shri vinod sharma - Rajya Sabha

Hindi journalists, and you also expressed concern about Hindi journalists. We can
discuss it also during the Question Answer Session. In the meanwhile, I would
request my friend, Shri Vinod Sharma, to speak. He is a very senior journalist, who
has observed Parliament for over 20-25 years or even more than that. I must say
here that he has agreed to come at a very short notice. We had invited Shri M.G.
Akbar and Shri Prabhash Joshi, both of whom have fallen ill. We made a request
to Shri Sharma to kindly come and join us in the discussion. He agreed to that. I
thank you, Mr. Sharma, and I request you to speak on the subject.
SHRI VINOD SHARMA: Thank you, Shri Vijay, for letting people know that I have a
lot of time. But, I think, it is the subject which is close to my heart and that of so
many audiences present here this morning. To set record straight, I wish to say
that I would like to speak in my personal capacity and not as the Political Editor of
the Hindustan Times because that way I shall be more blunt than balanced. I think
that this issue needs to be tackled head on because it is really striking at the very
roots of the concepts, which we cherish, and the culture that we have always
aspired to have in our profession and in Parliament. That would make both these
institutions blossom. I would preface my presentation with a quote from Alexander
Comfort. He was a British author who died in 2000. He is known better for his
work on sexual behaviour; but he was a man of eclectic taste. I quote from his
book written in the 1950s titled 'The Authority and Delinquency in the Modern State'.
It says: "We have now to contend less with the delinquent whose success and
energy silence opposition than with the widespread incorporation of delinquent
patterns of conduct into the actual structure and mechanism of society." I think if
we start the debate on what is going wrong in Parliament and in media, then, this
observation of the late author is very apt, though he made these observations in a
different context. But, then, with apologies to him, I am using it in order to take this
debate forward. You may kindly see how his observations apply to Parliament and