Ramadoss terms Media as casteist

Dec 11:  It seems that the Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss likes to be in the front page of the newspaper. The minister who remains always on the gallery of media attack for his steps subjected to the management of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is once again created a furore by terming the capital media fraternity as casteist.

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While addressing at a book release function yesterday in the capital the minister told that the media target him relating to any issue with AIIMS just because he belongs to the Most Backward Caste (MBC) and hence he accused media of being casteist.

No doubt the recent controversy in AIIMS alluded to the removal of Dr P Venugopal from the post of director with the introduction of AIIMS bill that fixed the tenure of director to 5 years and with an age limit of 65. It put an erroneous sign in front of the common man citing the power struggle between both the high profile personalities and the power of bureaucrats over the autonomy of the institution.

Removing a director of a premier institution in an undemocratic manner certainly raises questions and hence the media comes with its best action. Most of people think that media is biased just because it is dominated by upper caste people and therefore issues based on caste don’t not decorate by media. So in this context the upper caste media is against Ramadoss as his party work for the upliftment of OBC.

But in realty it is just because of media that awareness issues like reservation in education and employment are increasing and do rich a wider audience with all implication thereby making people conscious of their rights.

Taking note of the minister’s statement as said, “Since I am a member of the backward community so my media friends in Delhi feel that they can write anything what they want to pen down about me, but I am not going to let this affect me, I will do what I have to,” the honourable minister himself trying to portray media as casteist by ignoring the power of people in modern days.

Just like media never advocate the impatient manner of Dr Venugopal’s removal on the same way they did also write about the public criticism over the increasing strike of doctor’s echoing the judiciary decision.

Just going by the history at the time when Venugopal was removed by Ramdoss and later reinstated by then health minister Sushma Swaraj; both were undemocratic means and media at that time had also raised the issue citing the values of academic freedom and autonomy. It also raised the voice for an entire restructuring of the decision making process.

There are many issues, actions and repercussions but simply terming media as casteist in a particular question is nothing but denying people’s verdict.