Role of Media in highlighting witch-hunting issues

You all know that Media has a greater role in nation building process. It not only informs, but also educates, sensitizes and entertains people with strong and appropriate messages. Ours is the development media and we are practicing development journalism in the country.

The motto of development journalism is to highlight the bad practices of the society and to promote development works and achievements of the society. Still now some superstitions and bad practices are continuing in the country, though we live in a knowledge society which advocates us about human rights.

Witch-hunting related crime is also an example of bad practices in the society. It is the serious violation of the person’s fundamental right and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which advocate about the right to life. And unfortunately, most of the women are the victims of witch-hunting.

How media highlights the issue—

Most of the Indian language newspapers along with English newspaper are also highlighting the issue of witch-hunting in their respective papers. Electronic media also broadcasting news of the witch-hunting related crimes.

One Assamese script ‘Ishu’ based on witch-hunting story has been chosen for Cinekid Junior Co-production Market. The noted Cinekid production would make the film which highlights the issue of superstition in an Indian State.

Media should highlight the issues in a constructive way taking it as a serious case of human rights violation. Some of my friends like Santosh Sharma from West Bengal who is working continuously to address the issue.

In Odisha, some Newspapers and magazines like ‘The Charcha’ are continuously highlighting the stories and promoting scientific education through the magazines. Some mainstream newspapers like The Pioneer, The New Indian Express and The Frontline and some Odia newspapers are also highlighting the issues in a positive way.

How to report the Witch-hunting issues --

-- Media should give the follow-ups of the stories on witch-hunting published or broadcasted by the print or electronic media. It should present the news before the readers or viewers till the fag end of the incident as that would impose pressure on enforcement agency as well as the Government machinery to take immediate action against the culprits.

-- It may be small, but the presence of the story would literally compel the enforcement agency to take action in time.

-- While highlighting the issue, Media should give emphasis on the mastermind of the incident like Ojhas (in West Bengal), Gunia (in Odisha) and Tantrik (in Hindi States) as they are the real culprits who misguide the people.

-- If a media person gets any news about witch-hunting, he should spread that news among the other representatives of different media houses by which the news would get maximum coverage and the impact would yield good result.

-- We all should work together to curb the social evil. While reporting the sensitive and serious issues like witch-hunting, the media should follow ethics and report in a decent manner touching the human hearts.

-- Media should not report in the favour of the superstition anyway, it should give importance on human rights and report the verdicts of court on witch-hunting related crimes which would create fear among the common people to commit such mistakes again in their locality. Example- 14 people were arrested along with the main accused for killing three women suspecting them witch in a village in West Bengal as reported by my friend Santosh Sharma. While in Ganjam district of Odisha, 23 persons were arrested for killing a woman suspecting sorcerer. 

IMPACT OF MEDIA:

Continuous reporting on witch-hunting related issues has wider impact on society. It imposes pressure on the intellectual mass and law makers of the State to think about the issue in a positive way. It is possible to motivate and educate the people of the country towards science and rational world.

According to Santosh Sharma, who is a rationalist and working against witch- hunting in West Bengal, they are continuously reporting on the issue during last few years. Over 100 people were killed per year suspecting as witch, in the state 10 years ago, but now that is significantly decreased to less than 10% and it is due to the media, he added.

SUGGESTIONS:

The State Government and public should help media to sensitize the common people about the heinous crimes against women.

The State Government should direct the district Collectors to organize campaigns in panchayat level.

The women’s self-help groups (SHGs), Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers should be activated through various Government agencies and banks to motivate people.

‘Tribals need quality education with joyful learning’

Despite tall claims by the State and the Central Governments about impressive achievements in literacy rate, reduction of dropouts, universal education is yet to reach many tribal children in the State, said speakers at a meeting here.

Tribal areas have been the most backward due to lack of proper planning and implementation. One of the problems in the tribal school is language and dialect barrier.

The tribal children are very comfortable with their mother tongues, but they don’t get the opportunity to get education in their mother tongues. Education in a stranger

language hardly motivates them to go to schools. It is in this context that the tribal leaders have been reasonably demanding mother-tongue-based education for the tribal kids, they opined. “Researches have shown that when children start their pre-schools in their mother tongue their brains grow faster and their ability to learn multiple languages too grow,” said eminent tribal leader Krishnan of Tamil Nadu at a meeting here.

According to Sarvoday leader Aditya Patnaik, an activist working in the tribal areas of Mayurbhanj district, the tribal children lose interest in teaching due to language barrier. They fail to understand their teachers and the teaching as they are not comfortable with other languages than their mother tongue, he added.

“The Government should introduce elementary education in their mother tongue so that the tribals will be inspired to go to schools,” he suggested.

Patnaik also attributed increasing drop-out rate of the tribal children from schools to their livelihood problem. Most of the tribal people depend on water, land, forest and its products, but the rapid industrialisation and lack of interest of the Government to give land rights to the tribals have pushed the aboriginal tribes to a corner.

