Samachar Bharati, Andhra Pradesh, organised a seminar on ?Hindu Media? to celebrate the birth centenary of Shri Guruji. Speaking on the occasion noted columnist Shri A. Suryaprakash explained how the media deals with the issues and how it reacts to the events. He said immediately after the blasts in churches and mosques in Andhra Pradesh about four years ago, the media gave verdict that some Hindu forces were behind the blasts. Every time whenever there was a blast in churches and mosques TV channels spread stories as to how Hindus were becoming militant. At that time Karnataka was under the Congress rule and Andhra Pradesh was under the Telugu Desam. The police of both the states jointly constituted a team to catch the culprits. They got them and all of them were Muslims. When the media came to know that the accused were Muslims, they pulled a long face and stopped the relays belonging to the blast news. He cited the incident of Kanpur where some miscreants harmed the statue of Dr Ambedkar. Immediately, the media put blame on Bajrang Dal. When the police caught the culprits, all of whom were Christians, then the media became silent. He said in the Jhabua incident also the media blamed the Hindu forces but later the culprits were found Christians. He said the media want to project Hinduism and Hindus as the oppressors. With this attitude came the Sachar Committee report. The government is spending crores of rupees on anti-polio campaigns to eradicate polio from the country. But mullahs and maulvis are working against the campaign. They tell the people of their communities that the polio drops would make their children impotent. Similarly, dargahs and mosques belong to the nation as per the 1958 Act and these monuments should be under the supervision of the government. But the Sachar Committee has recommended to hand over them to the Muslims, as they are not free to go there to offer prayers regularly. We have to realise that the Archeological Act 1958 was not made for Muslims alone, it is for all Indians. There are 1098 temples of Hindus in the custody of Archeological department throughout India. 260 temples in Karnataka and 150 temples in Andhra Pradesh are in the custody of government and we can'tgo there and offer prayers. But media does not talk about this. You have never heard that about 1100 temples are under the control of Government of India. If Hindus care for their religion they must know these things and communicate these to everybody, he added. He said Hindus are also not aware that the money they put in hundi is being spent to promote madrasas and renovation of mosques, churches and Christian institutions. ?We have asked the Karnataka government to submit all the transactions. And I request you to do the same in Andhra Pradesh. Go and ask how the temple income is being spent? Please take a look into all main temples? hundi money. It is a very serious matter. India is a secular country. I am a Hindu. I want to run my temple on my own. Why does government have to interfere? Hindu mathadhipatis and Hindu religious leaders should run the temples. I don'twant the government should run the temples. No Muslim allows government to run his mosques, no Christian allows government to run his churches. So why should I allows the government to run my temples? Hindus in India have to first gain control over their religious places and temples,? he said. Shri M.V.R. Shastry, editor, Andhra Bhumi Daily, said the media should represent the thinking of the society. If you read something, which hurts your sentiments, immediately, convey your unhappiness to the editor. But most of the people are not doing this. We are doing business and we will act as per our readers? ambitions. The change must come from society. They should reject those news which hurt their sentiments. Shri K. Ramachandra Murthy, editor, Andhra Jyothi, said there is no place for public opinion in newspapers. Newspapers are neither in favour of majority people nor in favour of minority people. He asked the mediapersons to present the positive aspect of Hindutva. Justice (retd.) L. Narasimha Reddy, Shri P. L.Visweswara Rao, Principal Osmania Arts College and Shri Ashok Malik also spoke on the occasion. (FOC)
