Khursheed: Write what you believe in

BS staffer gets excellence in journalism award.

Union minister of water resources and minority affairs, Salman Khursheed, on Wednesday linked global political and social challenges with those of a journalist.

While noting the privileges of freedom of the press, the minister said, “If there’s a threat (to freedom of the press), it is from within.” In a reference to the current political situation, he said, “We can debate in Parliament about what freedom is, but we know it is a very difficult word.” He also touched upon the issue of ethical deficit, an allegation being levelled at the UPA government over corruption issues related to the allocation of telecom spectrum, the way the Commonwealth Games were organised and the Adarsh housing scam.

Khursheed was speaking here after giving away the Business Standard-Seema Nazareth Award for Excellence in Print Journalism for 2010. “It is a matter of concern that people who get into a position to decide the destiny of other people, use it to change their own destiny,” he said.

The award, which consists of Rs 25,000, a citation and a silver pen, was given to Arunima Mishra, a staffer on the features team of Business Standard. The citation for the award, in its 12th year, recognised Arunima’s reports in the areas of advertising and marketing. According to the citation, she has shown a sharp and clear understanding of how small-size, indigenous companies have performed better than large multinationals in a competitive market place.

The award was instituted by Business Standard and the Nazareth family in memory of Seema Nazareth, who died in 1999 while a staffer with the newspaper. Praising Arunima’s freshness in writing and response, Khursheed said, “It is a contrast to what you see now.” The minister then spoke of allegations of ethical deficit, and said, “We (UPA government) did not inflict it on the system.”

Khursheed referred to the recent revolution in Egypt and leadership change brought about by the people of that country, to talk of transitions in government regimes. As for journalism, the minister’s advice was, “Write what you believe in.”