news details |
|
|
| Opposition in J&K the ray of hope | | Victimized Early Times | |
NEHA
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Dec 16: Democracy in the otherwise undemocratic J&K still survives. Credit goes to the general public, the opposition parties and the lawyers. The manner in which the general public; the opposition parties, cutting across ideologies; and the legal profession has been reacting to the negative and vindictive attitude of the state government towards the Early Times is an outstanding example that indicates that they are all committed to taking on those who are all out to gag what they consider inconvenient or not pliable Press.
The last few days have seen almost all the socio-cultural and literary organizations coming out openly against the vindictive and undemocratic state government. Their attack on the government is sharp and unambiguous. The black-coated community of lawyers and advocates too has made cause with the Early Times and expressed its solidarity with it, assuring its unstinted support for the cause of democracy of which the free and fearless Press is the most important part. All this is very significant.
Even far more significant perhaps is the attitude of the opposition parties towards the state government and the Early Times. It is significant because the parties like the BJP, the PDP, the JKNPP and the CPI-M have not taken into consideration those reports in the Early Times which were critical of them and joined hands against the dictatorial and patently partial state government. All these parties, without any exception, have in one voice condemned the state government and warned that the negative attitude of the state government towards the Early Times would ultimately prove counter-productive. All these parties have very strongly urged the biased authorities to review their stand and dispense justice to the Early Time. But more than that, these parties have appreciated the role this daily has been playing to educate public opinion and bring to the notice of the general public the government’s wrongdoings and misdeeds.
The issue is not whether or not the Early Times, which has become the voice of the people and become one of the largest circulated dailies in the state, gets advertisements from the state government. The issue is whether or not the present government in the state allows democracy to prosper and the Press to discharge its obligations towards the state, country and the people. The Early Times has come to believe that democracy would flower in the state, notwithstanding all the odds, including the concerted move of the state government to muzzle the Press and weaken democratic institutions. This belief has stemmed from the response the victimized Early Times has been evoking from the general public and the opposition parties.
As for the Early Times, it once again makes a solemn commitment that it would not allow the cardinal principles of democracy to be diluted or tinkered with and that it would continue to report and comment in the best interests of the people and the state.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
