It was good to be at the 29th Annual Convention of the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) early October. I wish to place on record my deep and sincere gratitude to the Executive Committee of the ICPA and all others concerned for giving me the joy and privilege of being part of this august panel.
The theme of our deliberations is Gandhian Journalism and the necessity of upholding Truth, Justice, and nonviolence today. I would like to situate my presentation in two realities: the first one, from the Bible. The Gospel of St John (8: 1-11) the incident of the woman caught in adultery and how Jesus responds to it. The second, is the arrest of the environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk and his colleagues from Ladakh who were not allowed to enter Delhi yesterday. both these incidents have great relevance and meaning to the theme of this Convention namely that of truth, justice, and nonviolence.
In the incident of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus hits out strongly at the powerful of his times, those who control the lives and destinies of ordinary people. Jesus takes a stand against untruth, injustice and violence which is so evident in this particular incident. The late Niranjan Bhagat the famous poet from Gujarat wrote a very powerful poem on this incident saying that even the stones who were in the hands of the men, felt that a grievous wrong was being committed. Jesus takes a stand against structural and systemic wrongs and wants the people to realise the fact that only truth, justice and nonviolence will triumph.
The second example is unfolding, even as we deliberate at this Convention today. The renowned climate activist and innovator, Sonam Wangchuk. Wangchuk was on his way to New Delhi to advocate for the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh when he was arrested by the Delhi Police yesterday. This arrest has sparked widespread anger across the country. A fellow protester who has also arrested has issued a statement saying, “We were detained by the Delhi police last night and taken to Arya Samaj Mandir, Narela, where we have now decided to go on hunger strike. I urge the government not to push the people of Ladakh to the wall. We are frontline warriors, not traitors. We are simply demanding the rights you have taken from us — our statehood, safeguards, and employment. Now, even our right to protest is being stripped away. It is deeply unfortunate that while people like Ram Rahim are granted parole, the peaceful people of Ladakh are denied entry into Delhi.” In a press statement, the KDA condemned the detention of the activists. “This detention is a blatant violation of our fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly. It is an affront not only to democratic principles but also to the dignity of the people of Ladakh. The actions of the ruling dispensation and the Delhi Police clearly reflect their disregard for the voices of our community, and we must stand united in protest such inhumane behaviour.” A clear example of how the ruling regime crushes the legitimate voices of the people whilst mainstreaming untruth, injustice, and violence.
Both these realities should provide us with a backdrop of how essential the Gandhian values of truth, justice and nonviolence are for journalism today.
India today, however, is at a defining moment of her history! The fascist, fundamentalist and fanatic forces which are at work seem determined to take the country back to the ‘dark ages;’ hate, falsehood, injustice, and violence are mainstreamed and even institutionalised! The perpetrators who indulge in such heinous crimes, do so with impunity, knowing fully well that they are very secure with the immunity provided to them by the ruling regime and their ilk; they are even felicitated and their foul deeds, provided with unbelievable legitimacy!
The ordinary citizens of India face myriads of challenges/issues day-in and day-out. ‘Good governance’ has been pathetically lacking! Article 19 (which guarantees freedom of speech and expression), Article 21 (the right to life and liberty), Article 25 (which guarantees freedom to preach, practise and propagate one’s religion), for that matter, all fundamental rights- are consistently denied to most citizens. At the receiving end, are the poor and the vulnerable, the marginalised and the minorities( particularly the Christians, Muslims and Sikhs) the excluded and the exploited, the Adivasis(the indigenous people), the Dalits(the lowest castes) and the Other Backward Communities(OBCs); the small farmers and migrant workers; women and children; the differently-abled and other sexually-oriented persons; human rights defenders, journalists, writers and all those who take a visible and vocal stand to protect and promote the idea of a democratic, inclusive, pluralistic and secular India! Corruption seems to have become an accepted way of life!
There is certainly no political will to address systemic burning issues which plague the nation. Constitutional and other independent bodies from the Election Commission to the NIA, and even the Judiciary, are coopted and compromised. There are hurried legislation and draconian, prejudiced policies (all designed to decimate the Constitution) which include the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Education Policy, the anti - conversion laws, the anti-farmer (pro-Corporate) farm laws, the four labour codes, the Forest Conservation Amendment Act, the Uniform Civil Code (in the State of Uttarakhand, the Waqf Amendment Bill and the stunt of ‘One Nation, One Election.’
Mahatma Gandhi was a journalist par excellence and a prolific writer. For several years he edited publications like ‘Indian Opinion,’ ‘Young India and ‘Harijan,’ which shaped the thinking of thousands and impacted profoundly on their lives. The many letters that he wrote to people across the board, are a testimony to someone who believed in ‘the power of the pen’ and who left no stone unturned to guide the destinies of a nation. In the face of all that is happening in India today, the need for the Gandhian values of truth, justice and non-violence cries out as never before. These values not only become indispensable and non-negotiable, but are also a powerful instrument for journalists, particularly those who believe in the person and message of Jesus!
