3/21/2011 Indian press moved to cover the top 5

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psainath 6:53 pm on December 17, 2009 Reply

Indian press moved to cover the top 5% population

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3/21/2011 Indian press moved to cover the top 5

courtesy: Orissa Dairy

P Sainath has a close personal and professional relation with Orissa, during his last visit to Bhubaneswar
our team member Ambika Sankar Mishra has taken his interview. The interview is as follows.

Orissa Diary (OD) : After completion of your M.A. In history why you got interested with a
different discipline like Journalism?

P. Sainath : I was always interested in journalism and writing. Historically the Indian press is the child of
the of the Freedom struggle, it came up with the freedom struggle. Most of our nationalist heroes and
leaders were journalists. Nehru established two newspapers, Gandhi established three, Bhagat Singh
wrote prolifically for various news papers including letters to editors. Even Bijoy Laxmi Pandit was also in
the same category. Most nationalist leaders were laying stress on journalism and for them journalism was a
powerful tool for social change. I got inspired by that generation and I identified those values of
Journalism. Secondly history as a discipline has helped me a lot in journalism, because for example, if you
are going to cover Kalahandi without knowing its history its land relations, bonded labor system and laws
of forest then your coverage will lack depth but a knowledge of history can help you there.

OD : These days most of the journalists are

interested to roam in the power corridor but why you choose to side with with rural journalism?

P. Sainath : I was always interested with rural journalism that is journalism for the people. At Blitz I got
many opportunities but with the burdens of being a deputy Chief Editor, I was not able to use those
opportunities. But particularly after 1991, with the advent of neo liberal policies, when Indian press moved
to cover about the top 5% population of the country, I decided to cover the bottom 5%!

OD : Every year you are spending nearly 200-250 days in rural India you have reported the
stories of many pain stricken people. What do you feel to be your next duties towards them?

P. Sainath : The duty of a journalist is to tell the story of those pain stricken people in a way that is fare
and correct to them. In the writings of the journalist the experiences of whom you are reporting about
should be reflected. The minimum duty of a good journalist is to ring the alarm bell for the society, to write
the stories of common people of country and not just to restrict himself/herself in writing about film stars of
Bollywood. That is the duty of a good journalist is to bring out to public knowledge the weaknesses of the
society.

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OD : That means you are saying about development Journalism. Then will you please remark
on present condition of Indian Development Journalism?

P. Sainath : See, If you look carefully you will never find me calling myself a development journalist. In
my thought the meaning of development journalism in these days has gone restricted with covering
Government projects or Programs or yojanas .For me development is a highly a political process. I also
can cover politics. Rather I would better like to be identified as a rural reporter.

OD : You are describing yourself as a rural reporter. What are your views on globalization?

P. Sainath : There is no one process called globalization, there are in fact many forms of globalization.
There can be peoples globalization like world Social Forum or similar events or processes where people
in different countries are fighting for one cause then it is also a global resistance. That is globalization of
peoples movements. But the dominant form of globalization today is corporate globalization. And this is
harmful for poor people.

OD : Talking about Orissa, what are your views on depleting forest owing to aggressive
industrialization and about forest dwellers and their rights?

P. Sainath : Societies which are destroying forests, they are just cutting the same branch of tree on which
they are sitting. If you are asking me about Orissa I would like to say that the problem is worse in the state
because here a high percent of people are living and depending on forests. If you finish forest you will
finish them. You have to maintain the balance between forest and forest dwellers. But do not accept that in
name preservation of forests you will throw the the tribals and other forest dwellers out. Because, for
example, in places like Sundarban where the government and forest department are not present, the tigers
are growing there along with the forest dwellers but at places like Ranthambore the tigers are vanishing
though the experts on tigers are there!

OD : As a rural journalist what are your views on N.G.Os and development?

P. Sainath : You can not find a single body called NGO, because there are many. The word NGO does
not represent any single organization or entity; its amourphous. There are many good NGOs who are
highly responsible for their people and there are some NGOs who are lagging on this regard.
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OD : But on an average what is your view about them?

P. Sainath : On average I will say that many of them are not working sincerely. There are bad people in
good NGOs and good people in Bad NGOs and bad people in bad NGOs too. But some of them are
working in important areas and fields and potential is there to work. But I would like to see that if the
NGOs, in stead of working on behalf of people, promote the spirit of self dependence among people, then
its more an effective way.

OD : Then you are talking about Paulo Frieres concept of coscientization, is not it?

P. Sainath : You can say it that way, but in my view it is democratization because if an NGO is raising
funds from Geneve in the name of a village here, then that village has the right to know about the detailed
expenditures relating to that fund. And that NGO has to remain accountable to those people. So I am
stressing on the whole concept of accountability of NGOs to their target group people.

OD : Presently big corporate houses are coming to Orissa as this is a mineral rich state. Due to
this trend the issues of displacement and unequal distribution of water etc are coming to fore.
People at many places are raising their voices against it. What are your views on this regard?

P. Sainath : This is the state which has suffered the worst in matters relating to development. This is the
state, which displaced one group of people to accommodate another group during 1965 wars. This is the
state which displaced, God knows how many people at Koraput for HAL, but the institution did not come
there. 4000 acres are still lying there, when people thrown out of that land have gone into destitution. You
have a village in Malkangiri called Chikapar which has faced displacement for three times. The problem of
the state is lack of employment opportunities. So one way should be found out by which the problem of
unemployment will be solved to the maximum but by maintaining a balance. Because, this is a complex
state having 62 tribal groups. So we have to find out more employment with minimum destruction of
natural resources and with putting the least strain on nature.

OD : There is a man called Noam Chomsky in the west and there is a man in India called P.
Sainath. Both are popular for speaking the bitter truth. What are the similarities and differences
between these two scholars of repute?

P. Sainath : (With Smiles) I know him well and he is a genius and giant and I am a journalist.

The time of returning for Mr. P. Sainath was coming closer and the arrangers were getting worried. They
were in a hurry. So we had to close the interview before our expectation. But his reply to the last question
really told much about his politeness and simplicity because in our view he is no less intelligent and
competent than Noam Chomsky the great writer of Manufacturing the consent. His single answer
expressed the greatness of Palagummi Sainath, the eminent Peoples Journalist and the great writer of
Every body loves a good Drought.

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