Alternative Media for Harmony and Reconciliation

Rev Dr Joshva Raja

(For Roman Catholic Study Group on the Role of Churches in the 21^st Century through the National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre) 2004

Working among tea estate labourers was an interspersing task for me as a priest (1995). One of the major assignments during my ministry that I enjoyed was to organize the labourers and introduce developmental projects to them. The company management cooperated with me in bringing about a change among their workers. It was difficult to bring people together as most of the regular media (local newspapers, notice boards, public announcement systems) were also influenced and thus indirectly controlled by the company. The NGOs tried to organise women self-help groups but with less success as there was no way to communicate to all the workers though most of the times women came for our meetings. To bring the women fold together and to enable them to express their issues with the company administrators, we recognised the small media such as small pamphlets, handouts and badges were found to be very useful and successful means of communication. We brought them into groups which turned out to be large groups and then the whole problem has become a flash point for the mainstream media as well. During my ministry in the estate the people from different religions and castes, the NGOs and the company had a cordial relationship that we sorted out small and big issues through dialogue and also in a give and take relationship. It was during this job I began to realise the importance of grassroots communication and the role of small alternative media. The alternative media can bring about the changes in the lives of the people and enable them to express themselves in the media saturated context where they can not communicate otherwise.

In this paper I am raising a few questions such as: What is Alternative Media? To what it is an alternative? What are the theories and methods of alternative media? Who has introduced such alternative media? What types of alternative media the NGOs can use in their wider ministry? Rather than trying to answer all the questions I will try to give some directions in order to widen our service in a pluralistic context. My final question will be in what ways the NGOs in the twenty first century can play a role in bringing harmony and reconciliation through the alternative media.

Brief background of Alternative?

In 1960s Alternative media was understood in Latin American region as indispensable weapon of political communication to combat disinformation and misinformation to connect members, and to spread political ideology [WACC,2001:1]. Such media were basically inspired by the Leninist and Gramscian writings about the role of intellectuals in revolutionary action and thus were identified as revolutionary media. Taking Paulo Freire’s concept of alternative communication some of the catholic NGOs have supported and developed grassroots communication among poor communities (Heresca 1995; O’connor 1989). In 1970s the oppressive regimes that tended to asphyxiate the public sphere and to let the state and the market rule made the people at the margins to find their own alternative means of communication (Kucinski 1991:xiii). The alternative media operated as a corrective mechanism to the main stream media and became the expression of the public (Rodrigues 1986: 55-56). It brought the alternatives and the oppositional groups together (Raymond Williams 1977:55-56).

From the mid of 1980s the alternative media began to play the role of defending democracy and constitutional liberties in Latin America and thus represented the political excluded interests (Atwood and McAnany 1986; Reyes Matta 1983; Simpson Grinberg 1986). The changes came in the form of freedom of speech and freedom of the press and thus moved away from the left-wing and catholic organisations to different range of organisations and groups such as women’s, indigenous, ethnic, youth and marginalised (Lopez Vigil 1994). But at the same time the alternative media suffered major setbacks in terms of political demobilization, apathy and the ebbing of social movements and also the economic problems. But the alternative media emerged with recognition of multiple publics as counter media. They tried to recognise the people’s cultural and political differences and thus create counter discourses of representative voices of different groups rather than merely an oppositional voice (Fraser 1992:123).

Alternative media are also known as Radical Media (Downing 2001); Citizens Media (Rodriguez 2001); People’s Media or Community Media or Grassroots Media or Democratic Media. Having been used in diverse ways the alternative media have emerged as one of the recently discussed subjects and practice among many of the communication scholars and practitioners. We need to study the need for having such media in bringing peace and harmony in the society.

Why do we need alternative media?

The main stream media or the mass media are often controlled by a few professionals or by the rich owners or by the government or by the political groups or even by the industries or by the powerful people in any society. These main stream media often shape the public notion and attitude of the people and thus generate an impact on them either directly or indirectly. Though mass media cannot be blamed directly for many issues and problems in the society, they do not provide much space for any harmony or peace. At times they themselves become source of misunderstanding between communities and thus create a culture of ignorance and confrontation. To many extent mass media or main stream media have failed in bringing harmony and reconciliation between communities and individuals. At times they do not provide access to crtical intellectuals nor ordinary people but to the professionals, rich, political leaders, powerful government officials. The mass media are no more critique of the structures that discriminate people and are corrupted because their support come from them. They do not provide success stories of harmony and reconciliation. They often misrepresent and misinterpret reality. They are powerful and influential in terms of carrying information, spreading rumours, providing entertainment and persuading the consumers through advertisements.

Access to Content-making (production); technology; representation in the content; public information about

Main stream Media’s share

The picture shown above highlights the problems of the main stream media or mass media. To some extent the mass media have become part and parcel of the hegemonic forces in the society though not all of them. Of course there are other ways and means through which the homogenising forces are at work and so mass media alone cannot be blamed. Also mass media articulates certain values and ideologies that often create ignorance among the public about the minorities and others within the communities. The narratives of the mass media are often constructed in favour of the ruling class, powerful institutions or of the rich ones and so on. There is no space in the public for the poor, minorities, women and people at the margins to express their views and opinions. There are not many means that would challenge the dominant values and ideologies that are projected by the mass media. Many of the other types of communication and other means are taken over by the mass media for the sake of increasing audience and thus add their revenue through ads. People tend to resist at times a few social processes or ideologies or tendencies that divide them or create conflicts among them. A few communities have resisted the modernisation and globalisation and thus at times campaigned against the mass media that enhances such processes.

