoke immediately after the
incident, gave all the mobile phone
numbers of witnesses and of Justice
Ganguly, and stood by her statement.
Justice Ganguly was also called and
his statement was video-recorded.
Apart from denying the allegations,
he said the new law of 2013 making
sexual harassment an offence did
not apply to him as the alleged
incident was of 2012, forgetting that
outraging the modesty of a woman
was always an offence, a law under
which K.P.S. Gill was prosecuted
successfully...
However, in his feedback to the
article, Prateek Jain wrote: That is
just an affidavitWhether it was an
act of sexual harassment or not will
be adjudicated by trial court. As far
as the committee report of Supreme
Court is concerned, it was ultra
virus from its jurisdiction and was
only an internal conclusion which
has no value in the eyes of law (as
at the time the alleged incident
took place, Justice Ganguly was
not a judge of the Supreme Court).
Making it public will indirectly
degrade the authority and sanctity
of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. <
(The writer is a freelance journalist,
author and film scholar based in
Kolkata. She writes widely on cinema,
gender issues, media and human
rights for print and online media. She
has won the national award for Best
Writing on Cinema twice, the Bengal
Film Journalists Association Award,
and a Lifetime Achievement Award
from Laadly-UNFPA in 2010.)

How newspapers have changed since 1999

Fifteen years is a lifetime in the newspaper industry, and a unique document prepared by the Innovations Media
Consulting Group for the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) is testimony to the
breadth of transformation that has occurred in that time. A collectors set of the Innovations in Newspapers World
Report, presented since 1999 at the annual World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, has just been
published in advance of this years Congress, to be held in Torino, Italy from 9 to 11 June next.
Since the report was rst published, the newspaper industry has undergone a radical transformation, with digital,
social media, citizen journalism and interactive content now at the forefront. But the reports have been prescient:
much that occurred in 1999 is familiar today.
"It's like having a time capsule about the industry," said Larry Kilman, deputy CEO of WAN-IFRA. "The books not
only reflect how quickly news media have changed, but also how much stays the same -- the details and approaches
change, but the basic challenges remain fairly constant."
The 16th version of the Innovations in Newspapers World Report will be presented at this years Congress
and Editors Forum, led by Juan Seor, a partner with Innovation Media Consulting Group, Monica Rey, a senior
consultant with Innovation, and John Wilpers, a director and consultant with the group.
"The newspaper industry is leading the digital transition with more and better multimedia integrated newsrooms,
journalists and managers than ever, said Juan Antonio Giner, founder and president of Innovation and editor of <
the reports.

4 VIDURA April-June 2014

SUPREME COURT RULING ON IPC SECTION 377

How progressive is Indian

democracy?
The contentious section of the Indian Penal Code is not only about the discrimination faced
by the LGBT community but rather is a classic example of the overreaching authoritarian hands
of the state that entangles the common citizenry in as much as it allows the state to encroach
upon the privacy and dignity of an individual, says Mukesh Rawat

T
he recent Supreme Court ruling that upholds the constitutionality of Section 377 of
the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is rather surprising in a progressive democracy such as
India claims to be. The judgment has re-established the now out-dated 19th Century
Judeo-Christian moral and ethical standards, according to which non-procreative and penile Mukesh Rawat
non-vaginal sexual intercourse were deemed to be against the order of nature and hence
punishable - sometimes even with death.
The apex court in its judgment cited public morality as a valid ground for retaining the said section. In this
context, it is interesting to note that while moving the draft constitution, Dr B.R. Ambedkar in an attempt to
address the question whether public morality can be a ground on which fundamental rights can be curtailed, said,
Popular morality or public disapproval of certain acts is not a valid justification for restriction of the fundamental
rights. Popular morality, as distinct from a constitutional morality derived from constitutional values, is based on
shifting and subjecting notions of right and wrong.
Public morality by itself cannot be a valid ground for restricting the fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens by
the Indian Constitution. By adhering to popular morality, the states actions are directly guided by the utilitarian
ethos under which the minority is always subjugated. Adherence to popular morality may give precedence to
various draconian practices that no democracy can be proud of. Popular morality may in the future manifest itself
in the form of a demand to persecute the minority (especially during communal uprisings). Today, it is against
homosexuality; tomorrow it may be against atheists. In such a scenario, will the state still adhere to popular
morality and compromise the liberty of the minority?
It is appalling to see that heterosexual couples have practically been excluded from the ambit of this section
and homosexuals are the ones who are targeted by virtue of their association with the proscribed acts. In Lohana
Vasantlal Devchand vs State, Grace Jayamani vs E. Peter and Govindrajulu in re (1886) 1 Weir 382, the courts have
interpreted Section 377 IPC to limit its application to sexual acts indulged in by partners of the same sex. Section
377 IPC, in its wordings, not only punishes same-sex sexual acts but also all other forms of penetrative sexual
intercourse other than penile vaginal intercourse between a consenting adult male and a consenting adult female.
This includes any person who has sexual intercourse with his wife of the nature of anal sex, finger vaginal/anal,
object vaginal/anal (even done by self for simple pleasure) and even sexual intercourse using a contraceptive,
because use of contraceptives, by default, cannot be in accordance to the order of nature.
The contentious section of the IPC is not only about the discrimination faced by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender) community but rather is a classic example of the overreaching authoritarian hands of the state that
entangles the common citizenry in as much as it allows the state to encroach upon the privacy and dignity of an
individual.
Section 377 IPC is also an outright discrimination against the homosexual community because sex between
men and men or women and women can never be penile-vaginal. Thus, all forms of sexual intercourse between
members of the LGBT community, under Section 377 IPC, are offences which may even invite a ten-year
imprisonment as punishment. Furthermore, by retaining Section 377 IPC, the state in effect dictates the methods
of sexual intercourse which its citizens can adopt. This is nothing less than a majoritarian dictatorship where
the sexual orientation of the heterosexual majority gets a constitutional stamp of validity, whereas that of the
homosexuals is discriminated against.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 5

Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
It is imperative to understand
that sexual intercourse is not just
a biological phenomenon required
for procreation, but is equally a
psychological act (or even therapy),
the varied purposes of which
range from simple pleasure to
relaxation. Section 377 IPC, thus,
is not only interference, but rather
a state-sponsored unnecessary
encroachment upon the privacy of
an individual.
Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for
the All India Muslim Personal
Law Board in the Supreme Court,
forwarded a rather alarmist
argument quoting the dissenting
note of Justice Scalia and Justice
Thomas in Lawrence vs Texas,
that promotion of majoritarian
sexual morality is a legitimate state
6 VIDURA
interest. This argument, howsoever
argumentative it may sound, cannot
be cherished under the ethos by
which the Indian Constitution is
guided. The notion of state interest
is in direct conflict with the very
spirit of our Constitution. Even a
cursory reading of the Constitution
gives us an understanding that the
founding fathers always intended
to form an egalitarian nation where
the majority, by virtue of it being
the majority, is not entitled to
coerce the minority by any stretch
of imagination. The duty of the state
(or the state interest) towards its
citizens can never be narrowed down
to the promotion of a majoritarian
practice at the cost of the minority.
Ironically, the court further
strengthened its stand by
forwarding an even more
disturbing argument. It stated
that while reading down Section
377 IPC, the Division Bench of the
[Delhi] High Court overlooked
that a miniscule fraction of the
countrys population constitute
the lesbian, gays, bisexuals or
transgenders and in the past
more than 150 years, less than 200
persons have been prosecuted for
committing offence under Section
377 IPC... The question that
demands an answer is whether
the head count decides whether
there has been discrimination in
society or not. By this argument,
does the apex court wish to send
the message that the sections that
constitute a miniscule fraction
of society cannot be given respite
April-June 2014
from discrimination merely on the
ground that they are a miniscule
fraction? Is justice the sole
prerogative of the majority? Does
the section which our honourable
Supreme Courts terms as an
apparently irrelevant miniscule
fraction have no right to dignity
and self-esteem as granted by the
Constitution? Should not the Court
evaluate the notion of dignity in
this case as being at par with the
established notion of the term by
the same court in the case of bonded
labourers, under-trial prisoners
and manual scavengers?
The Supreme Court in its
judgment also ruled that, it is
relevant to mention here that
Section 377 IPC does not criminalise
a particular people or identity or
orientation. It merely identifies
certain acts which, if committed,
would constitute an offence.
What the learned judges failed to
apprehend here is that the only
sexual acts that homosexuals can
enter into willfully are penile non-
vaginal. Thus, criminalising these
very acts would automatically
deprive the homosexuals of the
natural will of sexual intercourse
and in the event of its commission,
it is the particular people or
community (namely the LGBT
community) which ultimately will
be criminalised.
It is high time that we, as a
collective society, take cognisance of
the changing societal understanding
and not be entrenched in narrow
thought and actions, the continuance
of which will, in the end, tarnish
the liberal, accommodative and
inclusive image that Indian heritage
and culture has carried since ages
past.
<
(The writer is a Delhi-based freelance
writer and a student of Political
Science at the Delhi College of Arts
and Commerce, University of Delhi.)
Note: The Delhi High Court, in its
2009 verdict in the Naz Foundation vs
NCT Government of Delhi case, had laid
the foundation for reading down and
eventually amending Section 377 of the
IPC to decriminalise consensual sex among
adults in private, irrespective of gender.
The Supreme Court, in its December 2013
order, held that the Delhi High Court
verdict was constitutionally unsustainable;
it was Parliaments prerogative to change
a law. In the concluding paragraph of the
judgment, the Bench said this Court
has merely pronounced on the correctness
of the view taken by the Delhi High Court
on the constitutionality of Section 377 IPC
and found that the said section does not
suffer from any constitutional infirmity.
Notwithstanding the verdict, the competent
legislature shall be free to consider the
desirability and propriety of deleting Section
377 from the statute book or amend it as per
the suggestion made by Attorney-General.
In other words, the December 11 judgment
had decided the issue on a purely legal
point while leaving it to the government to
amend Section 377 if it felt the law had lost
relevance. The Supreme Court, on April 3,
told petitioners, including Naz Foundation,
that it would keep in mind their request
for an open court hearing on their pleas to
overturn the December 11 judgment. A bench
headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam told
senior advocates Ashok Desai, Harish Salve,
Mukul Rohatgi and Anand Grover that once
the curative petitions were found to be in
order and put up for hearing, the request
for open court hearing would be taken
into account. And on April 15, in a historic
verdict paving the way to bring equality
among all individuals, the Supreme Court
granted legal recognition to transgenders
or eunuchs as the third category gender
and directed the Centre and all states to
teat them as socially and educationally
backward classes to extend reservation in
admission in educational institutions and
for public appointments. A bench of Justices
K.S. Radhakrishnan and A.K. Sikri ordered
all fundamental rights enjoyed by others
under the Constitution be extended to the
transgender community.

Contest raises awareness about press freedom

The UNESCO Bangkok and the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand have announced the winners of
their World Press Freedom Day Asia-Pacic Youth Poster Competition. Dozens of young people from nearly a
dozen Asia-Pacic countries submitted posters answering the question: Why is press freedom important? A joint
UNESCO-FCCT panel chose 16 nalists, whose work were displayed at an exhibition on 30th April prior to a panel
discussion on World Press Freedom Day. The poster competition was aimed at raising awareness around the crucial
role a free press plays in the regions development.
Prim Bunsopis, 20, and Sakan Poomnak, 22, both students from the
Communication Design Program at Mahidol University International
College in Bangkok, won rst and second prize respectively in the
competition. Prims entry impressed judges with its sparse, simple imagery
and text that conveyed a powerful and evocative message regarding the
Photos: UNESCO

quality and accuracyed of the news. The use of everyday household

items to illustrate the layered and multifaceted political economic and
social lters that distort the news heightened the impact of the message.
Sakans entry sent a strong message that freedom of expression and of
the press form one of the pillars of a strong, forward-looking nation.
The decision to use the black and white silhouettes of a male and female
student highlighted the vital role that young people, regardless of gender
The first prize entry (left), and the and ethnicity, can play in advancing press freedoms. <
second.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 7

 LGBT community doesnt need
treatment; it needs rights
Shock, surprise and regret those were the emotions that many Indians experienced when the Supreme Court
gave its decision on Section 377 of the IPC, declaring homosexual acts to be a crime. Shock, because the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities long struggle to eliminate this archaic law and live as equal rights
citizens was so casually brushed aside by the highest court in the land. Surprise, because the 98-page judgment
gave no convincing argument about why the fundamental rights of the LGBT communities had been withdrawn even
though the government explicitly supported the Delhi High Court judgment of July 2009. Regret, as not only had the
LGBT movement been pushed back by several years, but the opportunity to address the persecution they faced in
the country had been lost. Dr Shekhar Seshadri and Vinay Chandran explain

A
lmost immediately after the Supreme Court pronouncement, many voices were heard both against and in
support of the judgment. Thankfully, the loudest were those that stood up for the LGBT cause and considered
the SC judgment retrogressive. The editorial in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry (IJP), The Reversal of Gay
Rights in India, found that the judgment had disregarded the responsibility that the courts have to protect the rights
of all citizens. It encouraged medical professionals to raise their voices against the flawed verdict and recognise
that minority groups needed to be viewed with respect and not prejudice. Moreover, in a recent announcement on
its website, the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) has
observed: Based on existing scientific evidence
and good practice guidelines from the field of
psychiatry, Indian Psychiatric Society would like
to state that there is no evidence to substantiate
the belief that homosexuality is a mental illness or
a disease. Numerous medical and mental health
professionals outside of the IJP and IPS support
this view.
Unfortunately, the judgment has only given
rise to further discrimination against LGBT people
as well as incidents of violence. It is obvious that
most of the malicious responses are drawn from
personal prejudices due to religious beliefs or from
a complete lack of understanding about sexuality.
However, articles from respected medical
practitioners, who used cultural and scientific
arguments to label homosexuality as unnatural,
reinforce the fear that unless the laws against the
LGBT communities change, the Apex Courts
stance will encourage more unethical practices in
the medical and mental health sector.
Dr Indira Sharma, former president of the Indian
Psychiatric Society, was recently quoted as saying
that she felt homosexuals were unnatural and
that bringing these topics out in public was making
people uncomfortable. Dr Sharmas refrain that
Photo: WFS

our society doesnt talk about sex is accurate.

But it is also symptomatic of an environment
where even learned professionals like her believe
that the act of reproduction takes precedence over
Studies over decades have shown that homosexuality is simply a any conversation about any sexuality. This lack of
natural variant of sexuality and not a pathological condition. conversation is a problem that womens rights

8 VIDURA April-June 2014

activists, childrens rights activists,
health activists, LGBT activists and
even medical and mental health
professionals have been trying to
address for several decades now. Dr
Sharma does not acknowledge this.
Further, by stating that she thought
that homosexuals who were
uncomfortable with their sexuality
should seek psychiatric help, she
does two things: first, she provides
a rationale for why sexuality needs
to be openly spoken about in our
society; and, secondly, she ignores
the efforts worldwide to change the
way mental health professionals
have interacted with LGBT people.
Homosexuality and gender
identity had been regular subjects
of debate in the medical and mental
health professions. But it wasnt
until the emergence of the LGBT
rights movement in the 1960s
that the discussion moved out of
clinics and medical symposiums
and, with the aid of LGBT medical
professionals, actually attempted
to understand what the people
of this community experienced
in their lives. Professionals learnt
that it was important not to rush
into classifying every different
sexual experience as a disease.
Study after study from the late
19th Century onwards showed that
homosexuality was simply a natural
variant of sexuality and was not a
pathological condition. So, when the
American Psychiatric Association
removed homosexuality from
their disease classification in the
1970s, it was based not only on
empathy with the LGBT movement
but was backed by ample studies.
The same classification was
eventually adopted worldwide
and treatment of homosexuals,
which attempted to convert them
to heterosexuals, was rejected and
even banned in many countries.
However, despite ths positive
developments, certain groups
of professionals existed who
continued to believe in pathological
theories of homosexuality. While
these theories were heavily
influenced by personal prejudices
April-June 2014 VIDURA
or religious beliefs, professionals
were successful in retaining the
classification of ego-dystonic
homosexuality. This classification
allowed treatment for those
homosexuals who were not
happy with their homosexuality. It
is an approach still being followed
in India today and the treatments
used range from using mild electric
shocks to altering the clients
sexual fantasies. Encouraging
heterosexual marriage and active
sexual contact with the other sex
are also promoted to try and help
LGBT individuals change their
sexuality. At no point were these
people ever asked: Why are you
not happy being homosexual? The
presumption was that since these
clients had sought treatment, it
was their sexuality that needed to
be treated, not their unhappiness.
If you lived in a world where
you were repeatedly told that
your attraction was unnatural or
abnormal, or that it did not exist
in your culture or that you were
an immoral person because of
your desire, you would naturally
become unhappy with yourself.
Unless social circumstances and
the nature of the conversation on
homosexuality changes, every
interaction between a homosexual
and a medical professional offering
treatment for homosexuality is
unethical and simply reinforces
existing social prejudices. There is
enough evidence that treatment of
homosexuality has never worked.
Additionally, getting a homosexual
client to get into a heterosexual
marriage is not a proof of
heterosexuality and encouraging
such a step is unethical.
The World Health Organization
(WHO), which promotes the
International Classification of
Diseases (ICD) used widely
by medical and mental health
professionals in India, is preparing
to remove the whole section on
ego-dystonic homosexuality and
discourage any form of treatment
of homosexuality. Supporters of
archaic treatments and beliefs
about homosexuality would do
well to learn from this.
There is a large body of literature
referring to cultural, historical, and
medical evidence of homosexuality
being natural and very much a part
of Indian society. But the nature
of the debate now is not whether
homosexuality is natural but how
to ensure that LGBT people have
the same rights as others. For too
long has there been a silence on
sexuality that has only burdened
medical and mental health
practice in India. This silence
actually strengthens patriarchal,
misogynistic, homophobic and
heterosexist frameworks in society.
These frameworks, in turn, make
victims out of women, criminals out
of LGBT people and make children
mute spectators of a world they
cannot engage with. The Supreme
Courts judgment on Section 377
only reinforces such frameworks.
Numerous LGBT clients who
were comfortable with their
sexuality now feel that they will,
once again, be persecuted for being
who they are. Law enforcers will
again be encouraged to threaten or
blackmail them. LGBT people and
their families will again be forced
to seek treatment from unethical
practitioners because of the fear
of prosecution. All of these could
have been avoided and a great
opportunity to correct a Victorian
law enforced during the British rule
could have been utilised.
But, clearly, the arguments that
support the retention of Section
377 are misinformed. Medical and
mental health professionals need
to engage with LGBT communities
across the country and learn about
them. After all, in a democracy, the
rights of every minority - no matter
how minuscule must be respected
and protected. <
(Courtesy: Womens Feature Service.
Dr Shekhar Seshadri is a psychiatrist
working with NIMHANS, Bangalore,
and Vinay Chandran is a counsellor
working for SWABHAVA Trust,
Bangalore.)
9
 We are citizens too, say sex
workers and transgenders
The fillip given by the Election Commission to register youth and transgenders on the voting list (in the run up to
the assembly elections in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in December 2013) indicates that
these two sections of Indias billion-plus population are finally being recognised as distinct, influential voters. Indeed,
given the large number of political parties that will enter the fray during General Elections 2014, electoral preferences
of these new emergent groups, which include sex workers, will surely make the crucial difference between victory
and defeat, says Anuradha Dutt

A
ccording to a 2010 estimate, there are 688751 registered sex workers in India and 379000 in Delhi; the
figure for the transgender population is pegged at around 14 lakh. In all likelihood, their numbers are
much higher now. So its time both these groups are counted as citizens, asserts Geetanjali Babbar, the
young social activist whose organisation, Kat Katha, is assisting sex workers in Delhi to register as voters.
How can these otherwise forgotten citizens ensure their vote? What are their rights as voters? Whats the buzz
in the citys red light area, and in the colonies of east Delhi, home to many transgenders? Are they rooting for clean
governance, better implementation of laws and civic facilities like everyone else? Geetanjali and Pradeep Kumar
of Pahal, an organisation that works for the welfare of transgenders, have a finger on the pulse of these hitherto
marginalised voters living at the fringes of mainstream society. Whereas Geetanjalis group is interacting with the
sex workers in the brothels on GB Road, Pradeep and his team at Pahal are reaching out to the transgenders to
find out more about their expectations from political leaders. They have undertaken this exercise as part of the My
Space, My unManifesto campaign that has been initiated nationwide by the Delhi-based ComMunity the Youth
Collective, along with 42 youth organisations across 15 states. Together, they are creating a Youth Manifesto that
will reflect young Indias vision for the nation.
Kat Katha, which runs a school for children of sex workers in addition to providing tailoring lessons as
vocational training to some women, has helped 70 of them to get voter identity cards. Besides this, its activists have
been making concerted efforts
to engage them in conversations
about politics and governance.
Explains Geetanjali, Sex workers
want to be treated like regular
women, who dream of a better
life, especially for their children.
They want to be seen as citizens
with a say in the development of
their city. The unfortunate reality,
however, is that no politician has
ever felt the need to find out what
they want.
And what is it that they aspire
for? Geetanjali has a fair idea,
Their focus is chiefly on securing
improved living conditions, schools
for their children, old age pension
and greater social security.
Photos: Pahal

Protection from abuse and violent

crimes is another crucial demand
from them. Ironically, they want
better protection from the police,
The transgenders in Delhi are looking for greater safety and financial security whose daily raids result in many
for themselves. of them being put behind bars.

10 VIDURA April-June 2014


For transgenders, the removal of Section 377, which can be used to penalise them,
is of utmost importance, as is the sensitisation of the police force.
They are put in the lock up for
the night and can be released only
once they have been produced
before a local magistrate the next
day. The women desperately want
this routine harassment to end.
There is even a consensus building
on the government shutting down
the brothels and providing other
avenues of work for them, although
everyone agrees that this cant
happen till they undergo vocational
training that will equip them with
employable skills, she adds.
Like the sex workers, the
transgenders suffer from an acute
sense of disillusionment and
neglect. Bawraji, 55, a Muslim
transgender, stays in East Delhis
Laxminagar locality and used to
be a member of a dera (group) till
about a decade ago. She says, I
am also a citizen of India. I have
been voting regularly ever since I
came to Delhi from Varanasi many
decades ago. This Lok Sabha polls
will be no different. I plan to elect
a leader who is sensitive to our
needs. Recently, Bawraji sought
the help of Pahal to replace her
lost voter ID card. Incidentally, the
NGO has assisted 150 transgenders
to get their voter ID cards, while 90
have been registered as voters.
Elaborating on the issues that
trouble her community, Bawraji
says, We have the same concerns
as everyone else. Price rise is one.
April-June 2014 VIDURA
Hygiene and sanitation, water and
power supply, national security,
communal amity all these matter,
too. The countrys progress and
development are important to us
as well. Thanks to the Delhi Metro,
mobility in the national capital
region has become easier for all of
us.
Pahals Pradeep, who has
interacted with around 500
transgenders in east Delhi over
the last few months to collect their
promises for the Youth Manifesto,
highlights some of the key demands:
They want financial support in the
form of a pension just for them. The
removal of Section 377, which can be
used to penalise them, is of utmost
importance, as is the sensitisation
of the police force and the
establishment of a special helpline
number and help desk within
police stations for those among
them who have suffered violence.
They feel they are as vulnerable
to sexual abuse as women and so
the same kind of facilities should
be extended to them. Schools,
voter ID cards, ration and Aadhaar
cards and shelters for homeless
transgenders are also on the list. He
adds, A demand that is common
to sex workers and transgenders
is reservation in educational
institutions and government
jobs since both see themselves as
minorities.
Of course, what is noteworthy
about both the groups is that even
though they have faced societal and
systemic ostracism, they have not
been mere passive observers at least
where politics is concerned. Way
back in 1993, Nimmibai, a madam
at a brothel on GB Road, had
contested the Lok Sabha seat from
Delhis Chandni Chowk although
she eventually lost. Her aim was
to get prostitution abolished. Even
now she is confident that her
chance (and of those like her) would
come someday.
Transgenders have had mixed
luck in the electoral race. Shabnam
Mausi from Madhya Pradesh had
made history when she became
Indias first elected transgender An
MLA in 1998, Asha Devi was elected
mayor of the Gorakhpur Municipal
Corporation in Uttar Pradesh in
2000. Raj Hasina and Shobha Nehru
in Haryana were elected to the
Hisar Municipal Council in April
2005. Kamla Jaan, elected mayor
of Katni in 2001, demitted office
after two years, following a court
order that she was ineligible for the
seat reserved for a woman. More
recently, representing oppressed
and marginalised sections, Ramesh
Kumar Lili contested unsuccess-
fully from Delhis Mangolpuri
as a candidate of Indian Bahujan
Samajwadi Party.
New vote banks and uncon-
ventional aspirants are already
changing the dynamics of politics
in India. The meteoric ascent of the
fledgling Aam Admi Party, run by
untested young leaders and cadres,
is being ascribed to its successful
mobilisation of the youth and
anti-corruption and anti-status
quo proponents, disenchanted
with shoddy governance. Clearly,
inclusive politics, which takes
into account the aspirations of
the marginalised, can turn things
around for many who have been
trying to break free from violence,
social rejection and penury. <
(Courtesy: Womens Feature Service)
11
New media technology and
sexual crimes
Increased use of the Internet and new media has led to a corresponding growth in the
vulnerability of women and children to sexual abuse. Among the millions watching degraded
forms of porn, there are likely to be thousands or at least hundreds whose personality may be
influenced in such a way that they are much more likely to commit sexual crimes, including
rape. Bharat Dogra has more

