TN Govt disrespects Freedom of
Press
The Tamil Nadu government’s
attitude towards news media as far as the Puthiya Thalaimurai case is
concerned is deplorable. It is a direct attack on press freedom. The Tamil Nadu government slapped a case against the Tamil news
channel because of certain remarks
made by a couple of the TV channel’s guests on current affairs. FIRs were filed against the two guests who said
nothing that was inflammatory as well as the reporter and management of Puthiya
Thalaimurai and that too before the roundtable discussion was aired.
It was obvious that the Tamil Nadu
government was acting in a vindictive way.
Earlier, the State government-owned distribution
network, the Arasu Cable TV Corporation, the news channel was removed in some places from the Tamil
cluster of channels.
The State government is using its
domination of the distribution space to bring news coverage by TV channels in
line. A couple of other news channels were disrupted as well. TN state
administration stands discredited for violation of human rights. The bid to gag
media which air dissenting views is undesirable.
The state government should not be
in the cable TV business at all. It is bound to use this power and reach to
promote the political interests of the party in power. One has observed since
the time of Rajiv Gandhi that governments turn the screws on the media when
they are floundering, are beginning to lose the plot. So the harsh response of
the TN government in this case tells its own tale.
Is there no activity in the whole
country that does not lend itself partisan political viewing? It is high time
that the discerning educated public thinks of liberating at least some key
activities from the proselytising influence of contaminated cauldron called
over politicisation. Even some activities like who should be selected as
candidates to contest appears to be more a political expediency question than a
law and order question. The list can be extended ad nauseum.
The largest living democracy
survives in spite of all these worm troubles. For a healthy democracy it has be
people all the way but not the politicisation reverberating the voice of the
vested interests through the political party machinery fed and fattened by the
powerful lobbies and not the real citizenry.
Tamil Nadu Governments has been
notorious for coming down heavily on News Media and Journalists, from the early
periods of MGR and even before. Yet, one should observe that Tamil New media
have always attempted to project many things "openly" and
"boldly". This crass behavior of the Govt would also pass, adding
still greater strength to the Media and investigative Journalism
We are governed by persons not even
remotely connected with freedom struggle. Rt Hkn Sastri, while accepting the
key to London had in his famous Guildhall Speech said the freedom is one that
more you enjoy it, more will it grow. Now we are restricting freedom to a
deplorable low.
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