SANJAY SANGVAI MEMORIAL CONSULTATION – II
Media and Development:
Challenges and Possibilities in the Present Context
11th and 12th June, 2009, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
The history, role and nature of media has become an issue of open debate in recent times, alongside the paradigm of development itself. The media is still considered to be a potent tool in giving shape and direction to social change, in times of increasing marketization and decreasing democratic spaces. The role of media, therefore, becomes that much more important and relevant, than ever before, since, the influence of the market over the media has also tremendously increased.
However, beyond this complexity, it is still necessary to gauge the saved space for and impacts of the positive and progressive outlook of media and analyze the consequences, especially in the face of rapid social, political, and economic changes, considering human justice as the ultimate goal. Whilst on the one hand, conspiracies are being hatched to debilitate peoples’ movements and struggles, on the other, any honest attempt by the media, to create a favourable environment in that direction, is discarded, by branding it as ineffective and futile. Both ways, fervent attempts are being made to maintain the status quo and scuttle any efforts for concrete change. Till the recent elections, our experience has been that the electoral politics, which is devoid of people’s issues and priorities, did use the media to a great extent, but the people’s politics have to have to depend more on the alternative media rather than on the mainstream. Can this discrimination be mitigated or need not be? These and many similar questions reverberate in the minds of both the sensitive media persons as well as activists.
Many of you would be aware that we had organized a Joint Consultation last year in memory of our revolutionary journalist colleague Sanjay Sangwai on the theme Media and Development: Present Context and the Future and propose to hold this as an annual memorial event. Sanjay Sangvai was one of those journalists, who always openly took the position that whatever may be its nature and direction, the media should never divorce itself from people’s movements and struggles and vice versa. Only an in-depth and frank dialogue can achieve this.
Sanjay Sangvai was not only an academic journalist, but had carved out a space in the mainstream of journalism all through. He had served in newspapers like Sakaal, yet on coming into contact with people’s movements, he devoted rest of his life to critically supporting communications and building people’s struggles, giving them an idiom and medium both. He was associated with the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the National Alliance of People’s Movements until his last breath. Not only did he closely observe and understand peoples’ movements and struggles, but had become one of the most effective voices of those. The aim of this Media Consultation, which is being organized in his memory is also to stir up a more intense debate on people’s issues and analyze both the history and future of the role of the media vis-à-vis peoples’ movements and struggles for planning some new steps for which this post-electoral time is a good opportunity.
The proposed theme of this two-day Media Consultation to be organized at Bhopal on the 11th and 12th of June, 2009 is Media and Development – Challenges, Possibilities and Present Context. Jointly organized by Sarvodaya Press Service, Narmada Bachao Andolan and Vikas Samvad, the Consultation shall weave together different facets of print, electronic, film and web-based media by analysing the challenges and exploring the possibilities in the present context. There shall be three major sessions in these two days and we shall attempt to concretize our future action plan in the presence of senior media persons and activists.
The Consultation would bring together many sensitive journalists, young and old, with a few eminent media persons including your esteemed self. This consultation being a humble collaborative effort, we would take care of your lodging-boarding and would try to arrange for your travel upon confirmation, though we would greatly appreciate if you can make travel arrangements and meet the costs at your end.
Kindly do inform us of your willingness to participate in the Programme by way of telephone or e-mail, which would enable us to organize the logistical and other aspects of the event. May we hope that you would spare two days of your valuable time for this meaningful dialogue to realize our collective aspirations for justice and equity.
Thanking You,
Yours sincerely
Medha Patkar (Narmada Bachao Andolan)
Chinmay Mishra ( Sarvodaya Press Service)
Sachin Jain (Vikas Samwad)
Consultation Contacts:
Vikas Samvad, Bhopal
Phone: 0755-4252789
Sachin Jain: 09977704847
Raju Kumar: 09839252617
Prashant Dubey: 09425026331
E-mail: vikassamvad@gmail.com , sachinwrites@gmail.com
Narmada Bachao Andolan, Badwani
Phone: 07290-222464 Fax: C/o: 07290 – 222549
Medha Patkar: 09423965153 ; Ashish Mandloi: 09424855042
E-mail: nba.medha@gmail.com , nba.ashish@gmail.com
Sarvodaya Press Service, Indore
29, Samvad Nagar, Naulakha, Indore – 452 001
Phone: 0731-2401083 Fax: 0731-2404114
Chinmay Mishra: 09893278855, Kumar Siddharth: 09425086228, Samyak Kumar: 09827265544
E-mail: indoresps@gmail.com , chinmay.saroj@gmail.com
