I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it – phrase attributed to Voltaire.
The freedom of expression is a very important fundamental human right, also enshrined in our Constitution. It is particularly significant for journalists and other media people. They must have the freedom to report, without constraints or limitations and feel free to criticise the government and public institutions without fear of prosecution. These are vital features of a democratic society.
Though India boasts of being the world’s largest democracy, solely by virtue of being the most populous country in the world, India’s rank, among 180 countries, in World Press Freedom, has slipped from 140 to 150, after Narendra Modi became PM in 2014. The advocacy group for journalists “Reporters without borders”, however, placed India in 161st position, this year.
India has a vast and varied mass media but freedom of expression has been constrained and restricted from time to time on account of considerations, like intolerance on the part of religious hardliners or fundamentalist groups, pressures exerted by politicians and political parties, as well as the influence of corporate captains who control advertising expenditure which funds the media.
The freedom of expression and particularly of the Press is a very reliable means of assessing the opinions of various sections of the society, affected by the decisions or measures taken by the Government. Any curbs on disseminating information or knowing the views/reactions of the people could be counter-productive. It was the suspension of the fundamental right of freedom of expression, during Emergency in 1975, which led to the miserable defeat of Indira Gandhi government in the ensuing elections in 1977.
Though we have no declared Emergency at the moment, the number of journalists arrested and charged under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), is actually an indication of the perilous state of free speech in our country. When an Act meant to curb terrorist activities is used against journalists who have the right to investigate and report on a range of issues, it seeks to criminalize their legitimate work, stigmatize them as ‘terrorists’ and instil fear in those who dare disagree with the official version.
In the last few years, patriotism, national security and so-called anti-national activities have been included in the array of charges in the UAPA arsenal. In 2019, an amendment was rushed through Parliament to designate as ‘terrorist’ anyone suspected to have terror links and those who, in the name of ideology, promote, what BJP calls ‘Urban Maoism’, for whom, the Government has no sympathy (sic).
While the UAPA has been used by various Governments to stifle dissent and protests, the BJP has viciously used some ‘caged parrots’ to swoop virulently on their opponents, by targeting human rights activists, lawyers, students and even tribals and journalists, in short, all those who differ from their way of thinking and dare express it.
The latest in the series of raids and arrests are the founder and editor-in-chief of an important news website, NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha and some of his associates on allegations of receiving foreign funding for pro-China propaganda. These actions were ordered by Enforcement Directorate in connection with money laundering and were apparently provoked by a report in New York Times about Neville Roy Singham, an American millionaire, working closely with China, who allegedly also funded NewsClick.
It is an accepted and unfortunate truth that politicians can hardly afford to be clean, if they have to win elections. The question which often arises, however, is whether the investigating agencies should not be allowed to do their job in case of politicians who have been corrupt and amassed illegal wealth. It is not strange but a deliberate act on the part of these agencies to find a quick alibi to raid a politician no sooner than they are perhaps instructed to do so. Similarly, even the filthiest politician finds a shield in the ruling party, once he decides to join it or rather joins it to have a shield. If these agencies had acted impartially, surely they would be applauded even by their worst critics. But they don’t. Even the Supreme Court has recently remarked that “every action of the ED is expected to be transparent, above board and conforming to pristine standards of fair play in action. ED is not expected to be vindictive in its conduct and must be seen to be acting with utmost probity and with the highest degree of dispassion and fairness.”
These and other agencies, like the police, Crime Branch, etc should let people know the fate of their investigations against those whom the ruling party itself has accused of corruption and irregularities. Don’t we know what Goa’s CM had to say about his cabinet colleague, when he stood as a Congress candidate? Didn’t we hear it from PM Modi himself that the NCP, now in alliance with BJP in Maharashtra, stood for ‘Naturally Corrupt Party’ and that it was not a rashtrawadi but a brashtacharwadi party? How unbelievably clean they become, once they join or align with BJP?
Recently, one of Goa’s worst turncoats, promoter of irregularities, against whom Parrikar himself had filed a case in a power scam, had the gumption to tell us that there was too much democracy in Goa and that activists were coming in the way of Goa’s economic development. If we can boast of Goa’s beauty and identity still standing, at least to some extent, we owe it to selfless and courageous people who have kept activism alive and have spared no efforts to rein the destroyers of Goa like the loud-mouthed minister.
The fight for truth and justice is not an easy one, especially in a hostile environment, like the present one, which compels people to take recourse to expensive courts to seek justice. But, despite some aberrations, the electronic, print and social media will hopefully continue to voice people’s concerns fearlessly, though they often fall on deaf ears of the rulers.
(The author is a retired banker)