They are now being increasingly de-homed and deprived of their source of livelihood. The tribals after losing their livelihood are migrating with their children to other States in search of jobs, which leads their kids’ drop-outs, he added.

“The tribals are being exploited due to lack of education. So, they should be equipped with quality education to prove their mettle,” Patnaik said, warning, “If the Government fails to provide quality education, they would obviously choose the way of violence to get their right.”

According to social activist Santosh Sah of Malkangiri, most of the teachers are not coming to the schools regularly. “If teachers do not come to school, what the parents would do,” he asked. In some areas, schools are situated at a long distance from the tribal hamlets. The tribal kids don’t show interest to go to the schools due to the

distance. During rainy season, the children stop going to school for rain,” said tribal from Gajapati district Shibu Raita.

According to activist Dillip Das from Kalahandi district, the teachers don’t come to the school regularly which disrupts the studies of the students. The school children start forgetting the studies due to regular interruptions, said Das and advocated for joyful teaching.Dilapidated school buildings often discourage the pupils to come to school. Due to nexus between the venal Government officials and contractors, the school infrastructure is poorly built. In some schools, inordinate delays are made to complete school buildings.

The school inspectors or district officials never come for inspection, said Das. Das also referred to the schools in Kalahandi district where a dismal situation prevails due to lack of seriousness of the Government for the education of the tribals.

Some tribal people love their livelihood and never think about the education of their children. As a result, they engage their children in domestic works. In some cases, the tribal mothers engage their elder children to look after the younger ones when they leave home for work outside. This creates hindrances in the education of the tribal children, said a few speakers.

Therefore, the Government and the Non-Government Organisations should motivate the tribal people to send their children to school. At the same time, the Government should devise well-coordinated plans to boost the livelihood of the tribals in a sustainable manner. Only shedding crocodile tears for the tribals without doing any remarkable work would not solve the purpose, said the Sarvoday leaders.

Jumbos in danger zone

--form a special team to protect the wild elephants

BHUBANESWAR: Four elephants were electrocuted within a week in two different forest ranges in Ganjam district, when the country was observing Wildlife Week, which has created hue and cry in the State and national-level. On September 26, one tusker was killed after it got entangled in wires at Karchuli jungle under Buguda forest range under South Ghumusar forest range in the same district.

Following the death of the jumbos, mud-slinging between the power distribution companies and Forest Department has been started. PCCF (Wildlife) JD Sharma said that the power distribution companies should install circuit breakers, use insulated transmission wires and tall poles to prevent the electrocution of wild elephants. On the other hand, Energy Minister Arun Sahu said the elephants were killed by poachers and the jumbos were not died due to the fault of the power transmission companies, so that the Forest Department should take appropriate action into the matter.

It is not the new thing that a blame game takes place between the Forest Department and other departments regarding elephant death. The concerning departments would work seriously for few days till the issue is faded away and after that all concerning departments would forget the issue, said a political activist.

The State Government does not go to the root of the problem related to elephant death, said an environmentalist and former forest official Nadiya Chand Kanungo. Due to mining in forest areas and sensitive zones like Smilipal, Hadgarh and some areas of Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar district, the elephants are losing their habitat. The mining mafias and wood mafias are looting their habitat, for which reason they are entering into the human habitat in search of food where the man and elephant tussle starts, said Kanungo, adding, “If the similar trend continues, a day will come where we will count the numbers of elephants like the tigers now.”

According to former chairman of Ganjam block Surath Pahan, the tussle between men and elephant is increasing in the block as a result seven persons and eight jumbos were killed and it happens due to the inaction of the Forest Department. The forest personnel are engaged in many works at a time like Olive Ridley protection, avenue plantation and to keep vigil on wood smugglers, but they find few time to think about the protection of the wild elephants, he added.

“The department suffers not only from staff shortage, but also from infrastructure and technical necessity. When people agitate against the apathy of the forest department in driving away the elephants from the human habitat, that time the department starts patrolling and operations seriously then stops it after few days of the serious operation,” Pahan said.

It is noteworthy that the areas where the elephants were electrocuted recently in Ganjam are surrounded by farming lands. Most of the people of that area depend on paddy and vegetable crops. Most of the time, the herds of jumbos enter into the farming lands and destroy the crop along with the thatched houses which later create anger among the farmer and locals. They request many officials and people’s representatives to drive away the elephants and when the officials keep mum after maintaining some formalities. The poor farmers just see the crops are destroyed by the wild animals in front of him, said a villager Rabi Nahak of Burudi area, a place famous for vegetable.

The operation Gajanan had taken place at the area one year back to drive away the jumbos. Even a high-level committee had proposed to make a trench of 2.5m depth and 2m width in the jungle as first plan and construction of electric fences to check the infiltration of the jumbos to the human habitations. The work of establishing an elephant corridor at Salia dam near the Raniber jungle yet to start, said Pahan.  

