on Keral election

MEDIA MARGINALISATION OF REALITIES
TARGETING THE LEFT
Ratheesh Kaliyadan

Kerala is in its path of hot discussions regarding the state legislative assembly elections. Last couples of days our media dedicated most of their time and space to deliver whether V.S Achuthanandan, the chief minister and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader will be a contestant or not. They provided prime importance for the issue. The CPI (M) state secretariat meeting and state committee meeting got prime attention. The reason was a rumor that the party denies seat to Com.V.S.achuthanandan.

Com. V.S.Achuthanandan

Before the completion of the secretariat meeting almost all electronic media declared that the party denied seat to the Chief Minister. To establish their advocacy they quoted Com.V.S’s body language. By reading the kinesthetic, media people made sure that ‘he will not be a candidate’. After state committee the same day evening, they repeated the same story that the comrade will not contest without any ‘official or responsible respond’. To the questions of the media people, com.V.S told ‘everything will say those who are the authority to say’. The words interpreted in different ways. It leads to establish that factionalism reflects not only in Kerala party but in the Polit Bureau itself. A group of media picturised com. Prakash Karat as a mouth piece of com. Pinarayi.
Following the media reports, the so called VS followers made violent expressions, posters, flex boards etc. Indiavision channel made a live demo of state committee decisions. Within moments they reported followers responds in the forms of expressions. Shouting slogans against the party leaders, posters… the news encouraged a lot of passive activists to jump to the ground and they also became part of the expressions.

Com. Pinarayi Vijayan

At last today ( March 19, 2011) 12.45 PM media conference at the AKG Center, Trivandrum, CPI(M) state secretary Com.Pinarayi Vijayan declared the candidate list. The list included com. V.S. Achuthanandan as a candidate from Malampuzha constituency. By the publication of the list, all media advocacies and agendas became a futile. To the questions of media people com. Pinarayi told that com.V.S is part of our party and he involved in all processes of selecting the candidates. He requested the media not to display the leader as one who is apart from the party leadership. Also described that V.S is being elected since 1967 without any recommendation from any external forces. Every decision came from the party itself as it is today. He also added that while a leader like VS is contesting, question like who leads the LDF is a blunder.

An important question raises here. Why do our media spend so much time to discuss an unwanted matter? Or is it because of the media intervention, VS became a candidate? While examining the communist methodology of selecting a candidate and declaring it, the second doubt is a waste. They will consider every aspect. If it is decided, media intervention will not help anybody to creep into the list. This is a reality what everybody knows. What media should do is one, be more tolerant and wait for an official declaration. All other exercises on imagining or assessing partially got information are not part of responsible journalism. Political sensations will not help us anymore. By these hidden agenda of certain media to tarish communists, we lose a lot of time and space. Moreover, precious time and space to discuss the real issues are deviating. To highlight the real development and ideological positions is necessary. In between the unwanted talks and sensitivities the real issues are being marginalized.

International Women Day

SALUTTING WOMANHOOD

Ratheesh Kaliyadan

What can a tailor do? Does she decide the destiny of a suit only? If your answer is YES, you are wrong. Here is a wonderful experience of deciding the destiny of womanhood.

The under estimated sections of workers wrote a novel chapter in the history of struggles a century before. On March 08, 1908, a group of women dress makers from New York City united for an agitation against the low graded life situations. They dreamed a better life. The struggle marked historic one. Remembering the agitation, working women celebrate International Women’s Day on every March 08 since the 1900s.

Agitated women dress makers raised their voices boldly and their demands strongly. The major demands were: shorter working hours better pay and equal voting rights. Thousands of dress makers took part in the New York City march.

Women were treated pathetically in those days all over the world. They were an ‘oppressed classes. Gender inequality was on the peak of male domination. The discrepancy reflected in every nooks and corners of women activities including the work places. Agitation for social change is a push of long years’ oppression.

Male dominated cults never considered women as a human being with self-esteem or responsible womanhood. To the orthodox male dominators, women are ‘child producing factories’ and ‘our child bearers’. In India, women were not allowed to cover their nudity properly. Especially denied right to wear dress the chest and parts. The breast and parts exhibited openly due to ‘cultural restrictions’. Casteism played an important role in designing the dress patterns of India. Lower caste women were the victims of such brutal exhibitionism. At the same time, part of rituals some elite caste women also became part of the same exhibitionism occasionally.

