Media should preserve country’s pluralistic diversity: Ex-JNU professor
Agrawal asked aspiring journalists to not just have a command over language but also show sensitivity towards diverse cultural identities
“The real tribute to Kamal Khan will be if youngsters aspiring to become journalists imbibe literary and cultural sensitivities,” said former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) professor Purushottam Agrawal on Tuesday.
He was speaking at a programme organised to commemorate the death anniversary of award-winning journalist Kamal Khan at Butler Palace here. “Khan, through his works, always tried to preserve the pluralistic diversity of the country. He never fell prey to political projects, unlike the media today,” said Agrawal.
The former JNU professor said this was the age of artificial intelligence and ‘deliberate stupidity’ as people were losing their sensitivity and sensibility. “Media, specifically electronic media, is contributing to propagating stupidity. Khan was different. He had a command over languages and facts, which helped him weave credible reports, unlike many others,” he added.
Agrawal asked aspiring journalists to not just have a command over language but also show sensitivity towards diverse cultural identities. “They should be well-read in history and politics...” he said.
He highlighted that the idea of an independent India was not just about political independence but also social, intellectual and emotional resilience. “Mahatma Gandhi said that if India got freedom with Hindu-Muslim tension and untouchability prevailing in the society, then it wouldn’t be the independence that freedom fighters fought for.”
“Kamal, through his reports, always tried to bridge the gap between people and preserve the values of Indian culture. We must keep his ideas upright and only then we will be able to pay tribute to him,” said Agrawal.
The talk was followed by a musical tribute by singers Madhup Mudgal and Savani Mudgal. Among those present were Khan’s wife and journalist Ruchi Kumar, journalists Sharad Pradhan, Alok Joshi, Govind Pant ‘Raju’ and Shaira Naeem, former vice-chancellor of Lucknow University Roop Rekha Verma and IPTA’s national working president Rakesh.