The mass media and other types of professional media began to widen the gap between the audiences and the communicators. There was less scope for a collective production in the media industries. The main purpose of the mass media industries was to make profit by widening the audience and turning them into consumers. The mass media increasingly move away from the everyday life and the ordinary needs of people (Enzenberger: 1976).

These issues and problems give rise to the need for an alternative methods and means of communication. Many of the concepts of alternative media are influenced by Gramscian notion of counter hegemony such as working class newspapers (Allen 1985; Sparks 1985). The alternative media did work against the process of modernisation, the process of hegemony and thus became alternative to the mass media. In the alternative media there was an attempt to democratise, provide more interactivity between audiences and producers and thus reduce the gap between them. In some alternative media the audiences themselves become the produces. In the alternative media the role of audience is more important than the communicator. It is the people who communicate among themselves. Thus the alternative media favour ‘horizontal patterns of interaction’ where participation and interaction are key concepts’ [McQuail 1994:132]. The alternative media also includes artistic and literary media (video, music, creative writing) as well as to the newer cultural forms such as Zines and hybrid forms of electronic communication. The new technology of convergence and diverse cultural knowledge have brought out the heteroglossic (multi voiced) text [Gauntlett 1996:91]. This gave raise to heterogeneity of the content and meanings in the alternative media.

Alternative Media for me means to enable people to have an access to the media to express their views, for which purpose it should be available in their place and also the access should be affordable for the people. Alternative media should enable people to participate and express their concerns among themselves and with others. Multiplicity of channels can not be called as alternative media and also not all small media can become an alternative of kind. Though one of the major concerns of alternative media is development of the people but it is not the only concern.

We need alternative media for a number of reasons as stated above –

to challenge and counter some of the forces of hegemony
to provide a media space for those who cannot express or communicate otherwise
to bring out the alternative perspectives to the public
to enable the audience to express themselves and thus reduce the gap between the communicators and the audience
to provide access of new technology and its communication to the people/public
to encourage different cultural groups and practices to share their views
to bring people closer to realities which are often misrepresented in the mass media
to train people to use alternative media for social change and harmony
to popularise the stories of harmony through the alternative media.

Having highlighted the need for the alternative media, at this point I like to define the alternative media. This will help us to identify and recognise the different means and the methods of communication that can be used as alternative by the NGOs.

What are ‘Alternative Media’

Though there is a significant difference between alternative use of media and alternative media as Traber has pointed out [1985:1], in this paper the two words include both the media that are alternatives to the main stream media and also the main stream media or any other media that are used to express the alternative voices and concerns that are not often expressed in the main stream media themselves. The concept of alternative media is often explained in binary opposition to the main stream media – horizontal/vertical; communication/information; democratic/authoritarian; dialogic/ monologic [Huesca and Dervin: 1994]. The alternative media are those media that play an alternative role in a community, often as alternative to the mass media, as means for social change, as agents of harmony and peace, as voice of the voiceless, as liberating agents and as counter, participatory and democratic methods. The alternative media are accessible, affordable and available to the people easily. An alternative medium does not necessarily meet all the aspects of the definition stated above. It means one medium can be called alternative medium if it meet a few characteristics of being an alternative.

This media can include posters, pictures, charts, banners, postcards, letters, books, articles, journals, magazines, Internet, emails, websites, community radio, radio fm, cable television, local channels, street theatre, popular theatre, drama, songs, hymns, bhajans, music, puppets, flannel graph, dances, folk art, folk dances, house visits, interpersonal communication, bible study groups, fellowship groups, cell phones, sms, telephone, newspapers, pamphlets, tracts, newsletters, videocassettes, VCRs, VCDs, DVDs, players, computers, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, microphone, loud speakers and teaching. The Alternative media do not refer to only to the above media or to the use of these media but points to the way these media are used as alternatives to the main stream media and also to bring about social changes in the society.

The alternative media should be dialogic, intercultural, local and interpreting universal/global, promoting values, entertain but not become pure entertainment, secular, democratized, development-oriented, promotes dignity of people, highlights justice and ecological concerns, remains cheap, both top-down and down-top, culturally rooted, non-profit but not at loss, promotes a culture of peace, reconciliation and harmony, involves people’s participation, identifies and highlights alternative issues, not merely accepting the public opinion but challenging them as well, enter the public or community’s space or create such a space, highlights public concerns as well as minorities’ concerns, simple and not professionally communicated, represents the voice of the voiceless and accept people as they are, engage in people search for meanings.

Alternative views need to be aired. The Democratization of the media is the purpose of the alternative communication. An increase in the number of channels also is part and parcel of the alternative methods of communication. It involves a technological transfer for those who do not have an access and who cannot afford but with a reasonable cost. It is also essential to subsidize the transmission of communication networks and means. It should challenge the monopoly of a few media moguls who try to take over the whole process of mass communication. The alternative media provide diverse views and perspectives alongside the mass media and do not try to replace the mass media.

