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| After JK, UP govt under PCI scanner | | `Follow model rules or face action' | | Early Times report
Jammu, Feb 18: Two months after urging the government of Jammu Kashmir not to harass journalists and newspaper owners, the Press Council today lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government for attempts to muzzle the press.
In a statement, the chairman, Markandey Katju said: "Many complaints have been coming from the State of Uttar Pradesh that press freedom is being violated in various ways e.g. denying Government advertisements or accreditation of journalists to the newspaper/journalist which is critical of the government."
Quoting a judgement of the US Supreme Court, Katju said the judgement applies to India as well. The judgement in New York Times vs. US (1975) announced by Justice Hugo Black reads: "Only a free and unrestrained Press can effectively expose deception in Government.
And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people, and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell. Far from deserving condemnation for their courageous reporting, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other newspapers deserve to be commended for serving the purpose which the Founding Fathers saw so clearly. In revealing the working of the government which led to the Vietnam War, the newspapers nobly did precisely that which the Founding Fathers hoped and trusted they would do."
In U.P, Katju said, newspapers and journalists are often harassed in various ways if they criticize the government and its authorities. "For instance, denial of govt. advertisements and accreditation to deserving newspapers/journalists is often done to make them toe the line of the government. This in my opinion is wholly unconstitutional."
Katju had also taken a serious note of harassment of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir. In a strong worded letter, the Council chairman had urged the government of Jammu Kashmir to exercise restraint or face action. The Press Council has framed Model Rules for all State Governments to constitute Committees for grant of government advertisements and accreditation of journalists. It is deeply regretted that no such Committees have been functional in UP, and often the government authorities in UP act arbitrarily and in a vindictive manner in this connection. In the Model Rules of the Press Council, the members of the Committees must be representatives from the recognized associations of journalists, editors of newspapers, news agencies and representatives of the electronic Media.
The Press Accreditation Committee Chairperson should be elected from among the journalist members, and the Information Commissioner, Director should be its Secretary. The power to grant Accreditation should be exercised judicially and not arbitrarily. Similar are the Model Rules of the Press Council regarding the advertisement Committee. The UP government has been directed to follow the Model rules strictly. |
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