Dalit press in India

DALIT CAMERA - INTERVIEW 

Introduction-

Some people are born brilliant, some have brilliantness push upon them and some achieve brilliantness. To the last division, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar belongs. Dr. Ambedkar was a great patriot, social thinker, political activist, philosophical writer with liberal ideas. He raised for all political, social and cultural activities which increased the cause of human progress and happiness. He was the soul for the constitution of India. He battled for the betterment of the deprived community. Dr. Ambedkar was also a great journalist. In 31st January, 1920 first time in the Dalit history Dr. Ambedkar started the newspaper called “Mooknayak”. He was also the editor of this newspaper.

Objective of the Study-

1- To know the role of media in democratic country.

2- To understand why there is less representation of Dalit journalist in media?

3- Why we need separate media and magazine on Dalit issue?

Methodology-

I collected data through secondary resources.like internet sources, thesis, dissertation, and RTI.

History of the Press in India –

According to the “MANUSMIRITI” purushsukta was based upon the principal of divine origin of the classes in which Brahmins or the priestly class ruled supreme, next were place the Kshatriya or the fighter class, next to them were placed Vaishya or the trading class and the last were placed the shudra or the class of servant, physical labor the nut and the untouchables. According all these order work of the priest was confirmed that he will teach to the all upper caste men.

Dalit’s haven’t right to read, they were totally excluded from education. In ancient time, Hindu holy book (Ramayana, Mahabharata, Gita etc.) was written in Sanskrit. Sanskrit language only upper caste Brahmin was able to understand. Because you are not allowed to enter in temple, school or places were Brahmins were generally seat. During that time, great man like Mahatma Phule and his wife Savitri bai Phule they opened first school for female, or first school for Dalit’s. This was the starting era for lower class people.

The history of the press in India is the history of the freedom movement in the country. To a great range the Indian national congress remaining its popularity and position to the indian press. (Mazmudar, 1993). Like Gandhi, Nehru and all upper caste leader, where the lower caste leader was totally neglected by the Brahmin upper caste media.

Ambedkar started a weekly news-paper called “Mooknayak” (The leader of Dumb) especially for deprived community. Ambedkar himself he was the chief editor of this magazine. With the help of this magazine he was able to educate the untouchable community. He wrote in the first editorial of the paper “The existing newspaper look, after the interest of of certain caste, they do not pay heed to the interest of the other caste. This country is the home of inequalities. Devoid the power and knowledge, the non- Brahmins and the depressed cannot make any progress. Poverty, inability, and ignorance have swept away the vast depressed society. (JJ Shukla, 1998)

Now we the Untouchables living in the democratic country here we have right to education, basic human rights but all kind of rights are getting violated. In democracy country media is regarded as a critical institution. This is an important sector for Dalit’s, Tribal because they contribute around 24% of the Indian population. Media has power to play an important role for deprived community to empower them in social, political, economic and over all development of the deprived society. But the current situation is totally different in India. All the media’s are moving with the capitalist.

Media during Ambedkar time-

Ambedkar was a national leader but he proposed as a Dalit leader (Venkatesh, 2006).Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar was not only a great philosopher and lawyer. He was also a great a great journalist. His thought provided to the Dalit people how to remove all those caste barriers. Gandhi started “Harijan” in 1933 to spread the cause of untouchables. He started that only after the Poona pact. The Indian media which respects Gandhi's efforts to start a newspaper for the untouchables never addresses Ambedkar's labors that are responsible for running four newspapers for his people. In that time, Ambedkar realize that media will bring change in the society. Through the media lower caste voice will be spread. He started newspaper in Marathi language “Mooknayak, Bahiskriti Bharat, Janata” In Janata “The people” He wrote first article on Caste based survey. Because when yoy have data according to the caste then only you can only demand for the other backword caste facility like reservation. In India during British time caste based survey happen till now no. Because when you have the proper data according to the community you can demand for more reservation. The SC and ST category have only 15 and 7.5 percent reservation there population increasing but not percentage that is why caste based survey is necessary. And in the Janata Magazine Baba sahib Ambedkar wrote about this caste based survey. All these weekly newspapers were actively involved in representing the voice of lower caste people. All this newspaper played an active role Maharaja of Kolhapur he gave some money to the Ambedkar for continuing this magazine. In that time Kesari newspaper refuse to publish the advertisement of the Mooknayak. How unfavorable were the times can be seen from the fact that the Kesari refused to even announce its publication though asked to do as a paid advertisement? And this happened when Tilak was still alive! (Keer, 1954). Advertised the newspaper for Dalit’s was also an untouchability

In India how upper class media was ignoring the lower caste same problem was in the United States of America, but Ambedkar spend some time in USA, he studied there. He has some idea about how to use media for Dalit people?