The Alternative media also should take into account the concerns of ecology, refugees, disabled people and women. It should become the means of connecting and relating people at the margins and people at the centre. Alternative media refer to simple, small media such as folk types of communication to the highest technology. This enables the media to become community media. It provides access to all the community members. This also involves enabling the media to become a community based media or have access to the existing media and enter the space as well. It is also taking the content beyond our interests and thus breaking the regular barriers.

The above picture describes the characteristics of the alternative media and thus establishes their role in a society. The alternative media can easily be accessible to anyone in the community and thus remain cheap and available to the members. AT this point I would like to highlight how this alternative media can help us in bringing harmony and peace among different communities in India and then I will also try to point out in what ways such media can be used by the NGO in enhancing the peace. At this point I would like to give an example of the role of mass media in a conflict situation and their failure to address some of the issues. There are number of examples of alternative media such as indymedia, Malaysiakini, OurMedia group and other media groups. At times the alternative media have brought changes in the society such as a letter from an young girl from Northern Ireland brought the former President Clinton and his wife to come to Belfast and initiate the Good Friday agreement. The release of photos through the internet about the Tiananmen square event in China brought criticisms from all over the world and thus restricted the government from further actions.

Conflicts and Mass Media – a case

Mass Media (such as television, newspapers, radio, and Internet) are often found not helpful in a context of misunderstanding, confrontation and conflicts. As usual they side with the rich and powerful and also with majority people and thus fuel the conflict further. The religions and the conflicts among them are reported by the mass media with lots of enthusiasm. Such reports create myths and misunderstanding between religions. Often there is no media space of the minorities to clarify some of the misrepresentation in the mass media. Some times mass media promote the forces of hegemony and their ideologies. They are very selective and remain powerful in shaping the attitude of the public towards particular communities. I have discovered some characteristics of the myths about minorities that arise from the reports of the mass media.

A Myth[1] is a widely held story or belief – a misrepresentation of truth or an exaggerated or idealised conception of a person or institution or community (The New Shorter Oxford Dictionary). In the market driven news media, an event is reported only when it is negative or abnormal or unexpected[2]. Religious activities are often reported when they have negative or unexpected characteristics[3]. The news media should be seen as one of the sources of images, perceptions and representations[4]. Let me begin with a few popularised statements that were given ‘front page’ coverage in the media. First I have selected two English magazines and analysed samples for two/three years and then selected the news reporting of the Godhra incidents by Gujarat Newspapers in 2002.

1. From my analysis of the English magazines I came to a number of conclusions which are supported by the table in the Appendices – a. There is a sharp increase in reporting about religion in general and Muslims in particular (table 1); b. Muslims are seen as a monolithic community and thus Muslims in India are identified with Muslims across the world and the same language is used to describe them[5]. The media often refer to September 11 incident and the Parliament attack while Godhra was a proof[6]. These are examples of myths that are popularly believed by other religious communities in India[7]. Such myths are substantiated by political and religious leaders’ statement and small incidents.

Pre-Godhra Statements

2. While Indian government promotes family planning among Hindus to have two children a myth is created about Muslims as if a Muslim man will marry four women and have twenty five children and thus have more Muslim votes against the Hindu votes[8]. This was disproved by the statistics of the government that shows a decline in the percentage of Muslim in the population growth and also for 1000 Muslim women there is 1068 Muslim men. The former Prime minister Mr Vajpayee also made remarks about Christians and other people and media took them to the public. These statements are given front page coverage in many of the regional newspapers in Gujarat and elsewhere in India[9].

Godhra and Media

3. Godhra Incident[10] and Reports[11] clearly show that there is a deep problem with the media in reporting such incidents[12].

4. The Post Godhra reporting in the Gujarathi News papers went on reporting more negative myths of Muslims[13]. These statements[14] do not need an interpretation and show how the politicians and religious leaders make irresponsible statements and how the media often report such statements and contribute to the existing myths. Many religious leaders and politicians have made objective statements and engaged in a positive manner but they are not often reported. Media personnel argue that this is what the public often want to read or hear or see. Such practices have also become part and parcel of their media industry without which they claim that they cannot survive in the market of news making and entertainment.

Mass Media and Violence

The incident at Godhra was waiting to happen as was the violent aftermath. This event was not an isolated incident but a culmination of small incidents that occurred earlier. More than events the myths that were circulated among people through the politicians, media and religious institutions against the other religious communities were the causes of such confrontation and conflicts. The Myths create ignorance about the other religious communities. Media popularize such myths through their display of colour, photographs, language, rumours, headlines, sources, selection and incorrect reporting.

These myths often led people to a ‘culture of suspicion’; to a ‘culture of confrontation’ and thus to a ‘culture of violence’. There is a strategically well-planned attempt to create a fear of minorities (such as Islamophobia) in the minds of the majority through such myths. This is done with the help of the articulated ignorance by a few vested groups. Their statements are getting ready access to the media; myths are popularized by the media and broadcast to the public.