R
ecent reports about the large-scale use of mobile phones and the Internet to search
specifically for and view scenes of rape and forced sex should awaken us to the increasing
vulnerability of women and children to sexual abuse due to the misuse of new media. Bharat Dogra
This is no longer about moral policing; it is a concern about the very real possibility of harm
to women and children.
It has been reported recently, quoting Google Adwords, that mobile phones were used nearly four million
times a month on average over the past year for searches with the keyword 'rape'. Other search keywords used on
a significant scale were 'gang rapes', 'raped to death' and 'little girls raped,' apart from searches naming specific
relationships. If such data doesn't alert us to the need for caution and prevention, what will? Even very liberal
societies are deeply worried.
Recent efforts by the Government of Iceland to protect children from Internet porn have evoked widespread
interest. It was reported that the small country is drafting strict measures to protect children from "a tide of
violent sexual imagery. Halla Gunnarsdttir, political advisor to the minister of Interior, Iceland, says about the
prevailing situation: "When a 12-year-[old] types 'porn' into Google, he or she is going to find very hardcore and
brutal violence. There are laws in our society. Why should they not apply to the Internet?" Halla asks and adds
that the new measures would help existing laws which are very vague.
In a research paper titled 'Pornography, prostitution and women's human rights in Japan', Seiya Morita has
presented specific evidence on how higher exposure to pornography led to increase of sexual crimes, "Graphs of
the spread of pornographic videos in Japan and the reported incidence of violent sexual crime (rape and indecent
assault) show that there is a clear correlation between the two. These show that until the 1980s, when pornographic
videos began to be distributed, the reported number of violent sexual crimes had decreased, as had that of general
violent crimes. After the mid-1980s, the downward trend in violent sexual crimes became weaker, and there was a
clear upward trend in the 1990s, in contrast with the continuing downwards trend of reported incidents of general
violent crimes.
"In a nationwide survey (in Japan) carried out from October 1997 to the end of January 1998, covering persons
suspected by police in rape and indecent assault incidents, 33.5 per cent of all respondents answered in the
affirmative to the suggestion that when watching a pornographic video, you also had wanted to do the same
thing. In the case of suspected persons who were juveniles, about 50 per cent answered in the affirmative. Only
the most bigoted person can believe that sexual crimes are unrelated to the spread of pornographic videos which
eroticize any and all sexual crimes (rape, gang rape, sexual harassment, molestation, sneak shows, confinement of
women, etc) and make them entertainment for men."
While such carefully organised studies have not been attempted in India, there is a lot of sporadic and anecdotal
evidence, media reporting of sexual crimes, statements by offenders and police officers investigating the cases,
which indicate that many offenders are in the habit of watching degraded porn, and in some cases it was even
reported that they had watched porn just before committing the crime.
Of course, this doesn't mean that anyone who watches porn rushes to commit a sexual crime. The conclusion
can only be a more nuanced one - that among the millions now watching degraded forms of porn, these are likely
to be thousands or at least hundreds whose personality may be influenced in such a way that they are much more
likely to commit sexual crimes, including rape. Different individuals are likely to respond differently, but overall,
the risk factor remains high.
Th risk has also increased due to 'improvements' in technology. In a paper titled The use of new communications
and information technologies for sexual exploitation of women and children, researcher Donna M Hughes
reports: "Viewers can interact with DVD movies in much the same way they do with video games, giving them

12 VIDURA April-June 2014


a more active role." Hughes quotes
a producer (of porn movies) who
says, "if a viewer wants something
different, we give it to him. The
viewer can go inside the head of
the person having sex with (name
deleted), male or female. He can
choose which character to follow.
He can re-edit the movie. It's a great
technology."
Hughes has also explains how
child pornography in particular
experienced a great boost and revival
with the help of new technology.
To quote, "Raymond Smith of
the US Postal Inspection Service,
who handles hundreds of cases of
child pornography, has found that
the rise in Internet use by sexual
April-June 2014 VIDURA
predators has also increased their
use of the US mail service. He said
that from the time they first started
investigating child pornography
in the early 1980s until five years
ago, they had almost eliminated the
distribution of child pornography.
But since the [use of the] Internet
has steadily increased, in 1998, 32
per cent of cases were related to the
Internet; in 1999, 47 per cent were
internet-related; and in 2000, this
had risen to 77 per cent.
"One police analyst noted that
prior to the Internet, the majority
of collectors of child pornography
were not distributors because
duplication technology was not
readily available. Now, making
Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
copies of image files 'involves a
few clicks of any computer mouse,
allowing for effortless distribution'.
Therefore, collectors of child
pornography have quickly and
easily become distributors."
Clearly we need to be very alert
to the danger of such misuse of
new technology and media, so that
safety of women and children can
be well protected. <
(The writer is a veteran freelance
journalist who has been associated
with several social initiatives and
movements.)
13
 One womans lonely fight
against sexual harassment
When news of sexual harassment charges against Tarun Tejpal, the founding editor of Tehelka, levelled by a
young female colleague, first broke out, it came as further evidence of the grim reality of workplace harassment in
India. It was days before the youngster involved could pluck up the courage to take on her boss, putting her career
and future on the line. But she did it anyway because she felt there was no way she could let him get away with it.
The case has received phenomenal media coverage and landed Tejpal in jail. Rakhi Ghosh brings to light a similar
case, but which has hardly received media attention

S
angeeta (name changed) knows exactly what that young journalist (Tehelka) must have felt because she has
been struggling with a similar situation for over a year now. The only difference is that while the Tehelka case
has riveted the nation, she continues to fight for justice away from the spotlight.
It took nearly two years for Sangeeta, now in her early 40s, a development professional based in Bhubaneswar, to
speak out against the harassment she was experiencing at her workplace. Convincing other women to raise their
voice against violence is not as difficult as it is to speak out for oneself, remarks the woman, who was working
as an advocacy coordinator for a VAW (Violence Against Women) project of a well known non-governmental
organisation in the area, when she was sexually abused by her project coordinator, who was also the secretary of
the organisation.
In 2009, Sangeeta had been based in Sundergarh District when she was promoted to the Bhubaneswar office. I
was happy and overwhelmed when I got this position. I hail from a small village and it was for the first time that
I was going to set up base in the state capital. From where I come, rarely do women get an opportunity like this,
she says.
For Sangeeta, the man who sexually harassed her, and his wife, were like elder siblings. On the request of the wife,
who is also associated with the NGO, she began staying in a room on the office premises. As this office functioned
as a liaison unit for the organisations work in the state, the
man involved would come regularly to Bhubaneswar despite
being in charge of a project in Rayagada, states Sangeeta.
The problem began in the mid-2010, when he started
sharing details of his personal life and his feelings with
Sangeeta. He talked about how he was being mentally and
physically tortured by his wife. He used to single me out and
pass suggestive remarks. Once he asked me to download some
information from the Internet that included beauty and health
tips. Later on he said that these were for me. You should follow
these to look good, he said. On another occasion, he told me to
learn massage techniques so that we could use them on each
other. He took advantage of the fact that I did not have any
fixed timings and stayed on the premises. When the staff left
for the day he would try to take liberties with me and when I
tried to avoid him, he would get angry, she recollects.
Photo: RG/WFS

Things came to a head in 2010-end. She was sleeping in her

A development professional in Bhubaneswar, fear of being without work? Sangeeta believes it was a bit of
Odisha, lodged a complaint of sexual harassment
against a senior member of her organisation in both.
November 2012 but she has yet to see any justice
being delivered.
room on one occasion when he walked in, sat beside her and
put his hand on her face. She woke up with a start and began
to scream. Terrified and uncomfortable as she was at such
behaviour, she did not report it. What was she afraid of? Was
it the shame of being in an unpleasant situation or was it the
In August 2012 something happened that pushed her over
the edge. I was working when he came and pulled my cheeks

14 VIDURA April-June 2014

and asked me to do the same to
him. I couldnt take it anymore. I
shouted and threatened to report
him. He did not react at all, recalls
Sangeeta. One of her colleagues
then gave her the moral support
to register a formal complaint
against the man. But it was not an
easy decision. I could not sleep
for two days once I made up my
mind to talk to his wife about this.
I respected her, she was everything
to us, she elaborates.
Although the organisation had
a sexual harassment cell as per
the Supreme Courts Vishaka
Guidelines it was virtually
defunct. So, Sangeeta decided
to approach her harassers
wife directly. When I told her
everything she was shocked but
assured me that she would ensure
that I got justice, says Sangeeta.
In November 2012, she submitted
a formal written complaint to her
with a copy of the letter being sent
to the organisations president. The
issue took a different turn from that
point. The wife got upset with her
and demanded to know why she
was talking about it with others.
The president, however, assured
her of action and told her that the
man now felt ashamed of his
conduct.
When I insisted that he be
expelled from the organisation,
the president told me that the
decision was in the hands of the
governing body. As I had asked
for his resignation, many in the
organisation opposed me, apart
from two of my colleagues who
were well acquainted with the
facts of the case. I was regularly
intimidated and was even told not
to reveal the matter outside office,
she recounts.
In January 2013, she was
informed that the man had
resigned from the post of secretary
and project coordinator and had
also been asked not to come to the
Bhubaneswar office. They told her
that there would be an inquiry by
the Sexual Harassment Complaints
Committee, which had been re-
constituted by then, and that
further action would be taken by
March-end that year. Although the
committee met on the issue twice,
its decisions went in favour of the
harasser. Disappointed, Sangeeta
decided to carry on fighting.
She went to the womens
police station in Bhubaneswar to
lodge a FIR but was refused on
the grounds that an investigation
would have to be conducted first.
I knew I had taken on a well-
known and respected person.
It has been difficult to even get a
complaint registered. I have been
under tremendous mental pressure
and have faced humiliation and
character assassination at the hands
of my seniors, she reveals, teary-
eyed.
Presently, Sangeeta, who has
been with her organisation for
nearly two decades, has been
sent back to Sundergarh. This
organisation is everything for me
as I have spent half my life working
here. I am fighting a case for which
there is no tangible evidence. Only
I know what has happened with
me. Everyone says raise your voice
against sexual harassment but
they dont know its devastating
consequences. Yet I have decided to
fight until exemplary punishment
is meted out to the accused, she
asserts.
Today, Sangeetas case is with
the Odisha State Commission
for Women. Its chairperson,
Lopamudra Baxipatra, acknow-
ledges that the matter is before the
commission and adds that it will
try to ensure that justice is done in
the matter. <
(Courtesy: Womens Feature Service)

Women in News 2014 launched in Zambia

The World Association of Newspaper and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) launched Women in News 2014 in
Lusaka, Zambia, on 10th March, as part of a series of national events that coincide with International Womens
Day. This years programme also marks an industry rst: WIN South Africa will be conducted in partnership with
WAN-IFRA member association Print and Digital Media South Africa, representing more than 500 newspaper and
magazine titles from the country's leading publishers, and the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF),
whose members are editors, senior journalists and journalism trainers from all areas of the South African media.
Women in News works with newspapers and their high-potential female employees to overcome the gender
gap in management and senior editorial positions. More than 60 media professionals from 30 media companies
from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will participate in comprehensive skills
development, career coaching, mentoring and networking in their national markets. The group will come together in
Johannesburg, South Africa in August for the regional WIN Summit.
WAN-IFRA will also launch the Alliance for Women in News, a working committee that partners with media
houses to collectively help widen the opportunities for management and executive roles for their women employees
through education, training and awareness raising.
The initiative is conducted under a strategic partnership to advance media development and press freedom
worldwide between WAN-IFRA and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
<

April-June 2014 VIDURA 15

Who will cast the first vote for
equality?
News in all forms of media in India is dominated by male subjects, says Ammu Joseph. This
is particularly true of radio, with women constituting only 13 per cent of the subjects of news
bulletins, according to the Global Media Monitoring Project 2010 (GMMP 2010), she adds. Indian
print and television news boasted more female news subjects: 24 and 20 per cent respectively
(albeit still less than a quarter of all news subjects)

W
hile the pattern was similar across Asia with regard to press and TV news (20 per
cent in both), women were better represented in radio news across the region (21 per
cent). Ammu Joseph
The exceptionally poor representation of women as news subjects on Indian radio is all the
more significant considering that radio news is a monopoly of the state/public broadcaster, All
India Radio (AIR). Neither private nor community radio stations in the country are at present legally permitted
to air news and current affairs.
The latest GMMP survey also found that only about one-third (34 per cent) of the news stories in the Indian
broadcast media radio and TV were presented by women. The corresponding figure for Asia was considerably
higher at nearly half (48 per cent). Again, there were marginally more female announcers on television (public
and private) than on radio in India.
After decades of male leadership, AIR was briefly headed by a woman, Noreen Naqvi, between 2009 and
2011. However, according to employment figures received last year from the public broadcasting corporation,
Prasar Bharati, women constitute only 10 per cent of AIRs employees (in news and non-news positions). So,
it is not surprising that women are not well represented at leadership levels: 28 per cent in senior programme
management, 38 per cent in senior administrative posts and none in engineering.
Clearly Indias only radio news broadcaster has a long way to go towards enhancing gender equality and
womens empowerment in radio, the theme of World Radio Day 2014. As the state/public broadcaster it surely
has a special responsibility to set an example by developing, adopting and implementing gender-related policies
and strategies for radio sooner rather than any later.
Privately owned FM radio stations have proliferated in urban centres across India over the past couple of
decades. Womens voices are regularly audible on most of them, thanks to female radio jockeys and listeners
responding to call-in programmes. However, with programming invariably dominated by popular music and
inane chatter on trivial topics, the tremendous potential of the medium is largely squandered.
However, FM radio appears to be more open to women than the state/public broadcaster, even in socially
conservative small cities and big towns. A proper, industry-wide survey is certainly overdue perhaps the
Association of Radio Broadcasters of India (ARBI), currently headed by a woman, will commission one soon but
the fact that at least four of the approximately ten large- and medium-size FM radio networks in the country are
led by women and the reported trend towards more women occupying key leadership positions in such networks
are encouraging.
So is their involvement in awareness campaigns around issues such as womens safety and breast cancer.
According to Nisha Narayanan, COO of Red FM, a leading local radio network, there is interest in diversifying
programming in terms of both format and subject matter, but the present financial and regulatory regime acts as
a constraint. If the expected expansion of the FM sector is accompanied by some relaxation of current restrictions,
she believes local radio content can become more dynamic and relevant.
Although there is no evidence of any existing policies on gender equality and womens empowerment in
the FM sector, at least one company has adopted a detailed policy on sexual harassment at the workplace and
established the legally required compliance committee. This is more than many other Indian media houses have
done. Perhaps ARBI can be persuaded to take the necessary first steps towards developing and promoting gender-
related policies and strategies for the Indian commercial radio sector.
Both public and private sector radio may have much to learn from the community radio sector in this respect.
Even though it is relatively new in India officially sanctioned only in 2006 community radio (CR) has traditionally

16 VIDURA April-June 2014


been inclusive, enabling a range of
women (especially poor, illiterate,
rural women) to exercise their
communications rights.
In fact, some of the oldest
and best known CR stations
are effectively run by women
from socially and economically
disadvantaged communities, many
of them with long experience in
radio work, using various means of
communication, even before their
stations were granted broadcast
licenses. An impressive number
of women now work in CR across
the country, mainly as producers
and on-air talent but also, in some
cases, as station managers. Several
organisations are involved in
training and mentoring grassroots
women broadcasters, helping to
improve their knowledge base,
skills and self-confidence.
The Gender Policy for
Community Radio (GP4CR) appro-
April-June 2014 VIDURA
ved by the World Association of
Community Radio Broadcasters
(AMARC) in 2010 was adopted by
the Community Radio Forum of
India in 2011. The purpose of the
policy, spearheaded by AMARCs
Womens International Network
(AMARC-WIN), is to increase
womens access to and participation
in CR, including at decision-making
levels.
Of course, as Kanchan K. Malik
of the University of Hyderabad
points out, a number of challenges
need to be addressed to ensure
womens progressive involvement
in all elements and stages of a CR
station as listeners, producers
and decision-makers and thereby
strengthen the empowerment
potential of the medium.
Both she and Vinod Pavarala,
UNESCO Chair on Community
Media at the University of
Hyderabad, also flag external
Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
challenges, such as customary
social hierarchies of caste, class,
religion and other identities,
which often combine with gender
to inhibit womens participation
in community radio. But perhaps
the best antidote to such chronic
ailments is gender equality and
womens empowerment through
radio and other means. <
(The writer is an independent
journalist and author based in
Bangalore, writing primarily on
issues relating to gender, human
development and the media. She
contributes to a number of mainstream
publications and web-based media.
Among her books are Whose News?,
The Media and Women's Issues
and Making News: Women in
Journalism.)
17
A real woman - at last!
Hindi movie heroines have evolved from the male fantasy of the Bharatiya nari of the Sixties
and Seventies, and have become protagonists with strong characters and individuality. These
new avatars of womanhood in Hindi cinema have struck a chord with contemporary urban
women, who recognise that she is like us only, says Ranjita Biswas

I
s it a coincidence that three recently released Hindi films, Highway, Gulaab Gang and
Queen have spunky women at the core? They are the protagonists and not arm candies of
macho heroes. More importantly, their characters have strong elements of individuality,
something that was missing in Bollywoods standardised heroine profile. Ranjita Biswas
In Imtiaz Alis Highway, a poor little rich girl, Veera (Alia Bhatt), is inadvertently abducted
by a gang leader - truck driver Mahabir Bhati (Randeep Hooda) on the eve of her wedding; she is driven across
highways in north India to escape the police. But while on the road, Veera discovers a path less trodden which
she had secretly dreamed of even when she was caught up in a life of inane luxury. She finds the courage to rebel
at last. In contrast, Gulaab Gang, reportedly modelled after a sarpanch (Panchayat leader) in Bundelkhand has
Madhuri Dixit in a come-back role, taking on the powerful in the rural backwaters by leading a gang of assertive
women.
But it is Vikas Bahls Queen with Kangana Ranaut in a sparkling performance that is making waves. Queens
or Ranis transformation from a meek and happy about-to-be married girl after she is ditched by her fianc is
something to watch and enjoy. She makes the unusual decision of going on the long-planned honeymoon - alone!
There the adventure begins, in Paris, in company with a half-Indian housemaid with lots of attitude, and then
in Amsterdam where she befriends an unlikely group of young male travellers. Seeing her become an assertive
woman with a mind of her own is like watching a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis.
Whats happening to the so-called role-model Bollywood actresses? Where are the good girls who follow the
diktat (dictates) of society and family without question? The fact is, silently, the image of the woman is changing
in popular media though you would not think so going by the endless saas-bahu (mother-in-law-daughter-in-law)
intrigues that dominated the small screen for long. The woman portrayed now might click with a niche audience,
but she exists side by side with item-number churning heroines. Why does the urban woman today relate to
Queen so readily, you ask women smitten by Ranauts Rani, and you get a ready answer - she is like us only.
It is to the credit of the script writers too that they are projecting women as real and contemporary instead of
being moulded on calendar images of the bharatiya nari (ideal of Indian womanhood). For years, the audience
of Hindi films was used to seeing the heroine, despite her body-hugging clothes and running around the trees
with the hero in pursuit, falling in line as soon as she was domesticated by marriage. Look at films of the 1960s
and 70s and you will see her abandoning the trousers and salwar suits for the good old sari as soon as marriage
vows hovered in the background. Buckets of tears, devotional songs, etc were thrown in for good measure as if
to establish that she was the traditional (whatever that means) family-girl. Rebels were not tolerated; she had to
be taught a lesson if she deviated. Of course, there were directors who were more realistic in their treatment of
women characters. Actresses like Nutan and Waheeda Rehman portrayed those roles but they were in a minority
compared to the great mainstream films playing to the gallery.
There was also a clear distinction between the heroine and the vamp, the good girl and the bad girl. The vamp
always smoked, bared flesh and was punished for her aberrations. The good one was the mealy-mouthed nice
girl. The image of an ideal daughter/ wife/ daughter-in-law was recycled in different avatars with only a change
of name and location. In the book Gender Relations and Cultural Ideology in Indian Cinema, Indubala Singh writes
how popular cinema has drawn heavily upon Indian mythology for popular appeal. It mainly shares the interests
and values of male chauvinism, dramatizing male fantasies of the female. Hence a woman is shown as either an
angel or a monster.
Sometime afterwards, in the 90s especially, the border between the heroine and vamp disappeared. The heroine
dressed as boldly, gyrated as provocatively as the bad girl of yore. Some critics felt that post-globalisation and
consumerism with mass production, the heroines became more ornamental than real women. She might be
dancing away in snow-covered Switzerland or Austria, but basically still clung to the Indian males fantasy about
the gharelu (home-centred) homemaker.
From that stage, progressing to heroine-centric films, and making money despite the dominance of the Khan
clan and other heroes, is a good sign indeed. The debate over whether cinema imitates life or its the other way

18 VIDURA April-June 2014


Vidya Balan in Kahaani.
round will perhaps go on, but the
fact remains that todays young
educated urban woman can relate
to Ranis chutzpah despite the
betrayal, and emerge as a person
in her own right. Even when the
wimpy lover-boy wants her back,
she does not jump with joy. She
now sees that he is just not worth
it.
This change has been subtle
rather than a jump-cut. In the
hit film Cheeni Kum (2007) Nina
Verma (Tabu) is into software
development. When she goes to
London for a holiday, she falls in
love with a man 30 years older to
her (Amitabh Bachchan) and defies
conventions to marry him.
Then there was Shruti (Konkona
Sen Sharma), a radio programme
producer (Life in a Metro, 2007)
in Anurag Basus film, yet to be
married and on the wrong side of
30. She is desperate to settle down,
yet she is not ready to go by her
Still from Highway, with Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt.
April-June 2014 VIDURA
Tabu in Cheeni Kum.
mothers choice. Instead, she surfs
the matrimonial websites to find
her dream partner and rejects those
she doesnt approve of.
The perfect laddoo (sweet)
maker Shashi Godbole (Sridevi) in
Gauri Shindes English Vinglish
(2012) cannot take the jibes for
her disastrous spoken English
by husband and children alike.
On a trip to America to attend a
wedding, she enrols in a crash-
course on spoken English. In the
process of being on her own, she
enjoys a freedom she never enjoyed
back home and makes her point to
the family.
The nuances of the changing
woman were waiting to be
portrayed in popular Hindi
cinema when a perfect foil was
found in Vidya Balan who cocked
a snook at the so-called image of
a pliant woman. She has blazed a
trail with roles that go against the
grain. In Vishal Bhardwajs Ishqiya
Photos: RB
Kangana Ranaut in Queen.
(2010) she does not have qualms
about using her sexuality on two
smitten goons to achieve her goal
of finding her absconding husband
and punishing him. No One Killed
Jessica (2011) based on a real life
story found her playing a relentless
fighter, Sabrina Lal, who strives
to bring her sisters killer to book.
In contrast is her bigger than life
portrayal of southern siren Silk
Smitha in Dirty Picture (2011),
portraying the late actress trying
to take on the male-dominant film
industry. It was followed by the
phenomenal success of the thriller
Kahaani (2012) where she fakes
pregnancy to track her husbands
killer in Kolkata and succeeds.
Clearly, the audience is ready for
women-centric films. Filmmaker
Kiran Rao (Dhobi Ghat), a member
of the Mumbai chapter of WIFT
(Women in Film & Television that
recognises the achievement of
women in films and television) said
in an interview: " there is a certain
amount of effort by filmmakers
to create interest in films where
women are at the centre of stories,
or at least [to] give them interesting
conflicts and character sketches."
Savvy scriptwriters, directors and
ready-for-the-challenge actresses
have combined to usher in the long-
awaited change in attitude towards
the heroine in Bollywood. It could
be just the beginning. <
(The writer is a Kolkata-based
journalist. She is also a short story
and childrens fiction writer and prize-
winning translator of fiction. She has
six published books.)
19
Bollywood and stereotypes
With a very few exceptions, Hindi cinema typecasts religious minorities and portrays them
unrealistically. Filmmakers have a responsibility to provide the audience an accurate image of
the various communities in reel life, so that there is no generalisation of minorities in real life,
says Fatima Siddiqui

