Former President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma had said about the role of the press in democracy that the press is the biggest responsibility to protect democratic traditions and increase peace and brotherhood. Talking about the role of journalism in the context of national integrity, how important the role of the press is compared to other pillars of democracy, it can be estimated from the fact that the three major causes of India’s reputation worldwide are aware voters, independent judiciary and independent press. In India, the press has been given the title of one such ‘Parliament’ of the people, which never has a prostitute and which always works for the public. It has been considered a strong medium of public communication to bring change in society or awaken it. The press is considered to be such an essential element of the thinking process of the society, which is able to give it direction and speed. It has been considered such an eye of the public, which has its own sharp and fair vision on everyone. The press is considered to be the finger of the public, which automatically arises against the wrongdoing. The press is seen as a complete dedication to the society. It is considered to be the biggest medium of public service, not just a profession.
Commenting on the role of the press, the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said, “The first objective of the press is to understand the wishes and thoughts of the people and express them right while the second objective is to awaken the desirable feelings in the public and the third objective is to reveal public faults fearlessly.” Well, mention Indo-Pak war or other challenging opportunities or other challenging opportunities, the press will prove to be a Hindi journalist on every occasion, the Hindi-Pak war or other challenging opportunities. The place has been paramount in this. Whether it is about Hindi -speaking TV channels or Hindi newspapers or magazines, they have been special association with the majority population of the country and in this view, the role of Hindi journalism in the direction of unity, integrity and development of the nation cannot be ignored. Although the meaning and objectives of journalism have been changing in the history of 199 years of Hindi journalism, but despite that the pleasant situation is that there was no decrease in the interest of the readers or audience of Hindi journalism. It is a different matter that even though the English media and some of the journalists associated with it have always tried to question its authenticity and credibility by neglecting Hindi journalism, but the reality is that in the last few decades, Hindi journalism has made a feeling of its strength well and its credibility has increased at the international level. It is the result of the increasing strength of Hindi journalism that some Hindi newspapers have left behind some English newspapers in terms of dissemination numbers with many editions.
Also read: Hindi journalism will have to make a mission, not business
Hindi journalism started on 30 May 1826 with the publication of the first Hindi newspaper ‘Udanta Martand’ by Pt Yuga Kishore Shukla, a resident of Kanpur, meaning ‘News Surya’. At that time many newspapers were coming out in English, Persian and Bangla, but the first Hindi newspaper ‘Udant Martand’ was published for the first time from Calcutta on 30 May 1826, which was started as a weekly. For the first time, only 500 copies were printed, but since the number of Hindi speakers in Calcutta was very low and its readers were far away from Calcutta, so due to lack of resources, it could not be published for a long time. The publication of ‘Udanta Martand’ was stopped from 4 December 1826, but with the publication of this newspaper, such a foundation of Hindi journalism had been laid that since then Hindi journalism has established many dimensions. After ‘Udanta Martand’, many Hindi newspapers and magazines came out as a mission during the British rule, but due to the excesses of the British rule, it was very difficult to keep them running for a long time, yet some journals and magazines traveled a commendable journey. Now the circumstances have changed completely and Hindi journalism has become a big business without being a mission, but the good thing is that even today Hindi readers and viewers are associated with full vigor with their newspapers and channels of their choice.
However, it is a matter of visiting the world sitting at home or from every small and big stir in the country and abroad to gather all kinds of burning issues and the latest information of all kinds and presenting it to its readers or audience, in spite of allegations of commercialization or all the contradictions, Hindi journalism is doing this work well and the common people have become an intent on the basis of the common man. Most Hindi newspapers are now available online versions. In the last few years, the credit for exposing big scams in the country and throwing the mask on the faces of many white collar also goes to the journalism world, in which the role of Hindi journalism cannot be underestimated in any way.
As far as the role of the press and its obligations in national integrity is concerned, many major responsibilities of the press have been considered, in which publishing and publishing law and order flaws, streamlining governance with their efforts and making public beneficial, bringing misdeeds to the monsrodes, making corrupt systems alert, keeping strict eyes on anti-social elements, anti-social elements of the society, the misdeeds, atrocities and other areas of the society in various areas of the society in various areas of the society To expose, bring out the masked masks on the criminal faces of society and humanity to the public, to fulfill personal selfishness and expose the secrets of those who have taken the guise of politics, establish healthy standards in the society, awakening public consciousness, etc. Currently, while there has been a big decline in moral values across the country and people are getting reduced from politicians, legislatures, executive and judicial system, while Hindi journalism is also not left from being a victim of this moral decline. Still, so much satisfaction can be done that despite this, it has played a commendable role on most occasions. Although it would be meaningless to talk about keeping journalism unconcerned during today’s complete professionalism because people associated with this profession have become mandatory to adopt it as a business for their family upbringing, but even in this era of professionalism, it should be saved from the tendency to keep the norms of journalism on stare due to efforts to establish it as an industry.
– Yogesh Kumar Goyal
(The author is a senior journalist active in Hindi journalism for 35 years)