These myths contribute not only to people’s worldview and attitude towards ‘others’; but also create suspicion and fear of the ‘other’. When the majority group is in power then fear increases among the minority religious people. The minorities feel powerless and react to such situation in various ways. Though it is very difficult to establish a direct psychological relationship between the myths, images and attitude, there is a possibility that a one-sided view of others creates a biased understanding of the others. When biased views are justified through individual cases the fear is further compounded. This leads to mutual mistrust, where any action against the other provokes retaliation. Very often mass media are not successful in expressing the views of minorities (religious and other), marginal communities and poor people. They promote a kind of ignorance (an articulated ignorance[15]) among the people about each other. This creates tension and confrontation between communities.

Mass Media and Ignorance

The media alone cannot be blamed for this myth; intellectuals who contribute to the wider thinking also rationalise this myth. This is particularly evident in the Huntington’s thesis on Clash of Civilizations [Huntington 1996:p.217]. Though Huntington recognises the plurality within civilizations, his explanation of the conflicts in terms of ‘the clash of civilizations’ seems to represent a misunderstanding of Islam and other cultures. For Said, Huntington reduced ‘civilizations’ to what they are not: shut down, sealed-off entities that have been purged of myriad currents and counter currents. Civilizations animate human history and helped different communities and nations to contain wars of religion and imperial conquest but also to be one of exchange, cross-fertilization and sharing [Said 2001:2]. For Said it is the clash of ignorance – which means ignorance about the other.

It is not clear whether being unfamiliar with ‘the other’ causes a natural ignorance, or whether being exposed to the tiny negative side of ‘the other’ causes an articulated ignorance[16]. Thus myths in the media are rationalised and are marketed as reality which creates ignorance and fear in the minds of the people. The myth not only creates ignorance and misunderstanding but also contributes towards a confrontation and conflicts between the religious communities. Media is supposed to bridge people, communities and individuals. The way the self-regulation, privatization and deregulation process has turned the whole way of media industry into a business and profit making industry. The communication is sold as a sales product and the public good has been made into a private good. There is no more the mind of service among the media practitioners. Most of them work with the maximum profit motives. It is clear to some extent from the above examples that the mass media articulate ignorance and thus contribute indirectly towards the conflicts. They do not provide space for the minorities to clarify themselves or remove the misunderstanding among the readers. To bring harmony we need to look for alternative ways and means of communication that would establish a dialogue and an understanding among different communities.

Harmony and Reconciliation

In the context of media saturated world mass media have become part of the conflicts and create misunderstanding among communities along with other social forces, we need to the media that can bring harmony among different communities. In the context of conflicts the seekers of faith need to work towards harmony and reconciliation. Before explaining how to use alternative media for the social harmony and peace I just want to highlight different ways of understanding harmony and reconciliation. Harmony refers to co-existence of difference religions, races, regions in peace with each other [Robinson 2002: 10]. It is essential for the right thinking people to establish a culture of peace, a culture of dialogue, a culture of reconciliation and thus enable people to live in a culture of harmony. Harmony is also an attempt to remove the misunderstanding between communities. To remove misunderstanding it is essential to establish a better relationship among them. This relationship is possible only through proper contacts and communication. It becomes essential for the media to work towards such a harmony that would remove misunderstanding between different communities. Harmony refers to the coexistence of different communities together with a human dignity and justice. Reconciliation is not a compromise rather establishing a spirit of forgiveness at all sides and an acceptance of everyone and bridging people.

Harmony cannot happen without the elimination of poverty of the mass. It will not become a reality without aiming at the development of the people below poverty line. It is also essential to make people participate in the process of decision making process and thus engage in bringing harmony. Harmony should be made between people of different faith, of different culture, of different regions, of different colour and of different castes and also with creation – nature, animals, ecosystems and universe. Harmony follows reconciliation between different communities, between nature and people and between men and women and so on.

Harmony can be created through a culture of communication and also through a culture of dialogue. It means to establish contact where there is no desire to make contacts. These contacts can be direct and at personal level and can enable people to share their thoughts and be present together and thus establish a relationship between them. Such a relationship can lead them to a friendship and thus establish an understanding and trust between them and bring about a culture of peace and harmony among them.

Alternative Media and Harmony

I have argued in the above paragraphs that the mass media do not often provide enough space for the minorities, poor, marginalised communities. Such communities have to look for their own means and methods of communication to reach to the public. In such a context alternative media may be helpful to bring about harmony. The alternative media has intrinsic characteristics of bringing harmony among different communities. They can bring about a better understanding because it is dialogic, interactive and participatory. Thus everyone can engage with the other in establishing a better relationship and thus removing the ignorance between them. The alternative media are also communitarian in nature while allowing people to recognise the individual’s freedom within the community. The alternative media are culturally rooted and take sides with the people at the margins and thus attempt to bring about a social change and initiate a developmental process among all communities. The media are easily accessible and available for the common person that a culture of peace and a culture of dialogue can easily be established rather than through the mass media.

One needs to be very careful the main argument is not to replace one media with the other. I also do not argue that mass media are evil and alternative media are good in themselves. The alternative media can serve the communities better in bringing about harmony and peace through their characteristics. It is not merely the media that bring changes but the way people also learn to use such alternative media does. At times people discover that such intrinsic means and methods are already used by them and thus have to be adopted for bringing out harmony and reconciliation.

