HD Kumaraswamy continues to keep media at 'safe distance'

        HD Kumaraswamy,the Janata Dal Secular-Congress alliance state Chief Minister looks to have taken a complete U turn about his public stance and utterances on the functioning of media and that too within a short span of six months after taking over the reigns.Today he declared in a government function:Henceforth I shall not issue any press statements...

The chief minister seems to be annoyed over the media criticism on his three diverse views within a short time frame of three hours.The dubious change of opinion in such childish fashion only further undermined the sanctity of the constitutional position he holds.

It so happened that just two days back Jayashree, a woman farmer and part of a unruly peasants group which barged into the premises of Suvarna Soudha on the outskirts of Belagavi aired her anger against the present CM.She blasted him for not making arrangements to pay dues to the sugarcane growers.

Suvarna Soudha is an alternate venue to Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru where both the houses of the state legislature meet once or twice for a year for a short while.

In fact the villagers had break opened the locks and forcibly gatecrashed some of the sugarcane loaded trucks much to the embarrassment of the local administration and had taken the political leadership by surprise.In her over speed of making  remarks the farm lady had also called HD Kumaraswamy as the 'cheap minister'.

For reasons best known to himself  HD Kumaraswamy also looked to be in a hurry to be part of the diatribe and questioned her:The issue of payment of dues to sugarcane growers has been pending since over four years and it's not an burning issue which has unfolded over night or after the new government took over in the state...Where was this mother sleeping all these years?...

These remarks were more than enough for the already lucid situation to develop into a volatile one with outbursts from all over the state condemning the CM's remarks.Perhaps the worsening situation in the media against the CM made the coterie around him to resort to an damage control exercise.

Initially a rumour was floated in the local electronic media that the chief minister has apologised to the woman.Later it was clarified that the CM didn't mean it to be that way and finally came a third clarification undoing both the earlier versions!

So in just a matter of three hours three diversely opposite views were aired as being told by the chief minister.The initial,subsequent and final rejoinders thus were successful enough to put the CM in a dark manner.The following day he was summoned by HD Devegowda,his father who is reported to have taken a class for four hours.

So now as an aftermath of lessons from his dad,HD Kumaraswamy wants to play it safe.Perhaps that's the reason for his sudden disclosure today that he'll no more call a press conference nor issue any media release and let the scribes make a note of whatever he speaks in public functions.

But the very same chief minister had made tall claims in his maiden media interaction after taking over as the CM for the second time:The media is most welcome to make any suggestions any time and I will not be perturbed over adverse comments or criticisms from the same.

And now in less than six months HD Kumaraswamy seems to have forgotten his own words and assurances.Recently he inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi Media Centre at the premises of Information and Public Relations Department and announced that henceforth all the ministers will address press conferences from there and not at their chambers in Vidhana Soudha and Vikas Soudha,power centres of the state administrative machinery.

Forget the media persons being welcomed at the Vidhana Soudha,the new changes have literally barred from coming any closer to it.And all these developments have taken place only in just six months and what's in store in the days to come no one knows?

-Manohar Yadavatti