People's Democracy

 M H MEMORIAL LECTURE

Newspapers Must Help Unite And Enlighten People

 M Venugopala Rao

NEWSPAPERS which play a positive role in uniting and enlightening the people, irrespective of caste, religious, class and regional differences were the need of the hour, said eminent film writer Dr Paruchuri Gopalakrishna. He delivered the M H memorial lecture in connection with a programme organised on the occasion of the fourth death anniversary of Comrade Moturu Hanumantha Rao, former Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) and founder-editor of Prajasakti, in Visakhapatnam on June 18. Gopalakrishna regretted that values in the press and films  and overall journalistic ethics were degenerating, as was the case with the society at large. Asking the press to concentrate on the issues of inequality, he pointed out that though the society was developing, the fruits of development were not reaching the poor, and education and health continued to be luxuries not within their reach.  Even after more than half a decade after the country attained independence, the common people continued to be a mere vote bank and the opportunities provided by the Constitution and democracy were not reaching them, he said. Pointing out that mostly the rich people could contest elections and were able to get elected to the legislative bodies, Gopalakrishna underlined the importance of increasing the representation of the poor who constituted about 80 per cent of the population, besides progressive intellectuals. He was confident that then the existing conditions would improve.

Privatisation had become a part and parcel of the present-day culture, Gopalakrishna said and termed it a variant of open exploitation.  He asked the press and progressive-minded people to come forward to work in a concerted manner for ushering in a society without exploitation. He wished that newspapers like Prajasakti which were waging a war of words on behalf of the people and protecting values should grow further in strength and number. Gopalakrishna paid rich tributes to Comrade Hanumantha Rao and earlier garlanded his portrait.

V Srinivasa Rao, editor of Prajasakti, who presided over the programme, said Prajasakti was a synonym for alternate journalism.  He pointed out that Prajasakti has been growing day by day with the support of the people and that it would be starting its eighth edition and celebrating its silver jubilee this year.  Srinivasa Rao explained that Prajasakti was one of the very few newspapers that have been covering facts about the changing world, while they simply did not figure in the rest of the media. Prajasakti has been analysing developments and pointing out  the direction in which the world has been changing.  With the growth of TV news channels, the readership of newspapers also was growing and that was the reason why the foreign multinational corporations were casting their glances on the Indian print media, he said.  Allowing publication of fascimile editions of foreign newspapers in the country would do harm to the country’s sovereignty, Srinivasa Rao warned and stressed that it should be averted with the cooperation of the people.

Potturi Venkateswara Rao, veteran journalist and chairman of the selection committee for M H memorial best journalist awards, was happy that Prajasakti was continuing the best traditions, keeping the ideals of Moturu Hanumantha Rao in view. Veteran journalist and member of the selection committee, V Hanumantha Rao, said Comrade Moturu Hanumantha Rao had the unflinching commitment to protect the Party as well as Prajasakti.  General manager of Prajasakti V Krishnaiah, news editor S Vinay Kumar, daughter of Comrade MH Dr Tanya and sons-in-law Dr Ranga Rao and Dr Sudhakar, and receipients of MH memorial best journalist awards Sridhar, Sriramulu and Venugopal were on the dias.