Thus the role of the alternative media is to enable to widening our understanding of community. Voice of the minorities along with the voice of the voiceless should be heard in the public. We need to train our people to use their cultural, public and traditional/Folk related means and methods of communication as an alternative. In villages loud speakers, tracts, pamphlets and posters, street theatres, puppets are all used by people for their communication. The educational institutions are allowed to have a small range FM radio stations. We need to look at having alternative practices of journalism.

The NGOs can make use of the available media – such as slide projectors, access to schools, fellowship groups, street theatre, posters, writings on the wall, loud speakers, pamphlets, tracts, notices boards, notices, websites, VCDs, DVDs, Video, VCRs, television, house-visits, computer, Internet, puppets, flannel boards, postcards, festival cards, cards, magazines, newspapers, festival programmes, radio and special training programs and seminars as alternative methods or means of communication to bring about harmony and reconciliation in the respective society. They should try to use the media for developmental, educational and participatory purposes and also building relationship between communities. The NGOs can think about changing the perspectives, theologies or practices of communication so that the alternative means are recognised and used by the members. The NGOs can think about changing the media practices, use of interactive and convergent technology, providing alternative media skills, altering the media content and also the use of the media by the audience. This will make the NGOs media into alternative media. Such attempts will make the NGOs’ magazines and other means as participatory, community development oriented alternative media and reach out to wider audience and thus establish a better understanding and relationship between different religious friends. Once we have access to the wider public through the alternative media then it is possible for the NGOs to engage in the process of reconciliation and thus bring harmony between different communities.

Alternative media need to popularize the positive stories of harmony and reconciliation. It is also a method of engaging in the mass media in an alternative way. It is also enabling people to share their resources of communication. They can also play the role of a watch dog against certain deregulated or self regulated media. They can also provide an accurate account of events. This new alternative media can created a new culture of communication. It can be a print culture or a video culture or a digital culture of peace and harmony. Alternative media can play the role of mediation and also provide information about the sources of earning, income and jobs opportunities and so on.

In the mass media often there is much emphasis of evil outside one’s own self and also in other’s religion or social structure. The alternative media should enable the communities to look at themselves and correct their mistakes and thus establish a better relationship between them. In this sense NGOs magazines need to focus much on establishing a better relation between communities rather pointing to negative sides of the other. It is also essential to question the fixed narratives that are often used for misusing God-talk and religion. People try to define God in their own terms and tend to make exclusive claims about their theologies, doctrines and creeds. We cannot fix God within one narrative and thus try to limit him within it. The Alternative media means to accommodate diverse views, beliefs and doctrines though we hold on to our own doctrines and beliefs. The alternative media need to work against the generalization and against stereotypical identities and images of minorities and people at the margins. The monolithic understanding of cultures and religions need to be challenges. This can happen only when diverse voices are allowed to be expressed in the alternative media. We need to try to develop a new media exploring alternatives, approaches, perspectives, skills, training and technical know how and technology itself.

I would like to raise a few methodological questions that would help us to find the ways to engage with the alternative modes of communications. In what ways can the NGOs’ media be made alternative media? The NGOs (established NGOs) can experiment with a few selected media such as websites or pamphlets and use them as participatory, democratic and developmental oriented media. They can also explore these means to bring about reconciliation and harmony among different communities. This demands lots of changes in our practices, perspectives and theological understanding of communication. The first approach is concerned with the way the NGOs can learn from the alternative media. The second aspect is about the use of alternative media for different tasks within and outside the NGOs. There is a need for changing the content and context of the NGOs media in order to make people to understand their faiths in a context of multiple meanings.

The third approach focuses on the perception or attitude of the NGOs towards the alternative media. The NGOs need to develop a positive statement about those secular or other types of media that attempt to raise the voice of the voiceless, to clear misunderstanding between different communities and to provide access and representation for various people. This demands the NGOs to help the alternative media to network themselves and thus become a platform of support for such groups. Many of the alternative media are trying to promote values that are similar to the gospel values. Thus the NGOs should show their support for such groups who stand for the minorities, poor and less privileged. The NGOs can consider awarding a few selected alternative media which are closer to our principles and bringing about changes in their respective society and thus establishes harmony. The fourth approach is to address the whole issue of alternative media from an ethical perspective. To what extent the alternative media are challenging the values that promoted by the main stream media and how far we can enhance the simple and cheap communication into an ethically imperative alternative media to counter the values of the mainstream media. There are a few ways or approaches with which we can consider or start an alternative media in your NGO or community.

An Example of the Alternative Media in promoting Harmony and Reconciliation

In 2001 I organised a conference on the ‘Perceptions of Islam in the Media’ for the mass media practitioners at the United Theological College, Bangalore. Many journalists, reporters, editors and other communication scholars were present and made this programme a successful one. The participants proposed forming a network to bring more awareness of the false perceptions in the media about our friends from different religions. They asked me whether I could create an e-group that would bring them together. This led to ‘interfaith interaction’ a yahoo e-group with twenty members (mainly media personnel) in 2002 January. As we began to engage in this interaction more people expressed their willingness to join the group. Now, we have 200 members from all over the world.

