Intelligentsia has let India down: Doyen of Kannada journalism Puttappa

“Gandhiji was a great person who made humans out of Indian soil; it is regrettable that his name did not find a place in the anthem.”

The doyen of Kannada journalism Veteran journalist Patil Puttappa regrets:

The silence maintained by the intelligentsia over vital issues like inequality and atrocities in the society has let the country down. A sense of insecurity prevailed in the society even as 75% of the population was educated, compared to the sense of security that prevailed when only 3% of the population were educated in the pre-independence period. There are no teachers in many (Journalism) colleges and existing teachers do not equip students for practical journalism…more focus should be given on practical journalism than theory in education and that journalism schools have working

 journalists as their faculty in order to improve the skills of students as neither a classroom nor a newsroom makes a journalist and they should be self-made with passion.

News should not hold importance because of the involvement of celebrities, instead importance should be given to people who make good news. Many journalists are lobbying for awards in journalism these days. Awards in journalism sho-uld be given to only deserving journalists who make significant contribution to journalism and should not be based on criteria like caste and religion. A journalist should have a clean character, credibility and uphold the ethics of journalism.

Veteran journalist Patil Puttappa was being felicitated during the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Dept. of Mass Communication & Journalism, Maharaja’s College yesterday. 

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