Sunday, Sep 14, 2003
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By Suresh Nambath
Prime Minister Vajpayee delivers his inaugural address at The Hindu's 125th Anniversary Celebrations in Chennai on Saturday. — Photo: Vino John
"I have no doubt that a serious and progressive newspaper like The Hindu will play an honoured role in this national endeavour," he said. Identifying as the gigantic undertaking of the next two decades the transformation of India into a developed nation, Mr. Vajpayee said the media must play their part in communicating this vision, enriching this vision with intellectual content and motivating the people around this vision. "In doing so, you would not be supporting any particular party or government or ideology. For, the vision of India as a developed nation transcends party politics. It is also, clearly, beyond the means of any single government. Rather, like the idea of India as a Free Nation in the first part of the last century, this idea expresses the collective will, aspiration and determination of all Indians in our times, cutting across political, ideological and other barriers. Precisely for this reason, it is an idea pregnant with immense transformative power," he said. All sections of society would have to plunge into this project with a sense of mission. 
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with (from left) G. Kasturi, former Editor, S. Rangarajan, Managing Director, N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, P.S. Ramamohan Rao, Tamil Nadu Governor, C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Twelfth Finance Commission, N. Murali, Joint Managing Director, and N.P. Ramajayam, General Secretary, The Hindu Office and National Press Employees' Union, at The Hindu's 125th Anniversary Celebration function in Chennai on Saturday. — Photo: Vino John
Observing that there was an increasing tendency in a section of the media to project trivial things in life, to highlight the fads and fashions of the rich and the over-privileged, and to aggressively advertise a consumerist lifestyle that was beyond the reach of the majority, the Prime Minister said all this happened to the exclusion of attention paid to the problems of the masses. "A newspaper should be a voice of the voiceless. It should be the hope of the hopeless. But this is not always the case. The common man is often invisible in the pages of our glossy newspapers and magazines," he added. While noting that Indian newspapers had a long and proud tradition of highlighting exploitation in society and corruption and wrongdoing in the corridors of power, he cautioned that such vigilance would have to be based on veracity. The freedom of the press, he said, was an integral part of Indian democracy, protected not only by the Constitution but also, in a more fundamental way, by the democratic culture of the country. "Persecution on account of one's beliefs, and the insistence that all must accept a particular point of view, is unknown to our ethos," he insisted. Denying that Indian democracy was in any danger, the Prime Minister said there was no need to be sceptical about Indian secularism. "In spite of unfortunate aberrations, whose recurrence must be prevented, India will always remain an open, inclusive and tolerant nation with the freedom of faith guaranteed to all not only by the statute book, but also by the living traditions of this ancient civilisation." The Tamil Nadu Governor, P.S. Ramamohan Rao, while commending The Hindu for articulating in an editorial its core principles for socially responsible and ethical journalism, said that truthful and factual news reporting must be combined with variety and diversity in news analysis and comment.
`Journalistic activism'
The Chairman of the Twelfth Finance Commission, C. Rangarajan, in his special address, said the role of a responsible newspaper in shaping and moulding public opinion must be balanced against its primary role as an objective and unbiased instrument of information supplier. "Activism in a cause is justifiable. But journalistic activism, like judicial activism, must be tempered by self-imposed limits," he argued. "The reputation of The Hindu as a newspaper rests on the delicate balance it has been able to achieve in terms of the multiple objectives," he added. The Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, N. Ram, in his welcome address, called for decriminalising of defamation. Suggesting changes in the "reasonable restrictions" on freedom of speech and expression, he said civil remedies against defamation must be made more effective, and the sky-high powers assumed by the "higher courts to act as judges in their own case" must be taken away by Parliament and the people. The Joint Managing Director of Kasturi & Sons Ltd., N. Murali, proposing a vote of thanks, wanted the readers of The Hindu to feel free to "interact with us on any important issue, and to call attention, admonish, or even correct us if ever they find us, wittingly or unwittingly, swerving from our chosen path and the core values of truthful, fair and balanced journalism." The General Secretary of The Hindu Office and National Press Employees' Union, N.P. Ramajayam, said the management of the newspaper, even while introducing new technology, had not resorted to retrenchment. Of the many congratulatory messages received by The Hindu on the occasion, two were read out at the function. The President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Kumaratunga, in her message, noted that The Hindu was acclaimed for its objectivity and respect for truth. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said the role of The Hindu, as a leading Indian newspaper, could never be forgotten in Sri Lanka's own quest for Independence. The former Editor of The Hindu, G. Kasturi, draped ceremonial shawls on the Prime Minister and other dignitaries on the stage. The Managing Director of Kasturi & Sons Ltd., S. Rangarajan, presented mementoes. An audio-visual presentation on The Hindu, and its contributions over the last 125 years was made on the occasion.
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