We continued to discuss issues relating to interfaith issues. As we began discussing the issues our vision widened to include all the issues of religious dialogue and human concern. Religious leaders and scholars from all over the world received the email. I wish to give an example of the impact of our e-group on one person’s life. Mr Ian Stillman is a disabled British charity worker who was working in India among the disabled people since 1974. During his stay in India, he was arrested and was given a ten-year sentence in India on charges of possessing 20 Kg cannabis, a charge he refuted. When he was arrested on 24^th June 2002 one of our members placed this information in our group asking people to help his release.

As the different religious leaders received this mail from around the world some of our members tried their best to get Mr Ian Stillman released. Mainly the Hindu groups such as Rashtria Sweyamsevak Sangh requested the government to release him. Even church leaders in UK brought the matter to the British Government and kept the public informed about him. Thus with a lot of pressure from all sides Mr Ian Stillman was released on December 7^th 2002. Until today a number of grassroots groups of dialogue are established in a few villages in South with the help of NGOs, temples, gurus and mosques. We carried out peace marches in many parts of India and held a few major ecumenical and interreligious discussions between NGO leaders and other religious groups in August 2003 (after the recent violence in Gujarat – a state in India). After the Godhra incident the interfaith groups at leadership level met in Gandhinagar and demanded the Gujarat government to try to protect the minorities through various means of communication. We are trying to use different means and methods both at leadership and grassroots levels to establish alternative means and methods of communication so that understanding and harmony will be established. The interfaith interaction group’s website is www.interfaithinteraction.org .

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Webliography

Amnesty Report on the Godhra Event -

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA200292003?open&of=ENG-IND

Human Right Watch Report on Godhra –

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/india/India0402-03.htm#P659_118122

A report from People’s Union for Civil Liberties on the Media Report on Godhra–

http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Religion-communalism/2002/gujarat-media.htm

Other reports and information from news agencies -

http://www.sacw.net/2002/dayal04072003.html

http://www.sabrang.com/tribunal

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/emotions2002/paranoia.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2749667.stm

Appendix 1

In the market of news media, an event is reported only when it is negative or abnormal or unexpected. Religious activities are often reported when they have negative or unexpected characteristics[17]. The news media should be seen as one of the sources of images, perceptions and representations. Their mediated texts are polysemic in nature and are subject to a wide range of interpretations. Audiences are active decoders and thus negotiate, subvert and reject the texts. We need to recognise some of these assumptions before interpreting the outcome of the content study. I have selected India Today (every alternative issues for three years[18]) and Frontline (two years[19]). This is a random selection of the newspaper and magazine. Of course a comparative analysis of post Ayodya-Masjid and pre-Ayodhya period is done through this selection. The total number of issues from both these magazines is 130. Total number of articles in India Today magazine is 3611 and in Frontline is 3016. Among 1132 articles in 2002, around 238 articles related to religion/s in India Today[20]. Even the number of pages for these articles have increased in reporting Hindu, Muslim and other religious communities during these years[21].

India Today Table T1

Years	No of rel. news	Hindutva[22]/Hindus	On Muslims	Other Rels
1981	119	54	42	23
1992	172	77	59	36
2002	348	126	173	49

Frontline Table T2

Years	Total Rel issu	Hindutva/Hindus	Muslims	Other Rel
1995	270	93	118	59
2002	336	124	168	44

Islam/Muslims in 2002 Table T3

No of articles related to	Pak/Afgan/S.Arabia	Kashmir/ terrorists/	Hindu vs Islam	Terrorists/ Jihad/ extremists	Editorial / Political comments	Photos/Pictures
India Today	56	107	22	46	9	73
Frontline	87	69	17	21	6	42

TableT4

India Today No of articles	Islam Vs Hinduism	Terrorism(Islamic)Vs Nationalism	Iconic clashes -Picts Colours (green vs saffron)
1981	3	7	00
1992	14	21	08
2002	56	73	17

Table T5

Frontline No of articles	Islam Vs Hinduism	Terrorism (Islamic) Vs Nationalism	Iconic Clashes Pictures
1995	12	8	3
2002	71	79	17

[1] Myth is also defined as a traditional story, either wholly or partially fictitious, providing a popular idea concerning some natural or social phenomenon or some religious belief or ritual (The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary –first definition).

[2] The news about north-eastern states are often reported when there are problems or disasters in those areas except the peace process in Nagaland. This is commonly practised by the news media as an accepted practice. Among one year magazines in India Today and Frontline, nearly 90% of the articles about the North Eastern states are related to violent incidents or insurgency.

[3] I classify this under negative because there are number of grand positive events and social services about the NGOs which are never noticed by the news reporters. Even popular events among Christians were not reported.

[4]Statement on Christians

Sandesh – Gujarati Newspaper reported on 26^th 1998 saying “Riots in Ahwa due to stone throwing by Christians on Hindu gathering” and blamed Christians as the main cause of the riot. The report was based on a FIR filed by Pradeep S Patil of the Bajrang Dal (a Hindu fundamentalist group), though the paper referred him as Vishva Hindu Parisad (another Hindu group) person. On 27^th (next day) the same news paper published an official denial of any such incident. Similar reports were carried out by the Sandesh Newspaper time to time particularly about Christians in Gujarat (A Report of the Citizen’s Commission on Persecution of Christians in Gujarat:1999).

