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| Left to NC it would not mind gagging media | | Revisiting 1952-1953 -- I | | Rustam
JAMMU, Feb 28: The Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone's sudden statement in the legislative assembly yesterday that "media is under his control", that "they (media persons) have to disclose their sources pertaining to the news reports" and that "they are not at liberty to publish what they want" led to a complete boycott of assembly proceedings by entire electronic and print media followed by a sit-in outside the central hall of legislature for over two and a half hours demanding immediate withdrawal of words by the Speaker made against the Fourth Estate, the watchdog. The Speakers reportedly said: ''How are they (media persons) supposed to behave? I know ethics…How to make use of ethics? I will give my verdict today. Don't try to become advocate of the Press. They are not at liberty to publish what they want. They are under my control. They have to disclose their sources. There is no PCI (Press Council of India)''.
Addressing members of their fraternity, a number of senior journalists questioned the rationale behind the Speaker's statement. "It was unprecedented in the history that the Speaker has questioned freedom of the press by making a statement in the assembly that media was under his control" and that "there is no PCI" (Press Council of India)," they said, and added that ''the comments that media has to disclose its sources were serious as no one in the country, not even the apex court, has ever compelled the reporters to name their sources of the news reports". "It is acknowledged worldwide that the media doesn't have to disclose its sources as its entire network of news reports is dependent/based on sources,'' was the upshot of their argument. They were absolutely right.
Besides the enraged media, the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and some other non-National Conference (NC) and non-Congress formations extended their unflinching support to the protesting media persons and termed the statement of Speaker "as an attempt to gag the media following exposure about the involvement of Ministers in the corrupt practices". People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti was in the forefront. "Since the media is playing an important role in exposing the corrupt practices of the present Government, they want to gag its voice and what happened in the assembly was an attempt in this regard", she said while addressing a press conference at her residence in the evening. "The National Conference has the history of gagging those exposing its misdeeds," she asserted, and added that "in the absence of the media, people would not be able to come to know about the role being played by their elected representatives in highlighting their issues and seeking response from the Government". "Boycott of the media may not affect the government, as it has various other means to take its voice to the people, but it affects the opposition parties the most," she also said.
Mehbooba Mufti didn't just stop there. She went on to say that "this Government (NC-Congress coalition government) has eroded the sanctity of various institutions. The institution of assembly has been degraded by the Chief Minister to such an extent that MLAs are being treated as daily-wagers by those at the helm of affairs…Everyday there is a scandal or scam and involvement of ministers directly or indirectly but the Chief Minister is unable to open his mouth on the vital issue of corruption because he is himself in the dock on Haji Yousaf case".
Making common cause with the agitating media persons, Chaman Lal Gupta, who has been suspended by the BJP for his alleged anti-party activities, said "though the Speaker has not been allowing opposition MLAs to raise any issue during the Question Hour, he has allowed three Ministers to speak" and added that "if the press doesn't write stories, how could democracy flourish in the country, including Jammu and Kashmir".
What made the Speaker to make the statement that created a stir in and outside the assembly? The Speaker made the statement on the media and its role after a few ministers accused the media of tarnishing their image by publishing "false" stories about their involvement in corrupt practices. A Jammu-based Congress minister Sham Lal Sharma was the first to rake up the issue. He said, "a media trial has been going on against 'political personalities' for quite sometime now" and the Speaker should "hold a time bound inquiry into it to bring out the facts". Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, Taj Mohi-ud-Din supported Sham Lal Sharma saying that "media trial is not good and the Speaker should go through the press reports". One can understand the reasons behind the anger of Sagar, Mhi-ud-Din and others of their ilk. (To be concluded) |
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