In this TMV blog I keep writing occasionally on subjects that have an important role to play in increasing positivity in discussion and debate on matters related to politics. After all what is politics?…Surely, not just the circus where politicians are the key players. Politics percolates down to, and influences, health, education, art and culture…In fact all spheres of life.
As India dreams of (and works towards) joining the big league of powerful/”developed” nations, there are many individuals/institutions that have raised pertinent points as to whether we are headed towards the “right” direction. The big questions relate to the need to retain the vitality of the social fabric and ensuring social equity in this mad race to reach the high GDP targets.
Recently, I came across two write-ups on these concerns, as also about the role of media, by those who have earned a name for their contribution in the field of education and social welfare in India. The first is by Madhav Chavan of “Pratham”, an NGO that was recently given The Hewlett and Gates Foundations Award $9 Million towards its “Read India Campaign”. To read Chavan’s article please click here…
(The grant supports Pratham’s “Read India” initiative, which is working in conjunction with Indian state governments to help ensure that children between the ages of 6 and 14 achieve basic mastery in these skills by the end of 2009. The grant to Pratham will improve basic learning skills in 100 districts of India, touching 10 million children spread over 10 states for three years.)
The second article is by a sensitive young lady concerned at the questionable priorities of the mainstream media. Writes Snigdha Jain:
— Rush-hour murder on Kalkaji street, April 8, 2008
— Tibetan protests burn bright, Olympics torch put out in Paris, April 8, 2008
—Gurgaon pub brawl injured two pilots and their friends, April 7, 2008
— Rape and murder of British teenager, April 6, 2008
“This is all that I get to read in the newspaper and see on the news channels everyday. The news that creates vibes or sells has to be related to crime or political gimmicks. All my mornings begin with reading about incidences of rape, murder, bomb blast, riot, suicide and so on. On the one hand, it instills a certain degree of fear in me but, on the other gives me a sense of comfort that I am not one of the victims. But, is it really so? Don’t we all get affected by things happening around us?
“Definitely yes! All of us get affected and contribute to shaping up of our environment in some or the other way. Knowingly or unknowingly our opinions, attitude, values get influenced by the news we read and hear.
“What kind of news would light up my day – my sister delivering a baby girl or my grandmother passing away? Of course, it has to be the former. If that holds true for our personal lives, it does the same for our public lives. If we were to take a count of people who would enjoy reading about a 4 year old being gang-raped, I am sure we will be able to count them on our finger tips. In that case, why do we get to read and hear about such things only? Is that all happening in our society? Are we living in such a bad world? Isn’t there any ray of hope? Isn’t there any piece of news that has the potential to lighten up our mornings and keep us spirited throughout the day?
“We all know that though, negativity propagates negativity, positive manifestations have a multiplying effect with the power to counter the negativity in the environment. For example- children reading about fellow students committing suicides due to poor performance in studies believe that it is the easiest way to be done with everything, in case such a situation arises for them. However, repeated positive manifestations may counter the negative effect.
“Good and bad are two sides of the same coin. Our news items surely cannot completely get rid off the bad pieces but can definitely be supplemented with articles that reinforce positivism in order to balance out the effect.
“We need to wake up and look around and we’ll find that the world is not that bad (if not good). We need to see it from a different and positive perspective. There’s so much happening around us except rapes and murders. There are social welfare organizations dedicatedly working for the betterment of society; there are individuals helping out the needy ones; there could be a boy who has made it to the top rankings of a renowned educational institution after a lot of struggle (financial and otherwise); there could be a 100 year old man celebrating his 100th birth anniversary with his family; there could be a 10 year old girl who teaches the children of the lady working for them daily and buys books for them out of her pocket money; there could be a success story of a woman (sole earner in the family) in a village who works against all odds in order to sustain her family and she also sends her children to school; there could be a visionary village sarpanch who has turned around the look of his village by effectively investing the funds for creating necessary infrastructure, example – school, housing, roads, hospital etc. The world is full of case studies and success stories which possess the power to help us see the vitality and beauty that still exists in our lives. May be we have forgotten it in the mad pace of our current lifestyle, but fortunately we haven’t completely lost it.
