The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Media has a role to educate rural masses'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Media has a role to educate rural masses'

By Our Staff Reporter

Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, industrialist, delivering the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial lecture in Chennai on Saturday. Looking on (from left) are C.S. Jayaraman of R & P Management Communications; Sushil K. Verma, Director-General of CIPET, and V. Ramnaraya n, Trustee of the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial Trust. — Photo: N. Sridharan

CHENNAI, MARCH 12. Highlighting the media's role in creating a social awakening about the cultural heritage of the country, particularly among the youth, noted industrialist Krishnaraj Vanavarayar said the need of the hour was to talk about success stories.

Delivering the Kalki Sadasivam memorial lecture here today, Mr. Vanavarayar, Chairman of Sri Sakthi Textiles, called upon the media to touch the conscience of the urban elite, which was getting lost in the glitter and glamour of the consumerism driven by western culture. Simultaneously, it should inform and educate the rural masses. The lecture on the `role of media in modern society' was organised by the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial Trust.

The role of media in the development of the society could not be under-estimated and it was conscience-keepers of the nation, he said, pointing out that it had to build confidence and instil a sense of responsibility among the people. The observations made by Kalki Krishnamurthy, the founder editor of `Kalki' in 1954 that there should be culture, nobility and compassion, in any writing were relevant forever. Notwithstanding the compulsions - commercial, to be populist and political pressures - the media should continue to play a vital role in the nation building process.

Earlier, Mr. Vanavarayar presented the Kalki Sadasivam memorial award to R and P Management Communications for its advertisement highlighting the versatility of plastics. The campaign was for the Indian Centre for Plastics in Environment. C. S. Jayaraman, representative of the communications company in Chennai received the award.

Underscoring the need for regulations to prevent the littering of plastics, Sushil K. Verma, Director General of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET), said the campaign sought to clear the misconceptions about plastics.

V. Ramnarayan, trustee of the Kalki Sadasivam Memorial Trust said this was sixth in the series of awards given annually in recognition of excellence in advertising in Tamil print media. It was presented to the best advertisement with good visuals, copy matter and an equal emphasis on social purpose. The Trust also presented scholarships, of Rs.5,000 each, to two college students pursuing courses in communications.

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