MUMBAI : With a clarion call to end the use of hate language like “traditional rivals” while reporting events related India and Pakistan, a media conclave today called for creating ambience for improving relations between the two neighbours. The Press Club Mumbai, celebrating Karachi Week on the occasion of the visit of a Pakistan Media Delegation to Mumbai, hosted the conclave on the “Role of Media in Indo-Pak Relations”.
Mr Karamat Ali, Executive Director, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), pointed out that journalists covering cricket matches between the two countries always describe them as traditional rivals. “Even in Pakistan, the Urdu media refers to them as ‘Azli Dushman’ which means eternal rivals as if we have been enemies right from the creation of the world’” he said and urged journalists to make a beginning to end the language hatred between India and Pakistan.
Mr Ali said both the governments should allow “visa on arrival” on the lines of the travel facility that they have with Nepal and Sri Lanka. Easing the movement of people between the two countries will go a long way in establishing regional peace, he added.
Mr. Tahir Hasan Khan, President of Karachi Press Club, pointed out that the journalists are not the part of the armies of both the nations. And, hence, they should avoid the language of hatred. “We are the people and we report to the people. We the media persons, hence, should report on people related developments and contribute to maintaining peace and harmony between our nations,” he said.
Mr. Khan also made a strong plea for liberalizing the visa regime between India and Pakistan. Mr Gurbir Singh, President of the Press Club, Mumbai, likened the barriers between India and Pakistan to the great “Beriln Wall” and said “this has to be demolished”. Pointing out that media has a major role to play in improving the relations between the neghbouring nations, Mr Singh said The Press Club Mumbai has initiated the exchange of media visits and this movement will gain momentum in future. “We hope to have visits from other Press Clubs to various Pakistan cities and vice versa,” he said.
Mr Jatin Desai, journalist and an Indo-Pak peace activist, regretted that the governments of both India and Pakistan allow just two journalists to represent in each other’s countries. “This obviously limits the scope of reporting by media,” he said. Mr B N Kumar, Executive Director of Concept PR, suggested setting up an “Information Exchange” on the web sites of Mumbai and Karachi Press Clubs and make a beginning in the process of sharing information, news between media persons.
The process of governments allowing media reporting could take their own time, but media organizations from India and Pakistan should take the initiative and make use of the information technology, he added. Journalists from Mumbai and Pakistan had informal talks, exchanged views. The Pakistan delegates evinced a great interest in knowing about media in India.
The visiting delegates, along with a team from The Press Club Mumbai, attended an informal dinner hosted by Maharashtra Public Works Minister Mr Chagan Bhujbal, last night. The Pakistan delegation represents leading newspapers and channels like Dawn, The News, Jang Geo TV, ARY News, Express Tv etc and are members of either Karachi or Hyderabad Press Club members. Most of them will be visiting India for the first time
They have been invited by The Press Club Mumbai as a reciprocal to Karachi Press Club and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research jointly hosting Mumbai Media delegation in November last. Both Mumbai and Karachi Press Clubs have established sisterly relationships. The media representatives will have interaction with leaders of various political parties, industry leaders, journalists, social activists and common people.
They are also scheduled to visit Mr. Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Mr. R R Patil, Home Minister. They will also visit the BSE as well as a couple of newspapers and news channels offices.
