Q: How many students are participating in CWG from Delhi?
Satpal: There are about 6000 students are participating in CWG. They will work as volunteers during the games. These students, most of them from Delhi University, will provide their services in different fields like Games awareness, seating arrangements, hospitality services, venue arrangement, traffic and many more areas.

Q: In how many games Delhi’s participants will participate as a part of national team?

Satpal: There are 17 games. We are participating in various games including Wrestling, Boxing, Tennis, Athletics, Boxing, Swimming, Table Tennis and many others. We are expecting participation of about 60 sportspersons in the Games from Delhi. Selection process and trail camps are already been going on at various places including Jaipur, Patiala, Delhi and other cities. I personally believe that at least 30-35 people will be from Delhi in the national team.

Q: What about the preparations for the games?
Satpal: For last two years we have been working for it. There has been no break for the sportspersons and teachers in this period. Delhi has emerged as the number one state in national school games in this period. Central government has allotted rupees 700 crore for the training and other facilities for the games in this period alone. Players have got ample time and opportunities to prove themselves.

Q: But the performance of Indian players in Youth Olympics, recently held at Singapore, was very poor. Not a single gold could be bagged by Indian team while China bagged 30 Gold medals in it. Indian team could bag only eight medals- six silver and two bronze. This does not encourage us anyway.
Satpal: I agree. The fact is that we were not prepared for such kind of games. I personally believe that there is a need to make proper structure for games. There should be three categories – Senior, Junior and Sub-junior. Candidates should be trained accordingly. Apart from it there is also need to make separate camps for individual games like Badminton, Swimming etc and team games like hockey, volleyball etc. This will change a lot in the present situation.

Q: But a lot of changes have already been made in this regard but not much noticeable change has been noticed in the performance?
Satpal: Changes are there in the performance too. But there is need to change in the psyche too. There is a large number of sportsperson in the country play or participate in the games just to get a government job. This psyche is need to be changed. ‘Roti ke liye khelne se medal nahi mil sakta hai. Jab ham desh ke liye aur medal ke liye khelenge tabhi medal milega’. (medal can not be bagged it games are played for livelihood. Medals can be achieved only when you play for country and for medals) I myself participated in 3000 wrestling matches, not for roti, but for medals only, form countryside matches to Asiad and Olympic too.

Q: Since Commonwealth is near so everybody is talking about games but when the Games will be over everybody will be on the same track.
Satpal: It is not so. It is a continuous and ongoing process Delhi govt. has three stadiums we have already prepared programmes for next one year’s plan. In Thyagraja stadium, which is one of the best stadium in the country, we have prepared a plan for 210 days training and tournaments. As far as fund is concerned we have enough funds to run our progarmmes. Moreover, I personally go to the training centres everyday in the morning, workout with the trainers and new players for over four hours everyday. That is my routine.

Q: What are the recent changes you find in the field of sports?
Satpal: See, what I have personally faced in last few decades during my tenure I tried my best that new players should not face that kind of difficulty or problems in terms of facilities. We provide them world quality equipments, select and train prospective players from the lower strata without any partisan. Apart from it, we try to make them sure parents’ co-operation too because in many cases parents ask that what will they or their ward get in lieu of games. Even, I personally meet them if it is needed. Apart from it participation in the games has been made mandatory in the government schools. All these are now yielding results.

Q: How many medals will be there in the Commonwealth Games for Delhi?
Satpal: See, the medal tally will be for the nation and not for the state but I feel 30-35 medals we can expect from CWG this time from Delhi’s players.

CS:Puranas say a lot about Kumbh but what is the importance of Kumbh for our younger generation?
Dr. Pandya: See, Kumbh Snan (bath) is a metaphor basically. It is not possible that everybody come to Haridwar and takes dip in the Ganga. Neither it is possible that all sins will be removed automatically by just taking a dip during the Kumbh. But it is the fact that it is the biggest religious event of Hindus. People, throughout the world come here to participate in the event. In a way, it is the biggest conglomeration of variety of cultures, heritages, languages, lifestyles and so on. This is a wonderful opportunity for our younger generation to understand Indian and world culture through Kumbh. It comes once in 12 year.

CS: Astrology gives many ideas about Kumbh but what are the scientific aspects of Kumbh? Is there is any science behind Kumbh?
Dr. Pandya: There is science behind Kumbh. We had taken an initiative to understand scientific aspects of Kumbh during 1998 at Brahmvarchas. We found that there are several bio-chemical changes in human during the Kumbh period. There is increase in those chemicals and elements in the body, which cause happiness and give better feeling in the human being. These also increase our capabilities to work and think better and longer and reduce poisonous or bad chemicals. In a way it is an event of purification of man and environment.

CS: How will you explain its importance in terms of science and spirituality?
Dr. Pandya: See, those, who have idea about Kundalini Jagran or higher level of Yoga they will easily connect Kumbh and its relationship with spirituality and science. The period of Kumbh is the best period for Kundalini Jagaran. It is a systematic but very high level of spiritual science. This also paves the way of Moksha or what you call complete freedom.

CS: Is there any connection with climate change and Kumbh?
Dr. Pandya: Yes there is. The Kumbh makes aware millions of people about the importance of Ganga, its cleanliness, so the importance of glaciers and the Himalayas too. All these have important place in the climate change. Moreover, it makes people sensitive about climate change without any specific effort. This is the power of religion, spirituality and science.

Fachcha.com: How would you define journalism in pre-recession and post-recession period?
S. Sarkar: At first, I do not agree that there has been any kind of recession in India. Corporate sector has earned over Rupees 60,000 crore profit. There is surge in the corporate taxes. Industry has registered a huge profit. Revenue collection from corporate tax and other related tax have increased in the last financial year. Only, the collection from personal Income Tax has reduced by about 14 %. It simply indicates that while corporate and industry sectors have done better; common persons have been deprived from their job on the name of recession. Jobs have been frozen, salary cuts announced and implemented. Media organization too has taken huge benefit on the name of it.
On the other side government did not take any action in this regard. It did not make any climate which could keep journalists away from exploitation. A kind of free hand was given to the media organizations. It was government’s job to protect journalists and common employees from their exploitation and create a better environment for them.

fachcha.com: But what impact you see on Journalism overall due to recession?
S.Sarkar: See, Corporate sector also deprived media from their earnings. On one hand they cut down their advertisement expenditure and expanses related to social responsibilities, on the other hand they also sacked a large number of employees on the name of recession. Not all but some of the media houses have been hit by it. But no media house has lost money as such. Whatever loss they have made due to it they saved money it by reducing their employees or say downsizing. It was mere loss of employee and not organizations.

fachcha.com: It there any Change due to recession in the nature of journalism?
S. Sarkar: The scene has definitely changed. We can see more influence of corporate sector in every field of journalism. Pattern of news has changed. Criticism of government’s work, which was an important job of journalism, is now vanishing. But some good changes have also come, like horizon of coverage has increased. Many new fields come in the sphare of journalism like property, fashion, auto, lifestyle and so many others. But in-depth coverage has also been decreased. Investment on research work and news coverage too has reduced. Some of the newspapers like Indian Express, Hindu are doing so but most of the newspapers are not doing so.
Public relation activities have increased on the name of journalism. It was not so that there was no public relation activity earlier but now PR is dictating that what should be covered and what should not.

fachcha.com:What would you say about paid news?
S. Sarkar: It will continue directly or indirectly even in post recession era (if you believe that there was any recession). Even newspapers and news channels have started new phenomena that they now do campaigns. There is so called ‘campaign’ recently for Pakistan’s peace process. A prominent channel and a particular house started campaign. The newspaper given eight page on the daily basis while the house is known to count every inch for its commercial uses. We need to probe that who has been paying for it. Even government should probe it through its intelligence agencies that who has paid for it.

fachcha.com: Would you like name it?
S. Sarkar: There is no need to name it. It is obvious. The house is not known for charity.

fachcha.com: But it could be need of hour? The newspaper may be following its editorial policy only.
S. Sarkar: I’m not ready to buy it. There are so many pages for opinions. Editorials, Editorial pages, op-ed or opinion pages are there but campaign is completely different thing.

fachcha.com: What about regulations on the media organizations?
S. Sarkar: The situation of regulation is poor. We have very poor regulatory authority as Press Council of India. Owners of Newspaper organizations have made it a toothless organization. However, it is considered as an esteemed organization throughout the world. While the regulatory bodies in other countries are in much better position. UK Press Commission is a powerful regulatory body. Here we have PCI but it is limited to newspapers only. There is no regulation mechanism for TV channels. They talk about self regulation whenever government talks about regulation. But where is self-regulation. You see the type of content being provided on the news channels on the name of news.

fachcha.com: But imposing a regulatory authority is a kind of restriction on freedom of media?
S. Sarkar: No, Having an independent regulatory authority is in the interest of democracy. It does not mean that you mess up everything on the name of regulation. Government should empower Press Council of India for regulation of TV channels too and extend its purview to other forms of media.

fachcha.com: As a head of Journalism department of India’s best institution, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) what would you say about future of media?
S. Sarkar: India is a vast country. As literacy and education is growing among the people will need media both traditional and new media. India has very good scope for newspapers, tv channels, internet, radio and other forms of media.