Yechury terms mainstream media as "bourgeois"

Kochi, Aug 19 (UNI) CPI-M Politburo member and Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury today came down heavily on the mainstream media, terming it as ''bourgeois''and inattentive to important issues.

Speaking at a function here to mark the launch of the Kerala edition of the party mouthpiece 'People's Democracy', Mr Yechury claimed that while important issues were ignored, trivial things were highlighted in the mainstream media.

In this context, he said during the visit of the then US President Bill Clinton to India, the ''bourgeois media'' were full of stories on ''how many cooks and dogs will accompany him and the hotels where he will stay, getting renovated''.

At the same time, the suicides of farmers in Andhra Pradesh and the killing of 'dalits' in Bangalore were relegated to the inside pages, he added.

Mr Yechury, also the chief editor of 'People's Democracy', complained that the mainstream media was opposed to Communism in general and the CPI-M in particular.

He said the role of the Left parties in forcing the UPA Government to come up with people-friendly policies such as the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme or ensuring the tribals' right to forest produce were not highlighted.

It was in this context that 'People's Democracy' played a crucial role in informing the people on CPI-M's viewpoint on major national and international issues and mobilising public opinion on them.

As Kerala constituted the largest CPI(M) unit in the country, it was important to report on the people's struggles here to help the growth of the Communist movement all over the country, he said.

Mr Yechury expressed happiness that the subscription target for the weekly had already been reached in the state.

Also present at the function were Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, CPI-M State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams, State Fisheries Minister S Sarma, noted writer Sukumar Azhikode and Deshabhimani Chief Editor V V Dakshinamoorthy.

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