Faridabad media celebrates Journalism day on Narad Jayanti

Sanjay Chaturvedi

Maharishi Naradmuni Jayanti was celebrated all over the Haryana with much fanfare for the first time. The Jayanti was being celebrated for the last several years by the Journalists of Haryana. However, this was the first time that it was celebrated on nine different places all over the state. In Faridabad, the birth anniversary of the Muni was hosted by City Press Club in association with Vishwa Samvad Kendra. The chief guest of the evening was Commissioner Municipal Corporation of Faridabad Ashok Sharma. The guest of honour was Prafulla Ketkar, Editor of the English weekly Organiser.  K.C.Lakhani Chairman Lakhani Armaan Group was also the guest of honour. President City Press Club Bijendra Bansal shared the Dias with the dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion Prafulla Ketkar said that Shree Naradmuni is known to be the first reporter of the universe. He said that in fact the journalists of today are the followers of Shree Narad Muni. As against the character of the great literate Muni of the gods, the muni used to have equal comfort with each and every segment of the society. Be it the gods or the asurs, he held the equal repo with all of them. As understood by the common man, as they are taught by the movies, the Narad muni used to provoke people against each other, which, actually was not the case. He was supposed to follow the destiny already set for the universe and follows the same accordingly. He used to act in favour of Dharma. It is said that the name Narad itself means “One who imparts extreme knowledge”.

Talking about the form of journalism prevailing at the present, Ketkar said, “It is the time of electronic and web news portal. The situation has totally reversed as a few years back the publications used to get the print first and then upload it on the website, which is now the reverse, with news first being uploaded on website then being published”.  Differentiating between the electronic media and the print media, he said, “While in case of the print media the correspondent get more time to think, to connect with the older links, to get quotes of people related to the story and to write the news, in case of electronic media if a breaking news is slightly deviating from the facts, it can be overruled by the other breaking news superseding the earlier one. Hence, the onus of the correctness is still more on the print media because it is the copy which anyone can keep with him, while in the electronic media, there is no such record with the audiences”.

Talking about the principles of journalism laid down by Maharishi Narad, Ketkar recited the same in Sanskrit and explained them to the more than 300 strong audiences, most of which were the journalists of Faridabad. He also spoke about the challenges the journalists of today are facing. While most of the journalists wish to write about the truth and of social welfare, there are compulsions of the publication with which their bread and butter is associated with. He narrated certain examples of incorrect reporting and also discussed that how the center of news is being shifted against the social cause and politics is being controlling the center of news. He said that while other countries couldn’t survive in the difficult times just because politics governed those countries, India always kept going in spite of all the odd circumstances because for it politics was never the prime subject. Till now politics travelled its own way while the journalists kept doing their work. But now the challenge is tougher, said Ketkar, with the politics shifting to the driving seat.

Earlier, Ashok Sharma, the chief guest talked about the important role of journalists in the day to day life of the people. He very specifically talked about the ‘spot journalism’ and ‘desk journalism’ indicating towards the people who write stories with the convenience of their desks.

Others who witnessed the important event were Shri Krishna Singhal Sampark Pramukh of RSS (North), Gangashankar Mishra, Ajit Jain, Rajendra Goyal President Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Rajesh Kumar, Dr. Anil Jindal Chairman SRS Group, J.P.Gupta Vice Chairman Crown Group,  Chairman Rawal Group of Institutions C.B.Rawal,  President DLF Industries Association J.P.Malhotra, Educationist S.K.Garg, M.P.Rungta, Manmohan Gupta, Poet Dinesh Raghuvanshi, Padamshree awardee Brahmdatt, Bollywood actress Mahima Bakshi, Rajkumar Agrawal and many more.

Others who made significant role in holding the event were Deepak Gautam from ABP News, Sanjay Kapoor General Secretary City press club, Rakesh Chaurasia Bureau Chief National Duniya, Om Prakash Panchal Bureau chief Amar Ujala, Saurabh Bhardwaj editor Voice of Faridabad etc.

On the occasion it was decided that from next year prizes would be distributed in different categories of journalism. The categories would be to honour not the person but the work, so that the journalists working to strengthen the foundation of the fourth pillar of democracy get motivated to work more on the positive side and to do justice to their profession.