Need to move on from personality cult, says Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said newspapers need to speak about good practices and reforms rather than carry personality-oriented reports. Speaking at the Turning 18 anniversary function of Hindustan Times’ Chandigarh edition, Khattar said the politics, the blame games and mud-slinging that politicians indulge in are widely reported by newspapers. “Since HT’s Chandigarh edition has turned 18 and thus attained adulthood, expectations from the newspaper are more now.”

“Newspapers need to move on from personality cult and hero worship. Instead, what’s needed now is an informed discussion about systems, good practices and reforms,’’ he added. “I am offering unsolicited advice but I believe that it is in public interest to lay emphasis on the reforms instead of projecting or blaming personalities.”

Looking back, Khattar underlined HT’s pre-Independence founding, and said, “The media has a special place in democracy and has played an important role in the freedom struggle. Even after Independence, the media played a role in determining which direction the country should move in. And Hindustan Times has done this job very well.”

He said what made Hindustan Times stand out was publishing of news and views in a very elaborate manner. “And the readers have certainly benefitted from it.”

About the BJP regime that he heads in Haryana, said that in the last three and a half years of his term, “we have made an effort to change the systems and brought several reforms”. He listed e-governance, transparency in transfers of government teachers, educated representatives for panchayati raj institutions, and formation of a pond management authority to ensure cleanliness of water as such moves.

Credit for CWG show

“We have also revised the sports policy, and the impact of this change is clearly visible in the medal tally of the recently concluded Commonwealth Games. Despite being a small state having 2% of the total population of the country, players from Haryana won 22 medals out of 66. This is 33 %! Players from other states have also brought laurels but they would have to be encouraged by framing a good policy,” Khattar said.

He said the state government’s decision to give employment to medal winners would act as an incentive for the youngsters to take up sports. “States of Haryana and Punjab face a big challenge as youngsters are getting trapped in drug addiction. Incentives offered in our sports policy would encourage them to take up sporting activities and ensure that they don’t lose way,” he said.