Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Book on Indian Constitution is the Leader' that was published in Newsband

Book on Indian Constitution is the Leader

Many people are against the Information and Broadcasting Ministry having had directed that Hindi television channel NDTV India be taken off air for 24 hours on November 9 to impose restrictions on journalistic content. According to these people, instead of raising hue and cry and declaring that emergency days are back, why does the channel not choose the legal recourse?

They add, “The government boasts of stealth surgical strikes while silencing the media of reporting officially briefed content. Maybe the military & government can lead by example. Asking questions, however uncomfortable, is the right of all Indians. We have inherited the right after a lot of sacrifices by our ancestors. Who are the government to ban even for a minute any media. You may like it or may not like a particular media channel or a news media but you have to tolerate it. It is most blatant to ban for the cause of nationalism and our defence forces. This action of ban should be fought tooth and nail. Time has come to expose those figures who in the garb of nationalism are basically trying to bring fascism in our country. Media Freedom has to be on Top priority to curb despotism and fascism at bay in a true democracy. But it is strange the way most educated and honorable people feel happier in a dictatorial state than in a democratic one. As long as the media does not question, there is no problem but, the moment the rulers feel that their versions are being exposed, immediate thought of sedition, anti-national, etc come into government's mind. This is because the media, at least some channels, which try to be free and report independently, is trying to impart information to public which creates awareness. Public awareness leads to agitation which harms the prestige of government. Hence, the governments function only when public is kept in perpetual darkness. Ignorance is bliss! If the security was really compromised by a telecast, action should have been initiated under the relevant law by criminal prosecution of the accused. The decision panel did not make the right decision to ban the channel because it shows their failure to hide their weakness of their effective decision making. The Government should focus on keeping sensitive areas sanitized in the first place so that neither terrorists nor the media can come in. A ban on coverage should be fought in the courts. In a country where Goons, Mafia and Marauders are elected and become even a President or PM etc, and many really are, one wonders how Government hegemony against Journalistic Transparency is viewed - as if being transparent is anti National. Add to this the fact that there are legal and procedural systems, as prescribed by both the Government system and the Judicial system, which cannot be brushed aside, simply because the Government has vast powers at its disposal. However, the said Power cannot be unilaterally decided by some Committee. A committee of officials is not the ideal body to make an independent assessment of what constitutes information that poses an imminent danger to military personnel or civilians. That is the job of an independent forum. Let us also note that Democracy has four wings: The Parliament; The Executive; The Judiciary; the Fourth estate (Media). All must function independently, and must be controlled not by one or the other; but Constitution is the Leader.”