T
here has always existed a close relationship between the written word and cinema. Films,
like literature, have the power to create and establish images and stereotypes in the minds
of the people. It is being constantly argued today that movies perpetuate stereotypes
and that people have taken these stereotypes for granted for such a long time that they have Fatima Siddiqui
become numb to the injustice being done to those who are being stereotyped.
Indian Cinema has often been accused of stereotyping the image of minority groups such as Muslims, Parsis,
Christians and Sikhs. Shiv Vishwanathan, a prominent psychologist, believes that "the idea of stereotype is
largely to present it playfully in films. However, the way most communities, rituals and languages are shown, it
creates differences." He adds that the Indian film industry has worked at creating stereotypes related to language,
accent, pronunciation, looks and other idiosyncrasies of a particular community, and that comedy is created in
Hindi movies by making fun of the distinct mannerisms of ethnic groups.
The Parsi Community constitutes a meagre 0.002 per cent of the total population of India. Yet, there has never
been a dearth of Parsis in the Indian film industry, be it on-screen or off-screen. Mumbai, where the Hindi film
industry is based, is also where a large population of Parsis is concentrated. Despite the fact that there has been a
considerable amount of Parsi influence on the industry, Parsi characters in movies remain stereotyped. The men
are generally depicted as foolish and eccentric, wearing the kippah (cylindrical black cap) and white coats and
driving vintage cars. Parsi women are inevitably shown wearing pastel-coloured saris with sleeveless blouses and
are generally loud-mouthed. They all speak with a distinctive accent. The exceptions are a few recent movies such
as Pestonjee (1987), 1947: Earth (1998), Being Cyrus (2005), Parzania (2007), Ferrari ki Sawari (2012) and Shirin
Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012), which try to overcome the clichd portrayal of the community and deal with
serious concerns.
Similarly, characters from the Christian Community are portrayed as loose and immoral. The drunkard
hero, the forward heroine, the do-gooder elderly lady, cross-dressing vamps and cabaret dancers and English-
speaking, skirt-wearing teachers are the standard Christian characters in Hindi cinema. One of the most popular
Christian heroes is Anthony Gonsalves in the movie Amar Akbar Anthony (1977). The character helped perpetuate
the image of a Christian man as an alcoholic rogue. Then there are the Roberts and Peters who are sidekicks and
mafia minions. If the female lead character happens to be a Christian, her persona is usually based on Julie from
the eponymous 1975 movie, a girl who did not shy away from pre-marital sex. It received a lot of criticism from
the Anglo-Indian community for portraying Christians as dysfunctional and licentious.
There are only a handful of Hindi films which have done justice to the Christian Community by portraying them
realistically. Prahaar (1991), Baaton Baaton Mein (1979), Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai (1980), Khamoshi
- The Musical (1996) and Kal Ho Na Ho (2003) are the few that have helped the audience perceive Christians in
a realistic light. In Basu Chatterjees Baaton Baaton Mein and Saeed Akhtar Mirzas Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon
Aata Hai, for instance, the protagonists are presented simply as representatives of urban Indian society, facing the
challenges that people of that strata would face, irrespective of creed.
Sikhs, despite a strong presence in the country, have for long been portrayed as loud, uncultured and violence-
loving. According to well-known film critic Anupama Chopra, the reason for the Punjabification of Bollywood,
as she calls it, is that "Hindi films are larger than life, robust... they're all about vivaciousness and masti (laidback
entertainment and fun), which is the classic Punjab stereotype. Movies like Singh is King (2008), Son of Sardar
(2012), Singh Saab The Great (2013), Dil Bole Hadippa (2009), Gadar Ek Prem Katha (2001), etc continue to follow
popular stereotypes and distort the authenticity of Sikh traditions. It is only recently and only in a handful of
movies like Monsoon Wedding (2001), Pinjar (2003), Khamosh Pani (2003), Veer Zara (2004), Khosla Ka Ghosla
(2006), Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), Rocket Singh (2009), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), etc that Sikhs have been
portrayed somewhat authentically.
Muslims are the largest minority religious group in India. Hindi cinema has been accused of fostering mistrust
and suspicion of Muslims. Many Hindi films propagate the idea that Muslims are more faithful to their religion

20 VIDURA April-June 2014


than to their nation. According to
Rachel Dwyer, professor of Indian
Cultures and Cinema at SOAS,
University of London, Muslim
characters in Hindi cinema are
usually stereotypes like nawabs,
tawaifs (courtesans), emperors,
poets/ singers, gangsters, terrorists
or Pakistani nationals.
A female Muslim character
in Hindi cinema was generally
either a courtesan or a shy, veiled
beauty. Two of the most popular
tawaifs in Hindi Cinema are the
lead characters in Muzaffar Alis
Umrao Jaan (1981) and Kamaal
Amrohis Pakeezah (1971).
Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1961), Mere
April-June 2014 VIDURA
Mehboob (1963), Palki (1967) and
Bahu Begum (1967) are some films
whose heroines were stereotyped
as shy and beautiful young girls
in patriarchal households, victims
of circumstances that prevented
them from uniting with their
lovers. The late 1970s did bring
about some change in the image
of Muslim characters in the sense
that the heroines were shown as
stiletto-wearing, college-going
girls. However, they still played no
significant role in the films and had
nothing to do except sing songs and
wait for their lovers.
A major change in the portrayal
of Muslim women was brought
Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
about by films such as Mani
Ratnams Bombay (1994), Shyam
Benegals Zubeida (2001), Khalid
Mohammads Fiza (2003), Kunal
Kohlis Fana (2006), Habib Faisals
Ishaqzaade (2012) and Anand L.
Rais Ranjhanaa (2013). The movies
highlighted the actual position
of Muslim women in society.
The heroines were strong and
opinionated and were shown trying
to break the bounds set by society.
There have been only a few
good Muslims in Hindi movies.
John M. Matthans Sarfarosh
(1999), Raj Kumar Guptas Aamir
(2008) and Shimit Amins Chak
De India (2007) are the exceptions
21
where the protagonist proves his
patriotism by making a sacrifice for
his country. The image of Muslims
as terrorists became even more
common after the 9/11 attack in the
US and it was a long time before a
movie like Karan Johars My Name
Is Khan (2010) made an impact and
the Muslim protagonist was able to
proclaim to the world, My name is
Khan and I am not a terrorist.
Hindi films are thus prone to
creating fictional images of various
communities. With their distorted
representation of the minorities,
they encourage the general public
to believe incorrect information
and manipulated truths about
the communities. Such negative
typecasting casts a burden on people
from these communities; they often
suffer from inescapable stigmas.
The minorities in India have become
victims of an industry driven by
money and greed and which relies
on outdated ideals to appease the
majority and earn big money at the
box office. It is necessary that film
makers realise their responsibility
and provide the audience an
accurate image of the various
communities in reel life so that there
is no generalisation of minorities in
real life. The tradition of unconscious
racism in the Indian film industry
a.k.a. Bollywood must be broken in
order to establish a new tradition
that of the representation of reality
in terms of characters and their
roles and position in society.
<
(The writer is a final-year student in
the masters programme in English at
the University of Lucknow. She says
she learns something new everyday by
mostly reading or observing the world
around her and that it motivates her
to keep writing something or the
other.)

President of India raises concern over paid news

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) kicked off its Platinum Jubilee celebrations with a special event organised at
the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on February 27, 2014. INS started way back on October 11, 1927, when a society
bearing the name, The India, Burma & Ceylon Newspapers London Committee, came into being. The name was
changed to Indian & Eastern Newspaper Society (IENS) on October 4, 1935. This was an organisation based in
London, representing and acting solely under the authority of newspapers, magazines, reviews and other journals
published in India, Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and other countries of Asia.
Speaking at the Platinum Jubilee
ceremony, President of India
Pranab Mukherjee said, The Indian
Newspaper Society has over the years
met the challenges of time even as it
has represented the most influential of
Indias newspapers and periodicals.
Praising the newspaper body, he said,
The INS has helped create and nurture
institutions like the Press Trust of India
and the Audit Bureau of Circulation.
INS members have played a vital role
in nurturing a free press. which is a
critical component of our democracy.
At the same time, Mukherjee also
Photo: Internet

said, It is distressing to note that

some publications have resorted to
paid news and other such marketing
strategies to drive their revenues. There
is need for self-correcting mechanisms
to check such aberrations. He further
The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting a commemorative plaque said that the temptation to dumb
to founding members of Indian Newspaper Society. down news should also be resisted.
<

22 VIDURA April-June 2014

 What television bahus tell us
about India
Today, many daily soaps on television have female characters in the lead. In general, the portrayal of women
has changed over the decade of 1990-2000. While serials such as Tara on Zee TV in 1993 permitted a more
realistic portrayal of Indian women, things changed for the worse in 2000. Whereas the 1980s tele-woman was
striving to break traditional moulds, the New Millennium television is hell-bent on taking the big leap backwards
and transforming the country into a nation of bahus (daughters-in-law) where marriage is the raison dtre of a girls
existence. An excerpt from Globalization and Television: A Study of the Indian Experience, 1990-2010, by media
academic Sunetra Narayan (Oxford University Press)

W
hile non-fiction and reality television programming have proved to be popular, in 2009-10, fiction still
continued to be the staple diet for Indian viewers. Hindi general entertainment channels have also
targeted regional language channels. The regional general entertainment channels are also showing high
viewership figures in 2009. The genre of news has also lost ground to the Hindi general entertainment channels
in the race for ratings.
Another trend discernible in entertainment programming in 2010 is that viewership volumes are now coming
from middle- and small-town India, as a result of the demography of television becoming more heterogeneous.
Out of 134 million television owning households, 70 million are in rural areas, according to the TAM Annual
Universe update in 2010. Rural India is embracing new technologies such as DTH and mobile telephones. As a
reflection of these newer audiences, characters are sometimes being portrayed in a more realistic fashion, themes
are including social issues such as female infanticide, child marriage and so on, and many of the stories are set
in non-metro India. Viewership ratings suggest that programmes which have more progressive characters with
aspiration are finding a resonance with the audience. It is predicted that in the next decade, rural audiences for
television will be truly large.
A lot of daily soaps have lead female characters. In general, the portrayal of women has changed over the
decade 1990-2000. Sadly, the emergence of private broadcasters had not led to a more emancipated portrayal of
women on television in the decade.
While serials such as Tara on Zee
in 1993 permitted a more realistic
portrayal of Indian women in the
1990s, things changed for the worse
in 2000. Despite having female
lead characters, one media analyst
commented that the spate of soaps
especially on the Hindi channels
had actually been regressive: In
the 1980s, while the tele-woman
was striving to break traditional
moulds, New Millennium television
is hell-bent on taking the big leap
backwards and transforming
the country into a nation of
Photos: WFS

bahus (daughters-in-law) where

marriage is the raison dtre of a
girls existence. Getting married or
staying married: these are the only
Women have been playing stereotypical roles in soaps, especially on Hindi channels. motivations for the female species
The Indian woman on TV is one-dimensional, wears Indian clothes, sports Hindu on the small screen. The success
symbols of marriage, aspires to be a home-maker, and embraces traditional values of the extended parivar (family)
including patriarchy. series seems to have totally blocked

April-June 2014 VIDURA 23

the path for avantgardism and
slice-of-life realism.
The tradition-bound, stereo-
typical roles that women have
been playing in soaps (especially
on the Hindi channels) have
recently lead to a convergence in
the image of the Indian woman
in the New Millennium: she
is one-dimensional, wears Indian
clothes, sports Hindu symbols of
marriage such as the bindi and the
mangalsutra, aspires to be a home-
maker, and embraces traditional
values including patriarchy and
the preservation of the extended
family and marriage. The high
TRPs garnered by soaps which
portrayed women in this fashion,
implied that the MNCs and
advertisers were backing these
programmes in the year 2000. Peter
Mukerjea, the CEO of Star in India
commented on the current spate
of mother-in-law and daughter-in-
law portrayals of women on Star
Plus, we are transiting from an
English channel to a local channel,
so there are some basic ingredients
that go into making a channel
successful. And quite honestly for
us, to go into something radical, in
the first instance, would be much
too risky.
It would appear that the
consumerist imperatives ensured
that realism and experimentation
took a back-seat to saccharine and
neo-conservatism in the portrayal
of women in Indian soaps. Is it a
contradiction that the liberalisation
of broadcast media has turned
full circle where the portrayal
of women on Hindi soaps is
concerned? Have audiences voted
for the neo-conservative portrayal
of women on television in 2000 in
part fuelled by renewed family
values Hindu style? Is it just a
marketing strategy that the family
image with a subservient woman
character is currently selling well?
One suspects that this portrayal of
women is a phase that will pass as
others have done before it.
While the regressive portrayal of
women in soaps has been particularly
24
Global players such as Star and Sony have been associated with a spate of soaps
such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in the latter half of 2000, which presented
an unrealistic and conservative portrayal of female characters.
marked on Hindi channels such
as Star Plus and Sony, regional
channels still permit some different
portrayals of their female characters.
For example, the Marathi serial
Damini had a female protagonist
an investigative journalist who
exposes corruption in high places.
The serial had the ability to pull in
high TRPs even after airing over 700
episodes. Women characters had
also dominated Kannada serials in
the previous decade. While many
serials portrayed women as being
employed outside the home, they
were simultaneously shown as still
endorsing the traditional values of
marriage and motherhood.
Some portrayals of women
have been different; for
example, S. Narayans Parvati
and T.N. Seethrams Mayamriga
which won critical acclaim. It is
indeed interesting that a domestic
broadcaster, namely Zee, has been
associated with a popular soap
(Tara) which portrayed women in
a more progressive and nuanced
fashion in the early 1990s. In a
surprising volte-face, global players
Star and Sony have been associated
with a spate of soaps such as Kyunki
Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in the latter
half of 2000, which have reverted
to an unrealistic and conservative
portrayal of female characters. In
fact, many of the serials, aired on
different channels such as Star Plus
and Sony have been produced by
the same local content provider
Balaji Telefilms. The company has
been very successful in producing
soaps for television, with many of
them being woman-oriented.
According to one estimate, Ekta
Kapoor, head of Balaji Telefilms,
was associated with more than 20
serials in four languages, airing
over 10 channels in April 2001.
Thus, global channels, which are
competing with each other as
well as the national channels, are
utilising programming from a
common local source projecting
similar values. This is yet another
example of the surprising ways in
which the global/local dimensions
of broadcasting can be configured.
<
(Courtesy: Womens Feature Service)
Visit the
redesigned
website of the
Press Institute
of India
www.pressinstitute.in
VIDURA April-June 2014
 When communication
strategies fall short
A study of pro-girl child schemes throw up disturbing misconceptions, both among beneficiaries
and grassroots workers. Better communication strategies are called for in order for the schemes
to be more effective in improving the child sex ratio, say Ruchi Gaur and Sarita Anand

G
ender gaps in development can be identified through the disparity between males and
females in various demographic indicators. According to the 2001 Census, in India, the
child sex ratio (CSR), an indicator of the status of girls, stood at 927 girls per 1000 boys
for the 0-6 year age group. Governments both at the Centre and in the states have made efforts
to improve the number of girls through various policies, laws, programmes and schemes. Ruchi Gaur
According to the 2011 Census, Haryana, one of the richest states in India, had the lowest CSR
of 830 girls per 1000 boys. It was the first state in North India to start unique incentive-based
schemes such as Apni Beti Apna Dhan (My Daughter, My Wealth) in 1994 and Ladli (Beloved
Daughter) in 2005. A study was conducted in six districts of Haryana Kurukshetra, Sonipat,
Jind, Rewari, Gurgaon and Faridabad to evaluate the benefits of Ladli and the achievement of
objectives as planned by the state administration. The beneficiaries and functionaries involved
in implementation of these schemes were interviewed. Here are some significant findings:
There was some difference of opinion among the functionaries about the final amount to
be disbursed. This is actually an important piece of information that functionaries need to
provide beneficiaries
The study indicates that the beneficiaries believed that the scheme would help delay the
age of marriage Sarita Anand
They were of the opinion that the cash grant could be utilised for their daughters dowry.
They perceived the incentive given as a kind of gift or kanyadaan (gifts given at the time of marriage). It is
important to mention that some of the grassroots functionaries themselves specified that the amount could be
utilised for dowry or kanyadaan, reinforcing the need for training for the functionaries to change their mindsets
and re-orient them towards the need for such schemes and the consequences of fewer women in society
The schemes guidelines do not mention the role of the media in popularising the plans and building an
environment conducive for promoting the birth of girls. It is important for the media to highlight reports about
people taking anti-dowry stands, as dowry is the major reason why daughters are considered a liability to the
family.
The daughter's right to family property should also be emphasised. Instances of daughters taking care of their
old parents should be publicly
applauded and well recognised in
society, as people perceive that only
sons can look after parents in their
old age.
The visibility of such schemes
is very important to enhance
effectiveness. Publicity and more
sensitive and efficient service
delivery of the schemes should go
Photos: Ladli

handin-hand for the larger public

to understand, appreciate and use
such provisions. Thus, the study
findings indicate that, with the
A Ladli scheme beneficiary with a scheme certificate (left). And a Ladli scheme present negative attitude towards
poster, with no clear information about the scheme. girls, a dramatic change in the

April-June 2014 VIDURA 25

situation of the girl child is hard to
envisage.
According to a vast number of
beneficiary mothers, banning of
dowry will help improve the status
of girls and women. This highlights
the need for government to play
a significant and more pro-active
role in the strict implementation
of the Dowry Prohibition Act and
PCPNDT Act and making these
provisions more visible through
mass media. However, it is also
evident that implementing any
law without societal sanction is
difficult. To think that any punitive
or incentive-based scheme can
bring a long-term solution is also
not practical. Such efforts have to
be supported by sustained and
proactive initiatives.
Above all, promoting free and
compulsory education for girls,
delaying the age of marriage and
motivating girls to be economically
independent can be effective
strategies. The interventions may
bear fruit in a slow and gradual
fashion, but can prove to be long-
term solutions. This is proved by the
results of the study, which shows
a more positive response from
comparatively better educated
mothers. Planners need to think
afresh about their approach. <
(Ruchi Gaur is assistant professor,
Lady Irwin College,University of
Delhi. Sarita Anand is associate
professor in the same college.)

Advertisements that seek to transform a nation

Some companies and advertisement agencies capitalise on the
elections to create awareness about electoral rights and responsibilities.
Its a commendable effort worthy of emulation, feels A. Nagraj, assistant
professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Tezpur
University, Assam
Out of thousands of advertisements that we see, there are few that influence us much more A. Nagraj
than others. Thats what makes a person consciously or unconsciously choose a particular brand
of a product from a collection of similar items. Product companies and advertising agencies
are very careful with regard to product launches, marketing, and promotions. The time when ads hit the public is
very important. Usually, advertising agencies choose the timing to coincide with popular sports events, festivals, and
national events for maximum impact. Over the last few years, elections in India have also become an occasion to
grab attention for product launches and also carry a message with regard to roles and duties of individuals. In the
present election scenario, many companies have joined the fray, so to speak, in educating and creating awareness
about voting and voting rights through their products.
The Tata Company, through its Jaago Re Kaala Teeka - Power of 49 ad campaign, while promoting its teas, has
also been delivering a public service by creating awareness about electoral rights and the importance of voting
for the right candidate. The unique feature of the advertisement is its portrayal of ordinary working-class people
as intelligent persons, more aware of their roles and duties when compared to their educated, elite counterparts.
The advertisement not only highlights women power but also the fact that women account for 49 per cent of the
electorate.
Hero MotoCorps new 2014 advertisement for the HF Deluxe bike stresses the importance of voting for the right
person and the role of women, not only in voting but also in governance.
Greenlam Laminates takes a dig at the unruly scenes parliament has been witnessing for some time now, and uses
the promotion of its product to convey the message that the sanctity of great institutions needs to be maintained, and
the principles of parliamentary democracy upheld.
Advertisements about the national anthem and the national song stress the diversity of the country and focus on
the man in the street as the real face of India. Some showcase differently abled children. In general, they highlight
layers of society that are generally ignored by ad campaigns at other times of the year.
These advertisements are playing an active role in creating awareness and also changing the mindset of millions
of people who are becoming active participants in the electoral process. It is my opinion that more companies
and advertising agencies should come forward to create such ads that not only promote products but also create
awareness and contribute to nation-building. <

26 VIDURA April-June 2014

Adultarated television and our
outdated laws
Thanks to the lethargy shown by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in updating media-
related statutes and the re-certification practices of the Censor Board, Indian television is replete
with adultarated film content, causing concern about its adverse effect on impressionable minds,
says Edara Gopi Chand

M
uch of the content on television today is film-based, be it films, film trailers, film songs,
film clips, 24-hour film channels, etc. While films as media are highly influential
media, the importance of a robust policy to govern the telecast of film content through
a universal medium such as television need not be overemphasised. However, the only
provisions available presently to regulate the pervasive film content on private TV channels Edara Gopi
are that (i) no programme should contravene the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 Chand
and (ii) only the film content certified as suitable for unrestricted public exhibition (U) by the
Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) shall be carried on television. Regarding telecast of films certified
as U/A (requiring parental guidance for children below 12 years) on television channels, private broadcasters
received a questionable breather when the Bombay High Court in 2006 ruled that U and U/A films belong to the
same class of films; namely, for unrestricted public exhibition. On Doordarshan channels, since the beginning,
only U-certified films are eligible for telecast and the same policy continues. Despite the legal position, much of
the film content beamed on television today is adult-themed. Lets analyse how and why.

Re-certification by Censor Board

To circumvent the present statutory restriction for telecast of adult films on television and to facilitate the
commercial interests of the film industry, the Censor Board had put in place an informal practice whereby its
regional offices undertake re-certification/ conversion of A-certified films to U/A and U by deleting a few scenes,
dialogues, etc. Certification of films as envisaged under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and film certification
guidelines is based on films theme, nature and overall impact. As such, any subsequent modification of a
certified film into another category by deletion of few scenes doesnt arise.
In August 2012, in the wake of the controversy regarding re-certification of the A-rated film, The Dirty Picture,
to U/A by CBFC, the chief executive officer, CBFC, had openly acknowledged that certifying films for TV viewing
was not a part of the Cinematograph Act and it is a facility that the CBFC was extending to the film industry to
help them show their movies on TV. There were dissenting voices from several members within the board about
the lack of legal basis for conversion of adult-themed films for television and to stop the practice till enabling
provisions were in place. Despite this, the re-certification ritual is going on and whats more, even English/
Hollywood films with mature themes are also being indiscriminately re-certified as U/A with token cuts just to
enable their telecast on TV. The legality of this mindless conversion of adult films for television by CBFC in the
absence of any separate guidelines or norms was challenged before Delhi High Court last year.

Need for specified timings

In case of U/A films meant for exhibition in theatres, the law envisages that due discretion shall be exercised
by parents/ guardians before opting to allow children below 12 years to watch such films. The discretion may be
exercised by parents when a film is exhibited in a theatre or while watching home video which are but voluntary
and occasional acts, but this is not possible when the film is broadcast on television. The content is available to
all without any restriction and you have little choice with regard to the selection of film content shown on TV
channels. Many of the Hollywood films screened today by English Movie channels during prime time are R-rated
(Restricted) by the Motion Picture Association of America for bloody violence, gore or sexual themes, but re-
certified by CBFC as U/A with some cuts. Despite all this, the government had not initiated any amendments to
the rules providing for specific timings for the telecast of U/A films on television. Also, even for serious content
violations, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry issues token advisories to erring channels and does not take
deterrent action as per law.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 27

Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
Need for separate norms, ratings
When it comes to certification
of films, there is a great deal of
difference when the film being
certified is meant for (i) limited
theatrical exhibition (ii) home video
consumption and (iii) universal
television viewing. Accordingly,
the certification norms for the film
content meant for home video
and television have to be more
specific and stringent compared to
those that apply to certification of
films meant for theatrical release.
However, presently in our country,
there are no such separate statutory
norms for certifying films for home
video and television. In fact, amid
28
this legal and policy vacuum, CBFC
is resorting to re-certification of
adult films for telecasting them,
prescribing the timings for such
films. In many countries, there are
separate norms for classifying films
meant for television and home
video. Also, there are established
TV content rating systems and
the relevant rating (such as G,
PG-12) is displayed alongside for
guiding the audience. In India,
while the government is not at
all bothered to facilitate such
viewer-friendly measures, even
broadcasters associations like the
Indian Broadcasting Foundation
(IBF) with their much-touted
efforts at self-regulation have
failed to put in place a systematic
scheme of content ratings and
their mandatory display as part
of film and non-film programmes
on television. The recent Mukul
Mudgal Committee Report on
revamping the Cinematograph
Law is also silent on the crucial
matter.
Need for policy to protect minors
Even after about two decades of
the Cable Networks Regulation Act,
except for some vague provisions
as part of programme and
advertisement codes, which were
also never seriously implemented,
VIDURA April-June 2014
the government has failed to put in
place a specific policy for protecting
minors from offensive broadcast
content. Such a policy is an integral
part of broadcast regulation policies
in almost all advanced countries.
The Policy for Protection of Minors
as part of the Audiovisual Media
Services Directive of the European
Union and Protecting the Under-
18s Section of Ofcom Broadcasting
Code in the UK are some of the
examples. They emphasise that
any material that might seriously
impair the physical, mental or moral
development of people below 18
years must not be broadcast. They
cast an obligation on broadcasters to
take all reasonable steps to protect
minors, especially by appropriate
scheduling of content. <
(The writer is vice-president,
MediaWatch-India (www.
mediawatchindia.org), a civil society
initiative to promote decency and
accountability in the media.)

