Indian Opinion

Mukesh Devrari &  Harsh Dobhal  Abstract Known as the fourth estate following the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislative, media play a very crucial role in nurturing, preserving and deepening democracy and its various institutions and processes. The media also play a tremendous role in negotiating and democratizing the public sphere and expanding it to a wider segment of society. It is in the complex set of dynamics a democracy offers that the role of media assumes utmost significance and media and democracy enter a symbiotic relationship. Without a free media that is accessible to and representative of all, there can be no democracy, and without democracy, media can never get adequate space for proper functioning. This paper deals with four interrelated themes. Building on the assumption that free media and democracy are inseparable, the first part discusses the linkages between and the role of media in deepening democracy. The second part deals with the freedom of ...

Mukesh Devrari  How to control media? This question is politically incorrect at least in democracies. Why anybody would like to control media? Nehru preferred free media which might have a lot of negative effects than an enslaved media which may have only positive effects for the sake of freedom, liberty and long term progress. Let me answer the question, one cannot run away by dismissing it. People sincerely believe that the media in India has to be controlled. The content it creates is problematic. It spreads irrationality, sensationalism, jingoism and creates war hysteria. It is extremely biased and loyal only to their political masters. Viewers are looking for quality content. Our current media outlets, barring few exceptions, have failed in delivering objectivity and neutrality. It is urgent to control media. The state can control media through laws. It is a tricky path. Any policy regulatory measure which is not known to western democracies will never be acce...

Mukesh Devrari  In the literal sense fundamentalism is a form of a religion that upholds belief in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture. It exists in various degrees.  Social media provided impetus to fundamentalist forces around the globe. It is an open allegation against the functioning of social media. It is possible to work anonymously in the public sphere created by social media for social intercourse on a variety of subjects. This luxury of anonymity is not available in traditional media. Even without being anonymous, people can spread filth all around, like people are doing on Twitter, perhaps the most dangerous platform for unregulated hooliganism and right-wing propaganda.  In the physical presence of ‘the other’ social etiquettes remain in existence. This good mannerism must not be underestimated as it is essential for the peaceful existence of society. In real life, people do not use derogatory or outrightly inflammatory remarks against...

 Photo Courtesy - Nirmal Poddar Mukesh Devrari Modernization is a series of transitions from primitive subsistence economies to technology intensive industrialized economies, from subject to participant political cultures, from closed ascriptive status systems to open achievement oriented systems, from extended to nuclear kinship units, from religious to secular ideologies and so on. (Tipps, 1973, 204) In other words, every characteristic of the modern western nation-state is a symbol of modernity. Modernization is generally referred as an ongoing process to improvise the lives of people in third world countries. But another section also interprets it as a conspiracy against the impoverished population of third world countries. Acceptance of modernization is interpreted as accepting western superiority and dominance. Photo Courtesy - Nirmal Poddar Max Weber in his book, ‘Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’ held Asian cultural values responsible for t...