'Media should touch grassroots'

By CAM Team

Gadag MLA D.R. Patil urged the Union Government to bring in a bill where in bidding below the support price for a farm produce is a crime. He was addressing the audience at Centre for Agricultural Media’s ( CAM ) seventh anniversary held at K.H. Patil Krishi Vijnana Kendra at Hulkoti on November 25, 2007.

He presented his views on the present agrarian crisis and the role of media in changing the prospects of farmers. He also said that agricultural universities and scientists should help farmers to achieve self-reliance and thus reduce suicidal tendency among them. More emphasis should be given to less-external input, non-chemical farming which is proved to be sustainable. Journalists have to play a significant role in ensuring that such a method is accepted and their write-ups should reflect the situation at the grassroots.

Renowned development journalist ‘Shree’ Padre complimented CAM ’s effort in guiding a generation of writers on need-based development communication. He said that such a work in the last seven years has developed a new team of writers whose write-ups have made an impact on farming and rural development. He added that farming sector is losing hope in the present situation. At this backdrop, people of varied background joining the course with an objective to focus on much-needed but neglected rural issues is a welcome development.

He stressed, “When we say sustainable development we should understand that need-based communiation is also an important input towards achieving it.”

Nineteen candidates who completed the course last year were hounoured as CAM Fellows. ETV Kannada channel’s News Coordinator G.N. Mohan gave away the certificates to the successful candidates. A total number of 37 persons have completed the course successfully in the last four years.

Speaking on the coverage of development issues in media, G.N. Mohan said, more space should be given to development issues in the media. If there is less space we should effectively utilise. At the same time he added, it is also the responsibility of development writers to create space in the mainstream media. He hoped that CAM team would become a pressure group to strengthen farmer-friendly journalism in Karnataka.

Three books titled ‘Savayava Tharasi Tota: Ondu Inuku Nota’,‘Velvet Beans: Nelakke Jeeva Tumbuva Magic Balli’ and ‘Sahaja Samrudha: Beledu Banda Dari’ written by CAM Fellow Anusuya Sharma, journalist Ganadhalu Srikanta and another CAM Fellow Rekha Sampath respectively were also released on the occasion.

D.R.Patil and veteran development writer Nagesh Hegde gave away state-level farm journalism award instituted by CAM to Balachandra Hegde Saimane, Ravishankar Doddamani and Girish H.C.

A three-day contact programme was held to the fifth batch of CAM correspondence course in farm and rural journalism at the KVK from November 23-25, 2007. A two day development communication workshop was also organised by the centre on November 24-25, 2007. During the programme candidates were given orientation on the basics of development journalism, approach towards rural development etc. Practical training was also included in the programme as two sessions of field visits were arranged. Participants wrote articles based on their visits, which was then evaluated by the resource persons.

Nagesh Hegde, H.N. Ananda, ‘Shree’ Padre, G.N. Mohan, Shivananda Kalave, L.G. Hiregoudar, Sathya S., Prakash Bhat, Poornaprajna Belur, Mallikarjuna Hosapalya, Anandatheertha Pyati, Ganadhalu Srikantha, G. Krishnaprasad and Shivaram Pailoor were the resource persons.

K.H. Patil KVK head Dr. L.G. Hiregoudar, environmentalist Mukund Maigur, organic farmer R.S. Patil were also present on the occasion.

CAM Chaiperson Anitha Pailoor welcomed the gathering and compered the programme. Development Journalist Poornaprajna Belur presented vote of thanks.
(Photo:Girish H C receiving state level farm journalism award)