Journalists must be adept at using digital media

In this formative era of the digital revolution, journalists not only have to be effective story-tellers but also integrate
their writing skills and technical abilities to attract readers. They need to be adept at using the digital media and take
up the challenges of devising new formats of presenting news.
Robin Jeffrey, visiting research professor, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, said
it was a great time to be journalists in India in this emerging digital revolution that provided opportunity to explore
new means to communicate.
Prof Jeffrey was delivering the Lawrence Dana Pinkham Memorial lecture on Indias Bully Pulpit: Media in a time
of digital revolution at the convocation ceremony of the Asian College of Journalism here on Saturday.
Tracing America's golden age of journalism
in the early 1900s, he said the era of American
President Theodore Roosevelt saw the media
revolution wherein he had the bully pulpit or an
outstanding platform as it was known then. The
journalists then were known as muckrakers who
exposed injustices through research and writing.
India too is entering a phase of media
revolution in terms of digitisation. Drawing a
contrast with the downward trend of newspapers in
the U.S., he said the growth of Indian newspapers
remained strong in the past 30 years.
Mobile phones and the Internet transformed
the ability to gain knowledge and converge
various medium of communication in them. Indian
journalists could build upon the bully pulpit or the
outstanding platform of digital media to reach out
Professor Robin Jeffrey presents diploma to a student at the to readers. The digital media also foster social
convocation ceremony of the Asian College of Journalism in equality that is otherwise absent largely in Indian
Chennai on Saturday. N. Ram, chairman of Kasturi & Sons media.
Limited, and Sashi Kumar, chairman, Media Development Pointing out that despite the advantages, Indias
Foundation are also seen. global media presence was small, Prof Jeffrey
said: The digital media provides a platform to
project Indian voices around the world.
Earlier N. Ram, chairman, Kasturi & Sons Limited, elaborated on the crisis that newspapers face and how digital
media here are yet to yield a viable business model to rely on.
In all, 169 students received their diplomas from Prof Jeffrey. Sashi Kumar, chairman, Media Development
Foundation, stressed on the need to tweak curriculum to match the changes in the industry. Nalini Rajan, dean of
Studies, Asian College of Journalism, spoke. <

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

April-June 2014 VIDURA 29

Lessons to learn, for TV news
anchors and reporters
News reading is a very serious matter. Voice modulation, reading with understanding, reading
with appropriate expression on the face and clear enunciation are expected of good readers.
The newsreader must realise that what he reads reaches millions, perhaps for the first time, and
therefore his job is very important. Newsreaders, news editors and channel managers have a
great deal to learn from British and American newspersons if they are serious about matters of
style, says J. V. Vilanilam

T
he term anchor originated in the US with the revered newsman Walter Cronkite of
the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). In the UK, newsreader or newscaster is J. V. Vilanilam
preferred to anchor. The audience of broadcast news attaches great importance to the
style of presentation. News readers (by whatever name they are called in India, the UK or the USA) must be
pleasant and look relaxed and stress-free on the screen. They should never appear extra-formal, tense, searching
for breath or words, demure (shy) and over-happy. The current trend in the US and the UK is to be informal, but
not to the point of lightness or flippancy. No newsreader should show disrespect or levity.
Some news anchors tend to be extra-formal. Although they lighten the news with informality at times, they
generally show more seriousness than fits the occasion or news content. They should not try to be too informal
or too stiff and serious. Nevertheless, a certain formality is preferable to informality in the interests of credibility.
Some newscasters forget to put on a serious look even when the content they present is quite serious death,
destruction, serious accident or environmental disaster. It is necessary to adjust ones attitude according to the
content and importance of the information presented, to maintain credibility. This requires the readers familiarity
with the contents of his/her presentation.
Newsreaders, newscasters and news anchors anywhere in the world should have, in addition to credibility, the
following:
Authority
Believability
Clarity
Good voice and good looks
Personality
Professionalism
Warmth
Does the clause about appearance mean that newsreaders/ newscasters/ presenters should have film star looks?
Should they necessarily be young? Does age matter, provided they have many of the other qualities listed? The
answer lies in people like Walter Cronkite, Howard K. Smith, Barbara Walters, Mike Wallace, Eric Sevareid, John
Chancellor, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Katie Couric and others who were held in high respect,
although they were not young at the prime of their careers. They graduated from newspaper, radio and TV news
reporting to news-anchor positions. They attained TV stardom in their mid-40s and mid-50s.
These experienced journalists have proved their news sense and were selected for their on-screen presence,
professionalism, clarity, authority, experience and educational attainments. Should there be twin news presenters?
A male and a female? Double-headed presentations with Man-Man, Man-Woman, Woman-Woman pairs are
possible, although the last mentioned is rare. Man-Woman combinations were tried as newsreaders by some
Indian channels, but later discontinued.
Newsreaders need not be actors and models. Acting debases the news and lowers credibility. But some of our
newsreaders do not know what they are really reading. Nor do their listeners understand what they hear. This
applies to some TV presenters and panellists too. Maybe because of their station managers directions, they do
speed-reading. Some moderators of discussion too do this. Why do they speak so fast? Perhaps to save time for
commercials. I would like to refer here to Malayalam newsreaders in particular. Many of them use English words
in their news bulletins. I would like to make a couple of suggestions for the consideration of the Malayalam TV
news editors who prepare or okay the material given to newsreaders:

30 VIDURA April-June 2014


1. Avoid English words wherever
possible. Use vernacular equi-
valents. Often news editors
and reporters working in the
vernacular media forget that
the content can be understood
more easily and clearly by local
viewers if vernacular words
are exclusively used. One can
present news without English
words on most occasions.
There are equivalents in Indian
languages for most English
words and expressions. But, of
course, this requires time and
effort, the use of dictionaries
and vocabulary lists kept
in every newsroom/ news/
editorial division of every
broadcast/telecast organisation.
April-June 2014 VIDURA
Often the news editor/ reporter
gets several hours to edit and
polish the material, before the
anchor presents the news. There
are occasions when one has to
present spot news/ breaking
news without much notice.
In such cases, some English
words may have to be used
and that is understandable,
but such occasions are rare.
One can learn much from
Tamil newscasters and editors
who take the trouble to find
appropriate, easily understood
and commonly used Tamil
equivalents for foreign words.
2. Transliterate English words.
However, unfortunately, no
standard transliteration style is
Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
followed in Malayalam. There
is no uniformity in writing style
or word-form in transliteration.
This is a grave drawback which
has to be corrected as early as
possible. Editors and writers
have to give special attention to
this matter.
3. Pay attention to pronunciation.
Care should be taken to correctly
pronounce English words, when
used. From experience, I have
discovered that many of my
Keralite friends have problems
distinguishing between the
o in hot and the o in open.
There are hundreds of words
in English with these two types
of o sounds. Although great
users of gold, we hear on many
31
 channels in Kerala, gauld for
gold, aupen for open, and
coat for cot. Unless this matter
is taken up seriously at the
kindergarten level, there will be
no improvement. Perhaps this
problem applies to other Indian
languages too, I dont know.
How much time do news
readers get for reading and
practising before they face the
camera? Can they improvise? Can
they communicate intelligently,
meaningfully and fluently with
reporters/ correspondents in the
field and people in the audience?
Many newsreaders in Indian
languages are raw hands, fresh
from college and do not have the
presence of mind to improvise, even
if such improvisation is permitted.
In Western countries, senior hands
(male and female) present the
news and they have the authority,
knowledge and experience to
improvise.
Luckily, only very few Malayalam
newsreaders are careless in reading;
fewer still show their inexperience
in reading with understanding.
Most readers and announcers
make sense to the audience. This is
achieved only because they practise
reading their passages/ presentation
material in the studio before they
face the camera; they become
familiar with the spots where they
have to pause or where they have to
club words.
News reading is a very serious
matter. Voice modulation, reading
with understanding, reading with
appropriate expression on the face
and clear enunciation are expected
of good readers. The newsreader
must realise that what he/ she reads
reaches millions, perhaps for the
first time, and therefore his/her job
is highly important to society.
Very often, newsreaders receive
and relay reports from field
reporters. Again, a casual survey of
Malayalam channels gives me the
impression that some important
channels irritate the viewers and
listeners with the style of field
report presentation. Sometimes, the
field staff adopt a plaintive tone;
sometimes their tone, especially
the last words of their sentences, is
reminiscent of that of an auctioneer,
and sometimes it is a mixture of
both. It is desirable that field staff
present their reports in a neutral
tone Let the reporter be matter-of-
fact, but clear at every step. Let
him imagine that he is talking to
an audience in a small hall, and he
will remember to talk normally.
Newsreaders, news editors and
channel managers have a great deal
to learn from British and American
newspersons if they are serious
about matters of style. <
(The writer is a former vice-
chancellor and head, Department
of Communication and Journalism,
University of Kerala. He received his
MA English degree from the Banaras
Hindu University in 1958 and has a
masters degree in Communication
from Temple University, Philadelphia,
and a PhD in Mass Communication
from the University of Amsterdam.)

Publishers endorse UK press freedom report

The executive committee of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), meeting
in London on 11 April, endorsed the ndings of the organisations press freedom report published following a fact-
nding delegation of international editors visited the United Kingdom earlier this year. The report reiterates serious
industry concerns regarding the reform of the regulatory system in the United Kingdom, while revealing cautious
optimism from those who believe current proposals to be an opportunity to restore public trust following Lord Justice
Levesons Inquiry into press standards.
The report calls for any regulatory system of the press to have the support of the industry, and for reform discussions
to be transparent and open to public consultation. The mission report also details UK government interference in
the editorial independence of the Guardian newspaper, calling for stronger support for public interest journalism.
The intense pressure applied by UK authorities following publication of digital surveillance stories based on leaked
information from NSA whistle-blower, Edward Snowden, provoked a high level of international solidarity with the
Guardians position from within the WAN-IFRA membership.
One of the major fears expressed during our recent mission to London is that press freedom violations in the UK
can be used by repressive regimes to excuse their own actions, says Tomas Brunegrd, president of WAN-IFRA
and chairman of Swedens Stampen Group. Interference of any kind with serious public interest journalism that is
conducted in pursuit of a legitimate news story is not something we expect in established democracies."
The executive committee endorsed the report ndings that also call for:
- The British government to reiterate clearly to the international community that it continues to support a free and
independent press
- Foreign governments not to transpose like-for-like the British model of regulation, calling for internationally
recognised standards of freedom of expression to be applied to specic national contexts
- Calls for the highest standards of professionalism and ethical practice at every level of the media industry
<

32 VIDURA April-June 2014

Connecting stakeholders in
healthcare
Mobile technologies have a number of key features that give them an advantage over other
information and communication technologies, in particular activities within healthcare and the
public health domain. The healthcare sector is currently witnessing a ubiquitous adoption of
mobile devices with unbelievable versatility in terms of memory, wireless Internet access,
high-resolution colour screens and camera capabilities. The devices currently have every
communication possibility you can imagine, but still fits in your pocket. More from Pradeep
Nair and Harikrishnan Bhaskaran

M
obile communication technologies such as smartphones, tablets and cloud computing Pradeep Nair
have revolutionised the way healthcare providers, practitioners, patients and other
stakeholders interact in a healthcare system. In developing countries like India,
the growth rate of mobile devices has outpaced that of personal computers. According to a
report by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the Indian Telecom Services
Performance Indicators, JanuaryMarch 2013, released in August 2013, there are more than
867.80 million mobile phone subscribers in India, with an urban subscriber share of 60.11 per
cent.
Another report by FICCI and KPMG published in 2012 states that there are approximately
150 million Internet users in India. Of these, about 87.1 million used mobile devices to access
the Net as of December 2012.
The data assumes importance since it reveals that approximately 58 per cent of the total
Internet user base in India takes the mobile route. More importantly, this number is set to Harikrishnan
increase at a rapid pace in coming years. This means that with a penetration rate in excess of Bhaskaran
70 per cent for the country, mobile phones have now crossed over from the realm of being
an elitist contraption to become a mass communication device. India is also slated to develop into the biggest
smartphone market by 2017, next only to China and the US.
With the price of new mobile communication gadgets such as smartphones and tablets falling steadily
and various manufacturing rivals entering the fray to get a share of the rapidly growing market pie, mobile
communication technologies and gadgets are rapidly proliferating. Moreover, with service providers vying with
each other to offer cheap data transfer plans on a platter, healthcare professionals are now even more encouraged
to use these devices, making them an inseparable part of present-day health communication.
The ease of access, along with the tablet computers unprecedented versatility, promises that smartphones and
tablets are not likely to be left underutilised like their earlier counterparts pagers and iPods. The healthcare sector
in both developing and developed countries is currently witnessing a ubiquitous adoption of mobile devices with
unbelievable versatility in terms of memory, wireless Internet access, high-resolution colour screens and camera
capabilities. The devices currently have every communication possibilities you can imagine, but still fit in your
pocket.
Mobile-based health (mHealth) practices are generally referred to as the use of mobile and wireless devices
(cell phones, tablets, etc) to improve health outcomes, healthcare services, and health research. These practices
are offering new possibilities to address problems in accessibility, quality, effectiveness, efficiency and cost of
healthcare. Mobile communication technologies are very helpful in monitoring the health conditions of a patient
from anywhere and integrating the updates into patient care. The photo-capturing and editing facilities available
on mobile phones help practitioners to click images of manifestations of chronic diseases and use them to consult
experts by sharing the images through MMS.
Physicians are using mHealth to monitor patients. Cardiologists too monitor their patients with the help of
such wireless technologies. Similarly, endocrinologists make use of the facility to keep in touch with their diabetic
patients, giving them timely healthcare tips and reminding them about medicine dosages.
The new mobile communication technologies are helping medical practitioners monitor patients recovery and
mobility after specific treatment procedures, and then automatically synchronise the data with the patients health

April-June 2014 VIDURA 33

Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
records. In some branches of medical
science such as orthopaedics, tools
on smartphones and tablets have
begun to replace some traditional
methods. The image handling
capacity of the new touch-based
tablets and specialised apps help
orthopaedists to carry out digital
templating and make accurate
measurements on their smartphone
screens.
Mobile technologies have a
number of key features that give
them an advantage over other
information and communication
technologies, in particular activities
within healthcare and public health
domain. Firstly, mobile devices have
wireless cellular communication
34
capability, providing the potential
for continuous, interactive
communication from any location;
for example, telephone calls, text,
multi-media messaging, video
and Internet access via Wireless
Application Protocol (WAP)
or mobile broadband Internet.
Secondly, mobile devices are
portable because of their small size,
low weight and rechargeable, long-
life battery power. Finally, most of
the mobile devices and smartphones
have sufficient computing power
to support multimedia software
applications.
Though most of the popular
mobile communication gadgets
have a set of popular features or
combination of features which
increase their versatility, their
use and importance change from
model to model depending on the
kind of healthcare intervention
being carried out.
There is an extraordinary
opportunity for public healthcare
systems to use these new
communication tools to help reach
public health goals. But effective
strategies are required. New media,
especially mobile communication
technologies, are very tactic and
require strategic planning for
correct and effective use. While
working out a strategy to reach out
to all stakeholders in a healthcare
system, it is important to know the
VIDURA April-June 2014
audiences with whom connection is
to be established. While developing
the strategy, one should chart out
the goals and expected outcomes,
select the healthcare products and
messages to be used, and also
consider the available resources
human and technology - including
the budget and expertise.
The strategies for using mobile
communication technologies in
healthcare and the public health
system are mostly designed in
and around interventions through
mobile devices to improve
diagnosis, investigation, treatment,
monitoring and management
of diseases. Interventions are
also designed and practised for
healthcare promotion and to
improve treatment compliance.
The strategies which are mostly
reported from practices in rural
India are interventions to improve
healthcare processes at primary
and community healthcare centres
for appointment attendance,
result notification and vaccination
reminders.
Any strategy designed to
interconnect stakeholders
patient, provider and practitioner
should be clearly focused on
and should have clear mention
of the types of interventions
which are going to be practised,
for example, behaviour change,
disease management, clinical
process and diagnosis; the type
of mobile electronic device used;
the characteristics of the targeted
population, like age, gender,
ethnicity, socio-economic status,
literacy level, political settings;
the type of outcome (responses to
vaccination reminders, queries and
increase in appointments); and the
intervention contents features
of the mobile communication
technologies employed (such as
SMS, MMS, Video), intervention
components such as reminders,
feedback or peer support, intensity,
duration, personalisation and
conceptual framework of the whole
practice.
The strategic framework also
needs to discuss some sensitive
issues such as risk of bias and level
of participant drop-out. While
implementing or planning such
initiatives, another major factor to
take into account is the nature of the
intervention content and its quality.
Often, choosing between fully
automated intervention content like
recorded messages from celebrities
and content generated by healthcare
workers depends on the extent
to which the initiative intends
to make a behavioural change
in the beneficiary community. A
comprehensive strategy consisting
of all the relevant information
and components discussed above
will help healthcare providers
to use mobile communication
technologies effectively to improve
a broad range of healthcare service
outcomes. <
(Pradeep Nair is associate professor
and head, Department of Mass
Communication & Electronic Media,
Central University of Himachal
Pradesh, Dharamshala. Harkrishnan
Bhaskaran is assistant professor,
Film and Popular Culture, Social
Media, Department of Journalism
and Creative Writing in the same
university. A junior research fellow in
Mass Communication and Journalism
from the University of Mangalore, he
was associated as a sta correspondent
with The New Indian Express,
Kerala.)

Is newspaper advertising broken?

Newspaper advertising is in free fall in many markets, putting enormous pressure on the journalism funded by
that advertising. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) believes fresh ideas
for advertising are needed to protect the essential role it plays for news media, and it is organising an Advertising
Hackathon at the World Advertising Forum, World Newspaper Congress, and World Editors Forum, to be held in
Torino, Italy, in June.
Journalism should not be allowed to die because of out-dated advertising models, says Stephen Fozard, WAN-
IFRA Media Innovation Hub Project director. They need rethinking from innovative and creative angles. The
Hackathon will bring together advertisers and newspaper teams with designers, developers, art directors, and others
to create new concepts in newspaper advertising during an intensive weekend of brainstorming and prototype-
building.
Bringing a group of people together from different non-newspaper related creative disciplines, with a common
goal of revitalising newspaper advertising, will bring inspiration and a serious creative boost to the participating
newspaper teams. Fozard said.
The Hackathon will be held at the Scuola Holden, a writing school for storytelling and arts performance, on 7 and
8 June, prior to the World Advertising Forum, to be held from 9 to 11 June concurrently with the World Newspaper
Congress and World Editors Forum, the global summit meetings of the worlds press. <

April-June 2014 VIDURA 35

NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

Private FM, community radio

stations have a case
In India, AIR has a monopoly over the news and current affairs programmes on the airwaves.
Government cannot clearly justify why private FM channels and community radio stations are
prohibited from airing news and programmes on current affairs. Ankuran Dutta and Anamika
Ray feel it is astonishing that government is so rigid about FM stations broadcasting news

T
his is All India Radio. The news, read by..., goes the introduction to the radio news
bulletin which most middle-aged English-speaking Indians are familiar with from
childhood. The radio is an important tool for disseminating news. The first radio
news broadcast in India took place on July 23, 1927. It was by a private company. Since 1930,
news has been aired by the public broadcaster, then known as the Indian State Broadcasting Ankuran Dutta
Service, which was named All India Radio (AIR) in 1936.
From 27 news bulletins in 1939-40, AIR today puts out more than 510 bulletins daily, which
works out to about 52 hours in 82 languages and dialects in the home, regional and external
services. Of these, 89 bulletins are broadcast daily from the countrys capital in the home
service in English, Hindi and other Indian languages. The 44 Regional News Units (RNUs)
prepare and broadcast 355 daily news bulletins in 67 languages. This includes news bulletins
mounted exclusively on FM Gold channel from 22 AIR stations. In addition to the daily news
bulletins, the News Services Division also mounts a number of news and current affairs-
based programmes on topical subjects from Delhi and some other RNUs every day.
In India, AIR has a monopoly over the news and current affairs programmes on the
airwaves. Government cannot clearly justify why private FM channels and community radio
stations are prohibited from airing news and programmes on current affairs. On the other
Anamika Ray
hand, out of 828 private TV channels, apart from the Doordarshan network in India, almost
half, that is 406, were news and current affairs channels as of March, 2013. Not only are these channels private and
individual profit-making mechanisms, but a few are run by foreign companies.
Again, in the case of registered print media, about a lakh of newspapers and periodicals are published in
the country in different languages and dialects, with more than 400 million circulation. Recently, the Union
Government set up a special mechanism to monitor the content of all television channels. But who is monitoring
the content in the large number of newspapers? A good number of newspapers either intentionally or by mistake
carry misleading information and incorrect interpretations of facts.
Questions also arise regarding cable television. There are thousands of cable television operators in India
and most of them regularly broadcast news and programmes on current affairs without proper licenses. Are the
contents of these news channels regulated by any government agency? If private, foreign and cable TV companies
are allowed to telecast news, newspapers are permitted to publish news, and thousands of websites can freely
publish news and even unedited visuals and sound bytes, why does the government prohibit private FM radio
and community radio stations from broadcasting news and current affairs programmes?
When FM radio was launched in Guwahati, there was a surge in demand for FM sets and mobile phones and
car music systems with FM facility. However, the trend has declined and a few FM stations have since closed
down. The reason is that, after a point, it is irritating to listen to only music and banter from radio jockeys, with no
important information being made available. Many listeners want to tune in to informative channels while driving
to work in the mornings, for instance. Also, the listeners hope that they would be treated to informative, educative
as well as entertaining programmes from community radio services, and that a platform would be created for the
voiceless to air their views, were dashed by the governments policy.
Interviews with representatives of all the operational community radio stations in Bangladesh have shown that
the government there was very flexible about framing the policies for community radio stations. It was also of the
view that the most popular radio content in most of the community radio stations is the news bulletin. In some remote

36 VIDURA April-June 2014


areas of Bangladesh, community
radio stations work as the only
bridge between the community and
the rest of the world. They too have
news bulletins - not only regional,
but also separate bulletins for
international and national affairs.
Apart from Bangladesh, other
neighbouring countries like Nepal
and Sri Lanka are also making
their radio services more relevant
to listeners by providing news
and current affairs programmes.
Thousands of radio stations have
been allowed to broadcast news
April-June 2014 VIDURA
and current affairs programmes in
countries like the US, Spain, Italy,
Greece and Australia. In fact, many
stations are solely news channels,
including specialised ones for
community radio.
In India, the second phase of
the Policy Guideline for FM Radio
Services (2008) clearly mentions
in Paragraph 10 that no news
and current affairs programs are
permitted under the policy. In
Phase-III (2011), Paragraph 11 of the
policy says, the permission holder
will be permitted to carry the news
Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
bulletins of All India Radio in exactly
[the] same format (unaltered) on
such terms and conditions as may
be mutually agreed with Prasar
Bharati. No other news and current
affairs programs are permitted
under the Policy. This again clearly
indicates the monopoly of news on
the airwaves by the public service
broadcaster. It is indeed astonishing
that government is so rigid about
FM stations broadcasting their own
news reports.
The policy does say that
broadcasts pertaining to some
37
categories will be treated as
non-news and current affairs
programmes and will therefore be
permitted. These categories include
information pertaining to sporting
events, excluding live coverage
(however live commentaries of
sporting events of a local nature
may be permitted); information
pertaining to traffic and weather;
information pertaining to and
coverage of cultural events and
festivals; coverage of topics
pertaining to examinations, results,
admissions and career counselling;
availability of employment
opportunities and public
announcements pertaining to civic
amenities like electricity, water
supply, natural calamities, health
alerts, etc as provided by the local
administration. All other news-
based programmes are banned by
the government.
TRAI had recommended to
the Union Government in 2008 to
permit FM radio broadcasters to
air news, taking content from AIR,
Doordarshan, authorised TV news
channels, United News of India
(UNI), Press Trust of India (PTI) and
any other authorised news agency
without any substantive change in
content. But the government argues
that in the absence of a regulatory
authority with a localised
presence or other arrangements
for monitoring private channels
and the sensitivities involved, it
is not possible to allow complete
freedom to broadcast news
even though the content may be
sourced from authorised agencies
as suggested. This gives rise to
a question regarding the role
of the Press Council of India as
a regulatory mechanism for the
print media. The Council can only
warn and admonish a media house
for violation of any guidelines
provided.
Even if fear of sensationalism is
the reason why private FM radio
stations are being restricted from
airing news broadcasts, it is difficult
to understand why the government
is not allowing news content to be
broadcast by community radio
stations. As the name indicates,
community radio is the collective
property of a community. No
individual owns it. AIRs monopoly
over news and current affairs-based
broadcast is unjustifiable.
A few media advocates,
professionals and academicians
have been making a case for news
broadcasts on private FM radio
channels. Prashant Bhushan, Vinod
Pavarala, Paranjoy Guha Thakurata
and others have been using various
platforms to seek removal of the
ban on broadcasting of news over
community radio and private FM
stations. A registered society
called Common Cause even filed
a public interest litigation against
the Union of India in 2013, basing
its plea on a historic 1995 Supreme
Court judgement that airwaves
are public property and should be
made available for public welfare.
The Union Government should
think about the issue, and consider
setting up a separate regulatory
mechanism so that news on the
airwaves can be democratised.
<
(Ankuran Dutta is programme officer,
Livelihoods, at the Commonwealth
Educational Media Centre for Asia,
New Delhi. As deputy director,
Multimedia, at KK Handiqui State
Open University, he started Jnan
Taranga, the first community radio
service and Web radio of Northeast
India. Anamika Ray is assistant
professor in Mass Communication at
Gauhati University.)

European Digital Media Awards presented

The worlds most innovative digital news media from giants like the Guardian and Norways VG to the smaller
DOTYK, the rst tablet-only weekly in the Czech Republic were honoured Tuesday evening (8 April) as winners
of the European Digital Media Awards, the annual prizes from the World Association of Newspapers and News
Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
The awards, which recognise outstanding work by European publishers in digital advertising, data visualisation,
tablet publishing, mobile service, news websites, reader engagement, online video, and outstanding new projects,
were presented in a ceremony during Digital Media Europe 2014, WAN-IFRAs annual digital event in London. The
awards attracted 107 entries from 48 European publishing houses in 21 countries this year. Nothing changes faster
than digital media, and these awards reflect the diversity of innovative approaches that news media are adopting
in the face of disruption, says Vincent Peyrgne, CEO of WAN-IFRA. The brilliance and appeal of these winning
projects is inspiring for the entire industry. <

38 VIDURA April-June 2014

VIEW FROM THE NORTHEAST

Evening shield for Arunachal

media houses
T
he Government of Arunachal Pradesh has given media houses a unique shield for
evenings following an agitation to press for this facility. Chief Minister Nabam
Tuki directed the police to provide 24x7 security and install CCTV cameras in all
newspaper offices in the capital, Itanagar, What is more, the Itanagar authority has declared
all Arunachal-based media establishments as prohibited areas, which means that anyone
entering a newspaper premises after 5 pm will be treated as a trespasser -- an indication
of the deteriorating security scenario in this north-eastern state which borders three foreign
countries - Bhutan, Tibet (China) and Myanmar.
On February 14, all morning daily newspapers of Arunachal Pradesh declared a shutdown
in protest against the governments decision to allow a student body to demonstrate in front
Nava Thakuria
of the Itanagar-based Arunachal Times. For four days, the people in the state went without
newspapers. Local cable TV channels too joined the protest. The chief ministers directive comes after his meeting
with media persons to break the deadlock, during which they raised concerns about safety, citing several law-and-
order situations, particularly that relating to T. Rina, who faced bullets from miscreants in front of her Itanagar
office a few months ago.
The chief minister also constituted a committee to go into the journalists demand for a special law to protect
media persons on duty against attacks. The journalists of the state have expressed happiness over Tukis
initiative. The Arunachal media fraternity took a united decision on the agitation to express its condemnation
of the permission granted by Itanagar Capital Complex District Magistrate Mige Kamki to the Students Union
Movement of Arunachal (SUMA) to stage a demonstration against the states oldest newspaper in front of its
offices, seeing it as curtailment of press freedom.
While Kamki clarified that he had given permission only for a peaceful rally in the newly-designated dharna
(protest) ground in Itanagar and not in front of the Arunachal Times office, and described the shut-down agitation
as uncalled for and unwarranted, other sections of the public have also criticised the action of the media houses.
The chairman of Press Council of India, Justice Markandey Katju, taking note of the developments, said the
newspaper industry has the right to raise concerns over the security of media houses and their employees, but
suspending publication is not in public interest.