According to Pahan, the people of the area have been demanding to compensate them for the damage or drive away the elephants from their farming land, but that is in vain. The compensation amount is not so attractive and very less than the loss, he said. “If the administration will not take any action to give compensation for farmers and to drive away the jumbos from their paddy fields, the poor farmers will solve the problem in their own way,” Pahan said, adding, “Form a special team to protect the wild elephants and to drive away the elephants at the time of their entry into the farming lands and human habitats.”

It may be noted that in recent times eight elephants have died in the Khallikote forest range, while four elephants have died in the Ghumusar forest division almost in similar circumstances and only seven elephants are left, sources said. At the State-level, 61 elephants were electrocuted out of 296 elephants that died between 2008 and 2012.

One in every four elderly face abuse in State: study

-- Are senior citizens safe in cities?

BHUBANESWAR: After a long working life, an elder person wants a blissful retired life with family members. But, now-a-days it turned into a myth for some unfortunate elderly people in the country as well as the State who don’t get favour of his family and spend a miserable life with the negligence of his own family. Almost one in every four (23.2%) elderly people in the State face abuse and mostly by their family members, revealed a national-level study.

The study which was conducted by HelpAge India, a charity working for the country’s elderly, found that 31 per cent of older persons reported facing abuse in national level. In State-level, Madhya Pradesh ranked the highest in elder abuse with 77.12 per cent, while Jaipur (Rajasthan) reported miniscule 1.67 per cent cases of elder abuse, the report stated.

Particularly in Bhubaneswar, the primary abuser is the son in 62 per cent cases, followed by the daughter-in-law with 25 per cent cases and 13 per cent by others, the report revealed. It stated that 78 per cent of those abused didn’t report to anyone and 61 per cent of these did not report the matter to uphold family honor.

One of the most important and unfortunate thing is disrespect to the elders. In the capital city, the report said, 69 per cent older people perceived disrespect is more prevalent in society followed by verbal abuse (31%).

Though the older people’s population is only 9 per cent of the total population of the State in 2011 and it would be increased to 13.8 per cent in 2016, they are very important for the society to guide the young generation, said activist HelpAge India State head Rashmi Mohanty. “Due to their sacrifice and hard work, we are living in a better condition now,” she said.

Recently, two old women Sabitri Sahu (70) of Balabhadrapur and Saibani Sahu (65) of Bandhamunhi village in Nayagarh district were thrown out by their family members including son and daughter-in-law. After being cast aside by their family members, they roamed around the capital city and later they were rescued by Maa Ghar Foundation.

There are so many incidents are taking place everyday across the State, but the elderly people are not reporting to uphold their family honour. “Every father and mother in the society makes priceless sacrifice for the happiness of their children and to see them as good human beings amidst insurmountable obstacles. Even they go hungry to feed her children. But when they become old and infirm, face torture instead of love, affection and proper care from their children and family members. Do we really respect our elders,” said an activist.

According retired Professor of psychology in Utkal University and Geriatric counselor Prof Pravash Kumar Mishra, there is a psychological contract between elderly people and the youngsters. That psychological contract has become weak and sick and that generates attitudinal problem as the social values are decreasing among the new generations. Another problem is gender difference, he said, female elderly people are very adjustable than male elders. So the male elders are very much affected by the attitudinal problem in the family, he added.

Besides all these family factors, the elderly people are also facing many problems from the outside people. In cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Brahmapur, the elderly people living alone in their home are not safety. Recently, some miscreants murdered retired Professor Gopal Krushna Panigrahy (65), a retired zoology professor of Berhampur University and his wife Kamala Kumari Panigrahy (61) at their residence at Ramkrushna Nagar in the Brahmapur city.

Recently, in the capital city, one elderly woman Jyoshna Devi was killed and her husband Kunjabihari Panigrahy was brutally attacked by four miscreants. Prior to this, an elderly woman Pushpalata Jena was brutally killed when she was alone in her home at Barmunda in the city on February 1 last year. In July 27, 2010, Panda Nursing Home owner Dr Brahmananda Panda was also killed in Kharvelnagar in city by some miscreants.

The increasing crime against senior citizens depicts the gloomy picture. Following the heinous crime against senior citizens, the Commissionerate Police have started thinking about the security of the senior citizens living alone in the city. The Senior Citizen Security Cells would be strengthened very soon, said Bhubaneswar DCP Nitinjeet Singh here on September 20.

Though some police stations under the Commissionerate Police have Senior Citizen Security Cells, but some other police stations in the city don’t have the cells, sources said. Still now more than four hundred senior citizens have registered their names in the cells of different police stations in the city.

Among all the gloomy pictures, some organisations are giving hope to the senior citizens abused by their family members. The organisations teach the elderly people how to live in a community life. They extend helping hands to protect the rights of the elderly people in the society and demand before the Government to provide social security. Whatever the reason behind the negligence of the old parents, but the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act, 2007 has given a hope for the aged, said social activist Anuradha Mohanty. “No doubt there is a law, but the laws should be properly implemented in letter and spirit,” said CLAP director Bikash Das.

