“Fundamentalism lies in the mind of an individual. To fight terrorism, it is necessary to go to the roots from which it emanates or else the war on terrorism will continue for another century,” said Kumar Ketkar, Editor, Loksatta, while giving an insight into the challenges of terrorism.

Ketkar was speaking on the second day of the seminar on ‘Regional Press-Power, Reach and Influence’, jointly organised by the Australian High Commission and the Chandigarh Press Club on Friday.

The first session focused on the subject ‘Terrorism and armed conflict: Media coverage’, which was chaired by BBC trainer and senior journalist Swaraaj Chauhan.

Ketkar elaborated upon his presentation by narrating various incidents of terrorism in the world and the social dimensions attached to it.

Journalists Yusuf Jameel from The Asian Age, Srinagar and Rashid Maqbool from Kashmiri Weekly also shared their experiences of reporting from a conflict zone.

Reminding the audience of the basics of journalism, Rashid Maqbool, in his presentation on a journalist’s dilemmas, said, “A reporter tends to forget the basics of journalism in a trauma situation. A single word or phrase can change the whole dynamics of the conflict that makes him or her all the more vulnerable.”

Speaking on the post-conflict trauma for journalists, Naveen Grewal, Secretary General, Chandigarh Press Club, said no person can come face to face with death or violence and remain unaffected. He advised journalists to take note of the warning signals of even the slightest changes in emotional, behavioural and personal aspects and find solutions to the ordeal he or she is going through.

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