Dr. Vinit Kumar Jha Utpal
D.C. Prashant was a dedicated journalist and a champion of the profession. Throughout his career, whether as a journalist or a Rajya Sabha member, he remained deeply committed to the principles of journalism and the betterment of society. Prashant was a veteran journalist and one of the founding members of Digri Sanstha. Other founding members included Prof. Ramnath Shastri, Pt. Dinu Bhai Pant, Sansar Chand Baru, Bhagwat Prasad Sathe, and Narayan Dutt Mishra. The sanstha was established in 1944 on the occasion of Basant Panchami. D.C. Prashant, whose full name was Dharma Chand Prashant, passed away on August 28th. This year marks the eleventh anniversary of his death.
D.C. Prashant began his journalistic career in Lahore in 1946 and continued working with the Associated Press of India (API) until India’s independence. In 1947, he joined the Press Trust of India (PTI). He also served as the bureau chief of the Delhi edition of the Kolkata-based Hindustan Standard. Ashwini Kumar, recalling Prashant’s time in Jammu, said, ‘In 1989, D.C. Prashant generously offered two rooms of his house to The Tribune newspaper and played a pivotal role in establishing the Jammu Kashmir Journalist Association. He served as the chairperson, and I became the general secretary. During this time, he was also a passionate advocate for Hindi. Before 1990, Hindi was not recognized as the state’s language. D.C. Prashant founded the ‘Hindi Patrakar Sangh’ and wrote lettrs to thousands of writers, encouraging them to write in Hindi and advocating for honorariums for their work. His efforts helped to revitalize Hindi writing throughout the state.'”
After a distinguished career in journalism, D.C. Prashant was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate in 1982. He remained deeply concerned about the media landscape in Jammu and Kashmir and frequently raised issues related to this topic. Prashant was a passionate advocate for journalism and the well-being of the profession at both the state and national levels. He was also committed to promoting Dogri and Hindi languages. On July 13, 1982, he questioned the Government in the Upper House of the Parliament about the time allocated for Kashmiri and Dogri programs on local radio stations. Prashant asked, ‘How much time is allocated to the Kashmiri Program in a week by Radio Kashmir, Jammu, and to the Dogri Program by Radio Kashmir, Srinagar? What is the duration of time allotted to the Dogri Programs in a week on Television station, Srinagar, and Television station, Amritsar and Jalandhar?’
Prashant was a fervent supporter of Hindi and on July 26, 1985, asked the Government. ‘Does the Government plan to conduct a survey in Hindi and non-Hindi speaking areas to determine the percentage of people who understand the Hindi used in the news bulletins of AIR and TV?’ He also expressed concern for language agencies. On May 3, 1985, he inquired, ‘Has the National Union of Journalists urged the Government to form an autonomous body to manage two language news agencies, Samachar Bharti and Hindustan Samachar?'”
D.C. Prashant was deeply committed to the development of Jammu and questioned the Government about plans to establish a television relay center there during the sixth Five-Year Plan period. The Government responded that Radio Kashmir, Jammu, was broadcasting two 15-minute programs in Kashmiri each week, while Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, was offering a weekly 15-minute program of Digri music. However, there were only 15 minutes of Dogri programming per week on television stations in Amritsar-Jalandhar and Srinagar, and no plans were in place for a television center in Jammu during the sixth Five-Year Plan.
On November 20, 1987, Prashant inquired about plans to expand AIR and Doordarshan units in the Jammu region during the seventh plan period. The Government revealed that AIR intended to establish new radio stations in Bhadarwah and Kathua, as well as upgrade the Jammu transmitter from 50 KW to 300 KW. Additionally, program generation facilities in Jammu were expected to be operational by the end of the seventh plan. On the same day, Prashant emphasized the need for a television center in Jammu to cater to the region’s unique cultural identity, as the local language was Dogri, while Srinagar’s programs were in Kashmiri. The Minister of Information and Broadcasting assured Prashant that the eighth plan would include provisions for establishing a television station in Jammu.
D.C. Prashant was perplexed as to why all radio stations in India were known as All India Radio, while the radio station in his home state was called Radio Kashmir. He sought clarification on this matter by directly questioning the Government in Parliament. On March 11, 1988, Prashant asked, ‘Is it true that the All India Radio Station in Jammu is officially called Radio Kashmir, Jammu, while other radio stations in India are known as All India Radio or Akashvani? Was this name given by the State Government in 1948 when it was under state control? If so, does the Government plan to change the name now that it has been under Central Government control since 1954?’
D.C. Prashant was a versatile leader who demonstrated great concern for the well-being of the staff at the state’s radio stations. He raised questions about the staffing levels in the newsrooms of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, and Jammu. In response, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Vasante Sathe, shared the following information: Radio Kashmir, Jammu, had five staff members, while Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, had eighteen. D.C. Prashant participated in a debate titled ‘The Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Services) and Miscellaneous Provision (Amendment) Bill 1980.’ On March 22, 1985, he asked, ‘Has the Editors’ Guild of India urged the Government to establish a new Press Council to protect press freedom? If so, what action is the Government taking in this regard?’
Prashant was a visionary and dedicated journalist who raised concerns about various aspects of the media industry, including journalists, television programs, and sponsor payments. On May 10, 1984, he questioned the Government about sponsor payments for producing television programs. He advocated for the formation of a committee of media personalities to oversee the content and quality of television programs. On May 17, 1985, he asked, ‘Does the Government plan to establish a committee consisting of representatives from the film industry, advertising agencies, advertisers, viewers, and television manufacturers to approve the types of programs to be shown and improve program quality?’ Prashant was also concerned about the well-being of working journalists. On March 11, 1988, he inquired whether the Wage Board for journalists and non-journalists would be able to complete its work by the extended deadline of March 31, 1988.
D.C. Prashant was a dynamic leader who dedicated himself to the media industry. On August 8, 1984, he participated in the Cinematography (Amendment) Bill-1984 and expressed concern about the proliferation of blue films, which were being exhibited in dark rooms in small towns, corrupting the minds of young people. He advocated for a law banning the exhibition of these films, which were being imported from various countries. Prashant was also concerned about the coverage of national issues by Pakistani television. On August 9, 1984, he argued in Parliament that Pakistan’s coverage of the army action in Punjab was distorted, and that the Lahore TV station had broadcast footage of events in Delhi’s gurdwaras on the same evening. The Government responded that Pakistan’s coverage of Punjab events was distorted, mischievous, and provocative, and that selective visuals of incidents in a Delhi gurdwara on June 10 and June 17 had been telecast on Pakistani TV on June 12 and June 18, respectively.
Perhaps, D.C. Prashant was a true champion of journalism, raising numerous issues whenever he had the opportunity, whether in the media or in Parliament. He was a towering figure in Jammu and Kashmir journalism, fighting tirelessly for the betterment of society and the region.
(The writer is Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Digital Media, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Jammu)
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