'Strong law, awareness needed to curb witchcraft’

--Sorcery killing claimed 152 lives since 2010 in Odisha

HEMANTA KUMAR PRADHAN

BHUBANESWAR: L Sebati of Matiaburei village under Patapur police station in Ganjam district was living in harmony with her three children. Her elder one is reading in a college and she was running her kitchen by doing agricultural works in her paddy field. Though, she was not educated enough, she had sent her children for higher education. But the happy moments could not last long.

The superstitious villagers hired a Gunia and conducted a ‘Magic Cot’ trick to trace out the burglar and the persons who were allegedly practising witchcraft in the village. Unfortunately, Sebati was convicted in the magic trick system. The villagers took the educated sons of the lady and tied them with an electric pole by tonsuring their heads. Even they forcefully blackened the face of the family members in the middle of the village. The villagers suspected her as a sorcerer and punished her with a fine of Rs 30,000.

After the incident, the family members went to the police station to file a case against the inhuman behaviour of the villagers. Patapur police registered a case on March 19, 2010. Eighteen people of the village were arrested in connection with the inhuman treatment with the families of Sebati. On May 31 last year, members of the Human Rights Commission came to the village. Sebati had given some information regarding the torture on her. This conversation and information sharing between the investigation team and Sebati created anger among some groups of the village.

Sevati requested the Human Rights Commission, police and some local leaders to help her out in the case, but that was in vain. She did not leave hope and started fighting alone against the inhumane superstitious villagers. Finally, the inhuman persons brutally murdered her on October 2 last year, while she was returning from the police station. An innocent mother, who was fighting against injustice, left the world with a heavy heart.

This is not the first story. This type of incident is continuing in the State still now. Persons like Sevati are tortured, lynched and killed by the superstitious villagers. 

On May 25 last year, two women were locked up by the villagers of Sangrampur village in Nilagiri of Baleswar district suspecting witchcraft. On February 1 last year, witch-hunting claimed three persons in Keonjhar district’s Daitari and Telkoi areas. Sambari Chattar (50) and her 40-year-old brother, Utsav Purty, were axed to death while 55-year-old Kandiri Majhi of Koilisuta near Telkoi was lynched to death.

On May 10 last year, Gouri Murmu (17) chopped the head of her sister’s mother-in-law suspecting sorcery and then surrendered to the Bisoi police station of Mayurbhanj district with the chopped head. In the same month, two persons, including a woman, were killed by their relatives suspecting witchcraft in Bisoi and Karanjia police station areas of the district. In April 2011, members of two families were paraded and force-fed animal excreta after being accused of witchcraft in Deogarh district’s Sunamunda village.

On May 12 this year, a 50-year-old tribal man Beju Majhi was killed by fellow villagers for practising witchcraft at Phuker village under the Bijepur police limits of Lanjigarh block in Kalahandi district. 

In Odisha, attacks on innocent people have been on the rise as witch-hunting takes heavy toll of life. Without lodging complaints against the persons at police station, villagers give them justice in the people’s court.

According to the Odisha Rationalists Society (ORS), 152 people were killed in between 2010 and June 1, 2012. Every year, a good number of persons are killed in the name of superstition and black magic. Witch-hunting casualties are on the rise across the State as 56 persons were killed in 2010, 72 persons in 2011 and 24 persons in 2012 (till June 1).

As per the data compiled by the ORS, Mayurbhanj district has been recorded with highest witch-hunting casualties of 28 out of the total 128 in the State in 2010 and 2011 followed by Keonjhar 19, Sundergarh 14, Ganjam eight and Dhenkanal seven. Even witch-hunting casualties occurred in the capital city Bhubaneswar and the millennium city Cuttack. The figure is only based on media reports, but every year unreported witch-hunting casualties are still on. Sad to say that 56 persons died due to witchcraft related violence, whereas only 38 persons were killed in Maoist menace in the State in 2011 which shows the gravity of the problem. 

On June 26 last year, an old man Ganapati Das (60) was killed by 15 villagers at Harijana village under Kodala police station of Ganjam. The villagers killed him suspecting him a sorcerer. Within a year, four incidents happened in the Kodala area only on witch-crafting, but the incident happened on March 31 this year was very unfortunate.

Two persons were killed and more than 17 persons injured in police firing at Phasipada village under Kodala police station. The incident happened when the police entered to the village for rescuing three persons from the clutches of the villagers who had taken the persons in custody alleging sorcerers.

After the incident, the ORS secretary Debendra Sutar filed a PIL in the Odisha High Court challenging the inaction of the State Government in curbing the crime in respect of witch hunting and superstitious act. The Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda and Justice S K Mishra gave a historical judgment by framing a set of guidelines to check the nuisance created by witchcraft and black magic. It may be noted that the State at present has no law to curb such type of superstitious practices.

