Greetings to the Public Relations fraternity on the National PR Day!

Dr Ajit Pathak
National President
Public Relations Society of India

Every year, led by Public Relations Society of India, Public Relations practitioners across the country
observe April 21st as National PR Day. The Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) was established in
1958 to formulate and interpretthe objectives and potentialities of Public Relations as a profession
and also to undertake professional development programmes.
National PR Day Message-2013  A decade later,the PR professionalsfrom all overthe country met forthe first time in New Delhi at the 1 st All India Public Relations Conference on April 21, 1968. This was a very significant public relations meet in our country, when a professional approach was given to public relations besides adopting the IPRA Code of Ethicsfor PR profession. This milestone event marked the beginning of professional public relationsin India. To commemorate thislandmark event, 21st April is celebrated as
National PRDay We have witnessed during the last two decades that Change in organizations is happening tremendously ever since we learned about globalization and open economy in India. Business visions, objectives and strategies are also changing with changing times.More and more organizations are pushed to reduce costs, improve the quality and products, scale greater levels of productivity, mark greater standards of customer satisfaction and exploring new avenues.
Corporate Communicators have to be the change agents in this transformation and biggest task for them is to create and communicate visions and strategies. While the rules of the game are changing, changes are coming in the media and technologies as well. Digital media used for corporate communications is quickly becoming a key business tool for any size of company, due to the availability and effectiveness of the technology. Digital media is cost effective to keep their entire workforce informed, focused, and aligned with key business initiatives. In the Digital Media era, organisations can leverage the Internet and theirintranet investmentsto more effectively communicate with theirstake‐holders with faster pace, without national boundaries.
In order to underline the role of digital media, the theme of this year’s National PR Day has been chosen to be “DIGITAL MEDIA INCORPORATE COMMUNICATION“. While the Digital world has revolutionized the communication opportunities with its reach and speed it has also attracted many crooked minds who make life of others difficult. Crimes have also increased by exploiting the power, user
friendliness and availability of digital equipment as well as by unethically taking advantage of the easy accessibility to information. We also need to be alert on this front to draw full advantage of the digital development.
All the chapters are requested to celebrate the National PR Day on the theme and organize relevant programmes. Let us use the power of digital media to make Public Relations and Corporate Communications more effective than ever before. I send my good wishes for the success of your efforts.

'I'M NOT RUNNING A PROSTITUTION RACKET" : NEW FACE OF INDIAN JOURNALISM

Sunit Mukherjee

To hell with media ethics!! Sharing the sad,bad experience of actress Deepti Naval.
Deepti Naval
I've been pretty upset the last few days over something that the print media has been distorting hugely . . . each one of you on Facebook has been totally silent about it - no comment whatsoever - and I appreciate that - and since I know you people care, I'd like to, to explain what has really happened -

Just before the release of 'Listen Amaya' me and Farooque Shaikh were doing an interview for Rajiv Masand in my Versova terrace flat. I had been keeping unwell those days and had requested Rajiv's camera team to come over to my house instead of me having to go to his studio. Rajiv came over with his three camera setup and we were in the middle of this interview, when three members from the Society barged into the flat and demanded that we stop 'this activity' - they thought we were making a movie - I explained to them that they can sit here and watch - we are not making a movie, we are doing an interview - but they threatened to call the police on me. Rajiv, Farooq, my director Avinash Singh and his wife Geeta were all very embarrassed hearing this sort of conversation. We tried to wind up fast. Then one neighbor Mr Rajan Khurana was sent up to convey to me that the Society has threatened to call the police if we don't stop 'this activity' right away. I explained again, but to no avail. After that I got a call from the Secretary of the Society who was very irked and repeated that 'We'll have to call the police on you'. We cancelled all other interviews after that.
I was hugely embarrassed; I apologized to my colleagues and they quietly left.

I felt so humiliated and felt my rights as a resident were violated. I decided to pack my stuff from the Oceanic residence and come and stay at my Madh Island house.

I am an artist and have always given interviews in my own home - artists do that all the time - there is nothing illegal about it - it is their right.

Never mind, now this is what follows the incident.

A week / eight days ago a journalist friend asked me what I was doing sitting in Madh - and I gave vent to my frustration. I told him over the phone that -

'The Society treated me so badly and kept threatening me with "WE'LL CALL THE POLICE, WE'LL CALL THE POLICE", as if I'm running a RACKET here!'