Journalist bodies press for dues

Two journalists organisations based in the north-east of India have urged the managements of newspaper
and news channels in the trouble-prone region to offer basic minimum facilities to their employees. Expressing
serious concern at what they described as the pitiable salaries of these employees, the Electronic Media Forum
Assam (EMFA) and the Journalists Forum Assam (JFA) asserted that this had direct implications on the health of
journalism as well. They pointed out that the employees were working unlimited hours without a break, and, over
and above being paid low wages, had no insurance coverage either.
The latest wave of demands comes against the background of the Government of Assam increasing government-
sponsored advertisement rates for the newspapers by 60 per cent, in the wake of an earlier agitation by newspaper
owners under the banner of Northeast Newspapers Society, demanding an increase in the rates which were last
revised in 2009. They had even stopped publishing government advertisements and related news for a while.
Both EMFA and JFA have demanded that journalist and non-journalist media employees of newspapers and
satellite news channels of the region should get minimum facilities as recommended under law.
EMFA also appealed to the Assam Government to enhance the rates of government-sponsored advertisements
telecast through news channels so that they would be able to offer better financial packages to their employees.
Alleging that many media house managements in Assam diverted funds for their personal business interests, JFA
also called for an annual audit for all media outlets.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 39

Illustration: Arun Ramkumar
Myanmar refugees' dilemma
Though Myanmar citizens who
took refuge in various countries
following the turmoil in their
own nation have slowly started
returning home, either because of
the improved political situation
there or because they are being
made to feel unwelcome by their
host countries, people from the
Chin Province, adjacent to the State
of Mizoram, are yet to join the
exodus.
Nearly 100000 of them, mostly
Christians, landed in Mizoram in
the wake of the 1998 Burma riots.
Statistics reveal that the Chin
province is one of Myanmars
poorest.
Initially, the refugees were either
political activists or student leaders
40
who were targeted by the then
Buddhist military rulers. But even
with a quasi-democratic regime in
Naypyidaw, the new administrative
capital, the influx to India continues,
with people coming simply in search
of a better life.
Mizoram is one of the India's
few Christian-dominated states.
The Chin and Mizo people, who
share an ancestry, have similar
physical appearance, food habits
and accents. Yet, life is not easy
for them. Most asylum seekers
hire themselves out as cheap daily
wage earners on construction sites,
agriculture fields, markets and in
local Mizo households. "Our people
frequently face rights violations
here (Mizoram), says Pu Win, a
Chin activist. The Chin are worried
specially about medical care and
education for their children. Yet
they are reluctant (read scared) to
go back to their native places in
Burma," he says.
Asylum seekers from Mynamar
in New Delhi face even more trouble
as they are physically dissimilar
and their culture, religion and
language are different too. New
Delhi gives shelter to more than
8000 registered Burmese refugees,
but it is actually home to another
10000, half of them women and
children, who have travelled over
2200 km from Mizoram to enrol
with the office of United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR). India is yet to adopt a
specific refugee protection policy,
resulting in persistent confusion
VIDURA April-June 2014
about legitimate rights. Moreover,
India is not a signatory to the 1951
UN Refugee Convention or a 1967
refugee status protocol.
"As there is no procedural
mechanism for protecting the
refugees in India, the Burmese
refugee women have to struggle
for their basic necessities such as
food, clothing and shelter in New
Delhi," says M. Kim, a Burmese
exile. In addition, they live with the
constant fear of sexual assault and
physical abuse, he adds. Quoting
a report titled Doke Kha Bon,
with inputs from 20 Chin women
refugees in New Delhi, sponsored
by the Burma Centre Delhi (BCD),
Kim asserted that Delhi remains
unsafe for asylum seekers.
"These women, many of them
widows and single mothers, have
bared their hearts during the
interaction. Every woman has a
pathetic story to tell," says Alana
Golmei, founder-president of Pann
Nu Foundation that prepared
the report. The women and girls
were forced to serve the Myanmar
military as porters and labourers.
Being Christians, they also had
no respite from the Buddhist
dominated military, she said,
adding that sexual assault by the
Burmese soldiers was their worst
nightmare there.
However, their lives in New
Delhi are turning into another
nightmare. They allege that they
are victims of physical abuse,
molestation, sexual assault and
discrimination everywhere they
go, be it at their rented apartments,
workplaces, public spaces or even
public roads. Voices are now being
raised in support of reviewing
the government policy, taking
into consideration the Burmese
refugees.
"With news of the democratisation
of Myanmar, Indians want refugees
to leave this country, as India has
enough problems to deal with,
says Dr Tint Swe, a physician
and an exile in India for decades.
Conceding that in general, Indians
are kind to the refugees, he claims
that the situation in Myanmar is
still not safe enough for the refugees
to return. Many refugee families
remain apprehensive about their
future in their native country, as
they fear that the Myanmar Army
might have confiscated their lands
and destroyed their properties.
Finding it difficult to survive even
in India, these refugees are now
seeking relocation in a third country
to live a life of dignity. <
(The writer is a senior journalist based
in Assam. He is the secretary of the
Guwahati Press Club.)

Media programmes open at Anna University

The Department of Media Sciences, CEG Campus, Anna University, Chennai, offers the following masters degree
programmes:

Degree programmes Eligibility

M Sc Electronic Media (5 years Integrated) Plus Two (with Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics)

M Sc Science and Technology (Journalism)

Communication (2 years) B Sc/ B CA/ BE/ BTech/ BA
M Sc Electronic Media (2 years)

The programmes combine the aesthetics of media and the technicality of science. They equip students with skills
for journalism and for producing audio, video and animated programmes. Students also learn web designing,
e-learning, public relations, advertising, development communication, game development and social media. The
degree programme on Science and Technology Communication is similar to that of Electronic Media except for a tilt
towards Science. It also has components of M Sc (Environmental Science). Application forms may be downloaded
from the University website: www.annauniv.edu or got in person from the university ofce. For details, please <
contact: 044-22358242/32/41/45 or email: arulram@annauniv.edu.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 41

 Our job is to spread happiness
and cheer
The Vikatan Group is heading to a landmark 90 years. Over several decades, it has served readers well, engaged
with them in different ways and carved a special position for itself in the publishing world. All through, the philosophy
that kept the Group close to readers and drove its growth was simply: the Customer is King and if you deliver value,
he or she will pay. Its a philosophy that will continue to propel the Groups growth in the decades ahead. Whether
print or online, understanding the medium well and getting your message across clearly is the key. Vikatan Group
managing director Srinivasan knows this only too well. He responded to Sashi Nairs questions by email. Today, as
his team engages with readers digitally, Srinivasan says that if used and integrated with print right, digital offers a
tremendous opportunity for Indian publishers

T
he Vikatan Group is 86 years old if we consider 1928 as its beginning when S.S. Vasan took charge of
a humour magazine and built it into a successful weekly. How has the journey been over the years
especially in the past two decades after the advent of the Internet boom?
Vikatan is 88 years young Think nothing but happiness and joy for all (customers), a loose translation of the
motto that has been driving the Vikatan Group for these past nine decades, continues to be relevant in all spheres
of activity that we do today. That customer is King and all we do is with their happiness in mind is relevant today
and, say, for the next 88 years?
In the past two decades, we have been consolidating even as we grow. Consolidating our position as market
leader in every sphere we have got into, and growing strong on the grouting of that very position. Even as we hear
ever-louder voices about the irrelevance of the printed word, we have expanded our magazine portfolio from two
to 12 magazines.
More than a decade ago, television was supposed to have wiped us off, but we are editorially and distribution-
wise stronger and deeper than ever before; Our engagement with the audience has become more frequent and rich
through various activations like Aval Vikatan Jolly Day and Chutti Vikatan Color Galatta.
Less than a decade ago, with the onset of the Web and free content, traditional media was yet again written off.
With the launch and growth of vikatan.com in 1997 and even as we supposedly committed hara-kiri in 2005 by
going pay, Vikatan has struck frightfully close to its simple philosophy
that customer is king deliver value to them and they will pay showing
the world that going pay on the Internet is not taboo rather, the only
way out.
Yet again, social media and YouTube are supposed to spell the death
knell for the traditional media company. But with more than one million
likes and over 100000 daily people talking about us across social clusters,
Vikatan has yet again shown that if you understand the medium well
enough, you can get the message across quite clearly.
TV and the Internet boom has only helped us adapt better, in getting
brand Vikatan to all parts of the globe at the same time, reaching out
to ever new customers to satisfy and keep happy. Whether in the
outskirts of Madurai or in downtown Manhattan, Vikatans job is to
spread happiness. Tell me, how many brands and companies can make
good business out of spreading cheer? We can!

What has led to the unprecedented success of Ananda Vikatan over

Photos: VMS

the years how has it managed to attract readers? Is it partly due to

B. Srinivasan, MD, Vikatan Group.
the fact that every issue has something for each member of the family
be it politics, literature, cinema and human interest features? Or is it
humour or what you may call trademark wit?
Unprecedented may be an overstatement but I think it is offering
relevant information for each member of the family served with

42 VIDURA April-June 2014


The cover page of a recent Ananda Vikatan 3D issue.
trademark Vikatan wit that keeps
us relevant.
Let me clarify that Wit does
not just mean just joking around
Wit has a purpose. To reach
knowledge and information to an
intended audience in a fashion that
it gets instantly understood. When
there is purpose, we find means
of delivering it in the appropriate
form, via multiple media offerings.
There has been a series of writers
who have contributed to Ananda
April-June 2014 VIDURA
Vikatan, became household
names and then stars in their own
right Kalki Krishnamurthy, for
example. The magazine continues
to provide a platform for upcoming
writers. Do you think this has also
contributed to the magazines
continuing success?
Vikatan thrives on Talent. Period.
Be it within or from outside. It is in
our core to identify, present and
nurture talent wherever, whenever
and however we find it. In the
world of crowd-sourcing, our job
is that much more dynamic and
exciting. This is what we always
believed in that no one can stop
you from climbing centre-stage if
you are talented enough.
Today, the Vikatan Group has
a bouquet of offerings its not
only Ananda Vikatan and Junior
Vikatan; theres Chutti Vikatan,
Aval Vikatan, Motor Vikatan,
Doctor Vikatan, Sakthi Vikatan,
Pasumai Vikatan and others. Has
it been easy to attract readership
to these different magazines and
how is each one faring?
Nothing comes the easy way.
With the strength of our flagship
magazines Ananda Vikatan, Junior
Vikatan and Aval Vikatan, we
experimented offering various
genres as sections in these mainline
magazines. Every time we had a
sustained, overwhelming reader
response to a niche, we started
our research on that niche. When
research vindicated our gut feeling
about the niche, we launched the
next niche.
In cases like Naanayam, Motor
and Pasumai, (niches: personal
finance, auto and organic cultivation)
we created a niche when none were
available in the retail market (we
still dont have retail competition in
these three categories), popularised
them through our mainstream
magazines, did relevant research,
and then spun off from the flagship
magazines. At the product launch,
the market was already waiting to
receive the product. Subsequently,
each magazine has its own distinct
readership profile and enjoys a
loyal following in their respective
genres.
How many hits a day on average
does vikatan.com register? What
would you say has contributed
to the site being one of the most
visited Indian websites and how
has it grown since you went online
in 1997?
On an average we get close to a
million page views a day. Vikatan.
com gains its popularity from
43
being the digital face of the Vikatan
Group of magazines. Since we
went online we had been giving
our entire content for free till 2004.
When we introduced the pay-wall
in 2005, of course our page views
initially plummeted, leading to loss
of advertising revenue. But this was
more than made up for by the start
of a robust subscription base, which
I can proudly say has transformed
our perception of the digital world
when you provide services of
value, the customer is willing to
pay. However, successive strategies
ensured our quick recovery from
the initial loss of page views and in
these past five years, we have been
growing at a clip.
Current growth can be attributed
to the launch of exclusive digital
sub-brands such as Cinema Vikatan
and News Vikatan which also gets
significant page views. In the past
two years we extended our digital
reach with apps for iOS, Android
and have amassed over a million
likes/followers/subscribers over
Facebook, Twitter and Youube (we
dont buy likes... purely organic digitally, it has given us more
growth).
Why was the pay-wall introduced
in 2005? How does it work and how
have visitors to the site reacted to
it?
I mentioned earlier that we
believed that customers would
be willing pay for good content if
served it in any form, be it print
or online. Ours is a hard pay-wall
where we give out magazine content
as subscription. We also provide
quality news, analysis and special
articles for readers outside the pay-
wall. Since introduction, we have
more than 100,000 subscribers and
the numbers are growing year on
year.
Recent issues of Ananda Vikatan
have come out in the 3D format.
What was the objective behind
the exercise and how is it being
sustained over a series of issues?
Every year post Diwali, till
Christmas/New Year, there is a sort
44
of lull in the market. We wished to
drag on the long tail of festivities
from Diwali till Christmas. We came
up 3D to help add a new dimension
to our reader. The current 3D issue
festival consisted of five issues of
highly entertaining visual content
presented in 3D form. We received
tremendous response both from our
readers as well as clients who had
partnered with us. As this turned
out be a success, we are planning to
continue Vikatans 3D excitement as
an annual post Diwali festival.
Has engaging with readers or
visitors online and with those
using mobile phone apps created
new challenges for the Indian
publisher/ editor, even considering
that the printed newspaper or
magazine continues to do well?
Digital engagement for us is not
a challenge but an opportunity. A
reader has only so much time for
his media consumption, of which a
printed product has to compete with
all other media: TV, radio, digital,
social. As we engage with readers
a situation from an unbiased
knowledge about his/her usage in
that realm. If used and integrated
with print right, I think digital is a
tremendous opportunity for Indian
publishers.
In todays world of breaking
news, news-on-the-go, where the
advertiser calls the shots, does
good content still rule as king?
Breaking news, news-on-the-go,
or long-form or YouTube, wherever,
good content is still and will always
be King. Advertisers have to keep
looking for good content with who
they can partner and explore how
to take their brands to the readers of
good content.
You say you are in the business of
rewarding attention. Can you
elaborate?
Money lost can be earned. Time
lost cannot. That is why we are in the
business of rewarding attention. And
that is why our business is so tricky.
Unless you keep the customers faith
that his/ her time has been well
spent, it is impossible for a media
brand to expect customers to keep
coming back. If you do not reward
his attention, you will be unliked,
unsubscribed, switched off or
replaced.
We at the Vikatan Group believe
that once his attention is rewarded
with suitable content, then the
customer is retained (for the
present). That is, the customer who
rewards us with advertisers, who
in turn need these attentive and
reacting customers of ours. Once
the customer reacts favorably to
the advertiser, the virtuous cycle of
rewarding attention is complete.
But there is no end to this cycle and
we have to keep working on fine-
tuning this cycle all the time.
What for you, or the Vikatan
Group, would constitute high
standards of journalism?
Basically, journalism should
present unbiased facts and views
which should make sense to the
reader, to help him/her understand
perspective in fullness, to help in
making the right decision.
And how do you inculcate such
high standards to your team of
editors, reporters and marketing
staff?
It is imbibed in the Vikatan
culture. Right from our (cub)
student journalist to our editor/
publisher, we always strive for
excellence - whether it is a small
box snippet or a long-form article.
We set high benchmarks editorially
and also in marketing, and
constantly review ourselves while
comparing where we are now and
where we should be. <
VIDURA April-June 2014
 FOR GRAPHIC JOURNALISTS, ILLUSTRATORS IN INDIA

Finding their voice in the

newsroom is challenging
Visual presentation of news is now an integral part of storytelling. The information gathered has to be divided
in what can be expressed with images and what can be said with text. Using charts, timelines, maps, scales and
relationship diagrams, help make information clear and useful to readers. From figurative representations to data-
driven visualisations, infographics fit into different editorial models and reader target groups. Simon Scarr, deputy
head of Graphics for Thomson Reuters, was in New Delhi recently. He was invited by WAN-IFRA South Asia to
conduct a workshop for editors and artists, to help them think visually to conceptualise and execute graphics in their
publications. He sent responses by email to a few questions Sashi Nair had asked him

H
ow is it working as deputy head of Graphics for Thomson Reuters, the worlds largest international
multimedia news provider?
This role for Thomson Reuters is a new challenge for me. The shear volume of journalists and stories
published on a daily basis means there is a lot of content compared to a newspaper. Part of my role is to work
with editors and journalists to prioritise and plan content as well as execute it. With around 2800 journalists in 200
bureaus around the world this is not an easy task. However, this also means we have huge resources to tap. Not
only in numbers and geographically, but also in specialisms. The company also manages a lot of financial data,
which is a great resource. When we do produce content there is a much bigger audience, which also excites me.
Graphics and data are an area the company is very passionate about and were continuously looking to grow and
expand the use of graphics within the organisation. All of these factors make this an exciting role for me and the
challenge of the job and ambition of the organisation is something I thrive on.
Photos: WAN-IFRA

Simon Scarr at the WAN-IFRA workshop in New Delhi.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 45

How do you manage working
simultaneously with your teams
in Singapore, London and New
York?
The structure is designed to
ensure the department functions
24 hours a day across all time
zones. This enables us to react in
real time to news that is happening
around the world. The Graphics
Department has one complete file,
which is covered from three main
desks in New York, London and
Singapore. As one time zone is
approaching the end of their day,
we hold a conference call with
team members of the desk that is
starting their day. We also take part
in a wider news conference call so
we are up to speed with the day or
weeks stories and initiatives.
When and how did your interest
in infographics develop? Can you
explain how you nurtured it and
let it blossom?
After graduating from college,
where I studied general Art &
Design, I found myself looking at
different degrees and universities.
One option that intrigued me
was the Information Graphics
and Newspaper Design course
at Newcastle College, England.
After an interview with the course
leader, I left knowing this was what
I wanted to pursue.
After graduating I worked in
the British press and my interest
continued to grow as I developed my
skills. I also spent this time watching
what other newspapers were
doing and following competitions
and annual information graphics
competitions by the likes of SND
and SNDE. In those days, annual
awards publications were where
you would go to see other work
being showcased. Today, with
social media and the growing
graphics community, there is a lot
more access to work being done
around the world.
Five years later it was time for
a change and I accepted a job with
Reuters News Graphics Service
who had recently relocated to
46
Swati Chakrabarti, deputy art director, HT Media, Mumbai, goes about explaining
an information graphic.
Singapore. I worked for Reuters
for four years covering a range of
breaking news, features and sports
topics before being introduced to a
role with the South China Morning
Post. This role was where I pushed
my limits and knowledge even
further with the freedom and trust
I was given there. My interest in
infographics evolved from an early
interest in the Arts and has continued
to develop through the years with
each opportunity I have been given.
To stay inspired, I follow the work
of other departments around the
world.
At the South China Morning Post
you are said to have played a key
role in transforming the use and
quality of graphics in the paper
and successfully guided the team
to a number of awards. Can you say
something about it?
Being introduced to the role
at the South China Morning Post
was very interesting to me as they
were looking for someone to come
in and help strengthen and build
graphics through the paper. This
was especially intriguing because it
was my first opportunity to shape
graphics my way.
I think the editorial culture
and attitude towards graphics
changed a lot in the two years I was
there. Initially the appreciation
for infographics was not as
sophisticated and the primary
role of graphics was to look good
and the substance and quality
of information was secondary.
Changing this perception, along
with other bad graphic expectations
was one of my priorities to address.
I wanted to show that graphics can
have just as much impact through
the story they tell, by keeping
them clear and easy to understand,
rather than being embellished with
unnecessary artwork. This proved
to be a challenge, but by the end of
my time there, graphics that told a
strong story in a clean and clear way
were the norm and editors trusted
our opinion on visual storytelling.
Positive feedback internally
and externally led to an increase
in appetite for graphics in the
paper. This in turn gave us more
editorial space on the news pages
and greater opportunities, which
resulted in some award-winning
work.
VIDURA April-June 2014
Scarr is flanked by participants at the workshop, which provided insight and advice on measures that can be implemented to
get the best from the team and outlined the making of graphics from initial thought to published material.
What have been some of your
most satisfying moments while at
work?
I'm very lucky to have had a
number of satisfying moments,
particularly over the past few
years and driven mostly by new
challenges. At the SCMP I had the
opportunity to be able to shape the
whole landscape of information
graphics at a major publication,
which was something I had worked
towards from the start of my career.
To have done that successfully
is something I am very proud of,
given the responsibility it carried.
Being recognized for my work
by Malofiej and SND was also very
special. It is always rewarding to
work very hard on projects you
are passionate about and have
them appreciated by your peers.
It was personally gratifying but
also good for the department to
be recognised on an international
stage for our work. Finally, the
most recent challenge in my career
has been with my recent return
to Reuters. This new role brings
new responsibility, which has been
satisfying in its own right.
April-June 2014 VIDURA
You still continue to learn everyday,
dont you? How do you bring
pleasure to work such as yours,
which is often not quite easy?
Absolutely. There should never
come a point where you know
everything. You should constantly
learn from your mistakes and also
from the work and practices of
others. For me, pleasure comes
in creating or directing a graphic
that tells an interesting story to
the reader. A graphic that analyses
an issue or reveals something that
would otherwise not have been
noticed such as a trend.
Do you think that if a paper has
to be visually appealing you must
have staff photographers with the
requisite expertise? In other words,
would you rather have a reporter
to double up as photographer?
I dont think this is a factor
that will determine whether
a newspaper can be visually
appealing as a whole. There are
many things that can determine if
a newspaper is visually appealing.
However, I think it is important
to have both of those skill sets at
a publication. Well-trained and
experienced photographers have
the expertise to capture incredible
emotion in photographs and also
have the ability to know when and
where to be in order to capture the
best pictures. Having a reporter
who is also familiar with a camera
and knows the fundamentals of
taking good pictures is also a huge
advantage as it allows them to
capture moments as they happen
on location or in breaking news
situations where they may be the
only member of staff on the scene.
India is a reading society; has a
reading culture. The scope for
infographics and making pages
interesting is huge?
India still has a healthy appetite
for printed press and newspapers
across India aren't as rich in
graphics and intelligent design as
other regions. This creates huge
potential for information graphics
and quality design. The fact India
has a reading culture also presents
the challenge of opening people's
minds to processing information
visually. This must start with
47
editors in the newsroom before the
reader.
Feedback from the graphic
journalists and illustrators in the
recent workshop I conducted in
Delhi was that they're already on
board with the concept of improved
visual communication but finding
space in the newspaper and
confidence to find their voice in the
newsroom has been challenging.
This will shift in time and I have no
doubt the industry here will catch
up to some other parts of the world
as interest and appetite develops.
Perhaps all we need is one
publication to take the leap and
push the boundaries to make
strong visual communication and
cutting-edge design part of its
philosophy. If done correctly, the
rest would follow suit as it is an
intuitive progression. We are not
removing the way people have
always digested the news here,
the papers would still carry stories
to read, but they would also carry
the huge added value of thought-
provoking design and information
communication through high
quality infographics.
How do you rate todays young
designers?
I think it's important to have a
younger perspective on your team
to compliment the experienced
members. Young designers and
infographic journalists come from a
different background than the older
generation who started their careers
drawing pen-and-ink graphics in the
newsroom. Many have computer
science backgrounds and are fluent
in computer language and coding
which is critical in the present and
future of our industry. Newspapers
will be around for a long time but
the digital influence is growing and
already higher priority than print
in many parts of the world. With
youth also comes the advantage of
hunger and passion to do well. This
ambition keeps the bar high and
pushes everyone to stay current
which is essential.
48
How important is visual imagery
for a newspaper or an Internet
site?
I think images are vital in both
print and online news. A good
photograph can provoke thought
or stir emotion before a reader
even starts to read. It could also
be what persuades the audience
to read the story in the first place.
It can be very daunting to look at
a full page of mostly text. A lot of
people will be deterred by this and
not be in the right frame of mind
to read into, what could be a very
good but long story. Other visuals
such as intelligent design, correct
use of white space, illustration and
information graphics also play key
roles in accompanying text stories.
The reader needs to be stimulated in
different ways, not just reading.
Often, taking good pictures is not
enough. Would you agree?
Good photography in a
newspaper is something to be
proud of and is a huge advantage
to accompany text. Sometimes
a newspaper does have to look
further to other areas of stimulation.
Great illustration is something that
can portray an opinion, humor or
emotion as well as help with a great
looking page. Information graphics
are also important in cases where
theres a need to visually explain
complex information or data.
How important today is the
cropping and placement of pictures
on newspaper pages?
I think the correct use of
photography on news pages is very
important. The way a picture is used
can provoke thought or stir emotion
before a reader even starts to read.
It could also be what persuades
the audience to read the story in
the first place. Admittedly, picture
editing is not my background
and I have limited experience in
the field, but I can say for certain
that the placement, shape, size
and correct page structure around
an infographic can make a huge
difference to the graphic itself and
the page overall. Graphics and page
layout departments must have
good communication and be on the
same page (no pun intended) in
order to have success on paper.
Can improved design attract
newspaper readership?
I believe so. If something looks
attractive or interesting someone
will be more likely to give it
more attention. This could be the
difference of someone picking
up the paper a few times and
ultimately starting to buy it. I also
think the younger generation of
news readers is more likely to
read something that looks fresh
and interesting as theyre more
familiar with the wealth of visual
stimulation these days across all
media outlets.
What did you hope to achieve
from your workshop in Delhi?
The main objectives of the
workshop were to:
1. Provide insight and advice
on measures departments
can implement to get the best
from their team. Including
department structure and
alternative options to bolster
output, tools and skills needed,
software and implementation
techniques.
2. Distill good working practices
on how graphics are made from
initial thought to published
material. This included the role
of others in the news room,
particularly on daily breaking
news graphics.
3. Remind everyone that they're
journalists. I also wanted to
break the school of thought
that the graphics department
is a service department, which
responds to requests pre-
planned by the reporter.
And finally just to have some
fun and help fuel the evolution
of infographics in this part of the
world. <
VIDURA April-June 2014
RAVINDRA KUMAR AT INS PLATINUM JUBILEE