By hearing two PILs filed separately by activist Sashiprava Bindhani and ORS secretary Sutar, the High Court directed the State Government to introduce an appropriate bill in the legislature within one year. The guidelines framed by the court shall be in force until a law is enacted to check the menace. The court in its guidelines said the State police should register cases under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and prosecute the perpetrators of such practices. The police should record the statements of the accused and witnesses under Section 164 of Cr PC.

The High Court on May 17 directed the State Government to spread awareness in the rural areas including all gram panchayats in order to curb the heinous crime in the name of superstitions, blind belief and black magic.

According to the members of ORS, the practice of “magic palanquins” technique by the experienced and trained sorcery practitioners hired by the villagers to pick out the wicked witchcraft practitioners of the village has also resulted in lynching and killing of many gullible persons. Even as the technique is not foolproof, which cannot be taken as true all the time, the villagers punish the victims by shaving their head, breaking their teeth and so on, they added.

Sometimes, the villagers force them to eat human excreta and slap them with a huge amount of fine. If the accused disobey their order, they kill them or isolate them from the village. The villagers have no right to take anyone’s life. It is the serious violation of the person’s fundamental right and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which advocate about the right to life.

Eastern Range DIG Sanjay Kumar said, “The High Court guidelines will certainly help the police department to tackle these problems as before we did not have any guidelines to fight against witch-hunting, black magic and superstition.” He said he has directed all the District Collectors to follow the guidelines framed by the High Court. The DIG also said that by enforcement of rules only the illiterate people cannot be put under leash. So the District administration, police, media, NGOs, Asha and Anganwadi workers have to take concerted efforts for the eradication of the problem.

Kumar said that implementing the rules is not an easy task. The local officers should think about the issue deeply as they always deal with the common rural people every day. They should create awareness among the people about witch-hunting, black-magic and superstitions in panchayat and village levels, he added.

According to noted Sarvodaya activist and Rajyasabha MP AV Swamy, awareness campaign is an important aspect to eradicate witch-hunting and other superstitions, though a strong law is needed. The role of media and the local administration in sensitising the common people is very important, he added.  

According to the ORS, States like Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka have enacted laws to fight against witch-hunting and black-magic. The rationalist society has demanded a compact law like Maharashtra to fight against all type of superstitions in the State.

Sorcery killing is no less a crime than honour killing of Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. To curb this social stigma an appropriate step from the State Government is the need of hour, claimed the ORS.

Good bye 2011

Hemanta Kumar Pradhan

“Time and tide wait for none,” as the saying goes, but it leaves valuable footprints in history to commemorate the past and plan for a better tomorrow. Odisha from Orissa is now a history written in the diary of 2011. The joyful moments of success and glory in arts, sports and other fields to the painful moment of scams and scandals, law and order situation and common people’s fight for basic rights were much-debated in the departed year. False political hullabaloo to nasty involvement of the leaders in scams had eaten most of the valuable spaces of Print Media and time limit of the Idiot box’s serious format. Lower PMG was teasing us silently, when the common people sit on indefinite dharna to get his rights in the bone-chilling winter night, but no one comes to give them solace though they have sent 147 representatives to heed their voice. At the same time, the Government offers free bicycles for the school kids, helps expecting mothers by Mamta scheme and Janani Sishu Surakhya scheme and inspires the artisans and folk artists for their survival in the State. Opposition stalled the Assembly house over scams and scandals, whereas ruling party avoided them by alleging the same rhyme ‘step-mother attitude’ of the Centre.

Odisha have experienced common people’s grief, anger, reaction throughout the year in almost every part of the State. From Dogria Kondhs of Niyamgiri hill to the border villagers of Odisha who decried for help from Polavaram project, which will submerge the border villages of the State, was a long battle.

There were two contradictory incidents happened in 2011 in Odisha including industrialisation and natural disaster. When the northern coastal part of the State was fiercely opposing for Posco Company, the southern coastal district Ganjam was severely demanding for a mega steel project according to the MOU with the Tata steel. Most of the parties and citizen charters of Ganjam were demanding for Titanium project at Chatrapur and mega steel project at Gopalpur. On the other side, Dhinkia panchayat of Jagatsinghpur had protested Odisha Government throughout the year against the construction of the project. Large number of women and small school kids and tiny tots had joined in the anti-Posco stir at the Posco-site. One killed and many more injured in a scuffle between anti-Posco agitators and Posco supporters while the construction of company boundary wall was going on. This incident stalled the State Assembly house over the involvement of Bapi Sarkhel for creating disturbance in Posco-site. Oppositions along with some MLAs of the ruling party demanded the arrestment of Bapi which was a much debated issue happened in the State.

Another contradictory thing was flood and drought in the State. When north Odisha was engulfed in flood water and several hundreds of villages were under water, south and western part of the State were facing drought situation. Due to erratic and scanty rainfall in the districts like Ganjam, Gajapati and other western part of the State, there was huge crop loss occurred during the Kharif season.