“I sincerely request all the news-making agencies to deliver their readers and viewers with something that can keep them moving in life with a sense of contentment and faith rather than feelings of fear and hatred. One gets to read such articles once in a while. Making it a regular feature would be really appreciated. Articles including individual success stories that can help in strengthening our social fabric and re-inculcate our values should be published. Probably a daily one-page or half-a-page section could carry such news articles. Believe me – the world is going to follow you! Such a pleasant change will always be welcomed by the readers. People like to read about the good things happening around them and see the brighter side of the world. As a news production agency, it will not only benefit your sales to go up but also give you an edge over others.”
Here are some of the persons who responded to Snigdha Jain’s comments:
It’s great to see you bring this up… it’s so timely! I’ve been feeling the same on this issue. My only action however was to stop reading newspapers and watching TV because i didn’t want to start my day with a heavy does of negativity. But you’re on the right track with this idea… if newspaper and magazine editors and television channel heads get to hear from people that they would like to see more positivity being shared, they’ll start to listen over a period of time. At present, they seem to believe that they are playing a vital role in spreading awareness about the reality of the world. However, it is at best only one aspect of our reality. There are a lot of good things happening around us and my experience is that if we focus on the good, we will see more of the good stuff happening. I’m seeing your email as an important first step in influencing our existing culture. It needs to be questioned and challenged… and alternatives need to be provided.
— Vinod Sreedhar, Mumbai
www.xanga.com/vinodsreedhar
when i was reading it…it was like i was talking to myself again because every morning when i read the newspaper, i feel the very same way (and i believe most of the people do think so)…though there are few channels and newspapers who use positive current but each one of them fail to use it on front page/prime time. what about filling a PIL saying broadcasting or printing negativity is equal to spreading psychological disorders?
—Rachit Haldiya, Rajasthan
Food for thought- we must pass on this wonderful article to the powers who could launch a nationwide stir against detailed coverage of such news items on media. —Wg Cdr Kapoor, Delhi
I am touched and amazed by your reaction to my article.
—Madhav Chavan, Delhi
I am really impressed with this initiative of yours!…and needless to say..i feel the same..we need to see the other side..the positive side to keep us going..and this sensationalism that the media propagates only further disenchants the youth of today!
— Sukhmani Sethi, Delhi
I just can’t believe. The same thing was also going on in my mind for some days. You have taken a lead. Keep it up. Carry it on. Buck up. You will find that a lot of people are behind you, with you, one of them will be me too. However, you have just forgotton to give email addresses of some newspapers as a ready reference for people.
—Virender Kumar Jain,
Firstly, I think we all agree on this issue. Have you read what Former Pres Kalam wrote about it once? He wrote about his visit to Israel where despite some horrific bus accident, the front page news was about some ingenious farmer and his successful farming practices (or something like that). But I just don’t know why news agencies don’t pick up from here… I think for some reason, these guys believe that bad news sells! If like you suggested, their sales would pick up, they would have implemented long back! Or maybe, they should report news as news, and just make it a point to include good news more often (and not necessarily exclude bad news!).
—Ronald Abraham
Its a very interesting article. I have been thinking on these lines for some months now and I think its a very alarming state of affairs. Increasingly the media is gaining control over us…and the way we think and perceive events. On their whims and fantasies they would make someone demi-God and any other day portray the same demi-God as the most wicked man alive.
And not only the news channels I think the daily soaps also have the same issue. The kind of storied they show only reinforces the negatives of the society.
A strong media is a welcome thing for a democracy. However the media like our politicians is not answerable to anyone and for this reason it can broadcast/print anything they like without thinking about the authenticity of the news or the source. With the freedom comes a responsibility and I sorry to say the Indian media is neglecting that part of the deal.
—Bhaskar Jindal, Delhi
That was a very thoughtful article. Completely agree with you over the concern of what our news media broadcasts these days. Surely as u n many of us feel there is a lot of scope to show more citations of good news. News that makes u feel happy, feel inspired at times, one that shows the general plentiful of good things done around.
—Divya Kotagiri, Mumbai
that’s wonderful of you to have to responded in such an idealistic, visionary way to things that appear in the media.
Bhavana Pankaj, Delhi
it is a very nice piece…sahi main. very well written, with maturity and is a rare solution oriented appeal.
—Monalisa Hota, U.S.
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.