“Unfortunately none from the audience which largely witnessed the attendance of political activists was allowed to ask questions on policy decisions of Government to either the Chief Minister or his ministerial colleagues”.
A healthy trend of conducting media conclaves for live discussions between the people in power and scholars, economists, academicians, lawyers and policy planners of great repute set by National Media Houses like “Hindustan Times” and “India Today” for last several years was expected to be witnessed in Jammu & Kashmir this week but the so called “media conclave” was changed just into a “political conclave” by its organizers obviously for their own conveniences. While the audiences of scholars, economists, academicians, lawyers and policy planners of great repute are given the liberty to pose questions on policy decisions of the Government to the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties at annual media conclaves held annually by national media houses like “Hindustan Times” and “India Today”, the audience at the recently held J&K Media conclave did not see the participation of scholars, economists, academicians, lawyers and policy planners but only of political leaders and some lesser known trade unionists. Unfortunately none from the audience which largely witnessed the attendance of political activists was allowed to ask questions on policy decisions of Government to either the Chief Minister or his ministerial colleagues. Surprisingly moderators of this much hyped media conclave who were also its organisers conducted interview kind of discussions with the Chief Minister and his council of ministers and did not allow even a single participant from the audience to pose a single question to either the Chief Minister or any of his ministerial colleagues.
“Since the spirit of holding media conclaves lies in the conduct of live interactions between the people in power and the intelligentsia, a virtual bar on discussion between the leaders invited for the debate and the participants in the audience reduced this recently held much hyped media conclave just to a political conclave of the people in power in Jammu & Kashmir. This unhealthy trend by all standards of understandabilities goes against the basic spirits of public representation, public interest and public consciousness on responsive administration. Such an unhealthy trend of unhealthy discussions at much hyped media conclaves can’t result in any kind of healthy interaction between the people in power and the scholars, economists, academicians, lawyers and policy planners who keep a close eye on the policy decisions of the Government. Now it is for the sponsors and organsiers of the said media conclave to learn some lessons on holding public debates and discussions that are held only for furthering the causes of public interests, public representation and public welfare.”
What has gone unnoticed is the fact that TV anchors or the moderators of any current affairs program are not the only the competent people to seek answers to unanswered questions from the top functionaries of the Government but scholars, economists, academicians, lawyers and policy planners of great repute have all the professional capacities to generate huge public interests in any kind of live discussions with the public functionaries of the Government both at the media conclaves and as well as other public events. Since the spirit of holding media conclaves lies in the conduct of live interactions between the people in power and the intelligentsia, a virtual bar on discussion between the leaders invited for the debate and the participants in the audience reduced this recently held much hyped media conclave just to a political conclave of the people in power in Jammu & Kashmir. This unhealthy trend by all standards of understandabilities goes against the basic spirits of public representation, public interest and public consciousness on responsive administration. Such an unhealthy trend of unhealthy discussions at much hyped media conclaves can’t result in any kind of healthy interaction between the people in power and the scholars, economists, academicians, lawyers and policy planners who keep a close eye on the policy decisions of the Government. Now it is for the sponsors and organsiers of the said media conclave to learn some lessons on holding public debates and discussions that are held only for furthering the causes of public interests, public representation and public welfare.
