Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

Media urged to help bring change in mindset of people

Special Correspondent

Jaipal Reddy seeks media's help to unite people in South Asian nations

LIGHTER MOMENT : Union Minister for Urban Development S. Jaipal Reddy with Imtiaz Alam, secretary-general, SAFMA, at the conference on `National languages media and peace in South Asia' in Hyderabad on Sunday. - Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: Union Urban Development Minister S.Jaipal Reddy urged the media to change the "mindset" of people in uniting South Asian countries and seizing the opportunity provided by technology "to make poverty history."

Delivering the keynote address at the fifth SAFMA (South Asian Free Media Association) conference on "National languages' media and peace in South Asia" here on Sunday, he pointed to the opportunity to make poverty "totally antediluvian" if only 10 per cent of the defence expenditure was diverted to anti-poverty schemes. The Minister conceded that he did not see any Government doing that.

Referring to the famous lines of P.B.Shelley that "poets are unacknowledged legislators of mankind," he said pressmen/women were the unacknowledged legislators in the 21st century. "You change public opinion, we politicians follow you."

Pointing to the emergence of EU, despite having a 500-year-old history of conflict among the European nations, the Minister stressed the need for countries in the Indian sub-continent to rise above history of conflict lasting a mere 50 years. "We need to change our mindset, change our thinking."

He said mediapersons could be ambassadors of peace and goodwill. "The wellsprings of love and affection among the people need to be tapped. This could be done by media, particularly the language press, which could play a huge role in cementing the ties of brotherhood. He had a dig at the urban and upper class bias of private media and said there was a need to correct it.

Earlier, SAFMA Secretary-General Imtiaz Alam, during an open house, said a university was proposed to be set up in Lahore and appealed to governments and philanthropists to become stakeholders in the SAFMA-led venture.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Bid to get world heritage tag for Qutb Shahi tombs
Multiplex multiplies traffic problems at Punjagutta
Art spreads the AIDS message
State eyes chemical complex
MCH moves to put curbs on hawkers
Media urged to help bring change in mindset of people
State to go easy on income eligibility
YSR emphasises economic prosperity of people
Chiluvuru portal vandalised
Armed desperadoes strike in Chilakalguda
Magic touch crucial to wipe out superstitions, says Geeta Reddy
Separate Andhra too on BJP agenda
No V-Day fete, warns Bajrang Dal
Kit to drive away fear of numbers
TDP charges on projects false, says Congress
TDP seeks white paper on ryots' suicide
Couple attempts suicide
Samvad bags PR award
Sikh fete celebrated
Shias stage demonstration at newspaper office
Around the City
In Hyderabad Today
Reader's Mail
Crime Watch

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu