Roti namak aur india’s democracy

Roti namak aur india’s democracy

Press freedom can’t be hostage to political egos.

Restrictions on and/or punitive state actions against journalists doing their job are becoming worryingly frequent. There’s the absurd and dangerous FIR by Uttar Pradesh police against a reporter who shot a video of school midday meals serving roti and salt. There are the post-NRC Assam curbs on foreign journalists, via the use of a 1958 law, which itself was an avatar of a regressive colonial law, that deemed the northeast as a ‘protected area’. There are multiple instances of the Jammu & Kashmir administration’s overzealous response to reportage deemed ‘critical’. And reducing press freedom is a cross-party favourite. When Karnataka was ruled by Congress-JD(S), the then-chief minister had mused about new rules suppressing critical press reportage. Add to this examples across states ruled by various parties where the police have taken action on the basis of nothing more than humorously critical social media posts.

In some cases, such as the UP FIR against the reporter, ruling regimes have tried to backpedal after widespread criticism in the local and national media. But that’s not conclusive proof of a change of heart. It’s merely demonstration that sometimes even the most brazen violators of press freedom feel the heat of genuine public outrage. And this dangerous trend will not be reversed unless top leadership of all parties tell everyone down the party line, chief ministers included, that such responses are not permissible and will only serve to detract from whatever they do to build up a positive reputation by way of delivering good governance. An active press aids governance.

To argue, as central leaders of all parties often do, that law and order is a state subject is disingenuous. Every overly touchy chief minister will respect press freedom if his/her leaders want that to be the case. And once CMs relearn this aspect of democracy, so will state administrators. Of course, for the likes of Mamata Banerjee, they have to convince themselves. India’s democracy is one of its great virtues. It cannot be tarnished by brutish action born out of fragile political egos.