From the beginning of the year 2011, scams like Job scam, PDS scam, Mining scam, Water scam and other scams suffocated Odisha as the ruling BJD faced Justice Saha Commission at the year-end and CBI inquiry into the Job scam or the bungling in MGNREGA work. Justice Saha warned the State to conserve minerals for future generation which was a clearly stated that illegal mining has been taken place in the State.

Kodala violence in the month of July disclosed the law and order situation in Ganjam, where 2 killed and 7 injured in police firing. Political parties played blame game and held the Government responsible for the untoward incident at Kodala. On the other side, the State Government bent down before the Maoists to release Malkangiri Collector R Vineel Krishna, which was a much discussed incident gave a new platform for the negotiators. The Maoists were delighted with this achievement, but later the red rebels had faced major setback due to allegation of sexual harassment by the women Maoist cadres. At the year end, Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda got promotion to the Jangalmahal leader after the death of Kishenji.

Political circus in BJD party had topped the political gossip among the analysts. The horse-trading by BJD for Rajyasabha poll alleged by the Congress and BJP’s allegation against the ruling party over rampant corruption in the State was in lime light in 2011. Damodar Rout lost his minister-ship and formed an organisation ‘Biju Bichara Manch’ to bring the aimless leaders in a visionary way of Biju Babu. He criticised Pyari as the real power centre in Odisha and Naveen is just the executor, which created hue and cry among the political circle of the State.

Kendrapada Municipal elections and Umerkote bypoll were the two much-hyped polls in the departed year. Umerkote bypoll was held after the MLA Jagabandhu Majhi’s murder, where the three major parties including BJD, BJP and Congress had camped there for election campaign with top most leaders of the parties. Finally, BJD proved its mettle and win the celebrity poll. While in Kendrapada Municipal elections, the excitement of wining the seat ended in an allegation against the leaders in Kujang firecracker burst case where four succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

The list is very long….but the highlighted issues of 2011 turned into history. Odisha welcome the year 2012 with Dhamra port, one of the deepest ports in the country, has been inaugurated on December 18, 2011 by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. It will show a new ray of hope in sea link and transportation. Initiative of the Government for the development of tourism with two international festivals and world record of Odissi in the year-end had brought a little time to cheer in the year of scam.                  

Grass-root level corruption: need for more transparency in social audit

Hemanta Kumar Pradhan

You might be boring to read and see the news or discussion about the corruption in national or state level. Wherever you go, you can find the adjectives like monster, cancer, giant etc are widely used for corruption in the meetings by some parties, social organizations like Nagarika Samaj, Manch, Gana Chetana Sabha, Jana Sabha and so on. Most of the educationists, bureaucrats, politicians, social activists are advocating for corruption free society, they go on speaking in the meetings. While, Political parties take the advantages of the troubled water by bringing simple, illiterate, semi-literate village people or slum dwellers to take part in the rally, who don’t know, why they come?

The very next morning it will be news. In that way, they are publicising themselves and their party. They are not doing heartily rather they maintain the duty as drunkard night watcher. Though some exceptional persons and parties are there in the country, those are really fighting against corruption with gusto.

Why I’m talking all about, the thing is, we have so many organizations, institutions, parties, acts, laws, plans, schemes, etc to empower the society and to keep eye on the anti-people activities and illegal works in the society. We have noticed rampant corruption, mega scams and scandals in 2G spectrum case, CWG, Adarsh housing etc in the country. The list is very long in national level. Hue and cry over black money deposited in foreign bank and evading of tax by politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen created uproar in both houses of Parliament. These are the high profile corruption in the upper level of democracy. The lower level of democracy which is called as the grass-roots level of democracy is not a back-bencher in corruption now.

State like Odisha is now suffering from the disease of corruption in MGNREGA sector, PDS scam and Mines scam. Besides these, MGNREGA and PDS scam (which are popularly known as Job scam and Dal scam) are the burning examples of grass-roots level corruption, which affects directly to the common man.

Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had reached the state on May 24 to probe the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the MGNREGA in six backward districts. Following a PIL filed in Supreme Court by a Delhi based NGO namely Centre for Environment and Food Security (CEFS). It alleged that Rs 500 crore was bungled in MGNREGA in the state. 77 percent of the very poor and needy sample households in the state did not get even a single day of the NREGS employment during previous one year. CEFS director Parshuram Ray claimed that out of 2,000 very poor households, only 5 households had received 100 days job during last year.

