THE MEDIA, corporate sector and the government was shocked with the revelation of Nira Radia’s tapes. Now every one is on a damage control mode, more than addressing the challenge, they are taking it as an opportunity to correct the negative practices prevailing in the profession. Incidentally, the political system is the first one, which rose to the occasion and readily accepted `truth’ by paying heavy price.
A union cabinet minister was made to resign; inquiry was initiated at various levels and even the political victim A. Raja is under scrutiny of CBI probe. The government has instituted enquiry by a former judge. Opposition is demanding a probe by Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
However, no such response is seen in corporate sector, media houses or even among bureaucrats. We have seen several chief ministers, ministers and senior politicians were forced to resign and stand before court of trial on various corruption charges. Now it has become a normal practice for many senior IAS, IPS and judicial officers to take up assignments in corporate offices after their retirement. Some of them even take assignments while in service, applying for leave. This has been leading to worst unethical practices.
Here is the case where at least two big names in the media were exposed. Their links with political lobbyist were established. It was proved beyond doubt, their acts amount to more than `journalistic professional’ exercises. However, no one lost their job. Or any action was initiated against them, except for one who had his regular column suspended.
Even, the corporate response took everyone by surprise. An editor from a leading business daily said that “TATA group is known for professional ethics, but his response is most disturbing” he said while speaking on “Media, Business & PR - Radia Tapes & After” at a meeting organised by MANTHAN in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
According to him, there was nothing unusual in these exposures. But the unusual thing is exposure of recorded tapes. The most notorious in this episode is Nira Radia, who has proved that she has done her job most meticulously. Now she is an icon in the PR circuit. “Now it is the time for all PR agencies to celebrate and prove how they matter”, the former media advisor of Dr Manmohan Singh observed.
“If a corporate giant like Ratan Tata felt defensive and felt his freedom is being encroached, what is the fate of small business people in this country “, he asked. The very fact that Ratan Tata engaged services of Nira Radia for lobbying with political circles for his business interests, itself shows the fate of Indian industry. “Is the industry courage enough to formulate code of conduct resolving not to pay bribes to any politician”, he asked.
In the entire episode, the media is the worst victim. Its duality was exposed. The veteran journalist said “we keep on asking politicians to resign owing moral responsibility to various corrupt charges. Is their any such precedent among journalists, who were asked to resign on such charges?” To his memory, there was no such incident in the last two decades, but except he only asked two of his subordinates to resign once at Economics Times an later at Financial Express.
He was also unable to understand why Ratan Tata and other business tycoons from India feel `uneasy’ with these tapes?
This is the high time for both the corporate houses and media personnel to get ready for self-examination on their ethical and moral stand in public life. They are now more answerable to the people, more than politicians, who are after all paying price in their own way by going to the people every five years.
0 comments:
Post a Comment