Next day it was out in print - in Mumbai Mirror - the sensational headline -
'I'M NOT RUNNING A PROSTITUTION RACKET" - and the story about the society fiasco, stating how badly me and Farooq Shaikh were insulted by the members of my building.Except for the scandalous headline, nothing wrong with the contents of the article. It was in my favour - But this is what follows . . .

Other papers have picked up the SENSATIONAL HEADLINE and implied that the Society has ACCUSED me of running a prostitution racket. I've been appalled! I will post those articles so you all can see how the press distorts everything to make eye-catching news! One of the tabloids has said -

DEEPTI NAVAL OUSTED OUT OF HER 'PROSTITUTION DEN'

A dear friend, shell shocked at reading the contents in a Calcutta tabloid, called me frantically - 'What is all this? Who has been accusing you of running a racket?'
I explained to her that no one is ACCUSING me of running anything like that - it is the PRESS that is IMPLYING . . .

Of course I've been back at Oceanic in the last days and have conducted my meeting there as well - I'm a little confused - should I take action against the print media or should I let it go. If I let this go, then there are people who've said -
'KUCH TO HOGA NA . . . AISE HIS TO NAHIN SOCIETY ITNA OBJECT KAR RAHI' - Imagine?
Friends from the industry feel, 'Let the dogs bark . . . you move on!'

I was sitting there at my terrace flat yesterday evening - after Farooque and I had spent a whole day going to various radio stations giving fresh round of interviews before the re-release of the old Chashmebaddoore on April 5th - and I was looking around at my beautiful spacious home where I sit and dream, do all my writing work, invite friends, spend quality time with myself - and I was in tears . . . this sanctuary of mine to be called a 'PROSTITUTION DEN' -
In my heart, I apologized to my father who is no more in this world, and quietly prayed -
'I'm sorry, Piti, see what all this has catapulted into? Please help me learn to ignore it and move on - but I will not disappoint you - I will fight for my right!'

Thank you for bearing with me - I can't go around explaining to the whole world, but I can, to a few of you who I know, care . . .

Deepti

DALITS DEPRIVED OFF FROM MEDIA SCENE

Ratheesh Kaliyadan

Santosh Kumar Gautam hails from a poor family in Swaroop Bhanwan Dei and Mr.  (Late) Chandradas. All his family members are illiterate except Santosh. He got opportunity to complete matriculation in the Janatha Inter College, Alambag. He became a graduate in Zoology, Botany and Chemistry in 2002 second class from Lucknow University. During that period his father Chandradas who was an agriculture laborer passed away. Struggling with financial crisis, he postponed his dream to be a post graduate in mass communication and entered into the fields to earn money. He became an electric bill collector who visits houses which have electric connection, read the meter and collect the bill. The visits opened his eyes which provided firsthand experience to observe how people live around him.  He had seen the difference in life styles and big guys insulting mind set towards the downtrodden and the atrocities against the Dalits. The inquiring mind strived to become a journalist to fight against the social evils and the social apartheid.

The Dalit youth joined to his masters at Baba Saheb Ambedkar University, Lucknow. He became a post graduate in mass communication in 2011. He qualified National Eligibility Test, the test for Assistant Professorship conducted by University Grants Commission. The dream satisfied but he could not attain the goal. He began his career as a journalist as an intern of Nivik Kesari weekly newspaper. Then he joined in Speed News, a local cable television to be practiced the studies. During these periods he worked without payment. Then joined in Inqulabi-Nazar, vernacular newspaper and sister concern of Dainik Aag, the Urdu newspaper. He is a sub-editor in the Hindi newspaper from Lucknow since 2012. He earns 6000 RS per month. Every day he joins the desk by five o’ clock and returns to home by 1.30 AM. His work includes editing, layout and all other jobs to create a page. Also contribute reports and features. He had several byline stories.

To be an intern of a national daily, especially in English is a dream to him. He was trying for a more appreciating job. Then he is being realized that the intensity of media houses’ apartheid against the Dalits, especially in North India. Paradoxically the north Indian politics is an example for success in generating Dalit / caste politics. Let him reveal the stories. “I approached many news houses for a job. But all refused. I do not know why. I am well versed in my job. I do reporting, feature writing, editing and page designs. Also I’m a tech savvy. Still I’m out of the court of ‘good’ publishers. Only reason I can assume is I am a Dalit”.

