By numerical yardstick reaching a century is a bigger achievement than 60. But our electronic as well as print media seem to have lost the sense of proportion. While the country was celebrating the birth centenary celebrations of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan on October 11 last, the national private channels were focussing on the 60th birthday of Big B. Amitabh Bachchan. Not only was the birthday bash of Bade Miyan of Bollywood telecast live by one of the premier private channels (Aaj Tak) and extensively highlighted by others, the news regarding various functions organized on the occasion of JP's 100th birthday was grossly under-reported if not virtually blacked out. Perhaps the Star News realized this major omission and two days later, that is on October 13 (Sunday), it called a couple of guests for the panel discussion in its 9 o' clock programme.

Save brief news about a function held in Delhi and attended by vice president, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and deputy Prime Minister, Mr Lal Krishna Advani, the electronic and even print media have nothing to highlight about the contributions of JP.

While Amitabh's daylong celebration and his visit to Tirupati temple with the family members got full coverage on October 11 evening newsbulletins, there was no arrangement of live reporting of any of the programme of late JP. While national dailies carried supplements on the tinsel town hero, there was as if nothing to write about JP. Only Indian Express came out with a supplement on the occasion. Even the local dailies of Bihar failed to give him his due.

(Ironically when this write up was mailed on October 12 to the editor of one of the national dailies published from Patna, he politely refused to publish it stating apologetically that his newspaper only carries news reports and features and no such comments).

It is not that functions were not held to commemorate this historic occasion. Vice President Shekhawat, former Prime Minister, Chandrashekar, Union tourism minister, Jagmohan and minister of state for foreign affairs, Mr Digvijay Singh flew down to Shitab Diara, Lok Nayak's native village on Bihar-UP border, to attend a function. Patna witnessed the convergence of a galaxy of noted personalities from all over the country. Narmada Bachao (Save river Narmada) activist Medha Patkar, Magasasay Award winner Sandeep Pandey, journalists like Prabhash Joshi, Kuldip Nayyar and Kumar Prashant, writers like B D Sharma, etc all took time off to attend the convention of All India Sarvodaya Samaj on this occasion. Followers of JP, who have kept themselves away from politics organized a rally and public meeting under the banner of Sangharsh Vahini Jan Shatabdi Abhiyan.

Recalling the 1974 movement almost all the speakers have two issues on their lips: fighting communal forces, especially in the backdrop of the Gujarat riots and impact of globalization.

True JP never believed in birthday-bash. However, the purpose of his followers was not to organize a big show, but to utilize the occasion to highlight the burning issues.

Amitabh and JP are entirely different kinds of icons, yet Lok Nayak can not be overlooked just because the former is a living celebrity and the latter, a dead ideologue. JP is not here to give interviews to different news and entertainment channels, yet there is enough scope to have a serious debate on the relevance of his ideology in the post-globalisation era.

While JP--alive or dead--has no quickfix solution to turn a person crorepati in a matter of minutes, yet his view needs to be critically examined as it concerns the crores of people. Amitabh certainly sells better, but the personality like JP should not be measured with that yardstick. JP can never be a poster boy or an advertisement material. One can adore him, abhor him, but can not ignore him.

God has not played a cruel joke by sending Amitabh Bachchan to earth on the same day exactly four decades later. It is we who have failed to differentiate between entertainment and serious issues. Amitabh may have a role but not at the cost of JP.

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