Arun Anand is a journalist based in New Delhi. He has worked at editorial positions in leading dailies and broadcast including, The Statesman, Dainik Jagran, Midday, IANS and TV Today. Arun has been tracking the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and is the author of the book Know about RSS. He has also translated four books from English to Hindi, including Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope.
Ms Niharika Chug started the session with the question that why nowadays media houses need to be in nexus with politicians. Shantanu Gupta and Arun Anand explained that what is seen as a nexus between politicians and media houses, is not happening today, but it is happening from the time before Indian freedom. With the example of Mahatma Gandhi who then used media to attract the attention of western influencers towards the plight of India under British Rule. Mr Arun Anand explained that the media is being utilized by politicians to communicate with the people for a long time. Mr Shantanu told the audience that earlier the foreign trips of Prime Ministers used to see a big contingent of journalists accompanying the PM on their foreign visits. Now since reports are given directly by the government the journalists who are missing the free journeys are making this cry of the recent nexus of journalists and politicians. Mr Bhuoendra Chubey with many examples informed the audience that the media is being used by the ruling dispensation for their purpose. He also told the audience that the journalists who ask questions to the governments let it be central or state governments have to face dire consequences from those governments. The session was extended by another forty minutes as the hall was full of an enthusiastic audience who wanted to know more from the panel.