Promoting values for Peace and Development - Role of Media
G.N.Ray*
Good
afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It
gives me great pleasure to address the media professionals from a podium that
seeks to bring all round peace and development.
The subject
chosen for deliberations is indeed in tune with the ancient Indian philosophy
of “Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam”.
A world sans
frontiers should be ultimate aim of humanity.
While a long way is yet to be traversed with a concerted efforts of
every strata of the societies of the world, I believe that the media has the
capacity to play a leading role in conceptualizing this ideology.
There is no
doubt that the international community agrees that peace is the only way to
economic, social and cultural progress and the development of human
character. The very first stated purpose
of the U.N.Charter reads, “To maintain international peace and security, and to
that end: to take effective collective measures for prevention and removal of
threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other
breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity
with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement
of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the
peace”.
War makes news
because of the interest it evokes in the viewers. The media also focuses on and even
sensationalizes conflict because they believe that is what people want. But what can war beget but more war, can the
media not pay more attention to, and I quote Majod Tehranian in ‘Communication
and Conflict’, “its causes and antecedent consequences” rather than “episodic
or fragmenting accounts of most dramatic moments”. The former, I believe would encourage peace
process through introspection and do a service to the society.
Is unbiased reporting possible?
The most basic tenet of journalism taught to a media person is to be
unbiased in reporting, but is this really possible? A media person is also a citizen influenced
and moulded by the events and circumstances he is surrounded by. Every person thus develops his or her own
opinion and perspectives that cannot but be reflected in the reports. An alternative suggested to this in
journalism training centers abroad is “peace journalism in which reporters draw
on their insights of conflict assessment and resolution to try to better
explain the interests of each side and the conflict dynamics including courage
of constructive or deescalatory moves”.
In addition, greater attention can be given to peace processes and their
contribution to the development of a country and its people.
The Latin
saying ‘ si vis pacem para baleum’ (if you want peace, prepare for war)
may have been appropriate for Roman times, but it militates against the ethos
passed on to us by our civilization, which we hold to be unique and conducive
to the highest and most sublime of human experiences. As our scripture extol: “Sarve Bhavantu
sukhina; sarve santu niramayaha.”
I repeat, the
media needs to be a peacenik with conviction that peace is the only path to
progress and only then would it lead others along that path.
An individual
whose words or action affect an isolated few may form his own rules of conduct
but can a leader, which the media undoubtedly is, adopt this posture when it is
in a position of moulding and giving direction to the entire country. A true leader would lead and not merely
follow the demands of a crowd. Along the
path of human progress some adaptation may be inevitable, but let this
adaptation not imperil our basic deals and objectives.
Jawaharlal Nehru speaking of Mahatama Gandhi’s contributions to the world, had observed “we live today in a world torn with hatred and violence and fear and passion, and the shadow of war hangs heavily over us all. Gandhi told us to cast away our fear and passion and to keep away from hatred and violence. His voice may not be heard by many in the tumult and shouting of today, but it will have to be heard and understood some time or other, if this world is to survive in any civilized form”.
It is not very
encouraging to note that these remarks remain as relevant today as they were
over four decades ago. Over the past few months, turmoil has brewed world over
on a series of caricatures published by a newspaper of
One of greatest thinkers
of the modern times, Rabindra Nath Tagore had written in September 1934
"By segregating ethics to the
"Fight is necessary
in this world, combat we must and relentlessly against the evils that threaten
us, for by tolerating untruth we admit their claim to exist. But war on the human plain must be what in
Sustainable development is
the key word in today’s society. Such development will not only encompass development
of human society along with environment including flora and fauna but should
aim in developing not only societies of developed and developing nations but
harmonious growth of mankind as a whole spread over this beautiful planet, our
mother earth crossing geograhical, political and religious barriers. Media
being the watchdog of the society should be avowedly alive to the need of
sensitizing the members of the society to the cherished human values of service
and sacrifice for betterment of the society. Swami Vivekananda reminded the
members of the society from which they drew their sustenance to give service in
return for its betterment and for up
lifting the weaker segment from poverty, illiteracy and abject suffering by sounding a stern warning that
those who would fail to repay their indebtedness to the society would be held
as traitors.
The efforts of the organisation of Brahma Kumaris in encouraging deliberations on the role for values in bringing about peace and development in the world is worthy of appreciation. Today, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, I have no hesitation in calling upon the better half of the world population to bear the mantle of value based communication and cause the world to develop a global village where purity of thought brings "constant and true peace and happiness".
Namaskar