In  Maharashtra Ambedkar and all the lower caste people they marched to chowder tank in Mahad for the right of water for drinking purpose. For doing that Hindu goons hey attacked on the unarmed people. That was the first time in History of India Dalit’s issue came in all media. Dalit's are there in Media as a drivers, printing-machine operators, hawkers, cleaners, and distributors.

Representation of Dalit issue in Media-

In the present context, Dalit issue are being neglected by the media most popular news channel they are only talking about the Nationalism nothing else maybe they don’t know what exactly nationalism is? From there opinion may be Dalit’s and Muslim are not Indian. After the 125-birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar receive less attention from the Indian media. Indian media use to hate Ambedkar and his thought. (Ilaiah, 2000).

Khairlanji Massacre-In that case writer Anand Teltumbde is pointing out the behavior of the mainstream media in this incident four Dalits belonging to the same community were killed brutally by high caste Hindus. They were dragged from their hut, paraded naked, tortured, maimed, sexually assaulted and killed. They were taken in a cart around the village and their bodies thrown in different parts of the village. Bhaiyalal, the head of the Bhotmange family, had saw the entire incident and runaway to tell the story to a typically indifferent police. It was only when the injured bodies were found the next day that a formal report of the crime was recorded. The news of this massacre did not appear in the mainstream media in any important way. Also the mainstream media they showed up when the Demand for the justice increased.

When K.R. Narayanan, the first Dalit president of India visited France in April 2000, Le Monde described it in its report as “the first untouchable” president of Indian republic. . After returning from the France he said “I am used to this for a long time. I am used to this kind of publicity in the Indian media, of being an untouchable in President Bhawan. The basic point i want to write is that whatever post you have doesn’t matter but if you are a dalit that stigma will always be there with you. In the Next point When the Ambedkar was demanding the separate electorate in Poona pact from the Gandhi, that time Gandhi was not agree with the Ambedkar. So that time also Brahiminical media criticized Ambedkar as a Anti nationalist. We know the Dr, Babasaheb Ambedkar was not only the leader of Dalit. He started a Independent labor party. For fixed the time of working hour from 12 hour to 8 hour.

From last two-decade coverage of Dalit issue in media is more than earlier. After 1990. In Tamilnadu the English print media especially outlook, frontline, The Hindu, and the Indian express gave more space for the Dalit issue (J Balasubramaniam, 2011). It doesn’t mean that English media they employee more Dalit people in his press. Also other thing we can say that Indian Brahiminical Media is not much interested to capture the Dalit news. When the all India was celebrating golden jubilee of conversion to Buddhism at Nagpur mainstream media neglected, because they are interested in more coverage of Kumbh-mela or Ganesh puja and other Puja. In the current time we can say that they are more interested in nationalism theory. Recent what happen in Ramjas College all were talking about nationalism it should be not there all media is also supporting and saying that how ABVP and other student political parties views on that Seminar. My Question is that why media is not defining the theme of the seminar, the one of the theme was on tribal issue in India. Why media are not defining that why the tribal issue is more important that Nationalism?

Role of Dalit media in present context-

Representing Dalit in media in null because when you will represent your news in media it means that you have few value in society. Media is called fourth pillar of the society. When the upper caste media is not representing any Dalit issue or they are involving any Dalit in his newsroom you should have to start our media. We can take the example of Dr. Ambedkar he know that when you have your media your voice people will listen, through the media you can mobilize you people that is Ambedkar started his own newspaper called Mooknayak.

Present role of Dalit media is very much important lower caste people have their own media in present. The example National Dastak, Dalit Dastak, Dalit camera, Insigh foundation (Insigh magazine, currently close), forword press magazine and the other webpage and print media they gave more space on the dalit issue.

National Dastak is a webpage which cover all news from India and the Dalit Dastak it mainly focus on Dalit issue and the founder also belong to Dalit community his name is Ashok Das. Dalit Camera is YouTube channel is founded by the “Ravi Chandran Chakkiliyan” A dalit activist he studied from English and foreign language university Hyderabad. The YouTube channel they always upload the issue of Dalit and tribal like speeches of “Jignesh Megawanshi” and other dalit activist so the other lower community people can easily listen to them. The “Dalit camera” You- Tube channel is more important because of other media can’t provide easily accessible of this type of Interview and the speeches of the Bahujan Leader.

Insight foundation, Insight it was a Magazine also it was founded by the Anoop kumar from Uttar Pradesh he also belong to the Dalit community. When he was in the engineering college he faced lots of discrimination so that he left college and started this foundation called Insight foundation that foundation worked for to find out discrimination against Dalit student in higher education. His organisation mostly worked on suicidal cases of IIT and other higher class institution. When the IIT Delhi throw-out the SC/ST student because of poor performance in academic the insight foundation filed a case against the IIT Delhi. The insight foundation they made it online help centre so the person who are getting discriminating in higher-education they can contact directly insight foundation. They made it so many documentary on caste based discrimination in higher education.

