Media should not become part of any agenda: RSS functionary

Media should not become a part of any agenda and it should tell the truth without any fear, an RSS functionary said on Sunday.

Addressing a virtual programme, Akhil Bhartiya Sah Prachar Pramukh of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Narendra Kumar, said media should desist from telling half- truth.

Speaking on the 'Role of media in the present scenario', he said that tackling the crises, like the present coronavirus pandemic, is the responsibility not only of government or the administration, but it is the collective responsibility of every member of the society.

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"It is natural that there might be many shortcomings in the system and those shortcomings should be brought to light to improve the system. However, its presentation and timing should also be right," Kumar said.

Media has to be careful about presenting an incident or system or shortcomings, so that it does not spread fear in the society, but instead creates awareness, he added.

It is also necessary that media should not become a part of any agenda. Tell the truth based on facts without fear, the RSS office-bearer said.

"All of us have seen how a particular agenda was run about the pictures of burial of bodies near the shores of the river Ganga. However, such pictures had surfaced in 2015 and 2017 also. It is true that these pictures are from the present time also, and there are no two thoughts about it.

"But did that happen because of the coronavirus situation there? It is not so, in 2015 and 2017 corona was not there, but bodies were buried at that time as well. Several bodies were found at that time and pictures about it are available. Hence, showing half truth is not right," he said.

Show the truth, but don't show half-truths, this is also the responsibility of media, he said.

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During such times, we should be following the values of journalism and carefully put forth what we want to say. We should play the role of creating positive environment, increase the self confidence of the society and bring forth good works to inspire people and then only we can say that we are doing our work properly, he said.

Kumar added that media also brought forth the good services rendered by people during the pandemic.

"This is not the first pandemic faced by the human history. The world has earlier faced several pandemics like plague, Spanish flu and other pandemics. Crores of people have lost their lives during these pandemics," he said.

It is said that more than 10 crore people lost their lives during the Spanish flu, he added.

As compared to those pandemics, the loss of lives witnessed during the present crisis is less globally, he said.

The world has faced about six major pandemics in which many European countries lost about 20 to 60 per cent of their population, he said.

"Around 35 lakh people have lost their lives due to coronavirus across the world, in which India's infection and death rate is very less. The death rate of India is 1.23 per cent now, which is less compared to the progressive and big countries like America, Britain, Italy, Brazil and Russia," he said.

"This is also the strength of India, which is a result of the society fighting this pandemic together," he said.