Kolkata: Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Markandey Katju on Monday said his criticism of the media was not taken in the right spirit and a diatribe was launched against him.
"When I criticised the media for what it was doing, my intention was not to destroy it, but to reform it. I wanted to remind the media of its solemn duty to the nation," Katju, who recently made headlines for criticising the media, said.
Justice Katju was in Kolkata for an interactive session of the Public Relations Society of India.
Instead of taking his criticism in the right spirit, the PCI Chairman said, "a diatribe was launched against me, which often descended to personal attacks against me and questioning my motives. When serious issues were raised, they were expected to be addressed seriously."
Stating that some media associations have decided to boycott him, he said, "well, it is their right. And for that matter, I am not keen on interacting either with such pompous persons who have no desire to learn."
Justice Katju said he was, however, keen to learn from the large section of the media and the common people who agreed with his views.
The PCI chairman said the media should come forward to help the country pass through the transition that it is going through.
"India is passing through a transition from a feudal agricultural society to a modern industrial society, which is a very painful and agonising period in history," he said.
Stating that society was still steeped in casteism, communalism and superstition, he said, "In this situation, the Indian media has a solemn duty to the country which is to help India get over this transition faster and with less pain."
"Today the people of India is all confused and they do not know which way the country is going. They read about corruption, crime, agitations, film stars, but all this makes them further confused and despondent. It is here that the role of the media becomes very important," Katju said.
Recalling the contribution of senior journalists Nikhil Chakraborty and P Sainath in the transformation process, he said, "the Indian media today should be doing the same, particularly at a time when our country is in great distress.
I regret to say that instead of doing so, most of our media is only interested in making money, showing half-naked women, astrology and cricket."
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