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Gulf Madhyamam, Malayalam News, Gulf News, Khaleej Times and keralamonitor.com totally Neglected,
Gate Crashing -- Gulf Madhyamam Correspondent P.A.M.Sharief with KPAC Lalitha
P.A.M.Sharief, Correspondent, Gulf Madhyamam too had some bitter experience with the Indian Social Club Malayalam Wing leadership, who never invite him for any important functions. Recently when a prominent film actresses was given an award during the Onam celebrations, the journalist approached the Club leadership for a press coverage. Being a widely read newspaper by the Gulf Keralites he always try to get news from the ISC Malayalam and Kerala Wings.
According to him, even if he called them several times to get information about the club activities or to meet the celebrities visiting the country, they never entertain him. Telephone calls are never returned or no invitation is send to Gulf Madhyamam . He had a bitter experience during the last Onam celebrations when the Club invited KPAC Lalitha, the Malayalam film actress, to be the chief guest. "They don't call me for any functions. What they want is only publicity and their picture printed. Even if the Club Convener told me that they will be sending an invitation to attend the Onam celebrations and participate in the Onam feast, they never invited me," says Sharief.
Journalists Enjoy Bitter Ona Sadhya
Since I wanted to cover the event on my own initiative, I went to the meeting hall and met the club officials. Several journalists in Muscat had similar bitter experience. One journalist receives a call at 3.30 after the programme and the feast is over from the Club member, asking "We did not see you here. How come you did not come to report this important event. Come and give us some coverage in Asianet," he says. Does he expect the journalist to be an "uninvited guest" to enjoy the embarrassment?
Even when the Onam feast was progressing and the VIPs were having food, they never bother to ask journalist even for the sake of courtesy whether they are joining them . It is another matter that journalists are not interested in their free lunch but attend the functions because of the news value of the event. Every year they celebrate Onam cultural events and send nearly two thousand invitations to various VIPs and community members to attend the Ona Sadhya. But they conveniently forget to invite journalists. They invite only journalists who will publish their four-column picture and eight-column news. Such occasions are quite embarrassing for journalists who will manage to escape from these public functions. Sharief says the experience with other clubs in Muscat is entirely different.
Sarathy is a newly established cultural association. When they organised an Onam feast, they invited me much in advance and reminded again and again to attend the function. I t might be because they want publicity for the new born club. "This one year old Malayali association is very friendly and cooperative with the news media. When we approach them for meeting Vellappalli Nateshan, they gave all cooperation. I am glad that they invited me for the Ona Sadhya which was attended by more than 1500 people. In this case, I was not singled out, the way ISC Malayalam Wing did," Sharief adds.
"I feel that the club with lot of financial muscle power is not interested in dealing journalists because they want only publicity. "I called the Club leader to verify whether a prominent Malayalam Writer and Painter is visiting Oman. I got the information that M.V.Raghavan is coming to Oman to receive a prize from the Malayalam Wing and asked him whether it is true. Instead of rectifying and advising me that M.V.Devan is coming, he said nobody is coming to Muscat," says Sharief.
Associations follow Apartheid Policy
According to Naser, another Malayali journalist who writes for some Malayalam publications, he is also never invited for any functions of the Indian Social Club Kerala or Malayalam Wings. "I have been trying to get some information from both the clubs, but they never give any importance to us. May be because they are more interested in the local newspapers," he said. Associated with the Malayalam news media for a long time, he has been contributing to some Malayalam publications from Kerala. He has worked with the Kottayam Bureau of Madhyamam and freelanced for a number of publications before coming to Muscat. He says other social organisations do not follow this type of "Apartheid" against Indian journalists like him. Actively involved in some other social organisations here, Naser feels that such cultural bodies should be more open to criticism and media. "They want only positive reports to appear in the media. We cannot always publish their pictures in the newspaper," he added.
Other clubs in Muscat, especially the Kerala Cultural Centrel, Kerala Islamic Association, Muscat Sunni Centre, Islahi Centre, the newly formed Sarathi all give cordial treatment and run after journalists to get their news published. N" When I wanted to meet Sreeraman, another film actor who was in Muscat as a guest of ISC Kerala Wing, they offered him every help to facilitate the interview," adds Sharief.
Gulf News, Khaleej Times no where in the Picture
Gulf News Bureau Chief Sunil K.Vaidhya also said he is never invited for important functions organised by the ISC Kerala or Malayalam Wing. Being a Gujarati I receive invitations from the Indian Social Club Gujarathi Wing. Even the parent body calls for important meetings. But never the ISC Kerala or Malayalam Wings, which represent a major chunk of the expatriate community here.
It is also felt by certain journalists that the media should not take side with any social club wings. "We have seen that some journalists always project one particular wing and totally neglect others. It is unfair and unethical," he adds. Whether it is the Indian community affairs or the Indian School issue, journalists should not be biased, feel some of them. They give the example of one social club wing which gives honorary members to some of the journalists and another wing which gives some ceremonial post to journalists in their insignificant committees. Another strategy used by social clubs to lure journalists to their camp is by offering them posts as judges in competitions or other prominent positions. Using this strategy, they know how to get their work done and play one journalist against the other. There are also the so called new breed of journalists who will publish whatever muck is given by the community leaders and newspaper editors do not strictly monitor what goes in the paper.
When one or two brilliant student gets an award or prize, the clubs will send a photograph showing 20 people surrounding the talented students. In fact only the prize winning students should get media attention and all others who are in the picture just to satisfy their personal ego should not be given a place in the newspapers. Every second day, the local newspapers publish pictures showing the club leaders giving this award, inaugurating that function or participating in some humanitarian activities. While they want the media tog et all these done in their favour, why cant they face some positive critic ism too.
Khaleej Times Bureau Chief Raveendranath also shares the same view. "What they want is their picture printed in the local newspapers. Since their focus is the local newspapers, they never invite us for any events, even when some of the Indian ministers or celebrities are in Muscat. According to him, the situation was different earlier because there were many good professionals who worked for the Kerala Cultural Centre. Khaleej Times is also not invited for any functions, may be because the newspaper will not always carry four column pictures of the club leadership. According to him, both the linguistic wings are engaged in petty politics and they do not invite him for any functions. keralamonitor.com
Read More-- Times of Oman Versus Indian Social Club Malayalam Wing Gulf Madhyamam, Malayalam News, Gulf News, Khaleej Times totally Neglected -Kerala Monitor.com, it is all rubbish, which we dont read-Bahrain Will have the First Independent Journalists Association in the Gulf - Times of Oman Versus Indian Social Club Malayalam Wing- Gulf Madhyamam, Malayalam News, Gulf News, Khaleej Times and keralamonitor.com totally Neglected,"The Bush Administration is out of control. It contains some truly dangerous people," says the London-based journalist.