Newspaper industry faces

existential crises
B
eyond the rituals of a landmark celebration, there are important facets of our life as a society of newspapers
that must be acknowledged. We are 75. By virtue of our age, and our experience, we must be presumed to
possess a mature appreciation of the needs of the newspaper industry. We have faced several crises in the
years gone by. We have dealt with these with equanimity and occasionally, even with a degree of skill.
But it must be noted that this jubilee is being celebrated even as the newspaper industry faces an existential
crisis, one whose contours haven't quite been appreciated by various stakeholders including government and
newspaper employees. A recent judgment of the Supreme Court, upholding the validity of an Act that ought
to have been circumscribed or even repealed by the legislature for its lack of relevance to 21st Century India,
threatens to drive many of us to closure and it may do so after it has taken a severe toll on the industrial peace we
have so carefully nurtured. Our forbearers crafted beneficial legislation that took into account the newspaper's
capacity to pay. In other words, it was aimed at being a sustainable model of wage determination. Now, in the
hands of authority, it has empowered a prescription that is far divorced from even the newspaper's capacity to
earn.
It ill behoves me as head of a premier industry body to wonder on its 75th birthday if it will survive until its
100th. Such dire thoughts might even be considered inauspicious. But the crisis that looms and the storm clouds
that have gathered, are direly ominous and therefore these fears must be voiced. Someone wise once said books
and minds work only when they are open; both literally and metaphorically this is valid for newspapers as well.
There are other challenges, too. The health of newspapers is undermined by the presence of other media. It is
undermined by occasionally intrusive policies of the government that impact our sustainability. It is undermined
by rising costs, especially by the fall in the value of the rupee that directly impacts our cost of production, since
a large quantity of newsprint that we consume is still imported.
It is undermined by advertisement policies of central and state
governments that elevate to a fine art the subvention by newspapers
of the state's messages to citizens.
Equally, it must be admitted that the health of newspapers is also
undermined by the actions of some of us, especially by a phenomenon
such as paid news that strikes at the very roots of an independent
press. Unhealthy competition, predicated on the desire to consolidate
media power, assails the democratic commandment to present a
plurality of views.
These challenges too must be addressed. The point I wish to
emphasise though is that the Society, as a responsible body of
newspapers and periodicals, is quite capable of dealing with
challenges, provided it is allowed to do so. The fact that we are 75
underlines our maturity; it ought not to give rise to the belief that we
either need assisted living or judicially-directed euthanasia.
We note with some alarm and considerable dismay that the solution
of those in authority is to legislate or to impose regulations on us,
when we are quite capable of determining solutions and imposing
these on ourselves. Amendments to the Press and Registration of
Photo: Internet

Books legislation, especially moves to link content to licensing, are

a case in point. The continuance of the anachronism of wage boards,
withdrawn from every other industry, is another. Artificial and
arbitrary fixation of government advertisement rates, is yet another.
Newspapers disseminate knowledge. They empower citizens. They
play a critical role in nation-building. They nurture the intellect, and Ravindra Kumar addressing the gathering.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 49

offer a cerebral counterpoint to the
occasionally mindless shenanigans
of other media. A democracy thus
owes it to itself to ensure that its
newspapers are empowered to be
free, to be fearless.
A jubilee is a milestone and our
commemorative book to mark this
milestone, quotes the first prime
minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru,
extolling the virtues of a free press
in these ringing words:
''To my mind, the freedom of
the press is not just a slogan from
the larger point of view, but it is an
essential attribute of the democratic
process. I have no doubt that even if
the government dislikes the liberties
taken by the press and considers
them dangerous, it is wrong to
interfere with the freedom of the
press. By imposing restrictions, you
do not change anything; you merely
suppress the public manifestation
of certain things, thereby causing
the idea and thought underlying
them to spread further. Therefore, I
would rather have a completely free
press with all the dangers involved
in the wrong use of that freedom,
than a suppressed or regulated
press.''
These are the words of a liberal;
they are words that deserve to be
cast on tablets and placed in every
newspaper office and in various
nodal ministries of the press. But
it is the slow poisoning of the well
of liberalism that has compromised
the completely free press Nehru had
envisioned. On this occasion, our
platinum jubilee, it is important for
all of us those inside newspapers
and those responsible for policy
to revisit the basics of freedom and
liberalism, and to craft a path that
makes newspapers both relevant
and viable.
In presenting the first copy of
this book to the nation's first citizen,
it is this Society's earnest wish and
prayer that winds of change will
fan the fires of freedom, and cleanse
us of the occasional intolerance
that has dogged the polity. As
James Madison said more than 200
years ago, "I believe there are more
instances of the abridgment of the
freedom of the people by gradual
and silent encroachments of those
in power, than by violent and
sudden usurpations."
It is these silent encroachments
that we must cast aside as we chart
a course for the future.
<
(The article is reproduced from
The Times of India. The writer is
president, Indian Newspaper Society.
These are excerpts from a speech by
him on February 27.)

Press freedom in Mexico under threat

Press freedom in Mexico faces widespread and growing threats from soft censorship that includes government
use of nancial incentives and penalties to pressure news media, punish critical reporting, and reward favourable
coverage, according to a new report released by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
(WAN-IFRA). While Mexican journalists are frequently targets of physical attack, soft censorship is another more
subtle and very signicant danger to press freedom, the report warns.
Buying Compliance: Governmental Advertising and Soft Censorship in Mexico demonstrates how Mexicos
federal and state governments deploy nancial power to pressure media outlets and penalize critical reporting. The
report was produced by WAN-IFRA and the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), in cooperation with
the Mexico-based human rights organisation, Fundar Center for Analysis and Research, and the Mexico ofce of
Article 19.
Although less visible than the terrible violence directed against journalists in Mexico, soft censorship is highly
insidious and must be recognised for the very serious threat it poses to media independence and press freedom, in
Mexico and around the world, says WAN-IFRA CEO, Vincent Peyrgne. Unlike direct assaults on press freedom,
soft censorship is far more subtle and rarely generates similar levels of international outrage.
The practice of soft censorship, or indirect government censorship, includes a variety of actions intended to
influence media, short of closures, imprisonments, direct censorship of specic content, or physical attacks on media
outlets or journalists. The report reveals that allocation of government advertising in Mexico is the most widely
applied method of soft censorship. Without clear and precise rules, it is used as a means to influence or even
blackmail media owners and journalists. Detailed research and extensive interviewing expose how federal and local
governments use ofcial advertising to shape editorial lines as well as to push partisan agendas, selectively funding
media outlets that support certain ofcials and their policies.
The report calls for fair and transparent rules to promote development of an independent media sector. Its nine
recommendations are designed as a launching point for wider reforms that are urgently needed to help the Mexican
press fulll their essential role in promoting democracy, pluralism and accountability. <

50 VIDURA April-June 2014

HISTORY OF KANNADA JOURNALISM

A rich tradition of heroism,

patriotism
A
s in many other parts of India, Christian missionaries were the pioneers of Kannada
journalism. The first Kannada newspaper, Mangaloora Samachara, a fortnightly, was
published in Mangalore in 1843. Rev Herman Moegling of the Basel Mission was its
editor and publisher. Although its main objective was to propagate Christianity, it carried
government circulars and notifications and also published news of importance and of local
interest. After a year it was shifted to Bellary where it assumed a new name, Kannada Samachara.
But it did not live long in its new habitat.
It may be noted that before Independence and the reorganisation of the states, Kannada
journalism was spread over two princely states (Mysore and Hyderabad) and two provinces
of British India (Bombay and Madras). The publishing centres were Mysore and Bangalore
Mrinal Chatterjee
in Mysore State, Belgaum, Dharwar and Hubli (Bombay), Mangalore (Madras), Gulburga
(Hyderabad). In Mysore State it had to struggle for existence in the face of repressive measures by the state
administration and it also had to face the wrath of the British rulers outside for espousing the cause of freedom
and solidarity with the forces of nationalism. The Kannada press has had a proud record in the freedom struggle
under the leadership of Gandhiji, and the sacrifices made and the persecution and imprisonment suffered by the
great Kannada journalists have left a rich tradition of heroism and patriotism.
Belgaum has the distinction of bringing out the first Kannada weekly, Subuddhir Prakasha, in 1849. In Mysore,
which was the home of Kannada newspapers in the later half of the 19th Century, Mysore Vrittanta Bodhini, a
weekly, appeared in 1859 with Bhasyam Tirumalacharya as the editor. It was patronised by the Maharaja of
Mysore and carried news of government activities. It lasted till 1864. The Mysore Government published an Anglo-
Kannada weekly, Mysore Gazette, in 1866. L. Rickett, its first editor, not only published government notifications
and circulars but also other news and views and even criticism of government policy. The first Kannada daily,
Suryodaya Prakashika, was published in Bangalore in 1888 by B. Narasinga Rao but very soon its periodicity had to
be changed to a weekly for financial reasons.
M. Venkatakrishnaiah (18441933), considered by many as the father of Kannada journalism brought out his
weekly, Vrittanta Chintamani, in 1885, in Mysore. He laid the foundation for modern Kanada journalism. His
writings were marked by simplicity, directness and effectiveness. He was sensitive, intelligent, honest, learned,
unsparing in his views and disciplined in public and private conduct. He had a reformers zeal. He fought
the government with his pen and he was a hero to his readers. He was a member of the Mysore Representative
Assembly and a philanthropist. He started educational institutions, hostels and orphanages and made a donation
to the University of Mysore to be used to give a prize to the best student in journalism if and when such a course
was started (it took 30 years for the university to start a course in journalism). Venkatakrishniah started more
than 10 newspapers in Kannada and English. Among them, the Kannada journals were Sampadabhyudaya, a daily
(1912), and Sadhwi, a weekly. Two journalists trained by him, M. Gopala lyengar and M. Srinivasa Lyengar, started
Kannadia Nadegannadi in Bangalore in 1895. It became popular and had great influence on the readers.
In 1908, the Mysore Government enacted the Mysore Newspaper Regulation Act under which permission of
the government had to be obtained before publishing a newspaper. It was laid down that the government could
withdraw permission for any newspaper at any time and those who published newspapers without permission
or continued to publish after withdrawal of permission could be prosecuted. A victim of the Act was the editor
of Kannada Nadegannadi who was deported from the state. Bharathi, a nationalist daily started in 1907, was shut
down. Venkatakrishnaiah protested against the press regulation and closed down his newspapers as a gesture
of solidarity. The Press Act was modified during the regime of Dewan Visveswarayya and Venkatakrishnaiah
resumed publication of his papers.
Between 1880 and 1908, a number of Kannada newspapers appeared. Among them were: Kannada Kesari
(Hubli, 1888), Vokkligara Patrika (Bangalore, 1907) and Arthasadhaka Patrika (1914). During the period, many women

April-June 2014 VIDURA 51

Photos: MC
M. Venkatakrishnaiah, considered
by many as the Father of Kannada
Journalism.
journalists made their entry into
the profession and among them
were T. Sanjeevamma (Shagyodaya
1914, Shimoga) and Tirumalamma
(Karnataka Nandini, 1916, Mysore).
The early part of the 20th Century
was also notable for the work of a
distinguished Kannada journalist,
D. V. Gundappa. A scholar in
Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil
and English, Gundappa started a
Kannada daily, Samachar Sangraha,
in Bangalore in 1907. It was
followed by a weekly, Sumati (1909).
Another weekly, Karnataka, lived
for 14 years. The language used by
Gundappa was scholarly. However,
it exercised great influence on the
public and administration.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak exercised
great influence on the Kannada press
in the first two decades of the 20th
Century, especially in the Kannada-
speaking area of the Bombay
Presidency. Among Kannada
journalists who were influenced
by Tilak were Alur Venkat Rao,
who founded Jayakarnataka in
1922, Hardekar Manjappa whose
Dhanurdhari carried translation
of Tilaks articles in Kesari, and
Sitarama Sastri who started
Veerakesari. Alur Venkat Rao was
one of the earliest writers to plead
for unification of Karnataka (which
was achieved after Independence).
52
Front pages of editions of Kannada Prabha and Vijay Karnataka.
Other newspapers which made
important contributions to the
political movement were Chandrodaya
(1913), Karmaveera, (1921), Sachitra
Bharata (1913), K. Vasudevacharyas
Shubhodaya (1917), and Vijaya (1921).
All the papers were published
from Dharwar. Kannadiga (1925),
published from Bagalkot, was also a
politically influential paper.
In 1921, Tirumala Tatacharya
Sharma started Viswakarnataka,
which played an important role
in promoting the national cause
and incurred the hostility of the
government. For 20 years, Sharma
launched a crusade for freedom,
made great sacrifices, suffered
imprisonment and refused to submit
to the dictates of the government.
The paper was suppressed in 1929
by the state government for its
reports of riots in Bangalore. On the
occasion, editors of two other papers,
Sitaram Sastri of Veerakesari and
Aswathanarayan Rao of Navjeevana,
were prosecuted for sedition and
sent to jail. Viswakarnataka, which had
a different editor and management,
in 1942, played a significant role
during the Quit India Movement. It
was again suppressed in 1944 for an
alleged seditious editorial and an
open letter to the Viceroy. It was
revived in 1945.
Tainadu, founded in 1926 in
Mysore by P. R. Ramaiya (1894-
1970), was another nationalist
newspaper. It started as a weekly
and then moved over to Bangalore
where it was converted into a
daily in 1929. It fought hard for
responsible government in the state
and the national cause. Ramaiya
and P. H. Srinivas, who became its
editor later, courted imprisonment
in 1943. Tainadu celebrated its silver
jubilee in 1952.
Samyukta Karnataka, published
from Hubli, was in the vanguard
of the freedom movement in north
Karnataka. It was started as a weekly
in Belgaum in 1929 but it moved to
Hubli and became a daily in 1933.
Its sponsors were Kabbur Madhwa
Rao, Rama Rao Hukkerikar and R.
R. Diwakar. It became a byword in
Karnataka journalism and its most
famous editor was H. R. Mohray.
Mohray came from a family of
journalists and was connected with
Karnataka Vaibhavak, one of the
oldest Kannada weeklies in Bijapur
started by his ancestors. Mohray,
VIDURA April-June 2014

P.R. Ramaiya (seated), who founded
Tainadu.
who in the post-Independence
period became a national figure,
being president of the Indian and
Eastern Newspaper Society and a
director of the Press Trust of India,
was editor of Samyukta Karnataka
for over 25 years. He made the
paper the authentic voice of the
leaders of the freedom struggle and
it enjoyed immense popularity in
north Karnataka.
During the police action in
Hyderabad after Independence,
Samyukta Karnataka played a
prominent part. The Nizam banned
its entry into Gulburga and other
areas of Hyderabad. However,
Mohray managed to smuggle the
paper into Nizams territory. He
was an ideal journalist who was
endowed with rich common sense
and who hated personal publicity.
He went to jail during the Salt
Satyagraha. He had two objectives:
Swaraj (Self Rule - Independence)
and Akanda (United) Karnataka,
and he saw them realised during
his lifetime. The people of north
Karnataka were so fond of Samyukta
April-June 2014 VIDURA
Front pages of Prajavani and Udayavani.
Karnataka that when in 1940 it
faced a financial crisis, they came
forward and raised a fund to meet
its commitments. Unfortunately,
after the passing away of Mohray
in 1960, the paper was involved
in litigation which continued for a
long time.
A powerful weekly in Dharwar
in 1921 was Karmaveer which carried
on in the face of heavy odds and
official persecution its mission to
propagate the message of freedom.
R. R. Diwakar was its editor and
Madhwa Rao its publisher. At one
time Diwakar was arrested for the
papers anti-government attitude.
Karmaveer later moved on to Hubli.
Its most notable editor was H. R.
Purohit who held the post for 30
years.
B. N. Gupta, an enterprising
journalist, started many journals
during the freedom movement.
He started Prajamata, a weekly, in
Madras in 1931 and then brought it
to Bangalore. It was banned by the
state government and was shifted to
Hubli (then in Bombay Presidency).
When its entry into Mysore state was
banned, Gupta changed the name
of the journal to Prajamitra and
sold it in Mysore and Bangalore. M.
S. Gurupadaswami was its editor.
Gupta started a daily, Janvani in
1934 to promote the national cause.
He later sold it to an industrialist of
Bombay.
There was no Kannada daily
in Mangalore (which until the
recognisation of states after
independence was part of the
Madras Presidency) until 1941
although it was the birthplace of a
number of weeklies, as many as ten
at one time. The daily, Navabharata,
which appeared in 1941 under the
editorship of V. S. Kudva is still
going strong today. The Udayavani
of Manipal (1970) and its sister
illustrated weekly Taranga (1983)
are also popular.
The most widely circulated
Kannada daily by early 2014 was
Prajavani. Founded in 1948 in
Bangalore by K. N. Guruswamy,
it was first published in 1948 as a
sister paper of Deccan Herald. B.
Puttaswamiah was its first editor.
Prajavani has a history of being a
politically independent newspaper;
it is known for espousing the causes
53
of Dalits, encouraging women's
empowerment and taking pro-poor
positions on economic issues. The
weekly, Sudha, published by the
group (Printers Mysore) is also
very popular. The Indian Express
groups Kannada Prabha was brought
out in 1957 with N. S. Sitarama
Sastri as editor. Other newspapers
which have earned a name after
1980 are Lakwani, Bangalore (1974),
Vishala Karnaataka, Hubli (1947),
Janamitra, Chikmagalur (1969) and
Nadoja, Belgaum (1974). Prapancha,
an influential weekly in Hubli was
published in 1954 by Patil Puttappa
who was also its editor.
Towards the end of 1984, there
were 687 newspapers in Kannada,
including 93 dailies. The total
circulation of newspapers was
2155000. Six hundred and three
newspapers were published
from Karnataka and the rest
from Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala
and Tamil Nadu. Three of the
eight big dailies had a circulation
of more than a lakh. Prajavani
was the largest circulated daily
and Sudha the largest circulated
weekly. By 2007-08, there were
the FM channel of AIR Rainbow,
several private FM channels were
operating in Bangalore, Mangalore
and Mysore.
Television
Television reached Karnataka
with Doordarshan. The first Kannada
serial Sihikahi (meaning bittersweet
in Kannada) was produced and
directed by H.N.K. Murthy and
transmitted by DD Bangalore in
1983. A regional language satellite
channel (DD 9) was launched on 15
August 1991, which became a 24-
hour channel on 1st January 2000.
It was rechristened DD Chandana
in 1994. Operated by Prasar Bharati
and supported by Doordarshan
studios in Bangalore and Gulbarga,
DD Chandana has entertainment
serials, infotainment programmes,
news and current affairs, social
programmes and film programmes
as its major content. Udaya TV was
the first private channel to broadcast
in Kannada. Other Kannada
channels that broadcast in Kannada
include Ushe TV, Zee Kannada,
U2 and Asianet Suvarna. Samaya,
the first Kannada language 24-
hour news channel, was launched
in June 2010. Another 24-hour
Kannada language news television
channel, Public TV, was launched
on 26th January, 2012. There are
several channels now airing news
24x7 in Kannada. <
(The author, a journalist-turned-
media academician, presently
heads the Eastern India campus
of the Indian Institute of Mass
Communication located in
Dhenkanal, Odisha. Besides teaching
Communication he also writes
columns and fiction. This article is
the ninth in a series on the history of
regional language journalism in India.
The ones on Bengali, Urdu, Hindi,
Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and
Malayalam journalism have appeared
in previous issues.)

Grassroots appears
2610 publications, including 493
daily and 573 weekly newspapers.
According to the figures released
by IRS (Indian Readership survey)
Q-3 2010, the top five most read
Kannada daily papers were: Vijay
Karnataka( average issue readership:
in print again
34.25 lakh), Prajavani (29.10 lakh), Dear Reader,
Samyukta Karnataka (11.31 lakh), With increasing printing costs, the Press Institute of India,
Kannada Prabha (11.15 lakh), and a non-prot organisation, was compelled to stop publication
Udayavani (8.90 lakh).
of the printed edition of Grassroots with effect from January
Radio 2013 and make it an e-journal. However, due to repeated
The first private radio requests from readers and development agencies, Grassroots
broadcasting station in India was set has appeared in print once again, starting with the April 2014
up in Mysore in Karnataka, when issue. Existing subscribers will receive a copy. Those who wish
Akashvani (meaning voice from the
sky) was set up on September 10,
to subscribe, kindly note: the annual subscription amount is
1935. In 1957, the word Akashvani Rs.180. Payment by (at par) cheque or DD favouring Press
was chosen as the official name of Institute of India can be sent to the Director, PII-RIND,
All India Radio. Karnataka was RIND Premises, Second Main Road, Taramani CPT Campus,
the first state to have a private FM Chennai 600 113.
radio station. Radio City FM started Director and Publisher
broadcasting in Bangalore on
July 3, 2001. By mid-2013, besides

54 VIDURA April-June 2014

 Media has kept a critical eye on government: PM
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Information Minister Manish Tewari on Wednesday celebrated the
growth of the media but lamented the aberrations that have crept into the Fourth Estate. Both were speaking at the
valedictory function of Malayala Manoramas 125th anniversary celebrations here.
As the media has grown in size and evolved over the years, some aberrations have also crept in, Singh said. It
is for the media itself to nd ways and means of removing the deciencies it suffers from, he added. But the Prime
Minister maintained that the media had served the country well in disseminating information, educating the public
and keeping a critical eye on the working of the government.
Earlier, Tewari echoed similar sentiments. The media landscape has transformed exponentially over the past
two decades. This transformation has brought its own set of challenges to the media industry. Primary among them
being the paradox of the short fuse increased information dissemination mechanisms and increased intolerance
of the other point of view.
Referring to the crisis facing the print industry worldwide in the face of competition from the new media, Tewari
said: India seems to have bucked the trend. According to industry estimates, the Indian newspaper market will be
the only one to grow at a double-digit compounded annual growth rate of 10 per cent and would emerge as the
worlds sixth-largest newspaper market by 2017 as per industry reports on media and entertainment.
With 94067 registered publications, including 12511 newspapers and 81556 periodicals in several languages
being published weekly, fortnightly, and monthly, India was one of the major publication hubs of the world, Tewari
said.
About the regional language print sector, the minister said it was growing on the back of rising literacy and
low print media penetration, as well as the heightened interest of advertisers wanting to leverage these markets.
Expressing the view that there is a strong need for further consolidation of the vernacular segment in a diverse
country like India, the Minister pointed out that the print media was dominated by the buoyancy of the language
markets.
Hindi and vernacular publications contribute 60 per cent of the revenues and cater to 89 per cent of the total
readership. Our traditional media would continue to grow if they embark upon strong regional content, which
resonates with the aspirations of people, he said. <

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being presented a memento by Malayala Manorama editor-in-
chief Mammen Mathew as Defence Minister A.K. Antony looks on during the groups valedictory
function of its 125th anniversary in New Delhi.