Some organisations demanded that government failed to provide 100 days work to the peoples in rural area. Machines are widely used in the place of workers in various places of the state. If we analyse the matter, we can see that Government again failed to bring transparency in the 100 day guarantee job. Before MGNREGA programme, the rural works were done by village contractors and political agents through block. The corruption was so rampant and rural peoples were not getting jobs. To solve this problem and to bring transparency in this sector, government started implementing of MGNREGA programme, where the workers will get their wage from Bank through bank account. There is no fear of cheating in wage by the contractors. Yet the corruption came into exist. The contractors were same, but the way of their work is changed as new wine in old bottle. The village contractors started using machine in night time to avoid the checking from block authorities. After the completion of works, they distribute the commission among the job card holders and Gram Sathis. In toto, contractors get huge money out of it, excluding machines rent and workers commission.

Then automatically a question comes in our mind, are not we responsible for this corruption? Only ‘government’ will come at the night to audit, what is going on in a village pond construction! When we withdraw our money from bank then deposit it to the contractor and while use of machine at the work site in the place of job card holders, why not we protest against the bungling?

Transparency is not a material, which can purchase from the market. It is an understanding and self-assessment of our duty in a legal way. It is a hindrance in our progress that we always go on alleging the government and never introspect in our faults, drawbacks as well. This is the difference between Japan and India.

In the case of PDS and BPL distribution also, we keep mum in several times. The common people feel that a rich people have BPL card, pension card which is illegal. In front of them the rich people sell the 2-a-kg rice to common people or to a shop. The common men never protest this. Some Panchayat level workers are taking money from the old people to assure him to issue an old age pension card. Everywhere from village level to district level, the grass-root level corruption rules over there.

According to a survey report by Youth for Social Development (YSD), nearly one fifth of the surveyed households accepted that they had paid bribe to procure their ration cards. On an average they had paid Rs 300 as bribe. It is a report of PDS system in Berhampur, Odisha. YSD criticized the officials and whole sellers for lack of transparency for maintaining the PDS.

Again a suggestion might be coming in your mind that government should aware the people about this irregularities and corruption. It should make them understand about the rights of common people.  It should develop a strategic communication in effective manner for interactive purpose between the government and common people for the betterment of the society, but if the fences would eat the crop, then whom you believe. The Government itself corrupt, who will listen you.

Here are two instances about the voice against grass root level corruption and its protest. A 2-a-kg rice scam complain came into exist in Ramagada GP under Ganjam block of Ganjam district last year. The Panchayat people were protested and agitated in front of the block and district supply office, Chatrapur against the irregularities by the distributor. The officials started enquiry and then the PDS whole seller was suspended and now the people are getting the 2-a-kg rice in time.

Second, the Elective Women Representatives Federation (EWRF) of Balianta block near Bhubaneswar started different awareness programme within their area. After their demand, the block has devoted a working day of every last Saturday of the month as grievance cell day for them, where they can get information regarding their queries. They also started campaign against illicit liquor business and its production in their area. This is the real empowerment of women.

We the common people should wake up first against the anti-people activities and corruption. This is our country, we are the stake holders of the country, why we will keep mum fearing few people. Within our home, why will live like a slave? Why the few people in the name of Government will loot our “Roti Kapada Makan”.

If we want to bring transparency in the grass root level of democracy, our common people should aware about their rights which will help to gather courage to protest against the irregularities and illegal works which led to corruption.

“I feel Panchayat bodies should initiate social audit of MGNREGA project taken up in their area twice a year”, said Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh at the time of his Odisha visit on August 13 to review the development works of rural area.

He also told that a special agency would come up under comptroller and Auditor General of India by the end of this year to audit expenditures on rural development.

Four month before, State Government decided to strengthen public hearing process at the block level. Government is now giving importance to bring more transparency in the system. “It has now been decided to organize public hearing at block level in order to further strengthen the process of social audit in order to bring in more transparency and accountability in the system”, said Panchayatiraj Secretary of Odisha S N Tripathy.

There are so many loopholes in our system; if we will not change our mindset to fight against the corruption then it will be a boomerang for us. We can not blame by showing certain reasons. We have to understand our rights and duties towards the nation. If the root system of a tree is affected by disease, then the growth of the tree hampered. Like that, corruption in the grass root level is not a healthy sign in the development of the country. So we should be the part of the solution.

If an old man Gandhi can unite a nation, give freedom to the people and another old man Anna Hazaare can unite the people for fighting against corruption, why not we?              

                

Paid news syndrome

I have presented this article in the National Seminar on “Media Audit: Need for Greater Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency” organized by Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Berhampur University.

Paid news syndrome: An unethical and undesirable trend in media

Hemanta Kumar Pradhan

4^th semester, M.A. Mass Communication

PG Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

Berhampur University-760007

Abstract

Paid news is a much hyped phenomenon now days. In the 15^th general election to the Loksabha in 2009, this disturbing trend was highlighted by the media that is payment of money by the politicians to the media organization for their favorable coverage which is popularly known as ‘paid news’.

The Press Council of India defines paid news as, “Any news or analysis appearing in any media (Print and electronic) for a price in cash or kind as consideration.” For democratic India, the media continuous to be acclaimed as the forth important pillars after judiciary, parliament and bureaucratic set-up, but unfortunately a cancer in the form of paid news has been diagnosed with the Indian media in the recent past. Millions of rupees have been reportedly paid to media houses for paid news.

