“Being a journalist, the responsibility increases even more during wartime or any such important time. It is very important to fill the lack of information for the citizens during such times,” said Akhilesh Sharma, Managing Editor of NDTV. He was present as a chief guest at a seminar organised by Prerna Research Institute Trust on the topic of “Yuddhakal mein Patrakarita (Journalism in Wartime)” at ASPM Scottish School, Noida on May 25. The programme was organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of first correspondent Devarshi Narad and Hindi Journalism Day.
Addressing the gathering, Akhilesh Sharma said that it is very important to ensure that we are fulfilling our responsibility during wartime or not. He also emphasised that in such a situation, no such information should ever be presented which helps the enemy. “As journalists, we should not forget our limits, dignity, responsibility and duty,” he said.
Starting her speech with a quote of revered Sri Guruji, Pramila Dixit, Associate Editor of TV9, emphasised the importance of civic and journalistic consciousness during war. “Journalists are also used as a weapon during war. The role of narrative creation becomes very important during war. Therefore, for any information related to Bharat, trust only Bharatiya sources, not the Pakistani propaganda machinery.”
Dinesh Gautam, senior journalist, said that we assume that fighting a war is only the job of the Army. But war is fought at many levels. Through the terror attack in Pahalgam, the Pakistani terrorists had challenged not just Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the entire country. Fortunately, our Government gave a befitting reply to Pakistani misadventure. He said that the attack at Pahalgam was not just a terror attack but a Dharma Yuddha where innocent people were murdered after asking their Dharma. “When the country is at war, every citizen is also involved somewhere. Therefore, whatever we did as a journalist, we did to keep the country ahead,” he said.
In his concluding speech, Kripashankar Ji, Prachar Pramukh (Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said that Udant Martand was started on the occasion of Devarshi Narad Jayanti, proving Narad ji’s role in Hindi journalism, but we gradually started forgetting it. Kripashankar ji spoke at length about the social contribution of the Sangh and Panch Parivartan highlighting the important role of media in social change. Shyam Kishore Sahay expressed his views on Devarshi Narad and gave a brief overview of the programme. He said that the Puranas describe the scholarship and wisdom of Devarshi Narad, which is important to understand the game of ‘narrative setting’. Sahay emphasised that the time of war is sensitive, and war is not only fought on the borders, but also in the minds of the people; in such a situation, journalists play an important role in creating public opinion. He advised that journalism should be done very wisely during wartime. Many eminent personalities and media persons marked their presence in this seminar.
