Relevance of Narad JayantiQuestion that Manipur media should ponder over as a body

Ratan Sharda
It is the positive side of technology that I could talk to my brethren in the far east, Manipur, from far west Mumbai. This also shows that distance doesn’t matter. The so-called ‘tyranny of distance’ is only a condition of mind for journalists trying to decide the destiny of Bharat without taking the trouble to know what is going on in distant corners of India.  For Manipur, Narad muni has a special significance. The dominant Vaishnav sampradaay holds a special place because he is too deeply devoted to Bhagwan Vishnu.
When some organizations inspired by RSS started the Narad Jayanti celebrations, the idea was ridiculed by not only so-called progressives but also people with roots in Bharat. The popular image of Maharshi Narad was misrepresented by popular cinema, not countered by knowledgeable media. When any journalist was felicitated on Narad Jayanti, people would question, why ? But sustained efforts of years in this endeavour, people have begun to understand the relevance of Narad Muni to even the present-day world, especially to the journalist fraternity. Narad Muni, as the first roving journalist, was a presentation that has slowly become mainstream. However, there are many things that we can learn from Maharshi Narad.
Maharshi Narad was trusted by every community of the universe– Dev-Daanav, Maanav-Rakshas because of his objectivity and honesty of purpose. No one ever doubted his news or his messages. He was not just a journalist or reporter but also moulded public opinion and was a catalyst for future action. He could persuade kings, devas, God too to intercede to correct a wrong. He was fearless and worked for the good of the public.
Why is Narad muni respected so highly ? Because he was a great scholar, he was a great musician who invented Veena. His Narad Smriti is a treatise on a number of topics. It is an inspiration that a person who was always on the move could also write such scholarly works. Three of his key messages for journalists are –
1. There is no need to go to forests or isolate yourself to do bhakti. You can do while doing your worldly duties. This statement is very close to what Guru Nanak Dev said 500 years back, that you could do carry on your domestic duties but still be devoted to God and attain Mukti.
2. His second message is that one should not differentiate between human beings based on caste, education, external beauty, heredity, and station in life.
3. He also advises that fruitless debates serve no purpose, and we should not waste time on debates. They do not change a person’s views. Shri Guruji of RSS also advises that you may win an argument with your intellect, but you can also lose a potential friend, so do not try to win an argument. Instead, share views and respect different views.
In his treatise, Narad Sutra shows great regard and faith in legal systems and courts. He considered it as the highest authority in dispensing justice. In his sutras, he talks about the return of the loan, partnerships, cooperatives, bail, etc. He considers breaking the contract for sales or purchase as criminal and trading in an item with no proprietor. He talks about land disputes, marriage disputes, inheritance disputes. He also considers defamation and abuses as criminal. Thus, he has an extensive repertoire of knowledge.
It is not for nothing that in the 5th Parva of Mahabharat, he is called a consummate scholar of Vedas, Upanishads and an authority on judicial systems, education, Ayurveda, astrology, and music, etc. It is interesting to note that Maharshi Narada, unlike his contemporary Sanat kumaras and Maharshis, did not create an Ashrama (or university) of his own. Instead, he preferred to be a roaming mendicant for the good of common people despite so much knowledge and worldwide relations.
Narad muni could gather intelligence from all over the universe with his spiritual powers, and he used it to spread goodness and improve the condition of the universe. Today, due to technology, our media too can gather information from around the world with the power of the internet and allied tools. While Narad muni used it to disseminate positive news and solve people’s problems with objectivity and commitment, many in media today use it to manufacture news, twist the news and present it in an entertaining manner with spice that distorts the world view of the readers. Editors and journalists are more worried about gathering eyeballs than serving society. Media is not a mixed serving of views, entertainment, and lastly, news.
Due to rapidly evolving technologies, media, especially print, has been under tremendous pressure, but it has kept innovating itself. The first attack on its viability came from TV or electronic media, but print media came out with a better and more attractive presentation.  Then came social media and electronic media. However, their reliability is questioned by even readers who view news on their mobile. Fortunately for the mainstream media, there is still huge trust in the printed word in our Indian populace than on electronic or internet-based media. It is up to the media how it uses its trust to survive and thrive.
In India, despite all the noise, media remains independent with the least controls as compared to the other three pillars of our democracy – namely the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. In places like Manipur and surrounding States, lack of freedom is the result of other causes on which we must speak.
The first challenge is the small readership base due to its population and size. Then comes the problem of pressure from different spectrums of extremists. Earlier, the problem was very acute with violence and frequent bandhs, which saw Manipur being shut for nearly half of the year. Due to the grace of destiny, there is much better peace with change in the political environment. There is hardly a call for bandh now. Extremism has been subdued. How can media in Manipur utilise this peace and this better environment ? How can it create a better environment for sustained peace ? That is the question that the media should ponder over as a body.
We come from a culture, our Bharatiya Sanskriti, that sees more unifying threads in the diverse beauty of this country than the differences. There are people who stress differences and create unhappiness. But, our basic philosophy is to find oneness in diversity. That oneness is expressed diversely and celebrated. That is our strength. It is up to the media to bring out those unifying cultural threads and share them with the people.  Shri Virag Pachpore, who worked as a missionary for Vivekananda Kendra for many years and worked in health and education, wrote a series of articles on Ramayan, as told by different tribes of the North East. It is an amazing mine of knowledge that shows our diversity in cultural and spiritual unity.
We cannot live in isolation. If the mainstream media from Delhi does not talk about Manipur and the North East, it is up to us to spread our own positives and our problems with the rest of Bharat. Can we create such alliances ? Improvement in the North East, especially in Manipur, tells us that development is the only answer to positivity in the society and calms down unrest.
While talking about Maharshi Narada, the late great historian noted, “A person who brings the news cannot be unattached from its consequences.” This is an important lesson for the media people. If Narad had not brought to attention the plight of Bhakt Prahlad, there would have been no Narasimhan Bhagwan. Media can be that catalyst that will give birth to a society that is awakened like Bhagwan Narasimha.  Journalists can bring the issues of their people to the attention of the Governments at all levels, so their problems are solved, and development brings back smiles to the people’s faces. This could be the true inspiration from Maharshi Narad for all of us.
(Narad Jayanti Lecture delivered by Ratan Sharda eminent author & freelance columnist, organised by Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Manipur)