INDIA’S “NATIONAL PRESS” & DALITS

Is the Indian press truly liberated? Or is it still dominated by the upper crust of the society enmeshed in the cob-web of the money-managing Bania? Dalits have continued to be ignored as though their population did not exist. the attitude of the press continues to be one of studied silence and cold indifference. Will this situation end? Indications are not bright. But dalits won’t wait for long. Already they have become restless The Chandigarh convention of the BAMCEF (Backward and Minority Community Employees’ Federation) last year was an eye-opener: It drew over 5 lakhs dalits & backwards from throughout- out the country. Two journalists from a “national press” ran there for coverage (uninvited). The organisers held them by their collar and threw them out. asking: “Who the hell you think you are? Where were you all these years 7” That is the question every dalit is asking the press and pressmen today. The Haryana elections held recently had many interesting aspects to it. However a notable feature was totally blacked out by almost all the “national press.” For the first time ever. the BAMCEF fielded a number of candidates as independents and won many seats. BAMCEF means the Backward (SC, ST and OBC) and Minority Community Employees Federation and it symbolises the struggle and aspirations of over one crore employees belonging to the socially deprived communities. What was a small and insignificant group a decade ago had grown into a huge mase movement. The man behind this surging mass movement is Kanshi Ram, one-time scientist. To this day neither the national newspapers nor journals take notice of the BAMCEF existence. The man behind this organisation of the long-suppressed people has been ignored as though he did not exist. Why this cold indifference by the press towards the mass movement? This is no surprise it has always been so. Dalits have always been held in contempt by the caste-conscious journalists who dominate the press. A glance into the editorial dept. of any newspaper (hats off to those exceptions 1) gives an idea of those who constitute it. While the press is manned by and large by the minorities, the editorial sections, in particular, is occupied by those who by nature are hostile to the progress of the downtrodden and minorities. The one who suffered most was Dr. Ambedkar who throughout his public career was a victim of the assaults by the press. Ambedkar once said “that Indian press was dominated by the upper caste. They do not even recognise the huge number of the Untouchables. They always have con- tempt for me for championing the cause of the downtrodden”. He was very particular about the press and news agencies. being dominated by “caste-arrogant South Indian Brahmins”. What is the position today? Hardly any difference. In Banga- lore, ever since the first private press star- ted in 1859 & the starting of the bi-weekly “Bangalore Herald” (edited by James). the upper castes continued to dominate the editorial. But harm done in those early days was however limited as there was a liberal sprinkling of Englishmen and Angio-Indians. This was the case in almost all the later publications. A glance into some of these early publications gives a clear picture of the unpolluted (by caste) journalism in those days in Bangalore city. The atmosphere changed later on when the Brahmin influence on the news papers increased with the increase in their strength and that of the upper castes in the editorials. What is depressing of late is the attitude of the youths who have taken to this profession. While they are. for all practical purposes “radicals” and “extreme leftists”- when it is a question of caste- they raise their hood of communalism and strike. And that is the tragedy of young journalists when there are clear indications of the death of caste Will they give a lease of life to caste?