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Minister's remarks on press condemned by women journos

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 10, Apr 2015, 16:51 pm IST | UPDATED: 10, Apr 2015, 17:04 pm IST

Minister's remarks on press condemned by women journos New Delhi: The Indian Women's Press Corps is deeply shocked at the language used by a senior minister of the Union government. This refers to the recent remarks made by MoS Gen VK Singh calling media 'presstitudes'. Of late there have been a series of unpleasant statements made by ministers in parlaiment and outside that have caused concerns about the political classs' sensitivity to gender and on media as a whole.

Whatever may be the context and the grievance of Gen VK Singh who is a union minister, it does not behoove to direct such vituperative remarks at the media. Neither does this help in addressing any serious issue. It also displays an over all insensitivity to the representational metaphor that has been used. Given that a large number of women work in the media today, such remarks can only serve the compound the vulnerabilities they face as women and as media-persons.

The IWPC reiterates its position that a code of conduct for all elected representatives be put in place and made enforceable so that it acts as an effective deterrent to deal with  derogatory, incendiary and "off the cuff" remarks made at any individual, group or a community. Certainly elected representatives and ministers in particular have a greater responsibility in their public utterances.

The IWPC also notes that such remarks are being increasingly directed at women and at certain communities with alarming frequency. All this creates an overall atmosphere of insecurity and does not contribute to any meaningful debate in any manner.