For Gandhi, ‘truth’ was a non-negotiable way of life! The concept he believed in and introduced was ‘satyagraha’ (the force of truth). He first used it in 1906 in South Africa as a determined but nonviolent resistance to evil. This ‘satyagraha’ became a major tool in the India’s freedom struggle against British colonialism. and has since been adopted by protest groups in other countries across the world. Gandhi says, “The word Satya (Truth) is derived from ‘Sat’ which means ‘being.’ Nothing is or exists except Truth. That is why Sat or Truth is the most important name of God. In fact, it is more correct to say that Truth is God than to say God is truth. On deeper thinking, however it will be realized that Sat or Satya is the only correct and fully sign fact name for God.” He goes on to add, “where there is Truth, there is also knowledge which is true. Where there is no Truth, there can be no true knowledge. That is why the word ‘Chit’ or knowledge is associated with the name of God. And where there is true knowledge, there is always bliss, (Ananda). There sorrow has no place. And even as Truth is eternal, so is the bliss derived from it. Hence, we know God as Sat-Chit-Ananda, one who combines in Himself Truth, Knowledge, and Bliss.”
For Gandhi, ‘justice’ was a non-negotiable way of life! Gandhi was convinced that both for individuals and the nation at large, social justice, the most necessary basic was a requirement. He considered justice as basically tantamount to fair treatment. He said, “justice empowers a person to enjoy certain natural rights such as equality, liberty and equal opportunities.” He had a deep concern for social and economic justice, which was intricately connected to his basic philosophy of non-violence. Gandhi was a pioneer of social justice as his idea was of decentralization of power and authority (which the Catholic Church calls ‘subsidiarity) which is one of the safeguards for individual freedom. Gandhi laid emphasis on human equality (a key value of our Constitution) He was aware that political institutions are relevant only to extend the economic wellbeing of all the people and to secure social justice to them.
For Gandhi, ‘nonviolence’ was a non-negotiable way of life! For him, “nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." He popularised the concept of ‘ahimsa’ (which is fundamental to Jainism and other Indic religions).’Ahimsa’ has two different though complementing connotations. In the narrow sense, it means not harming the other or oneself by body or mind; on the other hand, in the positive and broader sense, it denotes infinite love and charity. Gandhi says, “in its negative form, [Ahimsa] means not injuring any living being whether by body or mind. I may not, therefore, hurt the person of any wrong-doer or bear any ill-will to him and so cause him mental suffering. In its positive form, Ahimsa means the largest love, the greatest charity. If I am a follower of Ahimsa, I must love my enemy or a stranger to me as I would my wrong-doing father or son. This active Ahimsa necessarily included Truth and fearlessness."
At a moment like this, we are all (particularly those who call ourselves Christian journalists/media personnel) called to do serious and sincere introspection and deep soul- searching. How many of us have taken visible and vocal stands for truth, justice, and nonviolence? Are we convinced that these Gandhian values are Christ values? Jesus lived and died for truth, justice, and nonviolence. How many of us/our publications, have openly expressed opposition to the way this Government is dismantling the Constitution of India and trampling on the rights of the ordinary citizens? How many have written against the hate speeches of the ruling regime and the violence they unleash on the marginalised and minorities of the country? One certainly needs prophetic courage to internalise and actualise truth, justice, and nonviolence. Are we ready to run the risk of doing so and perhaps, even ready to pay a heavy price?
Gandhi aptly states, “my religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realising Him.” On his birth anniversary, today,2 October, designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Non-Violence, we all need to reaffirm "the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence" and the desire "to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence"; a day on which we must pledge to go beyond tokenism and cosmetics, to make truth, justice, non-violence an integral dimension in our writings and of our daily lives!
Ultimately if we are convinced that truth, justice, and nonviolence are non –negotiables for journalism today, we as Christian journalists should leave no stone unturned to ensure that it does become a reality and does not stay as mere ‘lip-service’. We must be visible and vocal (in our writings too) on this score.
At this juncture, we all need to pray in the words of Rabindranath Tagore
‘Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father (and Mother)
let my country awake!
Yes, let each one of us – particularly Christian journalists/communicators awake now!
*The above is the essence of a talk given at the ICPA National Convention of Christian Journalists held in Mangalore on 2 October 2024.
Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation, and peace activist. He is also a prolific writer. For his works, he is the recipient of several international and national awards including the ‘Legion of Honour’ from the President of France; the ‘Kabir Puraskar’ from the President of India and the ‘Fr. Louis Careno Award 2021’ from the ICPA. You can contact him at cedricprakash@gmail.com.
