Скачать или смотреть Wajahat Habibullah, Former Chairman, National Commission for Minorities at the 53rd SKOCH Summit

Mr Wajahat Habibullah, Ex-Chief Information Commissioner and Former Chairman, National Commission for Minorities, during the Panel Discussion : 'THE FIFTH YEAR: UNDERCURRENTS IN PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY' at the 53rd SKOCH Summit, 18th September 2018, Constitution Club of India, New Delhi

Discussion Framework:

72nd year since independence but we still haven’t been able to free ourselves from the clutches of biases and prejudices. Questioning should be an important pillar to participation but in India, tough and sometimes, the very basic questions are not even brought to the floor. The mood is such that people ask what “would” be asked and not what “should” be asked. Big, bombastic issues take up center stage even at mass debates while the real issues that bother Indians remain hidden simply because nobody wants to sound so “basic” and “self-centered”. In light of the above, the panel will throw light on the following points and discuss them.

1. Dissent fuels any democracy. Then why are only popular opinions being talked about and heard? What are the barriers that act as deterrent in transforming the undercurrents and really vital issues into firing boardroom conversations?

2. There is a lot of ruing over lack of employment. But is it really lack of employment that mars the country’s growth or is lack of qualitative opportunities that is leading to larger problems like migration and even unrest towards the present situation?

3. For a democracy to be participatory, it is vital that the citizens are informed accurately and not selectively. This one change alone can decide the popular public opinion and media, being the fourth pillar, has a huge role to play in this. However, there is a thin line between being a watchdog and being coercive. How far has the Indian media been able to strike this balance? How easy or difficult is it for media houses to scrape themselves off any alignment or
judgment? And where does the responsibility lie? Who decides when the torchbearers have lost their way and are treading dangerous paths? Government, society or media barons?

4. The enormous youth population is extremely heterogeneous with varied backgrounds, educational, social and economic and so very different perceptions. However, one trait that binds the majority of this population is their kaleidoscopic view of the world around and their reluctance to involve in global matters that “should” bother them but “don’t”. To make this democracy participatory, we need to bring in more involvement from this section of society. The task is challenging given the fact that the youth are driven by very specific issues that are mostly need-based and popular. So what strategies or waves need to be engineered to mobilize the mindsets of the youth population of the country in the coming elections, and make them actively participate?

Moderator : Mr Wajahat Habibullah, Ex-Chief Information Commissioner and Former Chairman, National Commission for Minorities

Dr Chandan Mitra, Editor and Managing Director, The Pioneer

Ms Navika Kumar, Managing Editor, Times Now

Mr Rajesh Kalra, Chief Editor, The Times Internet

Mr Rohan Kochhar, Director - Public Policy, SKOCH Group

Mr Sankarshan Thakur, Editor, The Telegraph

Ms Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive, Centre for Policy Research