April-June 2014 VIDURA 55

Book Review
A useful projection of realities on
the ground
THE CHALLENGE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
(Revised and enlarged second edition)
Author: C.K. Sardana
Publisher: Har-Anand Publications,
New Delhi
Price: Rs 225
Recipient of several awards on the subject from state
and Central governments, the author has served as an
PR practitioner for three decades in the Maharatna
PSU, BHEL, in addition to being professor and HOD
in Indias first journalism university, Makhanlal
Chaturvedi National University, for many years. With
his academic strength combined with professionalism
in the chosen field, he has rightly decided to put
down his thoughts on Public Relations in a compact
200-page book. When we lack such quality books
on the subject in the Indian context, no wonder it is
welcomed by both academics and professionals alike.
56
It is to be noted that the book when first published
almost two decades ago was at once noticed by the
academic bodies such as the department of journalism
and mass communication and included in the syllabi
of many colleges.
During the past of couple of decades, the PR
scene has completely changed. It has become more
professional and much more challenging. The need
for a book of this kind is felt more now than at any
time and is to be welcomed as it fills the void.
Mainly, the job of a PR man is to communicate.
Communicate effectively. The author, in his preface
to the first edition, tells that the lesson that was taught
to him on his first day in the college six decades ago
was Write. The books success is mainly due to its
projection of ground realities with live experiences.
Sardanas advice to his readers is keep your eyes
and ears open, have confidence in yourself and act
smart, intelligent and fast as per requirements of
diverse situations faced by you in and around your
organizations.
Beginning with the current scenario of the PR,
the 18 chapters that cover the subject threadbare
are lucid. In each chapter, the author divides the
subject into separate subheadings and presents his
viewpoints within the realms of the subject in focus.
According to the author, PR communicators are
expected to build bridges and stimulate the climate of
mutual understanding and appreciation between the
organisation and a large body of the public. The present
and future are exciting phases for the PR practitioners
as they would be intellectually challenging.
Chapter 6, Image Building Abroad, is an important
one, in which the author contrasts the way the press
is treated abroad and in India. He cites two instances
that convey the authors anguish effectively: I was
in Philippines in 1992 where I was told that there
was persecution of Muslims in India. This was far
from truth and whosoever told me this, I immediately
contradicted by giving him a detailed account of
the Muslims participation and contribution in the
countrys march towards progress. His reply was I
did not know this side of the story. This is only a
pointer as to how a distorted image is projected to
and by the people abroad.
Another instance he cites is, a party of seven Indian
journalists was invited for a two-week visit to Germany.
Even though the press party was in Germany for two
weeks, there was no contact between the press party
and the Indian Embassy in Bonn. In contrast, when
VIDURA April-June 2014
a four member team of editors from the US visited
India in March 1987, the American Embassy in close
cooperation and association with Press Information
Bureau arranged a programme for the team in India.
The result was positive and it received a favourable
coverage about India in the US media.
PR to work in a clear-cut direction, the author
emphasises, it is essential to do a detailed exercise
in preparing a PR strategy for each year. This
would serve as a guideline for PR practioners both
at the corporate and at the unit levels, so that overall
projection conforms to a uniform pattern or approach.
Although India has one of the richest traditions of
CSR, the author regrets it is yet to receive widespread
recognition, which is indeed true. Thanks to Reliance
IndustriesProject Jagruti to tackle dyslexia in Surat,
it had set the pace for the communitys response to
the social dogma of the mentally ill underprivileged
children. RILs community health care projects come
under this category and the author has listed them
with details. Similarly, the Education for All Initiative
of the Mumbai Indians, launched during the IPL
season in 2010, has created a movement of support
to provide quality education for all children. PR
should communicate with all audiences, customers,
shareholders, suppliers and people from different
cultural backgrounds so that such initiatives receive
the kind of support it deserves.
The chapter on VIP Visits deals with the opportunity
they present for image-building exercises, although
they are only hospitality formalities. According to
the author, the measures taken by the organisation
during the visit of the VIP fall within the conventional
PR practice and methods.
In the chapter on Creativity in Advertising, the
author cites the success of Margaret Thatcher in the
UK and Rajiv Gandhi in India in the general elections
as the handiwork of advertising agencies using
creativity, as it has the ability to produce original ideas
which will attract immediate, but lasting attention.
Crisis PR is entirely different and the chapters on
case studies give a clear picture. When a blow-out
on July 30, 1982 happened, it was a new experience
in Indias offshore oil exploration. The situation was
going out of control but the crew of 74 men was safely
evacuated. There was special reason why the media
and public took so much interest in the Bombay
High blow-out, in the context of the importance of
petroleum in the national economy. Moreover, it
involved the prestige of ONGC. From the PR point,
the author stresses, there was an overall responsibility
to ensure that the media got their facts right, fast and,
thus, have correct understanding of the situation.
The 12-point strategy which the ONGC prepared as a
booklet serves as a model which many organisations
would find worth adopting.
April-June 2014 VIDURA
While discussing the Bhopal Gas Leak Tragedy,
the author seems to approve the method the company
adopted. Union Carbide India had to brave the
hostile attitude and action patiently. Coming out
openly with loud statements and countering negative
publicity head-on was decided against. Thus the
company kept silent and in retrospect, the strategy
seemed correct. (This writer happened to pass
through Bhopal by train the very next morning and
witnessed the chaos that followed the tragedy, in
which hundreds lost their vision and thousands
suffered physically. A representative of the American
print media created a scene in the Delhi airport
standing on a table, as to how India can arrest Warren
Anderson, the head of UCI.)
The worm controversy of Cadbury has found
a place in this book. The press relationship effort
clearly helped in making the media accept that the
infestation was genuinely caused by storage-linked
problems. The Business Today clip was a typical
representation of the changed media perception and
a better understanding of the problem over a three-
month period. The sales volume climbed back,
quotes the author, saying this is a clear reflection of
restoration of customer confidence in the brand.
Annexure-1, Code of Conduct for International
Public Relations Association and Annexure- 2,
Organisational Set-up of the Public Relations
Department, as well as, the two world-famous
speeches of Jawaharlal Nehrus tryst with destiny
on the midnight of August 14, 1947 and ask not what
your country can do for you by John F. Kennedy
on January 20, 1961 are value additions to the book
under review. They reveal how such speeches touch
the emotional chord of the public and inspire them.
Glossary of the jargons used in the PR field and
bibliography are worthy additions, too. <
Charukesi
(The reviewer is a freelance journalist based in
Chennai. He has translated books of Sudha Murthy, Kiran
Bedi, Gurcharan Das, Devdutt Pattanaik, R. Kannan, R.
Gopalakrishnan, Peter Gonsalves and other writers from
English to Tamil. He has written over 100 short stories
and a number of articles in Tamil for various magazines.
He now writes for The Hindu Friday Review,
Dinamani and Amudasurabhi.)
57
 REMEMBERING KHUSHWANT SINGH

Staying pickled for nearly

a 100
When 92, author of an incredible 80-odd books, winner of laurels from far and near,
Khushwant Singh said he would prefer to be 22, without awards and books. He recalled the
comment of some editors that Khushwant translated bullshit to an art form. Maybe but it isnt
easy, the Sardar responded. S.R. Madhu provides fascinating nuggets about the man he had
worked with once

K
hushwant Singh wrote his own epitaph many years ago:
Waste not your tears on him, he was a sod
Writing nasty things he regarded as great fun S.R. Madhu
Thank the Lord he is dead, this son of a gun.
True, he revelled in being nasty, in saying exactly what he thought of other people, alive
or dead. He didnt care if he made enemies in the process. He said: I have never been a very tactful person. I am
a voyeur and a gossip, also very opinionated. He added that these were good qualities for a writer who wanted
to be read.
No wonder he was frequently at the receiving end. Khushwant says that he once got an abusive letter from
Canada in Gurmukhi. But the address on the envelope was in English. It merely said Khushwant Singh, bastard,
India. He says the P & T Department knew the address of the only bastard in India and delivered the letter
promptly to his home in New Delhi. He said about TamBrams that they were high in self-esteem and short in
temper and unable to laugh at themselves. They were also obsessed with bowel movements!
Writer Khushwant became a journalist in 1969 when he was invited to edit the Illustrated Weekly of India. Its
circulation and fortunes were dipping, and Khushwant was expected to reverse both. He succeeded sensationally.
One of the first things he changed was the style and content of the Letters to the Editor page. His predecessor A.S.
Raman printed many letters praising him; Khushwant used only letters of abuse. Praise bores readers, he said,
they love to read abuse. Its rumoured that some of these letters were fake. No matter, they were fun to read.
I was a subeditor with The Times of India when Khushwant joined the Illustrated Weekly of India (IW) as editor.
His work style and lifestyle were a favourite topic of conversation and gossip in The Times of India building. He
walked to office every morning and started work by 8 am before the sweepers had arrived. He would leave around
1 pm for the health parlour of the Taj Mahal Hotel. He quickly acquired a reputation for affability, particularly
with youngsters, for a sense of humour, for being tough with deadlines.
Khushwant turned the magazine upside down. Earlier, it was a prudish family magazine. His emphasis,
in his own words, was on sex, Scotch and scholarship. He introduced a column that was to prove one of the
most popular in Indian journalism -- With Malice Towards One and All.
Khushwant got cartoonist Mario Miranda to create a special logo for the
column an incandescent bulb with Khushwant inside it, armed with a
pen and a bottle.
He ran a series of cover stories on Indias communities a thundering
success. (He was passionately committed to inter-religious harmony.)
Another popular series was on nature. He was particular about jokes. The
magazine was in the habit of lifting jokes from Readers Digest and other
magazines. Readers carped about this, and Khushwant asked readers
Photo: Internet

The one and only Khushwant Singh.
to submit their own jokes. But the result was pathetic. Khshwant said
I gave you readers a chance and you have failed. Now well go back to
doing what we have always done, and you must hold your peace.
Khushwant remarked that journalism was more rewarding than
literature. As a literary figure he was hardly known to the public despite
books like his critically acclaimed Train to Pakistan. But the IW, he said,

58 VIDURA April-June 2014

almost made him a household name
throughout the country in a couple
of years. The magazine put him in
touch with many celebrities. One
of his favourite stories was of film
star Nargis phoning him one day
and dropping in at the office of the
IW, creating a flutter. She wanted
a favour she was visiting Kasauli
on a holiday and wanted to use his
cottage. Sure, said Khushwant,
provided I can brag to everyone
that you slept in my bed. She
guffawed and said yes. Years later,
they met at the Rajya Sabha, both
had become members. Some one
offered to introduce them. I know
him well, responded Nargis. In
fact I have slept in his bed many
times. The politicians around them
were shocked but Khushwant and
Nargis roared with laughter.
Khushwant was the IWs
editor during the dark days of the
Emergency. But he supported it
and even praised Sanjay Gandhi,
who everyone else feared and
reviled secretly for his strong-arm
tactics. (Rajiv Gandhi was hardly
known then.) During the time,
Khushwant received an article
by senior reporter and humorist
Behram Contractor, better known
as Busybee. His short piece said
(Im writing from memory) I
like Indira Gandhis son. Hes
handsome, hes intelligent, hes
well-travelled. Rajiv Gandhi has a
fine future. Khushwant said This
is brilliant, but if print it, both you
and I will be arrested. The piece
was printed after the Emergency
was lifted.
Khushwant projected a playboy
image as a person fond of drink
and women but it was a gross
exaggeration. He actually led a
highly disciplined life; he rose at
4 am, wrote at least a few thousand
words every day, exercised a great
deal (both through long walks
and work-outs at a gym), and ate
sparingly -- only one substantive
meal at night, after an evening peg
of scotch. While he enjoyed female
company and had many fans among
women, he was quite untainted by
April-June 2014 VIDURA
scandal or misbehavior. His friends
(writers, diplomats, professionals)
were free to drop in at 7 pm every
day. Booze flowed, so did wit and
poetry. But everyone was expected
to leave by 8 pm. No exceptions to
VIPs or anyone else.
Though a magazine editor,
Khushwant wrote at the speed
of a newspaper writer. On one
occasion, he was back from the
US early morning, and asked me
(then an editor with USIS Bombay)
for photographs to illustrate his
article on the US. Do you want
some text as well on any aspect
of the US? I asked. My article is
ready, I only want photographs,
he replied. He must have finished
the article during airport waits. He
gave contributors to the IW tough
deadlines. If he commissioned a
feature article on a current topic
such as a catastrophic event or a
political or economic or social crisis
he wanted the piece immediately.
His writing sparkled with wit
and irreverence and anecdotage.
Take that account of a famous
Indian classical singer whose much-
awaited London concert was a big
disappointment. What happened,
Khushwant asked her. She was
reluctant to answer but Khushwant
persisted. She said she heard that
people in the UK didnt use water
in the loo. The image of several
hundred people sitting before her
with unclean bottoms disturbed
her, she couldnt concentrate.
An anecdote about Khushwant
and liquor. He said foreign embassies
had the healthy habit of gifting
bottles of Scotch to editors, usually
around Christmas or New Year. I
thought I would give this practice
a fillip, he said. From Bombay, he
sent US Ambassador John Kenneth
Galbraith an autographed copy
of his latest book. Khushwant
got a thank-you note, and when
he visited Delhi, received a lunch
invitation from Galbraith. After the
lunch, when our Sardar was about
to take leave, Galbraith said, Just
a minute. Aha, the Scotch gift is
coming, Singh told himself. But
what Galbraith emerged with was
an autographed copy of his latest
book.
Khushwants fiercest critic was
Morarji Desai, who savaged him
for his support of the Emergency.
He told everyone that Indira
Gandhi bought the loyalty of
editors like Khushwant with
drink. Morarji was angry when
anyone questioned this statement.
(Khushwant could afford his own
liquor, others pointed out.) When
Morarji became prime minister,
he practically forced Khushwants
ouster from IW.
He penned this verse at the
age of 92 on one of his favourite
topics, liquor.
.
Pickled In Rum
The horse and the mule live for 30
years,
And know nothing of wines and
beer;
The goat and sheep at 20 die,
And never get a taste of Scotch and
rye.
The cow drinks water by the tonne
And at 18 is mostly done
The cat in milk and water soaks,
And then in 12 short years it croaks.
The modest, sober, bone-dry hen
Lays eggs for others, then dies at 10.
All animals are strictly dry,
They sinless live and swiftly die.
But sinful, ginful, rum-soaked men
Survive for three score years and
ten,
And some of them, though very
few,
Stay pickled till theyre 92.
<
(The writer is a veteran journalist.
He spent 15 years as an international
information officer with the United
Nations, which he served in India
and Africa. He was earlier deputy
managing editor of SPAN magazine
(American Embassy) in New Delhi
and English editor with USIS
Bombay. He began his career as a
sub with The Times of India in
Bombay.)
59
 MORE MEMORIES OF KHUSHWANT SINGH

And yes, he could slog

No one should weep over the passing away of Khushwant Singh because he does not deserve tears. He will not
like tears to be shed because up there, if there is really an up there, he would love to look down and see people
celebrating 99 years the way he celebrated every single day of those years instead of lamenting over perhaps
the most humorous and satiric human being who had the very rare capacity to laugh at himself and his clan all
Sardarjis, all journalists, and all editors, writers, politicians and readers. Shoma A. Chatterji pays a tribute

I
n the late 1970s, when I was struggling to give up my full-time college job to entrench myself deep in journalism,
I wrote to Khushwant Singh and he wrote right back in his scrawling hand. I had proudly attached some
clippings of my published pieces for him to comment on. He neatly sidestepped any comment on my writing
but at the end of a brief letter, he wrote, I can slog, can you? I had asked him how he managed to wear so many
hats and also edit one of the most outstanding English weeklies in the country with such great lan. This was
his answer: Take it or leave it. It lay hidden between the lines of the brief note. I had lost the note long ago but
those five words pushed me through the years when I felt I could no longer survive in the rat-race where Page 3
was more important than Page 1 or 2 or 4 or 5 or 20; or, when an editor said he could not use my piece because
the colour of the photograph of the artist I interviewed clashed with the colour of the half-page ad that had been
slotted for the same page under the story. Khushwants column, With Malice Towards One and All, brought a
smile in my darkest hour.
Some years later, the grapevine spread that Khushwant Singh was editing a book on man-woman relationships
with sex as the predominant feature, with eminent journalists and writers contributing their take. This writer
asked him if she could contribute a chapter. He wrote back promptly to say that the slots were all filled and there
was no space for a new writer or chapter. I was deeply disappointed because I felt it would have led to a learning
experience. But perhaps he had guessed that a conservative journalist like me had neither the courage to write
openly about sex nor the gift for ribaldry and acidic humour, and thus rejected my request. In hindsight, it turned
out to be a good decision because the book turned out to be a much criticised piece of work. Khushwant had
edited it, not written it, so he could not be blamed except in the choice of writers. The Internet makes no mention
of the book today.
In one of his syndicated columns, he sidesteps humour to mourn the sudden death by suicide of Indrani Aikath
Gyaltsen in 1994 who he came to know closely after she began corresponding with him to get his feedback on her
novel. It was a moving account of a young friend he lost and this found its way to his book Women and Men in My
Life (Harper Collins, 1995.) Her suicide was traced to her having plagiarised the second of her three novels, Cranes
Morning from English novelist Elizabeth Goudges The Rosemary Tree (Holder and Stoughton, 1956.)
On October 3, she wrote a short letter to Khushwant Singh, who she considered her mentor. I am still in a
very bad frame of mind, she wrote. Afraid to live, afraid to die. But you are right. Only I can help myself." In his
column, Khushwant Singh talked about her radical character, who was born extremely rich, walked out of marriage
and relationships to finally marry a rich tea-planter, who
was a chain-smoker and a woman he might never forget.
There was anything but malice in his touching tribute.
He wrote that she was thoroughly bored with the life of
being the wife of a tea planter. He nurtured her through
her first novel which she mailed to him part by part as she
finished each chapter. It was very powerful, he wrote. The
correspondence blossomed over friendship and Khushwant
Photo: Internet

invited Aikath-Gyaltsen to visit. One evening, he recalled,

A man of courage and action.
she asked bluntly, Do you think I am beautiful? She was
not, wrote Singh, but how do you answer a question like
that? (Reference: Molly Moore: Plagiarism and Mystery,
Washington Post Foreign Service)
Courage is one word that describes him to the last, precise
detail. It was not only courage through his writing but also

60 VIDURA April-June 2014

in action. Once, I was in a packed
hall at the Indian Merchants
Chamber in Churchgate, Mumbai,
where he was scheduled to give a
talk at around noon. He arrived a
few minutes behind schedule and
opened his speech with, I know
what you all are thinking. You are
thinking that being a Sardarji, I lost
my balls at 12 and will now talk
trash, sending the packed hall into
peals of laughter.
He had the courage to return the
Padma Bhushan he was bestowed
in 1974 ten years later as his voice
of protest against the armed assault
on the Golden Temple in 1984,
and strongly attacked L.K. Advani
for triggering hatred with his
crusading Rathyatra.
He had the courage to nurse his
wife Kawal when she was suffering
from Alzheimers. His close
friends and associates believe that
his lustful obsession for women
was something he had cultivated
himself to infuse his writing with
a completely different flavour and
gave it a different dimension.
His son writes in his small tribute
to his father, He liked to put out
this image of wine, women and song
and all that, but he was a serious
scholar. He was a secular person
at heart but was very proud of his
Sikh identity that led him to write
the classic treatise on the History of
the Sikhs, Volumes I and II.
His words are etched in my heart
and in my head and I keep slogging
not because I have to but because
I love to. Rest in peace, Khushand
Singh. They do not make them like
you any more.
<
(The writer is a freelance journalist,
author and film scholar based in
Kolkata.)

Sri Lankan daily holds a mirror, to the press

An English newspaper here on Saturday tried to hold a mirror to the state of press freedom in the country by
printing a mirror image of its front page contents.
Readers were in for a surprise on World Press Freedom Day. The printing of indecipherable words by Daily
Mirror, an English newspaper here, seemed to be aimed at sparking questions about the state of media freedom
in the country, and what it spawns self-censorship.Freedom of pressThe sole legible sentence on the front page
read: Only true freedom of the press can turn things the right way around. Celebrating World Press Freedom Day
2014!
The message rang a bell as Sri Lanka, for long, has been grappling with the issue of media freedom. There have
been many instances of media persons being attacked, and even murdered.
The country has lost some of its senior journalists, including Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor of
the Sunday Leader.
The fact that none of the perpetrators has been brought to justice is rather worrying, V. Thanapalabalasingham,
Editor of Thinakural, a Tamil daily. Such a situation only breeds more fear and consequently, self-censorship, said
media professionals. The culture of self-censorship, in turn, negatively impacted the quality of journalism, they
observed.
Gains in professional standards could be undermined by a culture of self-censorship which could be due to
a multitude of reasons, said Amal Jayasinghe, bureau chief of Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that risk
aversion and a lack of resources threatened to bring down the credibility of Sri Lankas press.
Observing that there was a threat to the freedom of expression, Saman Wagaarachchi, editor of Sinhala
paper Lakbima said: Today, most media organisations are wary of being critical of the government and therefore,
self-censorship is a major issue.
Over the last few years, media freedom in Sri Lanka has drawn increased international attention. The U.S.-
backed resolution, adopted by the Human Rights Council (HRC) in March this year, has urged the Government of
Sri Lanka to investigate all alleged attacks by individuals and groups on various sections, including journalists.
While mainstream media was faced with challenges, Mr. Jayasinghe observed that it was heartening to see
social media take on issues which may be taboo or too sensitive for the established news outlets. <

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

April-June 2014 VIDURA 61

 REMEMBERING SUCHITRA SEN (1931-2014)

A star who became an enigma

Suchitra Sen, the queen of Bengali cinema who held almost a monopoly over the box office and the audience,
with or without her screen partner Uttam Kumar, passed away in a Kolkata nursing home on January 17 this year
after a long illness patiently borne. She leaves behind her immediate family comprising of daughter Moon Moon
Sen, son-in-law Bharat Dev Burman, and grand-daughters Raima and Ria Sen. But her memories reach out to
hundreds of fans she charmed with her charismatic beauty; her magical romantic chemistry with Uttam Kumar is a
milestone archived in the history of Bengali cinema, says Shoma A. Chatterji

S
uchitra Sens childhood is shrouded in mystery. Some say she studied in Shantiniketan. She grew up in
distant Pabna, miles away from Bolpur in Birbhum District in West Bengal. During her time, daughters of
middle-class Bengali families did not go to boarding school. But then, her maternal uncle B.N. Sen lived in
Bolpur with his family and she would often come to stay with them. For some time during her early childhood,
she lived with her maternal uncles family in Patna. She was born in Pabna, originally in the northern parts of
undivided Bengal and now in Bangladesh, on April 6. She was the fifth among three brothers and five sisters. Her
fathers name was Karunamoy Dasgupta and her mothers name was Indira. Her nickname was Krishna. When
she was admitted to Pabna Girls High School, her father entered Roma as her name in the admission form. She
was noted for her beauty right from the time she was a child.
In 1947, it was perhaps Suchitras beauty that heralded
an early marriage to Dibanath Sen, son of an extended joint
family that migrated to Calcutta. Suchitra is perhaps the first
Indian actress in Bengal to have made her film debut after
marriage and motherhood. The year of her birth is somewhat
clouded because some sources trace it back to 1931 while
others say the year was 1934. Nitish Roy, assistant director in
one of her earliest films, christened her Suchitra in 1952.
Suchitras career in films began with Shesh Kothai (1952),
which was never released. The following year, she did two
films that brought her into the limelight among filmmakers
in Bengal who discovered a beautiful actress full of promise
and raring to go. One of them was Bhagaban Sri Krishna
Chaitanya directed by the legendary Debaki Kumar Bose
and the other was Sare Chuattar, a rollicking comedy and her
first partnering with Uttam Kumar. In the former film, she
portrayed the young bride of Sri Sri Chaitanya Deb while in
the latter, she, along with Uttam Kumar, defined the younger
pair that formed the sub-text in the film. They went on to
become icons of Bengali romantic melodramas for more than
twenty years creating a distinct genre.
Their films were famous for the soft-focus close-ups of the
stars, particularly of Suchitra, and lavishly mounted scenes
of romance against windswept expanses and richly decorated
interiors with fluttering curtains and such mnemonic objects
as bunches of tuberoses, etc. Some popular films of the pair
include Shap Mochan (1955), Sagarika (1956), Harano Sur
(1957), Saptapadi (1961), Bipasha (1962) and Grihadah (1967).
Photos: SC

Suchitras pairing with Uttam Kumar is possibly the biggest

screen chemistry sprouting magical romance in cinema,
considering the number of silver jubilee hits the two together
Suchitra Sens visage lights up the cover of a book. churned out in the 1950s and 60s. Soon after the release of

62 VIDURA April-June 2014

her last film opposite Soumitra
Chatterjee in Pronoy Pasha in 1978,
Suchitra Sen voluntarily withdrew
from the silver screen. Pronoy
Pasha was a big flop. After the film,
Suchitra also withdrew from the
public domain and retreated into
a small world to shut herself away
from photographers, journalists, the
print media, television and films.
She stopped acting in films and all
attempts to persuade her to come
out of the private world failed.
During the making of Saptapadi
(1961), one of the greatest hits in
the history of Bengali cinema, she
reportedly fell out with Uttam
Kumar who produced the film. A
common friend persuaded her to
finish the shooting of the film and
she did. But they did not appear for
some time after the films release.
However, they came together
again to co-star in several films.
Among these were Grihdah (1967),
Kamallata (1969), Nabaraag (1971),
Alo Amar Alo and Haar Mana Haar
(1972) and Priyo Bandhabi (1975.)
But these films could not recreate
their magic of the 1950s and 60s.
They romanced in 23 films during
the 1950s, four in the 1960s and four
in the 1970s, which adds up to 31
films together!
Critics tended to raise questions
about her ability to hold a film
without Uttam Kumar beside her.
To silence them, she did films where
she was either paired with other
actors such as Dilip Mukherjee,
Bikash Roy, Ashok Kumar,
Vasanta Choudhury and Soumitra
Chatterjee, or did not have a hero
in that sense. Among the films one
might specially point out are Uttar
Phalguni (1963), Saat Pake Bandha
(1963), Sandhya Dweeper Shikha
(1964), Megh Kalo (1970) and Datta
(1976). Three films she will always
be remembered by without Uttam
Kumar are Deep Jeley Jai (1959),
Hospital (1960) and Smriti Tuku
Thaak (1960).
Critic Amitava Nag writes: With
the Nehruvian ideal of a nuclear
family for modern India getting
popular as a concept, most of these
April-June 2014 VIDURA
films veered round the village boy
finding settlement in the urban
Indian city. It is the man-woman
couple which faces off the societal
struggles, the modern partnership,
self-sufficient and less dependent
on the greater support from the
joint-family back in the village.
Coupled with soulful music and
Hemanta Mukherjees unmistaken
melody playback for Uttam, the
films still draw in people who are
today senior citizens, when they are
telecast on satellite channels.
Suchitra became a nationally
renowned actress with a few
meaningful Hindi films towards
the end of her voluntary retirement
from cinema. Two such films
are Gulzars Aandhi, based on a
short story by Kamleshwar, and
Mamta, directed by the late Asit
Sen in which she portrayed two
diametrically opposite character of
the kothewalli (brothel) mother of
a sophisticated lawyer-daughter.
Her other Hindi films were Devdas
directed by Bimal Roy; Musafir, the
directorial debut film of Hrishikesh
Mukherjee; Champakali, opposite
Bharat Bhushan; and two films
opposite Dev Anand, namely,
Sarhad and Bambai Ka Babu. But
her greatest films were with Uttam
Kumar.
In Suchitrar Katha, Gopal
Krishna Dey, her biographer creates
an image of the recluse actress
who refused to collaborate or give
interviews during his writing of
the book. The book unfolds the
story of a social recluse who has
left stardom behind her to lead a
life of spiritual loneliness relieved
occasionally through interactions
with her daughter and two grand-
daughters. It is the strange story
of a beautiful young girl who
somewhat reluctantly stepped into
films, became a star, but had to go
through a broken marriage while
trying to play the delicate balancing
act between stardom and single
motherhood.
She was warm and affectionate,
says Gulzar who directed her
in Aandhi. Surprisingly, she
With Uttam Kumar in the film, Shilpi.
Their screen chemistry was special and
together they produced hit after hit.
Through the 1950s, 60s and 70s, they
acted together in 31 films.
remembered that I like a glass of
cold milk every morning. Each time
I went to visit her in Calcutta, she
would remember to give me a glass
of cold milk. Once, I was staying at
the Grand (Hotel). I could not make
the time to meet her. Then, Barin-
da (Barin Dhar), a close associate of
Suchitra, came up to my room and
said that Sir was waiting for me in
the car in the parking lot downstairs.
I rushed down to meet her. How
can you leave without taking your
glass of cold milk? she asked. She
took me home and did not allow
me to leave until I had taken that
glass of cold milk she served me
herself. She is a lovely human being
with a fine sense of humour. While
shooting for Aandhi, all of us had
got to addressing her as Sir and it
stuck. She was very hospitable too,
and if in spite of all this, she chose
to guard her privacy, I dont think
there is anything wrong in that, he
summed up. <
Shoma A. Chatterji
(The writer is a freelance journalist,
author and film scholar based in
Kolkata.)
63
REMEMBERING ILA PATHAK (1933-2014)

