Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked media to be objective and honest while reporting events in a sensitive State like Jammu and Kashmir.
While launching Kashmir Tribune at SKICC Srinagar , Omar said that he views positive and constructive criticism far more beneficial to carry forward development strategies and for implementing policies more effectively. “Unfair and biased criticism and reporting without ascertaining facts would not be in the interest of the society”, he added.
Omar said, “If there is complete harmony between the politicians and the media that means neither of us is doing the job honestly.”
The Chief Minister said the politicians and the media had a love-hate relationship. “We love to hate each other, but the fact is that we cannot do without each other,” he added.
Chief Minister hoped that The Tribune will make all efforts to maintain its standards of neutrality and free reporting.
Chief Minister said: “Many efforts were made to bring national newspapers at the earliest hour and make them available to us. But those efforts proved to be unfortunately short lived or unsuccessful at the outset. And therefore I believe the Tribune has this challenge and taken on the responsibility of filling the gap in our morning news of continuing it and making sure that it goes from strength to strength.
Governor N N Vohra, in his address, said that the role of the media impacts governance, society and the course of events. He said that objective and balanced media coverage of varied important issues relating to socio-economic development, governance and democracy would make an important contribution to protecting and enlarging the public interest.
He said that there has been significant improvement in the content and quality of local newspapers in the state over the years. He observed that views and opinions on influencing the present and shaping the future is perhaps equally, if not more important than recalling the past.
Congratulating the Tribune Management Governor impressed upon them to stick to the highest standards of professional journalism. “The reporting must be fair and unbiased”, he said.
The president of the Tribune Trust, Justice (Retd) SS Sodhi, in his speech gave historical background and the growth of The Tribune during the past 131 years.
Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune, Raj Chengappa, in his welcome Address, said that the launch of Kashmir Tribune marks an important occasion in the history of the coverage of this paper.
The prominent personalies who were present at the lauch were First lady Usha Vohra, Ministers, Abdul Rahim Rather, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Ghulam Hassan Mir, RS Chib, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Sakina Itoo, Mubarak Gul, Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, Minister of State for Home and Tourism, Devender Singh Rana, Political Advisor to the Chief Minister, MA Bukhari, Vice Chairman, Pahari Advisory Board, BR Sharma, Principal Secretary, Home, BB Vyas, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sudhanshu Pandey, Principal Secretary, Power Development.
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