Manila: The Indian media is in a state of ‘crisis’ which is not accidental or random, but systemic and structural, prominent Indian journalist Ravish Kumar said here Monday as he received the prestigious 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award, regarded as the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.
Ravish Kumar, 44, is one of India’s most influential TV journalists who has been reporting real-life and under-reported problems of ordinary people, said the award citation by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
“The Indian media is in a state of crisis and this crisis is not accidental or random, but systemic and structural. Being a journalist has become a solitary endeavour… It has become all the more important to evaluate the crisis in the media,” Ravish Kumar said. “While I am happy for myself today, I am also filled with sadness looking at the state of the profession I represent,” added Kumar.
Kumar was among five individuals who were declared winners of the award, which is Asia’s highest honour and celebrates greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia.
The four other winners of the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award are Ko Swe Win from Myanmar, Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand, Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab (Philippines) and Kim Jong-Ki (South Korea).
Kumar also touched upon the situation in Kashmir and the communication gag in the Valley following the abrogation of Article 370 August 5.
“With the internet still shut down in Kashmir, most major news channels went along with the government’s stand, yet there are some who have dared to report from that shut down and faced the wrath of the army of trolls,” Kumar pointed out.
“While institutional journalism is facing a crisis, individual journalists are struggling to survive and question the authority,” Kumar added.
Instituted in 1957, the award celebrates the life of Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay, the third President of the Philippines. Other prominent winners of the Magsaysay award from India are RK Laxman, P Sainath, Arun Shourie, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal.
PTI
