Hoshiarpur (The Stellar News) Saksham Kalia: Hoshiarpur, the most literate District of Punjab celebrated 74th Republic Day of India and hundreds of School and College students participated in the programme to make it more enjoyable and memorable. The Programme was organised by the Hoshiarpur Administration in the Police Line ground and Punjab’s Cabinet Minister for Forest and Animal Husbandry Lal Chand Kataruchak was invited as the Chief Guest in the occasional event.
a) Administration fear of true media coverage, free movement of journalists restricted:
In the programme, Administration had invited authorised and registered Journalists to cover the whole event. But the Hoshiarpur administration playing very smartly or we can say over smartly issued them a six by six D shaped area where all the reporters will cover the whole event, they were not allowed to go outside it. The place from where the whole event look very decorated and clean, administration tried that only the good things can be covered by the cameras of reporters and the clean image of them can be portrayed in front of Public.
Most of the Reporters came to cover the event was confused over the reason that why Administration decided this time rather than a free movement of press in the programme as earlier years. Some officials talking with media said on the condition of anonymity calling it a protocol in the function.
b) Hoshiarpur Republic Day celebration was more protocolic then Bathinda where Chief Minister was a chief Guest:
Surprising, the Republic day event where the Punjab Chief Minister was a Chief Guest, Media was allowed to move freely and do the true coverage of the event. Even in the Heritage city of Punjab, Patiala no such protocol was implemented in the whole event, everyone is doing improssive coverage of the event.
The possible reason behind this might be hiding the poor management of the administration like other years because every year after such events reporters in their reports expose the work of management and the VVIP treatment given to the ruling party workers and politicians rather than to the freedom fighters and kin of the freedom fighters and martyrs.
c) Some things didn’t changed as last year celebrations:
This year, on the occasion of Independence Day The Stellar News exposed the poor management of water and refreshment for the performing students and no provision of certificates from the side of Administration to encourage them for participating in such auspicious events. While the honor ceremony went too long in which a long list of people were given certificates and a sapling plant as their is no criteria for giving honor to people. Even a funny thing happened in the even, the extent of mismanagement was that the candidates who were honored were bringing their awards with them and then taking again from the chief guest.
Every year on the Occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day, the list of names who are honored by the administration remains almost same. The some same faces make their presence and are repeatedly taking awards. Is this important to honor the same people again and again, rather than giving awards to district toppers in different fields, social services and gems of Punjab. As per sources, the list of candidates made by the administration who will be honored on the occasion are politically influenced and names are sometimes recommended by political leaders.
Some things that didn’t changed this year as well is the less public participation in the auspicious event. Administration did nothing to encourage the presence of public in the ground, chairs were seen unoccupied. Most of the political leaders of ruling party were seen sitting in the front rows on stage and the freedom fighters were again ignored in the event. This year on Independence Day the kin of martyrs were not even offered water and refreshment while the political leaders were enjoying crisp snacks and mineral water in expensive glasses.
This shows the mentality of administration that they fear of the Media coverage and with the change of Government in Punjab nothing has changed in the ground level.