Forward- press Magazine the magazine always talk about the subaltern perspective and the voices of marginalised section of the society. The basic structure or the idea of the Magazine was that the magazine was in both language English or Hindi. English in India is only for literate people only 10% people from highly qualified from upper or middle class is able to speak and understand the English. But for the lower caste and community people it is very difficult to understand the language. The best part was in the magazine when they wrote about the mahisasur, durga and caste politics. From that time the bahujan started celebration of mahishasura martyrdom day,so because of the forword-press magazine. It was a great move for the Dalit and tribal people to know who your hero is. All this happen because of print media Magazine they changed thinking perspective of the Dalit and tribal.

The other webpage gave more space to the Dalit and tribal issue like the hoot, the wire and there are so many webpage is running.

Representations of Dalit and tribal student in Indian Institute of mass communication Delhi and Orissa and Asian college of Journalism-

IIMC                YEAR                 INTAKE         SC/ST

DELHI             2008-09              43                     8

DELHI             2009-10              43                     8               

DELHI             2010-11              62                     14

DELHI             2011-12              48                     12

DELHI             2012-13              56                     14

ODISHA          2008-09              42                     10

ODISHA          2019-10              44                     09

ODISHA          2010-11              49                     06

ODISHA          2011-12              36                     07

ODISHA          2012-13              36                     04

The Data is showing the representation of the SC/ST student in IIMC Delhi and Orissa for both the category have reservation 15 and 7.5 percent but then also thy are not completing the seat. Because the Dalit and tribal student they are more interested in government job and other type of job not in the media and communication. (From Dissertation Asian college of journalism)

List of SC/ST student in ACJ (Asian college of Journalism)

YEAR               INTAKE            SC/ST

2010-11                  201                  02

2011-12                  156                  02

2012-13                  173                  04

Media promoting Brahimical ideology through master chef and other programme-

In the name of food also media is showing cultural hierarchy means that they are promoting vegetarian. T.V show on star-plus the show name was “Master Chef” in that they were totally introducing vegetarian food. During this show all the product produced by Amul and Adani wilimar, it promoted itself as celebrating the rich Indian culture. The show hosted by the “Sanjeev Kapoor” he was yelling in the show that “we are primarily a vegetarian country” it means that you are promoting Brahimincal ideology of foof through media. Star-Plus executive was saying that vegetarian show on TV it would make more inclusive. The other T.V show they are rounding the India for the cultural food. But they are not showing the Indian Dalit cultural food. The food like rakti, malida and chanya these are the non-vegetarian food these food alos have their value as a traditional but the Indian TV media is not trying to show this show.

In recently last year the hellevs fann advertisement was anti- reservation. In that advertisement a young woman refusing a form marked “quota” that her father picks up for her. Its revolutionary logic – giving up reservations makes you truly meritorious. This new, “apne dum par” generation doesn’t need any ladders, and it shuns angry, sapping student politics. But in the last so many Dalit and Tribal organization they complained against this advertisement after that havells took his own advertisement back. After watching this advertisement we can easily understand that what the main idea of this Brahiminical media is.

Conclusion-

We can say that there should be a representative for the minority’s community. When you have your media, your voice will be everywhere. We can take the example of the United States of America black people started own media a trending word #blacklivesmatter on the social media now they are united against the racism. We have to learn from these kinds of the movement. Whatever happening in India regarding the Dalit issue it is responsibility of Dalit media to highlight those issue because you know the upper caste media they will represent as very castist type. The illiterate lower caste people blindly following the news of the TV media, they are thinking if the Arnab goswami is talking about the nationalism that is right only. It is responsibility to the literate Dalit people to teach them all these are Brahminical ideology. The people are saying that Dalit people are there in the Media but they are not holding any decision maker role (CSDE). Dali people are involve in the media as a Machine cleaner and distributer. Dalit should have to think upon it. Why it is like that? There should be more representation of Dalit Magazine in local language in every state like Maharashtra, Karnataka Kerala and Chennai It should be continue Magazine. Try to distribute in Every Dalit house. All these mass communication education is becoming more privatized so for the mass communication course there should be more scholarship and fellowship for the Dalit and tribal student. Dalit and tribal student have to understand the power of the mass communication, they should have to think upon the journalism value, SC/ST student should not think much on the government sector. State and central government should have to more support fininalcilly on these kind of local magazine but the current government is doing just opposite of this. They stop the funding for the forword-press magazine and the Gujrat based NGO Navsarjan. So for the uplift ment of the deprived community the government should have to think differently.

DURGESH KUMAR