'Corporate Forces Infiltrated To Indian Mainstream'

Interview with The Pioneer reporter J Gopikrishnan

J Gopikrishnan has a crystal clear perception on what Journalism really stands for. That too is the reason for why he is different from Neera Radia sponsored corporate journalists of mainstream Indian media. As a reporter of the Pioneer newspaper, New Delhi, he turned light into the dark corners of 2G spectrum auction- one of the biggest scams in post-independent India- through hundreds of investigative stories in the same newspaper. Following his reports A Raja, former Telecom Minister, had to give up his job. Chandan Mitra, Editor, Pioneer newspaper, rightly described him as: the man who felled the King. In an interview with Dipin Damodharan and Pramod Thomas he talks about the corporate infiltration to the Indian administration. Here are the excerpts

Do you think the Indian media is in a crisis? Recently Noam Chomsky, in an interview with Outlook, opined that the media in Pakistan is more enthusiastic and upholding the spirit of Journalism than Indian media. How do you perceive this view?

Controversial Nira Radia tapes exposed many journalists. It is not a crisis, but a call for clean up in the Indian journalism. It exposed the corrupt and unethical practices of certain persons. As a journalist I am really sad on the degradation happened to the community which I belong. But I am happy that on the dynamic on our system, when these sort of hushed up news comes in public domain. Any way Indian journalism is always better than journalism in Pakistan- that is my strong belief. Anyway I am not much aware of Pakistan journalism and think nothing much from a military controlled state.

Are the mainstream media organizations corporate driven? Can Vir Sanghvi, Burkha Dutt like people have any influence in formulating government policies?

Yeah. Somehow the Corporate forces infiltrated into the Indian main stream. But there also good signs of repercussions against it. You can’t hide things for a long time. The conversations tempt me to believe so. And their versions, not convincing me also. Whatever it may be they had done unethical practice.

What is 2G scam in simple words (We know that scam in a sense is not simple)?

Raja issued telecom licenses to his friendly companies at a very very cheaper rate by dubious methods, ignoring the directions for transparent auction by PM, then Law Minister Bharadwaj, then Finance Minister. He ignored TRAI recommendations also. He had directly or indirectly got interests in all the spectrum beneficiary companies and facilitated their offloading of shares to foreign companies at whopping prices.

Do you smell any foul play in 3G auctions?

3G was a transparent auction, where Raja was kept out. It happened due to the sustained and persistent reporting of The Pioneer newspaper. Several big corporate organizations were behind us, when we started first series about Raja’s set of personal companies in Dec 11, 2008. Those days Raja was planning to auction 3G at a cheaper price. After our reports, government formed an empowered Group of Ministers (eGoM) to evolve 3G auction, where the nation fetched Rs.1.06 lakh crore.

While reporting the 2G spectrum episode, what were the hurdles in your path?

Yeah, several. Offers were flooding to us. They were all mind boggling figures. Our Editor Chandan Mitra took uncompromising stand in exposing the scam. Without him and my colleagues in The Pioneer, this mission never reache this level.

During the episode of 2G scam had anyone tried to bribe or influence you?

Several….several…it is not fare to say about those companies and people at this moment…any way, I will write a book on all the matters in bringing out this scam.

note. first published in viewsjournal, www.viewsjournal.com

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