Turning IIMC Into A “Centre Of Excellence”

GUESS, who is one of the key architects presiding over fresh attempts at making the Indian Institute of Mass Communications, “a centre of excellence”, after having helped in its saffronisation? It is none other than the editor of Panchajanya, Tarun Vijay.

Here are the facts. After having made the Indian Institute of Mass Communications a “centre of mediocrity” during the chairmanship of Balbir Punj and later his successor, RSS think tank Tarun Vijay has now decided to make the Institute “a centre of excellence”.  An inter office memo issued by Director IIMC dated September 27, 2004, directs all faculty members to give their inputs for making the institute a centre of excellence to Tarun Vijay. It states “These inputs may be provided in a sealed cover for onward transmission to Shri Tarun Vijay… Further Shri Tarun Vijay has indicated that he would like to meet the faculty individually to exchange views.  He is expected to be at the Institute from about 10.00 am to 1.00 p m tomorrow (i.e on September 28 and if necessary day after tomorrow i.e. on September 29 also).  Faculty members desirous of meeting him can do so.” Tarun Vijay, it may be mentioned, is a member of the IIMC executive and a key member of the review committee.

And now some more facts. A recent meeting of the IIMC Review Committee, after the new government came into being, took place almost after 7 long months.  It is learnt there was no quorum for the meeting.  After non-reviewing for years, this exercise was done after a new government at the centre took oath. In fact, many feel it was perhaps for an operation cover up.  Incidentally the first meeting took place in August this year. A year earlier, an attempt at a new National Media Policy was born here under the previous NDA government. It was conceived to be guided by the ‘autonomous’ IIMC.

Curious things are indeed happening in some institutes and cultural bodies and the IIMC is only one such body. Incidentally here too, a behind the scene search for a new look council began in June 2004. The then I&B joint secretary through D O No. 23/13/2004 dated June 14, 2004 wrote to various select institutes asking for names to the IIMC society and its executive council.

Obviously, some one was in a hurry to get things moving in IIMC, just as someone was in a hurry to get things going for International Herald Tribune’s entry into India. The IHT matter is still being looked into even as the government hunts for legal sanction giving legal sanctity to the Cabinet resolution of 1955 that bars publication of foreign newspaper and news magazines in India. (INN)