Politicians turning into businessmen was far more dangerous than businessmen entering politics, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, here on Wednesday.
Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the Aandolana Kannada daily, Mr. Bommai said that many politicians have tried to run media houses or the press but have failed and remarked that such failures was a good development. Otherwise, politicians could take over the press and a politician turning into a businessman was far more dangerous than a businessman entering politics.
He said the media should reflect the aspirations of the people and in this context refuted the views of previous speaker journalist P. Sainath who had stated that there was complete corporatisation of media houses. Mr. Bommai said even Mahatma Gandhiji’s initiatives were funded by Jamnalal Bajaj and hence, one could not paint all industrialists with the same brush.
Mr. Sainath in his talk faulted the media for its failure to highlight the decline of the farmers’ income even before the onset of the pandemic and said that the decline was due to series of policies adopted since the last 30 years.
The media also failed to highlight that during the first two years of the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, insurance companies reaped a profit amounting to 15,795 crores while 86 per cent of farmers compensation claims were rejected, according to Mr. Sainath who said that there was no scrutiny in the media.
Referring to the contentious farm laws that were withdrawn, Mr. Sainath said it was not just the farm laws that were harmful to farmers but even Agnipath – the recruitment scheme for soliders — is harmful to farmers. ‘’The Indian jawan is a farmer in uniform and Agnipath is a retirement scheme which creates security guards for corporate and industrial houses,’’ he added
Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid tributes to the founder of Aandolana late Rajashekar Koti and said that it reflected the voice of the people. However, he flayed a section of the electronic media and said that it was more interested in sensationalism and spreading superstition. Editor Ravi Koti and others were present.
