Media must fight social evils, focus less on entertainment: PCI chairman

The Indian media must focus less on entertainment, and talk more on social problems and other relevant issues, expressed the Press Council of India (PCI) Chairman Justice Markandey Katju

Criticising the media for offering "opium to the masses", Justice Katju on Sunday urged journalists to promote rational ideas and raise the intellectual level of the masses.

Justice Katju appealed to the media to change the mindset of masses, who he described as being presently engulfed in casteism, communalism and superstitions.

The PCI chairman was speaking at the 'Pandit Jhabarmal Sharma Lecture' in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Justice Katju said while the nation was "sitting on a volcano," the media was offering four kinds of opium to the masses in the shape of religious bigotry, films, cricket and falsehood.

"The intent is clear. Keep the people drugged so they do not revolt against poverty and the terrible mess created for them," The Hindu daily quoted him saying.

Speaking to an audience of journalists and academicians, Justice Katju further opined that the electronic media was dividing the people on the lines of caste and religion by creating an impression that Hindus alone had the first claim over citizenship and others were second-rate citizens.

Minority communities in India were being demoralised in various manners, he said.

Earlier this month, while addressing an international conference on science in Delhi, Katju said the country was seeing a steep rise in poverty, unemployment, uncontrolled price raise, problems of healthcare, education, housing, children malnourishment and farmers' suicides.

He recommended "Science, Democracy, Livelihood and Unity of the People" to be the guiding principles to help solve India's age-old problems.

He said India, as a country of great diversity in castes, languages, religions, ethnic groups, adopts only secularism that gives equal respect to all communities.