Dr. K.S. Radhakrishnan, former Vice Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit and former Chairman of Kerala Public Service Commission, stated in Kochi that what the media does these days is to confront the facts. They present their aspirations and wishes as facts, thereby losing their credibility, which is the most significant capital required by the media. The media profession should not be about controversy; rather, it should be about debate and interaction. Controversy aims to argue and win, but debate and interaction are for understanding and helping others understand. There is humility in this approach, reflecting Bharat Samskriti. Dr. K.S. Radhakrishnan was speaking on “Truth and Untruth in Media” in connection with the Narada Jayanthi Celebrations organised by Vishva Samvad Kendra.
Dr. Radhakrishnan remarked that individuals who assert “this is Kerala” often fail to present the facts accurately. Some claim credit for initiating a renaissance in the state, yet no politician played a role in Kerala’s renaissance. The credit for Kerala’s renaissance belongs to figures such as Brahmananda Sivayogi, Chattambi Swamy, Sreenarayana Guru, Fr. Chavara alias Chavarayachan, and Pandit Karuppan. Kerala’s leading educational institutions were established before 1947, which itself debunks the politicians’ propaganda.
The former VC mentioned that when Indira Gandhi ordered to “stop talk and work hard,” the media in Kerala responded by saying they didn’t even need tongues, and they gladly crawled. They still assert that “this is Kerala.” Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai wrote three editorials criticizing C. Rajagopalachari for declaring that school admission should not be denied on the basis of caste discrimination. Despite this, the media in Kerala continue to portray Pillai as a role model for their fraternity, Dr. Radhakrishnan alleged.
Vishva Samvada Kendra president M. Rajasekhara Panicker honored senior journalist and writer K.G. Jyothirghosh. Jyothirghosh stated that nowadays, the media merely follows society’s current instead of guiding its thought process. Currently, every individual acts as a media outlet; therefore, the media profession should be taken seriously. Maintaining credibility is essential. Bharatiya philosophy consistently promotes experimentation and investigation, whereas Semitic religions are faith-centric. He further added that the media profession could become more fruitful through critical thought.
M. Rajasekhara Panicker stated in his presidential address that Devarshi Narada was a great personality who dared to present the truth before anyone for the sake of the welfare of the entire world. Debate and interaction are integral to Bharatiya culture. The life of Adi Sankaracharya is the apt example for this.
Vishva Samvad Kendra Chairman K.R. Umakantan presented the Prof. M.P. Manmadhan Puraskar to V.P. Shailan, Reporter of Mathrubhumi Malayalam daily. K.B. Sreekumar, general manager of Janmabhumi Malayalam daily and RSS Dakshina Kerala Saha Pranth Karyavah, delivered the Prof. M.P. Manmadhan memorial speech. He highlighted that M.P. Manmadhan was a great personality who upheld the wave of dharma throughout his life. He waged a relentless war against the wrong tendencies in society and took a stand against the societal notion that alcohol was a symbol of prestige. Sreekumar emphasized that Prof. Manmadhan had the foresight to understand that the future of Bharat would be based on spirituality and culture.
The Puraskar laureate, V.P. Shailan, delivered the reply speech. RSS Dakshin Kshethra Prachar Pramukh J. Sreeram presented mementos to the guests. Vishva Samvad Kendra secretary Shaiju Sankaran welcomed the gathering, and RSS Ernakulam Vibhag Prachar Pramukh P.G. Sajeev proposed the vote of thanks.
