The Hindu’s Readers’ Editor – A.S. Panneerselvan had knowingly crossed his Lakshman Rekha, when he remarked in his The Hindu dated the 25^th May 2020 ‘From The Readers’ Editor’ column under the headings – Fourth Estate and the Fifth Column’ that ‘Speaking the truth is the role of the fourth estate; being a megaphone for propaganda is the role of the fifth column’.

To equate wrong reporting and even for that matter ‘propaganda reporting’ as alledged by Panneerselvan to the most treacherous trend of Journalism viz. Fifth Column is of narrow and prejudiced and jaundiced mind of the Readers’ Editor.

Panneerselvan, to buttress his stand of ‘Fifth Column Journalism’, had shared a personal story:

“I was Bureau Chief of Outlook magazine, when it broke the story, “Command Failure”. The report explained that the 1999 war with Pakistan took place as the military and political leadership did not take cognizance of the timely warnings of the man on the ground, Birg. Surinder Singh, commander of the Kargil-based 121 Brigade. 

The report widely differed from the narrative that the then National Democratic Alliance Government wanted the people to believe. The official position was that the nuclear test in Pokhran had changed the regional dynamics and that India was talking to Pakistan from a position of strength. The Kargil intrusion not only punctured that narrative but also exposed the limitations of hypernationalistic rhetoric masquerading as news.

I asked Editor Vinod Mehta what gave him the courage to carry a report that questioned the government about a war with a neighbouring country when many media outlets were behaving as force multipliers for the Government. 

He said, and I paraphrase:

“THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF JOURNALISM – FOURTH ESTATE AND THE FIFTH COLUMN. SPEAKING THE TRUTH AND ROLE OF THE FIFTH COLUMN. THE CHOICE IS OBVIOUS.”

Is it healthy and welcome journalism to rank only Outlook Analysis alone speaks the truth and all others ‘Fifth Columnists’?

Admitting that NDA had not handled Kargil War properly and had not met the Pakistan’s threats timely, is it ethically correct to bracket all others journalists as ‘Fifth Columnists’ and only Outlook Vinod Mehta as ‘the unfailing sole Pillar of Fourth Estate?’

Vinod Mehta whose quotes were treated as Gospel Truth by  Panneerselvan, had once remarked thus: A reporter on the spot should focus only on the events as they unfolded, being as accurate as possible, with just one caveat – the story, if possible, should be reported from the point of view of the victim!

It should have been true Journalism, if Vinod Mehta emphasised on the facts and truths instead of ‘favouring victim’. From having an illegitimate daughter out of a sexual liason in his past to owning up about getting the CIA story wrong, Vinod Mehta’s failures as a Journalist were quite obvious, but, Vinod Mehta was Panneerselvan’s Quotable Quote Celebrity.

And one more: On being asked, “Just like you give space to Arundhuti Roy in your Outlook, will you give space to a particular right-wing journalist to write a counter point? – Vinod Mehta’s blunt answer was, “No, I don’t give space to bigots in my magazine.”  Arundhuti Roy, in my view, is a leftist’s bigot and is highly prejudiced about many political issues and policies but, these were not an issue for Vinod Mehta!

Prejudiced and Intolerance of Vinod Mehta was in full display which, to my knowledge, is not a healthy trait and it is essential that one should be fair and just to maintain equilibrium in the Fourth Estate.

Again Panneerselvan, in the course of using or not using the word ‘martyrs’, had this to say: “The desire to be the fourth estate trumps external pressure to become the fifth column.”

The Words ‘Fifth Column’ are most powerful and poisonous phrase to attribute to any one – more so in respect of Journalism – Fourth Estate.

There is a saying that even in the most intimate talk, there will be something unsaid. All reports for that matter will have their own elements of missing links and unsaid stories – omitted deliberately or under pressure and Vinod Mehta Formula of Favouring Victim in full play thereby Truth being pushed and hushed!

Let me HONOUR A.S. PANNEERSELVAN WITH CROWN OF THORN for equating fourth estate with the fifth column.

From the Readers’ Editor:

Full text of the article for your ready reference:

Fourth estate and the fifth column

A.S. Panneerselvan

Link for the article: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/Readers-Editor/fourth-estate-and-the-fifth-column/article31665534.ece

Speaking the truth is the role of the fourth estate; being a megaphone for propaganda is the role of the fifth column

Some readers ask how my columns about the larger information ecology and about social media are linked to the journalism of this newspaper. When the government fails to deliver, it invents multiple means to deflect the attention of the citizens from scrutinising its functions. The deflections may vary from waging a full-fledged war to demonising neighbouring countries. Social media is used to manage headlines and amplify misinformation. A few recent complaints regarding this newspaper’s reportage on renewed militancy in Kashmir and border skirmishes with China clearly fall into this category.

Puncturing the narrative

Before clearing their doubts, let me share a personal story. Two decades ago, I was Bureau Chief of Outlook magazine when it broke the story, “Command Failure”. The report explained that the 1999 war with Pakistan took place as the military and political leadership did not take cognisance of the timely warnings of the man on the ground, Brig Surinder Singh, commander of the Kargil-based 121 Brigade. The report widely differed from the narrative that the then National Democratic Alliance-government wanted the people to believe. The official position was that the nuclear test in Pokhran had changed the regional dynamics and that India was talking to Pakistan from a position of strength. The Kargil intrusion not only punctured that narrative but also exposed the limitations of hypernationalistic rhetoric masquerading as news.

I asked Editor Vinod Mehta what gave him the courage to carry a report that questioned the government about a war with a neighbouring country when many media outlets were behaving as force multipliers for the government. He said, and I paraphrase: There are two forms of journalism — fourth estate and the fifth column. Speaking the truth and holding those in power accountable are the core roles of journalism as the fourth estate. To be a megaphone for governmental propaganda and keeping people in the dark is the role of the fifth column. The choice is obvious.

A sentence in the news analysis, “Behind new incidents, a changed dynamic along India-China border” (May 20), read: “By December 2022, all 61 strategic roads along the border, spread across Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, will be completed...” Some readers felt that the newspaper was wrong in mentioning J&K. They said the report should have said Ladakh as the State has now been divided into two Union Territories. They failed to recognise that J&K includes not just Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, but also a huge swathe of territory across the Line of Control. The Indian state calls the region “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir”. That region includes the Trans-Karakoram Tract, which India has been consistently claiming as its own. The Hunza-Gilgit region borders Xinjiang Province of the People’s Republic of China to the north, and the Siachen Glacier region to the east. A newspaper has to take a holistic view instead of shoehorning its analysis into the official narrative.

Selective use of the term ‘martyr’

Some readers were also troubled with the newspaper’s reluctance to use the term ‘martyr’ when reporting on the killing of CRPF soldiers. A Delhi-based advocate, Piyush Pathak, wrote: “I have been a regular reader of your prestigious newspaper for more than 30 years. A soldier martyred shall be properly addressed as this would give a positive effect to the society.”

Another reader, Vimal Kumar, felt that despite a Readers’ Editor column on this topic, “The difference between journalism and propaganda” (March 4, 2019), the term ‘martyr’ had been used in some reports (“Solidarity march held for Pulwama martyrs”, March 11, 2019, and “A tribute to Pulwama martyrs, a plea against hate-mongering”, February 22, 2019). He wondered why there is lack of consistency in the newspaper in using the term ‘martyr’.

Mr. Kumar is right. The term has managed to slip through the gate-keeping processes and this is unacceptable. However, to the credit of the desk, Mr. Kumar could not find the term after March 11, 2019. The desire to be the fourth estate trumps external pressure to become the fifth column.

readerseditor@thehindu.co.in