Businessmen controlling media: Dinesh Amin Mattu
Bengaluru, July 07: Senior journalist Dinesh Amin Mattu has said that businessmen and advertisements are managing the media in recent times.
Speaking at Press Day function organized by the city's press club, he said, advertisements are being given more importance than the news in present days. For newspapers, advertising consumers have become more important than news readers. “Today the newspapers are being sold for less than the cost of production,” he added.
Dinesh further asked “how many reports regarding the irregularities of businessmen have been investigated and published by media so far? When politicians de-notify even one acre of land, whole day, it gets discussed in the media houses. That means today’s media is standing on entrepreneurs’ advertisements. Moreover, entrepreneurs have recently begun to control politicians as well. This is a dangerous development.”
“The way doctors, engineers, writers, and others are getting corrupted; in the same manner, journalists are becoming corrupt. Thus, if the media is not diagnosed, it is impossible to eradicate the disease from society,” he added.
We have imagined media as the fourth pillar of the Constitution. But there is no mention of it anywhere in the Constitution. Also, Dr. BR Ambedkar had rejected this. Instead, how much responsibility the general public has under the right to expression, the same duty is there on Journalists. In spite of that, it has been projected as the fourth organ of the constitution.
Those who work in the legislature, executive and judiciary are paid from ordinary people's taxes. But, those who work in the media are depending on the advertisers’ money. In such a case, how is it possible to stand the fourth pillar amid three pillars, he asked.
Journalists will be watching a scene even if they close their eyes. A subject is also heard if ears are closed. But it is not possible for them to independently express what they saw, heard, and felt. Everything is in the hands of the owner. Understand this hardship and find out a way, Dinesh Amin Mattu said.
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India destroys air defence system in Lahore; foils Pakistan's attempts to target 15 Indian cities
New Delhi, May 8 (PTI): India on Thursday said it foiled Pakistan military's attempts to target military installations in 15 cities in the northern and western parts of the country using missiles and drones as tensions between the two neighbours mounted amid fears of a wider conflict.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said the S-400 missile defence systems, surface-to-air missiles and the integrated counter unmanned aircraft system were used in thwarting the Pakistani attempts.
In its response this morning, India launched kamikaze drones and destroyed a Pakistani air defence system in Lahore.
The defence ministry said the Pakistani military attempted last night to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj.
The Indian armed forces targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan and "neutralised" an air defence system in Lahore, it said.
The Pakistani attempt came after Indian armed forces early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.
"On the night of May 7-8, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in northern and western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj, using drones and missiles," the ministry said.
"These were neutralised by the Integrated Counter UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) grid and air defence systems," it said in a statement.
"The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks," it added.
It said "Indian armed forces this morning targeted air defence radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan."
"Indian response has been in the same domain with same intensity as Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an air defence system at Lahore has been neutralised," the ministry said.
As tensions between India and Pakistan escalated, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said no limit will become an obstacle to protect India's sovereignty and the nation is fully prepared for such responses.
He said India has always played the role of a responsible nation exercising great restraint and it believes in resolving issues through dialogue.
"However, if anyone tries to take advantage of this restraint, they will face quality action," he said, assuring the nation that no limit will become an obstacle to protect India's sovereignty.
"We are fully prepared for such responsible responses in the future as well," he said.
The defence ministry said India's anti-terror response on early Wednesday was "focused, measured and non-escalatory" and that Pakistani military establishments had not been targeted.
"It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response," the ministry said.
It said Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control using mortars and heavy calibre artillery in areas in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Sixteen innocent lives have been lost, including three women and five children, due to Pakistani firing," the ministry said.
Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt, it said.
"Indian Armed Forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military," the ministry said.
In retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out the missile strikes on the terror targets including Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday that India decided to carry out the "proportionate" strikes to bring the perpetrators and planners of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice as there was "no demonstrable step" from Pakistan to act against terrorist infrastructure on territories under its control.
