The eminent veteran journalist syndicated columnist, human right activist and author Kuldeep Nayar who was in Chandigarh on Sunday to inaugurate Media Institute of Chandigarh University Gharuan (Mohali) said that journalsits are the only hope for people to save the democracy and save the country from disintegtration. He defined the role of a journalsit in today's society and asked the young journalists to be committed to the principals of journalism and never compromise with the eastablishment.
In chat with Punjab News Express Kuldeep Nayar said that a journalist shall always work for the welfare of people and not become a saleable commodity. He said that only people with missionary spirit opt for the journalism otherwise there are many other professions to make money. He stated, 'A journalist not committed to his profession would end up making lot of money".
Kuldeep Nayar expressed deep concern over media being hijacked by corporate houses and now political parties are also entering into field of media. The flow of information is increasing but it is difficult for people to trust the information. He said that it was unfortunate that journalists were also compromising. "A journalist who compromises ceased to be a journalist", he added. Nayar said that he had resigned from the post Indian Express when the owner Ram Nath Goenka asked him not to write much in favour of Muslims. "I told Goenka that he was not writing in favour of Muslims but in favour of all those who are being victimised irrespective of their communitiy", he said.
Kuldeep Nayar said that Gandhi's idea of India was different from the India we see today. He said that Gandhi always advocated that religion and politics shall be different. But now efforts are on to mix religion with politics which is dangerous trend. "The soft Hindutva is not in favour of country", he said. Nayar said that after 70 years of freedom, one third of the population go to bed without food. Was this the vision of freedom. He said that it was the duty of journalsits to awaken the people about their rights and wrong doings of governments.
He rubbished the debates on TV channels and said that what kind of journalism is this ? They call one leader from BJP, one from Congress and another from third front and all of them abuse each other whole day. Watching such debates has become hobby of middle class, he quipped.
Nayar said that new age media which is also called social media is emerging but the basics of journalism would never change. He addressed the seminar on New Age Media organised by the Chandigarh Universitry at CII headquarter Chandigarh.