 Well we have certain popular figures from Dalit community in Big media houses. The number will be counted in a hand. They are the icons. On the expense of these icons, media houses counter attack the Dalit arguments that they are deprived off from media scene. Mr. Santosh applied for a post in E-TV. He appeared written test. After that appeared for interview. At last hopefully he was selected for the job. The human Resource department informed to bring a government officer to introduce him. He sends all documents which they needed. But the HR department yet not sends the appointment letter. He contacted the channel several times. The reply was” our boss didn’t sign your appointment letter.” The question is if Santosh is not eligible for the job why the media manager did collected his documents after completing all other procedures? He believes only after examining the documents, they identified that he is a Dalit.

He reveals another story. One of his best friends, Mr. Shukla who is a copy editor invited him to join in their media organization. It is an English newspaper; One among the widely circulated newspapers in North India. There were vacancies.  Most probably such vacancies are filled with the experienced hands through their relationships as happened here. Shukla recommended Santosh for the post to the recruitment officer. Santosh went for an interview. After examining the resume and certificates, he replied: “Ok. I have filed your documents. At present there is no vacancy here. I will call you when vacancy opens.”  He met his friend Shukla and informed that the recruitment officer’s response was not positive. After two or three days the friend revealed the top secret to Santosh only because of the close relationship “if you suggested a Brahmin boy, I might be considered. I cannot bear a Dalit here.”

What we heard from Santosh is true, it is a pathetic condition. The fourth estate is not guarding the majority of the under privileged sections of life. They are with the minority. The minority have everything like money, education and power. The powerless common people who are always marked as the real essence of democracy away from democratic interventions.

Mediavists rape the rape victims!

Ratheesh Kaliyadan

Rape reporting becomes a universal phenomena among Indian media. Everyday you have multiples of rape reports! What happens is whenever such reports appear in media, the amount of rape reporting is increasing. Unfortunately our mediavists forget to keep ethical notions regarding the victims and their life.

Privacy is the paramount issue in reporting rape cases. The controversy ranges from whether to name the victim to how to handle the accused one’s right to be presumed innocent. The media coverage on  a sex crime, whether as the victim or as the accused, is to be opened up to merciless exposure of one’s past, one’s personality, and particularly one’s sex life. That is the way things stand today. “Why should the media treat the victim in the same way as the accused? Why should the media scrutinize her private life and personality? The victim committed no crime: it is not a crime to walk into one’s home, to jog in a park, to walk with a man on a beach, to go on a date, to pick up someone in a bar, nor is it even a crime to go to bed with someone other people might consider dangerous”.

Unfortunately this is what happens even today while our scribes try to expose the crime. The mediavist’s eagerness and competition leads to such a phase of reporting. Remember the slogan: “rape is not sex, it is violence.”  The phrase coined from the first rape speak-outs of the early 1970s. The ethical question should be raised in the narrow paths of media houses. It’s the duty of mediavists to rectify the ongoing unethical practices in reporting sex crimes. Stop immediately focusing on the private lives and personalities of survivors and victims’ in sex crimes. Raise the real questions: why rape, incest, sexual assault, and harassment happen at all to find out the reasons.

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UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AGAINST DEAN

Those who entered GGSIP University, Dwaraka, Delhi observed a silent protest movement by law students. They are making protest against their dean and the administrative sections.Being interested in the gathering of students, I approached them.

What happens here?

I saw a chart paper bearing some words behind a group of students sitting on the floor. It is written "HUNGER STRIKE." Hunger strike!
What provoked these students to observe a hunger strike in this fine morning?
The reply ends in a sentence. Our 'strikemate' is suspended.

Suspended! Why? The reason is also simple. A group of students lead a calm dharna inside the campus against the dean. Ashish Bharadwaj,IIIrd year Law student and the leader of the protest is suspended. The university authority released a circular. Not informed him or others.

What are the charges of the protesters? the law department in the university is one of the noted departments. But the department is not fulfilling all requirements. Bar Council directives are also not satisfied. They express that they have not even a Moot Court Hall. basic facilities like drinking water is unavailable. more over they firmly believe that the law institution reacts illegally  by amending university act to appoint the present dean as the dean. They say she does not occupy the minimum requirement of 60% marks in the qualifying exams.

My Times, My Poetry

D.Vinayachandran

My times and my poetry are unfamiliar to me with the unprejudiced metamorphosis and with the breaking of the boundaries of words. They become desolate monuments of silence and the unfinished rushes of the panorama of love. In the most material sense they cut across seven worlds, seven confessions and the spurt of mental process. Envisioning that the earth and the earthworm have poetry, ‘my poems and love are the dust that is resurrected after a quake, a few indistinct shoots are just sprouting up.’ It should recoup the butterflies and 'surumas' that are trapped in the dilapidated souls. My glass is sanguine. Ignorance of God is filled in it. In the mad rush of a nightclub we feed on a stranger. The ignorance of God becomes the ignorance of man. We fear not death; we begin to fear life.

