Print Media: A view angle from Hindi Language.

PRINT MEDIA: A VIEW ANGLE FROM HINDI LANGUAGE

Dakshita Garhwal
20.53, 1/08/2015

“Print Media” is one of the oldest and most effective tools of communication. Even with the emergence of several other digital and hi-tech communication sources including a number a news channels available at a single click, newspapers and journals are high within the reach of masses. Freedom of press is not expressly mentioned in the Constitution of India; however article 19(a) evidently provides it.  Media being a powerful source to highlight issues, the utility of press could not be estimated as it stands so high.

My main concern is the ‘language’ used in the newspapers nowadays. An example would better explain this. A news agency daily publishes more than 5000 Hindi newspapers per day. But the language used in is a perfect blend of often spoken English words with a low standard of Hindi. Claiming to be Hindi newspapers, is it not necessary to be just and fair in the usage of language? The editors may aim to ease the readers with such usage but it is a splash of water over the hard work of Hindi literature graduates and their knowledge of language.
On the other hand, the concern issue over usage of improper Hindi language amongst the young generation is continuously highlighted. The way young generation lacks the knowledge of Hindi words in the day-to-day conversation as well.
I was fortunate enough to be a part of a gathering addressed by the now minister of external affairs, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj on the eve of foundation stone laying ceremony of India’s first Sanskrit university at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She highlighted this concern of ‘mislanguage’ in the Hindi newspapers. The editors of these Hindi newspapers are doing injustice to the readers as well as the language itself.

I claim for legal actions against this. Claiming India to have Hindi as its official language since September 14, 1949, all the Hindi newspaper agencies bear this responsibility of correct usage of language in order to promote it. Chapter 3 and article 13(1) of the Press Council Act, 1978 states that “The objects of the Council shall be to preserve the freedom of the Press and to maintain and improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India.”

Article 13 (2) (b) says that, “to build up a code of conduct for newspapers, news agencies and journalists in accordance with high professional standards.”
And, Article 13 (2) (c) says that, “to ensure on the part of newspapers, news agencies and journalists, the maintenance of high standards of public taste and foster a due sense of both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.”
My interpretations see that the editors must themselves come up with a solution. Media facing a number of issues like as in right to privacy, freedom of speech and expression etc; this issue of ‘mislanguage’ opens up a new problem.

An attempt to ease the readers with the language so that it seems comfortable to understand, this attempt is ruining the quality of language. The deteriorating language may be providing ease to read but hinders many morals. Aren’t we responsible for the generation which neither have a proper knowledge of English, nor could they speak Hindi well? But yes, I found many of the proudly saying that ‘Hindi is out of our understanding, please narrate in English.” Our print media holds this responsibility and a power to bring about a revolution. I see improving the quality of the Hindi language in the Hindi dailies as one of the only ways to strengthen this language.

Searched links:

http://www.legalserviceindia.com/articles/media.htm

http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/privacy-media-law

http://presscouncil.nic.in/OldWebsite/aboutus.htm

http://presscouncil.nic.in/OldWebsite/act.htm

Reservation: The Era of Revival.

RESERVATION: THE ERA OF REVIVAL

Dakshita Garhwal

 Sunday, 30 August 2015; 12.31

We are proud to have diversity of cultures in our country, but this turns out to be a reason of debates and destructive revolutions when it comes to rights.

The fire of reservation seems to have no end. If this continues, every state will have its own new revolutionist belonging to several communities demanding reservations. This scenario attracted my mind towards a striking line being circulated over social media nowadays, “How can a country progress when there is a race to be determined as backward?”

The constitution of India seeks to promote a caste-free society. Article 14 of the Constitution says, “The state shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India". The two terms, ‘Equality before the law’ and ‘Equal protection of law’ are distinct in meaning with each other. The former means that everybody is equal before the law and cannot be granted privileges on any ground, however the later seeks equality in equal circumstances.
The framers of our Constitution were never in favor of reservations based on caste, hence they provided for article 15(1) which says that there must not be any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, colour, birthplace etc. However, article 16(4) empowers the state to make laws on reservation. Even in this provision, the word ‘backward class’ was used rather than backwardness on the basis of caste.  State of Madras v. Srimathi Champakam Dorairajan and Venkatraman v. State of Madras are the two landmark judgements which bought the inference of the Supreme Court that any reservation provided on the basis of caste would be unconstitutional. Soon after this, the constituent assembly which drafted the constitution included article 15(4) stating that, “Nothing in this article or in Clause (2) of Article 29 shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.”  In M.R. Balaji v. State of Mysore, the court ceiled the reservation up to 50% otherwise the players of politics might have taken it up till 99% in order to attract votes.

‘Backward class’ is not defined in the Constitution. From here, the new debate of ‘creamy layer’ comes to existence. An ordinary sufferer of the reservation system belonging to general category opts to remove reservation from its roots providing opportunities on the basis of eligibility. But due the concept of ‘Equal Protection of law’, the provision of reservation is necessary. The framers of the constitution intended to remove the creamy layers from the benefit of reservation. Creamy layer is defined as a class of elite people from lower classes. Some argue that reservation must be provided on economic basis. However, here comes a debatable remark that the intention of the framers of the Constitution was to lift up certain sections of the society ‘socially and educationally’. Some interpretations seek that the reservation policy was not a poverty elevation scheme. It is also said that some communities would always be looked down as backward, even if they are economically stable. Hence, the system of reservation is needed to be revived.
However, lifting up the economically backward must be considered under lifting the ‘socially and educationally’ backward.

Coming towards the solution of the problems, a survey should be done in order to determine the different classes or people  in the society on the basis of;
(i) economic backwardness,
(ii) educational backwardness,
(iii) social backwardness
 

The classes which are economically backward must be provided reservations in the jobs; the economically backwards to be provided reservation in educational institutions .To uplift the socially backwards which might be economically and educationally strong, an ease to form associations, reservations in the political community etc must be provided. Reviving the policy is a dire need. We cannot put all the backward communities on the same line of reservation as now, backwardness differ in circumstances. Such classification would help in identification of people (and not classes/castes) lagging behind in each situation and the misuse of the policy of the reservation can be avoided. Also, it would be an easy step to stop classifications on the basis of castes.

Reservation is a need which could not be afforded to be converted as a misuse in a country like India, which claims to be a successful democracy in the world.

Related searches:

http://indialawjournal.com/volume3/issue_2/article_by_rushminsunny.html

http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/critical-analysis-on-reservation-policy-in-india-1331-1.html

http://indiankanoon.org/doc/68038/

Singh.N.K; Senior Journalist; from an article titled ‘Fir chida arakshan ka besura rag’ in Naidunia on 28 August 2015.

Pandey. J.N; The Constitutional Law of India.