When I was in my teens I was fond of hunting, and even came 5th in the Trap Shooting event in the U.P. State Shooting Championships. In winter we often sailed down the Ganga hunting wild geese sunning themselves on the sandbars midstream. Drifting downstream was easy, but to go against the current was a struggle. Infact, the boatmen had to disembark to tow the boat back along the riverbank.
In view of the silver jubilee of Indian Currents (IC) I could not but help compare it to the struggle of those boatmen against the current. In this analogy the editorial and publishing team are like the boatmen, engaged in an uphill task. The hunters are akin to the feature writers or content contributors. Their quick wit or sharp retorts are required to be bang on target. The geese are the target audience, the readers, whom the writers have to literally hit home, to make an impact.
So on the occasion of IC completing 25 years of “Journalism with a Soul” I congratulate its editorial and publishing team. Quite frankly, most things today, not just journalism, are pretty soul-less, heartless and even mindless aberrations. So it is good to have a journal with a soul, as IC’s byline proudly proclaims. After all, how can a journal without a conscience of its own ever be a conscience keeper to others?
I must confess that though I knew the founder editor, Rev Dr John Vallamattam, and admired his spartan lifestyle, it was only about three years ago that I began writing for IC, and subscribing to it. This was thanks to the prodding of Sr Tisy Jose UMI, my fellow Kanpuriya. It is a decision that I have not regretted.
Why do I equate IC with a boat being towed upstream? Because Indian Currents is often swimming against the current, or rather, the various currents – political, social and religious, that plague India. It is so much easier to say what is politically correct, deemed to be acceptable or just plain sensational, and just flow with the tide. This requires spiritual stamina and a level head; to be at it week after week. A journal that professes to have a soul will, unfortunately, not have much body; in the sense that it will not attract advertising revenue the way other “good news” or devotional journals do.
I recall to mind a Catholic weekly published from Kolkata. Two of its editors – Rev Horace Rozario SJ and Rev C.M. Paul SDB, always published my articles, much to the chagrin of the dear archbishop who “owned” that journal. Both these valiant editors were unceremoniously shunted out by the “owner”, who wanted only “good news” to be published! When I sent some of my articles to the present editor of that journal he expressed his inability to publish them as they were “too controversial”, and could jeopardize the position of the archbishop. Some years ago I was surprised to learn that the English language journal with the highest circulation in India was a pious devotional magazine published from Mumbai, by a religious order that is purportedly flush with funds. It is therefore even more creditable that IC has not compromised on being a journal with a soul; even if it does not attract advertisements, nor has a dramatic increase in circulation. It may even be a thorn in the side of the establishment – be it hierarchical, political or social.
We are often told that Jesus comforts the disturbed. Several years ago, while making a 30-day Ignatian retreat at De Nobili College, Pune, I saw these words on the door of a seminarian’s room: “I have come to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable”. I see IC playing this dual role of both comforting and disturbing.
At this point it is worth quoting from the Vatican II document “Decree on the Instruments of Social Communication”, better known by its Latin name Inter Mirifica (IM). Talking about the means of social communication (the media) it says that the “Church claims as a birthright the use and possession of all instruments of this kind which are necessary or useful for the formation of Christians and for every activity undertaken on behalf of man’s salvation” (IM 3). It is worth reminding archbishop “owners” of the following statement, “There exists within human society a right to information about affairs which affect men individually or collectively, and according to the circumstances of each” (IM 5). It further acknowledges the importance of forming public opinion that “exerts massive force and authority over the private and public life of every class of citizen” (IM 8). The Decree encourages worthy journalism saying that “The faithful should be advised of the necessity of reading and circulating the Catholic press if they are to make evaluations of all that happens” (IM 14). It goes on to say that we “are duty bound to uphold and assist Catholic newspapers, magazines …” (IM 17).
It both saddens and angers me that these noble thoughts are not translated into action. Knowledge is empowering, and information is enlightening. Those in power are always afraid of losing their “coign of vantage” and therefore resist attempts at dissemination of knowledge or information. In 2005 the Central Govt enacted the Right to Information Act (RTI), which has in turn exposed many big scams, and empowered thousands. But the Catholic hierarchy is allergic to such a move. How many of us ever get a reply or even an acknowledgement of letters written to bishops, cardinals, nuncios, parish priests, school principals etc? My personal experience has been dismal. Hence the only avenue open to Catholics, especially the laity, is the Catholic press, especially those like IC that have a soul, a conscience. I would therefore unhesitatingly affirm that IC is playing a prophetic role in the church in India, as also society at large. It therefore needs our ongoing support.
At the same time one must not rest on one’s laurels, lest one become like a Hardy (pun intended)! No doubt Rev Jacob Kani and his team are doing a commendable and often thankless job. Yet the room for improvement in both content and presentation is vast. I am aware that there is a resource crunch. That must be taken as an opportunity, not a threat. The journal needs a big push for both advertising and circulation. I notice that several Catholic institutions, especially in the north, are subscribers. But their actual readership is suspect. On the other hand, there are hardly any lay people who are subscribers. There is also an undercurrent that IC has a predilection for a particular ethnic group that is dominant in the Catholic Church. This is evident from the names of the feature writers and even the Letters to the Editor. The journal should now be aggressively introduced in parishes having a fair English-speaking congregation, after the Sunday liturgy; beginning with the NCR region where IC is based. It could then launch a similar campaign in other major metros like Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi etc.
As for contents, I find that the same writers keep expressing their views, week after week. Several of the articles are too long-winded, or repetitive of what we have already read or heard in mainstream media. One gets the impression that some of the regular columnists are just googling information/ data and stringing together a “bunch of thoughts’, devoid of any personal experience or exposure. There also seems to be an over emphasis on views, with not enough of news; where readers may be left to form their own opinions, instead of being treated to highly opinionated pieces.
As for presentation, the cover page is very well done, as is the selection of topical cover stories. However, the picture quality of the inner pages needs vast improvement. Competing as one is, with the colourful images on TV, an extra effort is required to improve the paper and print quality, with more colour pages, allowing the images to speak for themselves.
Iconic weeklies like Newsweek, Life, Blitz, The Illustrated Weekly of India etc have shut shop. Faced with the onslaught of “breaking news” from the electronic media, bringing out a weekly is an accomplishment in itself. Doing it with a soul is all the more commendable. May the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent One above continue to guide IC in its jubilee year, even if it means swimming against the current. This is no wild goose chase or a trap event, so let Indian Currents press on regardless, for the press is mightier than the sword.
AUGUST 2013
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