In the religion section news about US Catholic church priests’ scandal is reported under the title ‘Church and a Crisis’ – Frontline, April, 13-26, 2002, pp.131-132. This is the only report within the six months issues about a church which is also negative.

On 9.1.1999 Sandesh reported a convert was paid Rs 3000 and another report on 8.1.1999 says, ‘Christianity is a slow poison which is the cause of peace and family felling among the tribals. Christian missionaries have made use of Government resources for the purposes of conversions’. The report went on to claim that 40,000 to 50,000 tribal people are converted recently by destroying 10,000 families without any substantial evidence or sources in support. A similar report was given by Gujarat Samachar (a daily newspaper), Nav Gujarat (a daily), and about both incidents stated above (29.12.1998 and 8.1.1999). They often misreported the work of missionaries implying forceful conversion in Gujarat again without substantial evidence.

[5] Muslims are fundamentalists; they practice polygamy; they (Indian Muslims) sympathize more with Pakistanis than Indians and thus with terrorists (thus anti-Indians); they do not follow family planning and so have many children; they are of Arabian origin and they eat beef (cow is considered to be a holy animal in Hinduism). Islam is often shown as a religion of terror, sword, enemy and outsiders (e.g. India Today January,7, 2002 p.33 – Islamism; the new enemy; India Today April 29, 2002 The Sword of Islam Frontline July 5, 2002 Freelance Jehadis). c. Muslims are portrayed as fundamentalists, uncivilized, anti-Indian and religious fanatics. Majority of the Muslims are seen as fundamentalists, sympathizers of terrorists, vigorously promote their religion, supported by Pakistan ISI- intelligence agency (India today June 3, 2002), if they are in majority they would force minorities to become Muslims, trained in Madrassas to attack others.

[6] (e.g.‘Bloodied Brothers’ – statement by Hindutva leaders – in the India Today August 5, 2002; Prime minister’s statement “Wherever Muslims are, they don’t want peace. They don’t want to mix with others. They use terror as a weapon”- quoted by P Chidambram -India Today April 29, 2002). Kashmir Muslims are shown as if they are trying to ‘Islamicise’ the state. The word ‘fundamentalists’ applied to all Muslims because they want ‘to return’ to their original faith. It means: (for the magazines) – Men could divorce their wives without their consent even through email, post or telephone (India Today May 20,2002); women should cover their head; the full application of Sharia Law where-ever they are in a majority (Frontline September 14-27) and so on. They are seen as fanatics and fundamentalist in promoting their faith whereas many of us have not heard anything about Red Crescent (e.g. Frontline 2002 July 5 – P 116 – Muslims will host their flag in the red fort).

[7] They mistreat women yet they accepted a number of rulings by Indian courts in relation to Talaq and women’s rights (e.g. India Today 2002 April 29 Honour killings of Women; Male Dominated Society to refer to Muslim communities. India Today 2002 May 20, Talak is one of the most feared words in the lives of Muslim women). They are exploiting Hindu’s hospitality and patience. (e.g. India today May 13, 2002, News about RSS’ Prahnidhi Sabha in Bangalore – their statement is reported – Muslims to understand that their safety lay in the goodwill of the majority. No good will and no safety, the RSS explains, unless Muslims respect, tolerate and co-operate with the Hindus.) These are myths constructed in the media about the religious minorities in India. The following will be specific cases where explicit misrepresentation and manipulative statements of the minorities are publicly displayed by media and vested groups.

[8] http://www.sacw.net/2002/dayal04072003.html The Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr Modi stated about Muslims - hum paanch, hamaare pachhis (we are five and we will be twenty five).

[9]Whether it is his attacks on the "fair-skinned, Italy ki beti" Sonia Gandhi (Leader of opposition parties) or the "Christian Lyngdoh" (the Chief Election Commissioner in India), or his remarks aimed at Muslims, senior BJP leaders are finding it difficult to defend him beyond a point. Modi's latest salvo has been directed against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, and BJP leaders are at their wits' end to justify this particular one. At one of his public meetings, Modi called upon the "five crore people of Gujarat" to chop off the hands of "Miyan Musharraf" for raising a "dirty, accusing finger" at the State. Incidentally, posters and advertisements, apparently released at the behest of Modi, asking the people to choose between him and Musharraf, have sprung up in the State, coinciding with Modi's diatribe. http:\\www.Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Taiwan\pluralism\Coping with the fallout.htm

[10] In February 2002, a train carrying Hindu Kar Sevaks who were returning from their worship and service to Ram Temple in Ayothya (a disputed area both for Muslims and Hindus) stopped at the Railway station of Godhra. The train Sabarmati Express, coming from Faizabad and proceeding towards Ahmedabad caught fire a few minutes after it left the Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002, killing an estimated 58 people. It is claimed that a small dispute between a station shop Muslim vendor and Hindu sevaks spread the rumour nearby Muslim villages that a Muslim girl was taken into one of the compartments of the train. The villagers stopped the train and burnt one bogie of the train with people inside. This incident was a precursor to a spate of widepsread communal violence in the state which lasted nearly three months. The role of the media in reporting this event played a major role in creating communal violence after this incident.

