Pakistan is a fake country, says Katju

Katju also attacked the media over its round-the-clock coverage of Anna Hazare's agitation and said there was great hue and cry about his agitation as if he would solve all problems.

"Is he modern Moses... He has no scientific ideas. He has honesty but what about scientific ideas, take the example of his way of eradication of alcoholism. Media created a hype him as if now all the problems would solved," he said.

Katju cautioned media and asked them to decide if it is on the side of the people or those anti-people as India was passing through a transitional phase in its history from feudal, agricultural society to modern industrial society.

"In this transitional period, role of media is very important as it not only gives information which is the primary role, but also it should give leadership ideas to the people," the PCI Chairman said, adding media should support a cause and cannot remain neutral.

He also attacked "educated elite" for promoting communalism and casteism and said while voting they do not go by the merit of a candidate but by his or her caste.

Terming India as an extremely backward country, he said 90 per cent of Indians are fools. They are full of casteism, full of communalism and full of superstitions.

"80 per cent of Hindus are communal and 80 per cent of the Muslims are communal, this is truth and this is reality," he said.

Other panelists included Resident Editor of The Hindu Praveen Swami, Senior Anchor of CNN-IBN Suhasini Haider, Senior Journalist of NDTV Nidhi Razdan and Maj Gen (retd) G D Bakshi.

Razdan said, "Our responsibility as a journalist is to ask both sides tough questions and not take for granted what our state was saying. Pakistani journalists are questioning their state more than Indian journalists, especially on the issue of national security," she said.

... contd.

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