What we are talking about paid news, it is not new at all and it was there in 19^th century as the form of Cheque Book Journalism. Now the Australian Press Council is currently looking at the ethical question arising from Cheque Book Journalism.

During the General Election in Bihar and Maharashtra, Paid news was used by the candidates to publish or broadcast in favor of them. The money involved was also petty in comparison to what it is now going up to Rupees 1Crore per candidate, per constituency, according to Sushma Swaraj, leader of opposition.

On April 01, 2010, Press Council of India prepared a draft report on ‘Paid News’: how corruption in the India media undermines democracy. The report speaks of the deception or fraud that paid news entails as having three levels. First: “The reader of publication or the viewer of the television Program is deceived into believing that what is essentially an advertisement is in fact, independently produced news content.” Second: “By not officially declaring the expenditure incurred on planting paid news items, the candidate standing for election violates the conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which are meant to be enforced by the Election Commission of India under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.” And third: “ by not accounting for the money received from the candidates, the concern media company or it representatives are violating the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 as well as the Income Tax Act, 1961, among other laws.”

Not only paid news undermines democracy, it creates integrity risk for the nation. Paid news is deceit. The politicians and the people, who give paid news, are playing with the faithfulness of the people on media. The age old believe as media is faithful friend and guide of the society may diminish by this unethical act. It moulds the opinion, changes by taking bribe from the candidates. It is unfair practice in a democratic country like India.

In India every person has the freedom of speech and expression, but according to Chief Election Commissioner –Paid News is not a free speech. The Commission is concerned about the undue influence that paid news can create in the mind of the voters. It is against free and fair polls. Paid News is downright unethical and sinister. And he again says-“we realized with all seriousness the impact of this malpractice. It could derail democracy.”

Government of India is preparing to setup rules and regulations to control Paid News. In the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puduchery, Election Commission has asked the Chief Electoral Officers of the above states to direct the district levels committee to monitor and investigate the Paid News.

In a special meeting arranged by my Professor, Dr. Sunil Kant, I asked the Minister of the state information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Mr. Choudhury Mohan Jathwa on Paid News. He gave emphasis on preparing a self-regulatory system for electronic media, which can control the paid news with other unethical phenomenon.

Recently, I&B minister, Ms. Ambika Soni announced to setup a self-regulatory mechanism to keep eye on the electronic media which will consisting of a retired judge and members of civil society. It is a welcomed step.

At the end, I want to say that; media is the eye opener and mirror of a society. It should be people friendly as it is the voice and a faithful friend of common man. So it should be clean from all these black spots and evil things.

How can a Television Channel increase its viewership?

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--> Sometimes we are discussing that, certain Television Programme is popular, means- it’s no. of viewership is higher than others. Today, so many Television channels are there, all the channels are always trying to be stand first among others.

There are basically two types of channels mostly available i.e. I) News Channels and II) Entertainment Channels.

My areas of study are News Channels. To become a good channel and to raise its viewership we have to follow some steps to make it popular.

That steps are-

i) To make it attractive in presentation styles, and content. Language jargon should not be there, the pronunciation style should be in pious style, otherwise viewers may tune up to other channel.

ii) Some new plans new plans should introduce as-

1) Mobile Subscription (news and programme information)

2) IPod – news service

3) Mobile news service

Nowadays, most of the people having mobile phones, so we have to introduce a service by which a mobile owner/user can access the news (brief/headlines) by a fare charge of monthly access.

The Television channels can give information by this service as their programme information, which will promote the interest of the audience to see the contents of his choice in his free time.

Sometimes good programmes, interviews are missed out by the audience due to unaware about the content, so the mobile subscription can remind them well.

Another way of mobilization of news or programme content is mobile/IPod news service, which is a very handy to a user in any part of the world. He can know the news or see the programme.

These two formats may help to increase Television viewership.

iii) In programme format we can add some innovative programmes- these are –

1) Janata Durbar / Public Court

2) Docu-features on Social issue, human interest topics

3) Question and Answer programmes of current affairs having cash prize for the participants.

Janata Durbar nowadays some channels are introducing but not properly, they only use phone calls and discussing on the studio with experts, but in our new format, we will send our Reporters to the field to the common people and ask about their opinion about a current issue, which is the voice of people format i.e. Vox Populi.

Docu-feature is a interesting programme. It gives a space to think a while about the society, it also create a enthusiastic nature for the audience to see it regularly.

Basically want best stories based on them, so it’s a good idea to use this format.

Finally, we can use an innovative programme, which will attract to young mass and intellectual also i.e. Q&A Programme.

Some participants out of all the audience can be called for the Television panel, which will add glamour to the participants as well as the channel. The cash prize will also motivate the public to see and participate in the programme of a news channel.

The Q&A programme should be one hour in a interactive format.