[11] THE ROLE OF NEWSPAPERS DURING THE GUJARAT CARNAGE:- a brief analysis for the period Feb 28 to March 24, 2002, By PUCL Vadodara and Shanti Abhiyan, Material submitted to the Editors’ Guild of India by People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Baroda and Shanti Abhiyan, April 5, 2002, Baroda. http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Religion-communalism/2002/gujarat-media.htm

[12]“AVENGE BLOOD WITH BLOOD” This is a quote from a statement issued by a VHP leader. ‘Gujarat Violence as natural and spontaneous response’ - RSS, May 13,2002. Modi “If they cannot shout ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in India, will they go to Italy and raise the slogan? - November 25,2002. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI – Pakistan) agents were in every corner of the country and they were all Muslims. … Gujarat is just like Kashmir, is just another example of “cross border terrorism” in which Indian Muslims routinely take part. (July 5, 2002,p.117). Sandesh a Gujarathi - News paper -quoted by India Today - 10-15 women were kidnapped and rapped by religious (Islamic) fanatics from the Godra Train (p.13, Aug 2, 2002) and “70 HINDUS ARE BURNT ALIVE” as Headlines. Ashok Singhal leader of the Vishva Hindu Parisad -VHP (World Hindu Council) quoted – ‘If Muslims continued to take the country towards partition, they will have to stay in refugee camps, as in Gujarat. The communal violence in Gujarat symbolizes the first positive response of Hindus to Muslim fundamentalism in a thousand years’.

ENGASA200292003?open&of=ENG-IND This is an Amesty International Report on the Godhra incident and the role of Media during and after such incidents.

[14] The examples are - In another instance on 6th March 2002 the headlines scream HINDUS BEWARE: HAJ PILGRIMS RETURN WITH A DEADLY CONSPIRACY. In reality hundreds of terrified and anxious Haj pilgrims returned accompanied with heavy police escorts to homes that could have been razed to the ground.

1. THE VICTIMS MASS MURDERS: 10-15 GIRLS WERE PULLED OUT BY RELIGIOUS FANATICS: 10-The report says: 15 girls were dragged out of the Sabarmati Express, this is being hotly discussed in Godhra. As a result there is tension. The survivors of this incident also said this. The police is also trying to look for this. These girls were trying to escape from the train, police has denied it, but Kaushik Patel of VHP has accused.
2. MUSLIM LEADER PREVENTED THE FIRE ENGINE BY BRANDISHING AN OPEN SWORD. The fire brigade learnt of the fire at nine o'clock and rushed to the spot soon after. But at that very moment a local Muslim leader armed with an open sword appeared and prevented the fire brigade from putting out the fire. Other religious fanatics joined them and an atmosphere of communal tension/discord spread in the entire Godhra city.
3. ABOUT 10 YOUNG GIRLS WERE PULLED OUT FROM THE RAILWAY CARRIAGE BY A GROUP OF RELIGIOUS FANATICS. The newsitem goes on to refute the headline.
Analysis: What is the intention in having such headlines if not to provoke? On 2nd March Gujarat Samachar another Gujarati newspaper said that this report was false.

http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Religion-communalism/2002/gujarat-media.htm

[15] Ignorance does not refer to ‘not-knowing the other’ rather means to ‘knowing more or only the negative side of the other’. It is often articulated by the vested groups and so can be identified as ‘articulated ignorance’ of the other. This makes it clear that it is not only the media but also the intellectual as well as political forces are creating myth about the other which in turn creates ignorance (intentionally as well as unintentionally).

[16] Ignorance is often built into the narratives and is then articulated and used by certain political and economic interested groups. It becomes difficult for other people to challenge this ignorance because it has reached an accepted and rationalised status.

[17] In the religion section news about US Catholic church priests’ scandal is reported under the title ‘Church and a Crisis’ – Frontline, Apiril, 13-26, 2002, pp.131-132. This is the only report within the six months issues about a church which is also negative. I classify this under negative because there are number of grand positive events and social services about the NGOs which are never noticed by the news reporters. Even popular events among Christians were not reported.

[18] The selected years are 1981,1992,2002. Total number of issues each year is 52. The total number of alternative issues is 26. Total number of issues for three years is 78 in India Today. These issues were selected alternatively to study the content in a random manner.

[19] The selected years are 1995,2002. Total number of Issues for each year is 26. Total number of issues for two years is 52. We do not have Frontline issues before 1995 and so I have selected only two years.

[20] These are alternative issues only which means out of 52 issues I have selected only 26 issues.

[21] In 2002 the 410 pages are given to religious/religious political matters out of total 2423 pages whereas in 1995 only 130 pages are dealing with religious news or issues out of 2158 pages.

[22] The word Hindutva is used to refer to those groups or forces whose ideologies are to promote Hindu exclusive nationalism. These reports are also selected only when they talk explicitly of their ideology and their religion.

Communication for Alternative Humanity: Technological perspective

Friday, 22 April 2016

Alternative Media for Harmony and Reconciliation

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