Working women were on the fore front of celebrating the International Women Day. The day is utilized to remember various agitations and milestones in the history of women folk. The celebration motivated various agitators to design and redesign ideological strata of their activities.


It was the second International Socialist Women’s Conference held at Copenhagen on August 27, 1910 decided to observe March 8 as international Women’s Day. Women activists from Socialist parties, Progressive movements, Working women associations and others celebrate the day with their own vision and mission. To restructure women life and build up equality is their major need of the day. To achieve the goal we have to march several miles.

In the midst of leftist and socialist shouts and celebrations a new party now joins to the avenue of International Women Day celebrations. They are the capitalists those who invest capital to produce cosmetic items and beauty added commodities. The showcases of these producers are attractively decorated with liberation slogans. Ultimately they hope that the underneath of all liberation activities and protests are to exhibit themselves in attractive suites of cosmetic items. What a challenge! Without wearing our ornaments how can you lead an agitation? If you are not using our talcum powder and facial creams how your faces can will be accepted by your audience? If you hesitate to wear latest fashions what do your followers think about you? The questions continue through attractive advertisement packages. Our new generation ‘activists’ surrender before such questions and quotes knowingly or unknowingly.

United Nations suggests specific theme for the International Women Day celebrations. This year’s theme is: Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.

A century back, the pioneer agitators shouted the same or related slogans in the streets of New York City. Even after 100 years we realize that the condition of women is not uplifted much. Human right violations, atrocities against women, increasing rape cases, and dowry related tortures, sexual harassments, physical and mental malice…. The never end list continues. A shameful realization to the sympathizers of the needs of our sisters.

Critical Pedagogy

FRUITFUL ASSIGNMENT: A CRITICAL PEDAGOGUES'S EXPERIENCE
Ratheesh Kaliyadan

While teaching the methods of reporting in Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School, Thalassery, Kerala I assigned my learners to find out a story from their own surroundings. We made certain criteria for their stories. All of them are girls. So provide preference to women. They can introduce anybody whom previously exposed by media. The client should have something special. Bearing the traditional news values in mind, they tried their best to break the traditional values like celebrity.

A lot of innovative stories flew to our class room. Budding scribes became active and enthusiastic with their works. Majority of the stories prepared by my children are virgin. They were followed by mainstream journalists later.

One among the virgin stories got immediate attention. It was prepared by fathimathul Misriya. She approached Khadeesathumma, a poor old lady hailing from the suburban part of Thalasseri. She lived alone in a hut made of sacks and other petty materials. The age old lady was survived by her goats. Loneliness is broken in the company of her pets. She ‘owns’ more than ten goats.

Misriya approached her, made an interview and exposed the pathetic condition. Added a professionally poor photograph captured by using her point shoot camera. The story became a hit among the classmates.

The collected reports put in a wall paper and exhibited in school notice board. Total strength in the class is divided I ten groups. Each group made a wall newspaper in a week. Review of first new paper made the activity in a competitive mood.

Part of Parent Teachers Association general body meeting, all newspapers exhibited for the public. Media persons also invited to report the exhibition of the wall newspapers. Scribes followed several stories prepared by our little children journalists. Two leading newspapers namely Madhyamam and Deshabhimany made an attentive coverage to Khadeesumma story highlighting her state of life.

The living status of this poor old lady became a public issue. Different old age home managers and Non-Governmental Organizations expressed their interest to protect the lady. But she refused to leave her goats. At last the Additional District magistrate, one of the topmost revenue bureaucrat in the region approached her and handed over a ration card with a facility to collect ration rice without payment. From a wall newspaper prepared by a little girl as part of her studies a lady became ‘fortunate’ to get a new ration card and a governmental support. From the four walls of a class room a social activism is boomed! This is a humble reply to critics of Critical Pedagogy and to those who ask what can you do in a class room. The hesitating teachers are those who keep their intelligentsia and imagination in cold storages. Believe we teachers have a lot to do.

Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai

SWADESHABHIMANIYUDE KADHA :
AN EXCELLENT CONTRIBUTION IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE


Nandi Prakash

K. Ramakrishna pillai, veteran journalist of Kerala was deported a century back for his brave journalistic interventions. Ramakrishna Pillai never made compromise with scandals, allegations and journalistic ethics. He always advocated for press freedom and for the freedom of journalists. Independent thought and non-interventional enquiry only is the safeguard of objectivity in journalism. Ramakrishna pillai stood ever for such a feeling.

Born and brought up in a normal family in Neyyatinkara, Thiruvananthapuram of Kerala. He was a child of Narasimhan Potty, a clergy in a local temple and Chackiyamma, a sweeper in the same temple. Ramakrishna Pillai expressed ethical concern even in childhood days. A lot of reminiscences are available to exemplify this characteristic.

Nose for news is considered to be as the prime quality of a journalist. Young Ramakrishnan put questions and gathered information about the land and life of people who visited his native land. The character awarded him a nick name: ‘Inspector Ramakrishnan’.

First news of Ramakrishna published in Malayala Manorama was a letter to the editor on a judge who receives gifts from clients. Ramakrishnan’s letter made several discourses both in society and in his home.

He became the editor of Kerala Darpanam in his college days. After that he served several newspapers as editor and faced immense of incidents including deportation. During the period of deportation he was the editor of Swadeshabhimani. Thus he became Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai.

The story of Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai is narrated in simple words in a book: SWADESHABHIMANIYUDE KADHA by RATHEESH KALIYADAN. The book is published by Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishath. Illustration and cover is done by Prasanthan Muringery. This is the first time in the history of book publishing, a book on Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai is appeared with such a simple narration and the backing of illustrations.The book is an excellent contribution for the children’s literature, especially for information pieces.

( Ratheesh Kaliyadan,the author of Swadeshabhimaniyude Kadha is a journalism teacher in Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School, thalassery, Kannur, Kerala and Director- Media Analysis & Research Center)

BSNL trap to tap money!

PICK POCKETING HUNGAMA

BSNL TAPS CUSTOMERS MONY
Ratheesh Kaliyadan

One day a call happened to come to my landline. A lady introduced her as an employee in BSNL. She praised us a lot for using BSNL Broadband 500 combo plan for internet connectivity. Actually we activated internet connectivity by prepaying one year’s rent in advance.

Then she made a remarkable statement that you are using internet in a much minimized time. Your usage is too limited. It’s true. We use internet only for academic and journalistic purposes. Even social communities are tools for socialization of our perspective is the philosophy we bear in mind while using the facility.

To meet the limited usage you have an opportunity to activate ‘hungama’, suggested she. The lady who holds phone in my home didn’t understand what the so called hungama is. The BSNL guy explained that this is a song downloading package. As she knows we are not interested in such internet zigzack, she replied that we are not interested to activate any packages that impose extra financial burden. It will not impose you any extra charges told the BSNL lady. She asked our e-mail ID.

BSNL send us a user name and password to download the hungama programs. As I mentioned we are not interested in it. So didn’t use the facility. After one year we got a post. It was an extra bill for activating the hungama. The next month repeated the same. I called BNL toll free number and informed our protest. After several days we are insulted with service calls to pay the amount. A threat also alarmed along with the call. Your connectivity will be disconnected. It became a reality. Now my telephone out going and internet connectivity is disconnected. Vow! Really a shocking insult.

Why do you prefer BSNL? If somebody asks me the question I have a quick answer. It’s nothing but to support a public enterprise like BSNL is our duty for the sake of our nationality. This is the only cause to depend the service provider. I don’t believe that using limited downloads by paying a fixed amount in advance is a bad habit. I don’t understand how BSNL feel that my connectivity is a loss to them.

If it’s done by a private venture I have no complaint. Because to make maximum profit is the only aim of most private providers. But to BSNL there are wide objectives of the nation build causes. That’s the only reason to decide to support them through annual subscription of internet.

After a long and complex follow ups, the BSNL authority sympathized with the issue and reinstated my internet connectivity. Now it’s okay. Everything is a closed chapter. But the bitter experience is total bitter. Be alert! Sometimes you also get such a call. Then don’t reveal your E-mail ID!!!!!