The ethics in governing of India has seen a steady decline over the last few years. There have been myriad instances of ministers and politicians breaking the moral fabric and acting in a biased manner. The corporate houses are getting their work expedited by pumping money into the government in a clandestine manner.
The press has played an instrumental role in throwing light on these clandestine events that have hampered the development of India. However the media has drawn flak from various quarters for invading into privacy of politicians and at times being manipulative. Also there have been instances where opposition parties have provided manipulated tapes aimed at tarnishing the image of their rivals and the news channels have readily played hand in glove with them.
However our media has the maturity to overcome all these glitches and continue to maintain a strict vigil over the functioning of the government. There are very few countries where media play an active rôle in governance and India is one of them
The media needs to be at the forefront in bringing out the flaws in the governance. In US, the media plays a prominent role in the presidential election. A prominent media personality acts as a mediator during the presidential debates. This gives the media a firsthand account of the contestants’ agenda.
In India a similar platform needs to be provided to bring politicians face to face and fight out on the burning issues of the day. We have many a people who have made a transition from journalism to politics swiftly. This testifies the fact that our journalists understand politics.
India needs to make room for these proficient people who can provide a guiding path for the government to make progress. The growing unaccountability among our political circles can only be checked by bringing in an increased media presence. Media has made a huge impact on our political stage. The tehelka expose resulted in the replacing of the then defence minister. The cash for question scam almost toppled the government of the day. All these instances have shaken the conscience of immoral politicians. A consensus has to be brought about among the political fraternity on the role of media in governance.