I won’t be blind to the blank gazes of hunger, the tanned faces of war and the shipwreck of love. They are the ovens of poetry. Science says that time will end up before space and the cosmic rays that are as old as the big bang are spurting and so I have to refine my past to limit my future. Man has very limited information about his brain and even his genes. The ones who made loud declaration like ‘one world- great world’ are now prophesying multifarious universes. Among issue like dry water-taps, exploding bombs in the street and the whimper of the child who is forlorn amongst the mirage of the earth.... these anxious contemplations are poetry’s subtle nuances.

Here, because of time constrains and because of the evident multiplicity of poetry it is not possible to establish all these points. In the scorching summer we sit together with a fellow- traveller for a cup of Lissi. We walk to wilderness in the night hearing the cries of children deep dwelled in the earth before many a birth. We laugh seeing the bulldozers and the condoms blown up and flown by naughty children. We present a basket full of oranges to a lunatic.
What I should is to keep silence. Even if you are in hospital or in your garden turn to poetry. I who enact multiple faces on the street say only this:
Remember the treaty
Between the salt and the stars
Remember the betrothal
Between the seed and the rain
……………………………………
……………………………………

The sun will burn to ashes all that is devoid of love
The moon will drown all that is not a dream

There are hundreds of ways to write poetry in Malayalam. I cannot be a bonsai exhibition piece of imagism, which was once despised as a transitory ploy by our eminent critic M P Sankunni Nair. I need bit of a place. As in our land agriculture has to be recovered in words as well. The mangrove forest, ground water, the distance between heat and cold and the time between noise and silence have to be recovered. My poetry should be able to recover god, the dream that we missed in our hurry and it should also find refuge in the attempt to cure the ailing god. Poetry, after all, is not poetry alone.

Let me read out some of my short poems. As the shell does to the sea, as the tree sap to the woods, a fragrance that we alone distinguish… and as love these are an invitation to my pains….
( The speech at Thunjan Ulsavam 2011. Collected and Translated by K.T.Dinesh. Sri. K.T. Dinesh is Reseacr Officer in SCERT Kerala.)
Homage to the great visionary poet.....

Communal Politics and Actions

Action against Communal Politics: Call for Impartial and Appropriate Action

We the undersigned are concerned by the developments in Andhra Pradesh following the alleged hate speech by Mr. Akberuddin Owaisi recently. Many groups and organisations including many of the undersigned had condemned the speech and demanded action and also against members of some Hindutva organisations who were engaging in similar activities.

There were many instances of hate speeches and communal instigations by leaders and members of different communities in the past but the government had failed to take appropriate action in time and thereby encouraged such behavior by these divisive groups.

Even in the present case of the speech by Mr. Akberuddin Owaise, the government did not act immediately and when it did act, a number of Sections including a very grave charge under Sec.121 that deals with sedition against the state and can result in death penalty or life imprisonment were booked against him.  It is unwarranted to charge him under such very serious sections. Further, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, has also been arrested in an old case dating from 2005 and his bail plea has been rejected twice.

The total silence of the government for years in these matters and the sudden action in bringing up old cases and slapping of serious charges, especially in the context of the recent withdrawal of support by MIM to the Congress Government in the State is sending a very wrong message to the people that this is going beyond the requirements of justice and is being influenced by vendetta politics.  The matter becomes more sensitive when they are representatives of the people elected through the democratic process.    

We urge that any action by the government in all such matters should be immediate, impartial and commensurate with the aberration committed, otherwise it will be seen as victimization, spread disenchantment within the affected communities, polarise people and could result in social unrest and violence.

Hence, in the interest of justice and prevention of further polarisation that could have disastrous consequences for social stability and proper inter community relations, we urge the government to desist from any actions that appear vindictive and unjust or directed only against a particular community and undertake all and only such actions that are impartial and appropriate to secure justice. All people, irrespective of the community to which they belong would also welcome and endorse such actions and there would be no danger of any social disenchantment.   

Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer- Mumbai

Mahesh Bhatt- Mumbai

Praful Bidwai- New Delhi

Dr. Mazher Hussain- Hyderabad

Dr. Ram Punyani- Mumbai

Javed Anand- Mumbai

Jeevan kumar- Hyderabad

Dr. Sandeep Panday- Lucknow

Irfan Engineer- Mumbai

Bro. Verghese- Hyderabad

Jatin Desai- Mumbai

M.J. Vijayan- New Delhi