Feminist crusader and a

secular humanist
In passing away of Prof Ila Pathak due to breast cancer in January this year in Ahmedabad,
Gujarat has lost a dedicated social activist who stood by socially excluded sections of society,
especially brutalised women. She tirelessly supported women survivors of dowry harassment
and victims of rape and crimes of honour (fallen women whose noses were cut as punishment
for being adulteresses by their husbands and in-laws) in urban and rural areas. She campaigned
against selective abortions of female foetuses way back in 1980s. As fellow travelers in the
womens movement, Vibhuti Patel and Sonal Shukla recall fond memories of their close
association with her Vibhuti Patel

T
ogether, both of us have been aware of Prof Ila Pathaks work with the Ahmedabad
Womens Action Group (AWAG) since 1981 when she attended the first National
Conference of Women's Studies at the SNDT Women's University's Juhu campus that
resulted in the formation of the Indian Association of Women's Studies. Ilaben, as she was
fondly called, brought her own energies and perspective to the women's movement. She had
been an untiring worker right from the beginning as is clear from her life. A master's degree
in law, a PhD in English Literature and a senior position in the NCC were indicative of her
capacity to achieve the goals she had set for herself. Her devotion to working for women's
rights and development was reflected in her writings and action through AWAG and the
innumerable institutions she was associated with.
Ilaben began her career as a university teacher of English Language and English Literature
Sonal Shukla
at HK Arts College, Ahmedabad and as a freelance journalist who wrote on womens concerns.
In the early 1970s, she started her crusade against misogyny in Gujarati plays rife with double-meaning sentences
full of crude and crass jokes/ puns that degraded women and objectified womens bodies. In 1981, Ilaben with
her young colleagues/ students such as Dr Ila Joshi, Aditi Desai (theatre artiste), Sofia Khan (now a human rights
lawyer) established a womens rights organisation, AWAG (acronym, pronounced Awaj, meaning Voice). AWAG
energetically raised its voice against sexism in advertisement, media and textbooks. The members blackened
sexist advertisement at public places and staged a dharna (protest) against Putra Kameshti Yagna (on the phallus) to
be aired on All India Radio and got the broadcasting cancelled. Her tireless work resulted in the Government of
Gujarat appointing a committee under her leadership to examine the portrayal of sex stereotypes and subordinate
status of women in the school textbooks in which she involved us also. The mandate for evaluation of the textbooks
was decided within the framework of equality, development and peace.
In 1982, Prof Pathak spearheaded AWAGs participatory action research project to bring out the precarious
condition of the homeless and miserable tribal migrant works near the railway tracks of Ahmedabad City, who
eked out a subsistence by collecting coal fallen from engines on the tracks. She started income-generation activities
for them based on tribal art and beadwork. The same year, when a tribal woman in Sagbara Village of South
Gujarat was gang-raped, it was Ilaben who activised the government machinery and took the case up to Amnesty
International. As a result, all the rapists were punished and a tribal woman got justice at her dwelling place.
Ilaben took leadership for the movement against the Patan PTC College gang-rape of students by male teachers
backed by powerful politicians. She supported Manipur's Irom Sharmila's agitation against the Armed Forces
Special Powers' Act. Ilaben raised her voice against all forms of injustice without fearing the consequences. Her
courageous and consistent work among victims of communal riots post the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1993
and among Muslim refugees after the Gujarat riots in 2002 symbolised her secular humanism.
Ilabens command over the language came handy to coin catchy and hardhitting slogans in Gujarati, such
as Silence is not a virtue, break the silence of oppression, Putting up with injustice is not a virtue, fight for
justice. She gave great emphasis to documentation, research and training and AWAG always provided material

64 VIDURA April-June 2014

in the local language as well as case
studies and resource persons for
capacity-building of community
workers, elected representatives
and the youth. During 1986-
1992, she regularly wrote for a
feminist quarterly in Gujarati, Nari
Mukti (Womens Freedom) that
was collectively brought out by
feminists in Mumbai, Valsad, Surat,
Vadodara and Ahmedabad. To
take womens political agenda to
mainstream politics, she contested
elections to the Ahmedabad
Municipal Corporation in 1990.
Ilabens persuasive style of
speaking was her success mantra.
She could reach out to all
Gandhians, liberals, feminists,
human rights activists and leftists.
She could establish communication
with the rich and powerful without
getting cowed down by them. She
reached out to the weak and the
marginalised with utmost humility.
She made lifelong friends whenever
she attended national conferences
of the Indian Association of
Womens Studies and international
conferences at the United Nations.
She attended these conferences
with over a dozen women of her
organisation and she looked after
them very well.
Ilaben served on many apex
bodies to further the cause of
women. She was a member of

Women Development Cell of
Gujarat University that had to
perform the twin tasks of prevention
of sexual harassment and
promotion of gender sensitisation
in the university and its affiliated
colleges. Ilaben was also a governing
board member of the Centre for
Social Studies, Surat. She played
an important role in all women-
centred activities at the Gujarat
Vidyapeeth. She was president
of the India Chapter of Womens
International League for Peace and
Freedom. She was an active member
of the Movement for Secular
Democracy. In 2012, Ilaben was
honoured for her work among poor
and oppressed women and for her
Photo: VP
Ila Pathak, pictured against a captivating backdrop.
four books based on a compilation of Economics, SNDT Womens
of her articles promoting womens University, Mumbai, and a member of
striving for dignity and struggle for the advisory board of the Department
empowerment. < of Womens Studies of the National
Council of Education, Research and
Training, Delhi. Sonal Shukla has
been active in the women's movement
(Vibhuti Patel is a member of the since 1980 and has been a columnist
Womens Research and Action in two Gujarati dailies, writing
Group, Mumbai, and president, on women's issues for over three
WomenPowerConnect, Delhi. She is decades.)
professor and head of the Department

April-June 2014 VIDURA 65

GUJARATMITRA COMPLETES 150 YEARS

Continuing goodwill, thanks to

neutrality and non-alignment
Gujaratmitra, a leading Gujarati daily published from Surat, recently celebrated 150 years of its existence. A
156-page sesquicentennial issue, Simachinha, was brought out to mark the occasion, complete with articles from
several eminent personalities in India. The issue covered diverse subjects space technology, tourism, print ancd
electronic media, computers, food and literature

G
ujaratmitra enjoys the status of being one of the oldest newspapers published in India and being the oldest
newspaper in Gujarat. It completed a glorious run of 150 years of its existence on 13th September last year.
Despite several ups and downs, financial crises, and the ever-changing political scenario during all these
years, the paper managed to survive all odds and come up an unscathed winner.
Gujaratmitra was started in 1863 by a Parsi, Dinshaw Ardeshir Talyarkhan, as a weekly newspaper. It was named
Suratmitra. Due to its growing popularity even outside Surat, within a year of its inception, on 11th September,
1864, the name was changed to Gujaratmitra. Since 1870, its ownership changed several hands.
In 1893, Uttamram Umedram Reshamwala joined
Gujaratmitra as its sub-editor. In 1920, Uttamram
bought over the newspaper. Since then, it has remained
in the Reshamwala family. Uttamram managed
Gujaratmitra efficiently up to 1929; gradually, it became
an inseparable part of the life of the people of Surat
and South Gujarat. In 1929, Uttamram breathed his last
and Champaklal Reshamwala, his eldest son, became
chief editor and owner. Please continue to uphold the
policy of neutrality and non-alignment. Look after the
newspaper well. Those were the words uttered by the
first of the Reshamwala editors, Uttamram Umedram
Reshamwala, during his last days.
Champaklal achieved an important landmark
when he transformed the weekly Gujaratmitra and
Gujaratdarpan into a daily newspaper on 15th November
1936. Gujaratmitra was thus established as a daily. Sadly,
six months later, Chamaklal died an untimely death. His
younger brother Pravinkant Uttamram Reshamwala,
was compelled to quit college studies and take on the
burden and responsibility of running the newspaper.
Pravinkant nurtured the publication and successfully
focused on strengthening the newspaper by providing
balanced views, powerful editorials, columns on various
subjects by authoritative writers, in-depth coverage, etc.
The newspaper was soon on a strong footing.
It survived four devastating floods caused by River
Tapi between 1959 and 2006. Each time, the floodwaters
caused colossal loss to machinery, stock and property.
The flood in 2006 ravaged the entire plant and the store
at Gujaratmitra Bhavan was submerged in about 12 feet
The cover page of the special issue brought out to mark of water for more than five days. For over a month, the
150 years of Gujaratmitra. newspaper was published with outside help. Each of

66 VIDURA April-June 2014

those times, Gujaratmitra rose like
a phoenix.
The newspaper has not only been
a witness to political upheavals, the
Freedom Struggle and the socio-
economic and cultural changes
over the past century and half, it
has also been a friend, philosopher,
guide, leader and catalyst to people
in the changing times. It has stood
upright as a sentinel of democracy,
and undauntedly listened to and
righteously conveyed the voice
of the people in times of need, be
it the Pardi Ghasia Satyagrah led
by Ishwarbhai Desai in Bardoli or
the fight for a separate university
for South Gujarat or an airport
for Surat. Gujaratmitra has always
strongly and fearlessly fought for
and supported public causes for
the betterment of its people and the
region. For their benefit even if it
had to antagonise the government
and lose advertisement revenue (as
in several instancess such as during
the Ghasia Satyagrah), it has never
stepped back from disharging
its reposnsibilities to the reader,
earning it heightened stature and
goodwill.
Even today, readers totally
depend on the reliability of news
and the balanced views provided
by Gujaratmitra. In todays age
of deteriorating journalistic
values, the newspapers honesty
and adherence to principles has
received appreciation from readers,
the intelligentsia, various political
parties, and the administrators as
well.
Today, Bharat Pravinkant
Reshamwala, the editor, who
represents the third generation of
the family, is focused on blending
the modern with the old, ensuring
that its traditions of neutrality,
credibility, balanced coverage
and its values and principles
are not compromised. Bharat
Reshamwalas sons Ruchir and
Milind are also part of the team.
Gujaratmitra is now available online
to cater to Gujarati readers all over
the world. <
(The article is based on information
provided by Gujaratmitra.)

Study reveals gender-based violence in Asia-Pacic

Children in Asia-Pacic are being robbed of their ability to learn in a safe environment as a result of school-
related gender-based violence (SRGBV) and current policy approaches do not adequately address the problem,
according to a study. The review, School-Related Gender-Based Violence in the Asia-Pacic Region, commissioned
by UNESCO Bangkok and implemented in partnership with the East Asia Pacic Regional UN Girls Education
Initiative, is the rst to examine the evidence on SRGBV and related policy and programming in Asia-Pacic. Policy
information and studies pertaining to SRGBV from the majority of countries in the region were analysed in the
review.
Violence against children in schools is a complex, multifaceted issue. It is closely linked to broader social norms
around the acceptance of violence, deeply ingrained gender inequalities and rigid gender expectations. SRGBV
refers to violence affecting schoolchildren that occurs in or around educational settings and is perpetrated based
on gender roles or norms, and expectations of children based on their sex or gender identities. The review paints
a disturbing picture of the extent and effects of SRGBV in Asia-Pacic. The most common forms of SRGBV in the
region are: corporal punishment; physical violence and abuse; psychosocial violence and abuse; bullying including
cyber-bullying; and sexual violence and abuse.
SRGBV is driven by rigid constructs of femininity and masculinity as well as social expectations. Many young
people in the region who do not conform to these gender constructs face SRGBV, including sexual violence and
bullying. Verbal and emotional abuse and social exclusion or discrimination are common and often characterised
by verbal humiliation based on caste, status in society, gender identity/ expression or perceived sexual orientation,
and disability. Girls appear to be more likely to face this type of psychological abuse, including discrimination and
social exclusion, whereas boys are more vulnerable to physical attacks. Those who are believed to be same-sex
attracted or gender non-conforming are also subjected in many settings to psychosocial violence and abuse in
multiple forms. Corporal punishment is also a hugely prevalent form of SRGBV in the region, common even among
countries that specically outlaw the practice.
The effects of SRGBV can be devastating and long-lasting, the report nds. This report highlights that the
experience, or even the threat, of SRGBV has detrimental educational outcomes. This includes irregular attendance,
dropout, truancy, poor school performance, and low self-esteem of those affected, which may follow them into their
adult lives, says Justine Sass, chief of the HIV Prevention and Health Promotion (HP2) Unit, UNESCO Bangkok.
SRGBV is a disturbing violation of childrens fundamental human rights and directly contravenes the Convention
on the Rights of the Child, which all countries in the region have ratied and most have signed. <

April-June 2014 VIDURA 67

OTHER NEWS
Global campaign to free jailed
journalists
WAN-IFRAs latest press freedom campaign
highlights the plight of jailed journalists worldwide;
30 cases were profiled in the days leading up to
World Press Freedom Day. The World Association of
Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and
the World Editors Forum today launched an exciting
online campaign to highlight the plight of jailed
journalists worldwide.
In the 30-day lead-up to 3 May, World Press
Freedom Day, daily profiles of imprisoned journalists
will be published on www.worldpressfreedomday.
org and linked to protest letters calling for their
release. WAN-IFRA is encouraging social media
users to share information about their cases across
digital networks and particularly Twitter. Using the
hashtag #FreethePress, WAN-IFRA aimed to raise the
issue of imprisoned journalists.
The campaign in the build-up to 3 May has
explored the issues surrounding the detention and
imprisonment of journalists around the globe by
highlighting individuals who have been sent to jail
simply for doing their jobs.
Turkish journalist Fusun Erdogan, jailed since
September 2006, is the first journalist profiled. She is
accused of being a member of the outlawed Marxist-
Leninist Communist Party (MLKP), which she denies,
and for attempting to change the constitutional order
by force. She remained in custody for seven years
until she was finally convicted in early November
2013 - along with three other journalists - to life in
prison without parole, plus 300 years.
In 2013, according to research by the Committee
to Protect Journalists, 211 journalists were listed as
imprisoned - the second highest number on record.
WAN-IFRA's 2014 Golden Pen of Freedom laureate,
Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega, is one of them.
Nega was arrested on September 14, 2011 after
publishing an article criticising his governments
use of the 2009 Anti-Terror Proclamation to jail and
silence critics. He was sentenced on 23 January 2012
to 18 years in prison and denounced as belonging to a
terrorist organisation.
Honour for French news media
association
The French association ARPEJ (Association
Rgionale Presse, Enseignement, Jeunesse) became a
WAN-IFRA Centre of Youth Engagement Excellence
during an induction ceremony in Paris. The innovative
and strong programme, formed by the French
national and regional publishers associations (SPQR
and SPQN), has been introducing young people to
news since 1977 and continues to create new ideas for
youth engagement
68
The Center of Youth Engagement Excellence
designation honours newspaper associations that
have a deep, long-term commitment and devote
resources to news literacy and youth engagement,
and the French association as been at the forefront
of this work. One of our core values is assuring
that new generations understand how news works
and appreciate the importance of press freedom,
said Vincent Peyrgne, CEO of WAN-IFRA. The
French association has consistently done important
work in this area for more than a generation and
continues to innovate with a strong commitment to
the future, and we are very pleased to grant them this
designation.
ARPEJ whose members and directors are
journalists -- has maintained an emphasis on using
newspapers in class, news literacy and journalistic
practice among youth, as well as an appreciation of
French history in news context. It coordinates the
exchange of expertise among its members who have
done such long-term actions as Journalist for a Day
(lAlsace and Le Progres de Lyon) and the Press Classes
at Ouest-France and Le Tlegramme de Bresat.
Since 1989, it has been a leading force in partnership
with the national education ministrys media
education organization, CLEMI, in annual national
Press Week actions. Most recently, it has created a
national project that encourages 14- to-18-year-olds
to take a journalistic approach exploring the realities
of World War I among men and women who were
about their age at that time. More than 400 classes
across the country have joined that program. The
induction took place during a ceremony held in Paris
on 12 March.
And now, the OneIndia Group
ad platform
Six leading publications in India Hindustan Times,
Hindustan, The Hindu, The Hindu Tamil, The Telegraph
and Ananda Bazar Patrika have come together and
formed the OneIndia Group, a platform to facilitate
reach to the largest print audience with a single
advertisement.
OneIndia, available by invitation to select display
advertisers only, offers a single-platform reach
comparable and incremental to television, along with
the many clear benefits of print, such as immediacy,
impact, comprehension, credibility, and a clutter-free
environment, to name a few.
Apart from the fact that print media readership is
significantly more upmarket than television, several
research studies globally have also demonstrated
that print + TV has driven more than 20 per cent
incremental push-through in brand equity compared
to TV alone. Further, some recent media multiplier
research studies by leading international research
agencies have demonstrated that print advertising
VIDURA April-June 2014

in Asia-Pacific indexes three times more than TV on
ROI, and five times more on brand impact. The recent
formation of OneIndia has ignited speculations of a
fresh print war.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
Living Media, Hearst Corp ink
deal
Living Media India (LMI), the holding and the
magazine publishing company of the India Today
Group, has entered into a joint venture agreement with
Hearst Corporation, USA, to publish, both print and
digital, magazines, primarily in the lifestyle domain,
for the Indian market. The magazines published by the
joint venture will include Hearst and other publishers
titles. LMI has been a licensee of Hearst brands.
Sanjay Thapar has been brought on board as chief
executive officer to lead the LMI-Hearst joint venture.
In this role, he will report to Ashish Bagga, Group
CEO, India Today Group. All editorial and business
staff of the Lifestyle group will be supervised by
Thapar.
Hearst Corporation is one of North Americas
largest diversified media and information companies.
Its major interests include ownership of 15 daily and 34
weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle,
San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and
Albany Times Union; hundreds of magazines around
the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan,
Elle and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations;
ownership in leading cable networks, including
Lifetime, A&E, History and ESPN; significant
holdings in the automotive, electronics and healthcare
information industries; a 50 per cent stake in the global
ratings agency Fitch Group; Internet and marketing
services businesses; television production; newspaper
features distribution; and real estate.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
First ever Dainik Bhaskar INK
Awards announced
Entries are now open for the first ever Dainik
Bhaskar INK awards, an initiative by exchange4media
group. The first edition of the Awards will recognise
work done between January 1 and December 31, 2013.
The Awards have been instituted to reward creativity
in newspaper advertising and to recognise the
talent behind it. The Awards seek to raise the profile
and standard of print advertising in India and to
reward strategic thinking, innovation, creativity and
effectiveness in all media in this sector. In its inaugural
year, the Dainik Bhaskar Awards will be presented in
21 categories.
INK demonstrates the power of print in reaching
out and touching the consumer and acknowledges
the fact that newspaper advertising is the most
April-June 2014 VIDURA
OTHER NEWS
demanding and the most difficult exercise
because it needs an idea it needs The Idea.
INK endorses innovation in newspaper advertising
by creative agencies, media agencies, newspaper
publishers, advertisers and all those, who are involved
with it. It aims to raise the standard of crafts associated
with creating finest newspaper advertising.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
ET Panache launched in
Mumbai
The Economic Times has launched ET Panache, a
lifestyle and leisure accompaniment to the main
newspaper. The club class of lifestyle products, ET
Panache is ETs stylish nod to bigwigs, honchos, top
guns be it in India Inc, sports, politics, Bollywood.
ET Panache is their world, a reflection of their pursuits
and their leisure, a mirror to their choices and their
thoughts. From the opulence of their homes to the
wheels they drive, from their lavish bashes to their
secret getaways, from power dressing and exotic
foods to executive health and wellness, this six-page
supplement will cover it all.
Lists, recommendations, reviews, opinions, great
finds and more constitute the staple for ET Panache,
even as it delves in-depth into the rarefied universe of
upscale travel, dining, wellness and style. The paper
will be available along with The Economic Times every
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
Venu is executive editor,
Amar Ujala
M.K. Venu, who resigned from The Hindu last year,
has joined the Amar Ujala Group of Publications as
executive editor. Venu will look after the news flow
of Amar Ujala currently and is planning to expand the
digital leg of the newspaper. Amar Ujala is venturing
into the digital medium in different languages. Venu
has brought in Sujay Mehdudia as senior associate
editor. He will be responsible for the economic and
political verticals, with a lot of focus on economy,
trade, investment and foreign trade.
Prior to joining to Amar Ujala, Mehdudia had
worked with The Hindu for more than 17 years.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
Dainik Bhaskar ropes in
Agarwal for Bihar, Jharkhand
The Dainik Bhaskar Group has brought on board
Y.C. Agarwal as part of the core editorial team for its
Bihar and Jharkhand editions. Agarwal has joined the
Group as managing editor of Bihar and Jharkhand. His
appointment reflects the Groups constant endeavour
69
 OTHER NEWS
to enhance the editorial content and bring in more
freshness and a new appeal in the publication. The
appointment will further strengthen the leadership
team of Dainik Bhaskar in Jharkhand, particularly of
the recently launched Patna edition.
Agarwal brings with him 42 years of experience
in the Indian media industry. Prior to joining Dainik
Bhaskar, in his earlier assignments, Agarwal was
overall in-charge of Hindustan Media Ventures in
Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
Businessworld to launch
Hotelier International
Businessworld (part of GBN Media) has partnered
with Hotelier International Media to launch an Indian
edition of Hotelier International magazine, the worlds
largest business-to-business publication for hoteliers.
It has editions across 15 countries with a circulation of
300000. It has a loyal following among hotel owners
as well as businesses that work with hotels, including
suppliers, designers, decorators, event organisers and
more.
Businessworld-Hotelier International magazine will
be a quarterly. It is expected to be primarily read by
top-management decision makers in four- and five-
star hotels in India. Users will be able to subscribe to
an interactive e-version of the magazine as well. The
digital version of the magazine will be available across
desktop, mobile and social platforms. There will be a
digital presence with updates happening on real time
basis while building a forum for the hotel community.
The magazine is expected to hit the stands in India by
the end of the second quarter of this year.
Businessworld was acquired by GBN Media, which
is led by Annurag Batra, in October last year, from
the ABP Group. Since its acquisition, Businessworld
has been working extensively on scaling up its print,
online and event verticals.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
Harper's Bazaar Bride in India
Hearst Magazines International and India Today
Group have jointly launched Harpers Bazaar Bride
in India, expanding the magazine brands presence
in the country and marking its foray into the luxury
wedding market. Launching with the March 2014 issue,
Harpers Bazaar Bride will publish 10 issues per year,
targeting not only the bride and groom, but the entire
bridal brigade and all high-life enthusiasts. Harpers
Bazaar Bride will be an eclectic mix of modernity and
tradition, the complete package for the contemporary
couple looking to turn their wedding day dream to
reality. The brand also addresses a grooms needs,
with special features on mens wear, lifestyle updates
and tips on grooming. Apart from weddings and
70
bridal wear, the magazine will feature latest trends in
destination events, honeymoon hotspots, spectacular
soirees, and more.
Fashion magazine Harpers Bazaar was launched
in India in February 2009, when the India Today
Group partnered with Hearst Magazines. US-based
Hearst Magazines International is a unit of Hearst
Corporation and encompasses 290 magazines and 147
websites in 34 languages and 81 countries. Major titles
include Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Good Housekeeping,
Harpers Bazaar, Popular Mechanics, and Seventeen.
Shri World launched
Shri Group, which has presence in real estate, and
electronic and print media, has announced the launch
of Shri World, an upscale general interest, current and
social affairs monthly publication in Hindi. Rajendra
Bahadur Singh, who has been heading Shri Media
Ventures since 2011, will be the editor of the magazine.
He has a journalistic experience of 27 years with
leading publications such as Dainik Bhaskar, Swatantra
Bharat, Hindustan, Jansatta Express, Aaj, and Rashtriya
Sahara. The magazine will initially be circulated in
Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan, with plans to expand circulation to other
states over the next two years.
Shri World will cover politics, economics, sports,
health, literature, international affairs, employment,
entertainment, food, lifestyle, religion and festivals.
(Courtesy: exchange4media.com)
India Legal fortnightly
re-launched
Noida-based media group ENC has re-launched
its fortnightly, India Legal, from March 2014. ENC
and India Legal are promoted by entrepreneur, former
anchor and TV reporter Rajshri Rai. India Legals
editorial staff is headed by Inderjit Bhadwar, former
editor of India Todays print and TV brands. Other
members include Ramesh Menon, who has 37 years
of experience in print, TV and new media, and Alam
Srinivas, who has worked for leading publications
such as India Today and Outlook. The marketing team
is headed by multi-media specialist Raju Sarin.
India Legal is a current affairs magazine with
emphasis on investigative articles, exclusives, trend-
breaking pieces, and insightful features. The magazine
seeks to provide content will a powerful legal angle.
The core readers will be lawyers, judges, policy
makers and senior corporate managers.
VIDURA April-June 2014
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