By Pt. Kashyap Bandhu

In the continent of Europe Journalism is known as ‘fourth estate’. In India Journalism plays a leadership role. In Kashmir journalism can be interchangeably deployed for unemployment.

Here we have a few journalists who are virtually God-made. But there are hosts of journalists who have adopted the profession under the pressure of circumstances. All these are outnumbered by journalists who assume the appellation for ‘court advertisements’.

It is well known that there is a mighty gulf and rivalry between goddess of learning (Saraswati) and goddess of wealth. The twain never meet. The goddess of learning flies in face of the goddess of wealth. So does the goddess of wealth fly in face of Saraswati. But in Kashmir majority of journalists traverse the path of wealth to reach the abode of goddess of learning. In this ardouous journey they find their saviours in ‘court-clerks’.

Here some people hold that there is little difference between journalism and groceries. It needs four hundred rupees to set up a grocer’s shop. For journalism some paper sheets are a requirement. If tired of selling groceries, he can be doled out the suggestion of issuing out a paper and in a Jiffy he emerges as a journalist, and feels it as an essential pass-port to success.

In our country there are herds, of employees like patwaries, revenue clerks and others who on their own appoint ‘helper’s to assist them in the performance of their duties. All of them draw their pay-dues from public exchequer. But, in actuality, their official work is performed by the ‘helpers’. In journalism we find a class of ‘helpers’ who are quite knowledgeable and write most of the columns in the papers. But the front page flaunts the name of the journalists in bold letters. It is an interesting aspect of journalism in our country.

In communal battles journalism assumes a sharper edge than a fast-flying bullet. In reality, communal-shop sparkles through the idiom of journalism. Goods find an increased demand and the number of customers touches a new high. There is a corresponding increase in the lustre of journalism when communal fires blaze and sparkle.

There is a regular spectacle of ‘give and take’ between communalism and journalism. The twain have the same nexus as body and soul have. In the existence of one lies sustenance of the other. If one dies, the other meets on imminent death. Both carry a feel of it and that is why both are inter-related. Both are of the same hue and mode. Journalism flourishes under government patronage, not under the patronage of people. It always tries to flatter and appease the powers that be and ignores its own essential ingredients and codes.

God-made journalists also can be seen in the same ranks. They also follow the same track that is furrowed by their prime movers. They are adrift in the same waters, but have an earnest desire to man ahead of others.