Bhopal: Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday advised politicians to develop thick skin if they want to survive in the world of politics, where they are often criticized. In an indirect reference to the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, he said that it uses its policy of giving advertisements as a weapon to tilt the media.
The former CM said, “Unless you are thick skinned, you will not be able to do politics.” Digvijaya Singh made this remark while recalling a brief reply (about thick skin) given by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to bureaucrat-turned-politician Natwar Digvijaya Singh (former Union Minister), when the latter was in favor of Khadi. He was asked to go to him after retirement wearing K. That he has now become a politician. The Rajya Sabha MP was addressing a function of the newly formed Central India Press Club, a body of journalists from Bhopal. BJP leaders including state Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel were present on the occasion. After narrating this incident related to Indira Gandhi, Digvijaya Singh turned to Patel and said, “Tell your colleagues (in the BJP) that if they are in politics, they should have thick skin. Have the ability to tolerate criticism.
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Digvijaya Singh said that there is a trend of spreading hatred among the people in the country and it is not good for journalism or journalists. Referring to the advisory policy of the state government, he said, “It is being used as a weapon. If you publish (their news) you will get advertisement otherwise no… this is not the right policy. Digvijaya Singh said that things were different when he was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (1993 to 2003).
“If journalism doesn’t have right to speak truth, pen doesn’t have power then it’s of no use. In my 10 years tenure (as chief minister), so many critical things were published against me, but I never stopped advertising any publication. The Congress leader said, “If politicians do not have the ability to listen to criticism, they should not enter politics.” Supporting the demand for setting up of a National Press Commission to improve the job conditions of journalists The Rajya Sabha MP said that contractual appointments under the Hire and Fire Policy have created a huge gap in the salaries of the top and bottom rungs. Writers are facing a tough time due to the coronavirus pandemic. Quoting a report by the reputed think-tank, Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Digvijaya Singh said that in the last five years, 78 per cent of the workforce in the media sector has become unemployed. He said, ” In September 2016, about 10.25 lakh people worked in the media sector. Were there, whereas in August 2021 this number was just 2.25 lakh.”
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