People's Democracy

‘Counter Bourgeois Media Propaganda’

Kochi Edition Of People’s Democracy Launched

SITARAM Yechury, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member and editor of People’s Democracy, stressed the imperative of effectively fighting the false propaganda of bourgeois media against the Left, particularly against the leading party, CPI(M). He called for further strengthening of the Party media to undertake this important task and also to place before the people an alternative media choice.

He was speaking on the occasion of the launch of the sixth edition of People’s Democracy from Kochi, Kerala, on August 19, 2006. The mayor of Kochi, Professor Mercy Williams received the first copy from Yechury. Chief minister of Kerala V S Achuthanandan presided over the function which was attended by CPI(M) state secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, Deshabhimani chief editor V V Dakshina Moorthy, Deshabhimani resident editor, P Rajeev and eminent writer Dr Sukumar Azheekod. CPI(M) Ernakulam district secretary Gopi Kottamurickal welcomed the gathering while Deshabhimani manager C N Mohanan delivered the vote of thanks. It was announced that in Ernakulam district alone 5083 subscriptions were received while the entire Kerala state many account for more than 10,000 circulation at the time of launch of the edition.

Yechury in his speech lambasted the bourgeois media for carrying on a vicious lie campaign against the Left and also for completely neglecting the real issues of the people. As an example, he cited their portrayal of Kerala chief minister Achutanandan as a hardliner and Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhatacharjee as a promoter of private investment. This is a complete lie deliberately being perpetrated, he said. During US president Bill Clinton’s visit to India, major dailies’ front pages were splashed with stories about his dogs, his food tastes, his convoy vehicles etc. The massacre of dalits and farmers suicides happening at that time merited only single column space and that too on inside pages. Even today, the real issue of whether to sublet our sovereignty to the US for the sake of costly nuclear power is being ignored by the bourgeoisie media while reporting on the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. 

The nuclear power generated in India hardly meets 2.5 per cent of our power requirement. The target is to increase it by 5 per cent by 2015 through this deal. Is it necessary or not never figures in the media discourse. 55 per cent our current power generation is coal-based and our country has assured coal resources for the next 250 years. The hydroelectric projects are 33 per cent cost effective in comparison with nuclear power. Every year hundreds are killed in floods. If river water can be suitably controlled and utilised for more power generation, we can save the flood victims and can generate over 50,000 MW power. Even in US, for the last three decades not even a single nuclear power project has been commissioned due to abnormal cost factor and waste disposal constraints. Why we should allow them to dump their nuclear reactor equipment for their economic growth at our cost. All these issues are being focused by the Party media, he said. The statement of the prime minister on the Nuclear Deal made in Rajya Sabha delineating the lakshman rekha for the country is definitely a victory for the Left Front’s efforts, said Yechury.

In view of such a situation, the Party media must grow much stronger and counter the false propaganda and project real issues before the people. They must also play the role of an organiser of the people and be a collective agitator, said Yechury.