The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) and National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ) observed May 3, World Press Freedom Day, as: ‘Save Journalism, Protect Journalists Rights Day’. The meeting noted increasing curbs on media freedom and journalists rights and dignity, and also on our time tested Constitution.
Among those who spoke were Gautam Lahiri the President of the Press Club of India, Parul Sharma and Binny Yadav President and General Secretary of the Indian Women’s Corps(IWPC)respectively, media observer , OSD & Press Secretary to Late President of India K.R. Narayanan S.N. Sahu, Jaishankar Gupta former head of the Press Association and member of Press Council, prominent You Tube journalist Bhasha Singh, Senior advocate P.V. Surendranath , General Secretary All India Lawyers’ Union and Anil Chauhan of the All India lawyers Union (AILU), Dhanasumod General Secretary Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi unit) as well as S.K.Pande , President of the National Alliance of Journalists and Sujata Madhok , President of the DUJ.
Gautam Lahiri, condemned the growing denial of access to information under the current government, with a sharp reduction in the number of passes to cover Parliament and restrictions on the rights of accredited journalists to enter Ministries and speak freely even to officials. He said neither the Prime Minister nor the President hold Press Conferences. The Election Commission of India has also breached convention by not holding the usual press briefing after each polling day. He said the non-disclosure of the number of votes polled immediately after voting and provisional figures provided only 11 days later raises suspicion. He called for solidarity among journalists’ bodies to raise our collective demands.
Media observer S.N.Sahu, hailed Gandhi and Ambedkar as the greatest champions of press freedom, saying that Gandhi had launched a satyagraha for freedom of speech. He said after Jallianwala when the editor of the Tribune faced charges and the Pratap was forced to close down, Gandhi said, a “Doctrine of Frightfulness” was being enforced. Today we have a replay of the same doctrine to frighten everyone into submission. But, as Ram Mohan Roy pointed out, whenever press freedom is restricted there is protest.
Senior journalist Parul Sharma of IWPC regretted the continuing discrimination against women journalists and said they deserved dignity and equality in the profession. She said too many women are still insecure in journalism. She advocated various measures such as group insurance and the setting up of a common welfare trust to help professionals in their time of need.
Journalist and analyst, Bhasha Singh said besides press freedom May 3 is also a day to remember Manipur and Kashmir. In Manipur atrocities and violence continues to be terrible, particularly for journalists. She said this election is a critical time for democracy and we are on the edge. The Election Commission continues to ignore hate speech and religious polarization while the corporate owned mainstream media is not for democracy. This media has become a perception creating industry, a fake news industry. It parrots the government line on everything whether it is Pulwama or torture by the military in Kashmir, as exposed by Caravan recently. It carries in detail deliberately leaked ‘news’ on Newsclick, including the most vicious and wildly imaginative fiction, she said.
Journalist Binny Yadav said the media needs to ask more questions, if it is gagged it cannot inform voters. Without the ability to question, the country would become a sham democracy, she observed.
Senior advocate Surendranath, General Secretary of AILU pointed out that undermining the right to information undermines democracy. He said crony capitalists have captured much of the mainstream media and ountering it is a herculean task.
In this situation the fight of independent journalists and their organisations is vital, he added. He also called for a joint campaign by journalists and lawyers to fight against draconian laws like UAPA which are used to threaten our freedom. Senior advocate Anil Chauhan called for unity and more unity on common issues and expressed solidarity.
Senior journalist Jaishankar Gupta said journalists had long ago surrendered their freedom to their employers who in turn have surrendered to the government. He said we live in an undeclared censor ship now, not knowing which article or which comment on air will invite punitive action from the authorities. Independent journalists are quietly blacklisted by public or private broadcasters. The Press Council is barely functional, unable to provide redress, he added.
Veteran journalist S.K.Pande said we are in a state of undeclared censorship. There is a new McCarthyist Hindutva model operating in the media and acting against independent media. Our labour rights are under attack, with the Working Journalists Act and Rules about to vanish. Meanwhile statutory journalist Wage Board cases linger on in the courts. The news agencies are in poor shape, with salary freezes. Discussion on problem in states like Jammu & Kashmir and Manipur are debarred in mainstream media. In this scenario journalists ‘organisations and trade unions like the National Alliance of Journalists and the Andhra Pradesh Working Journalists Federation, among others are observing May 3. He said protests are being held in various districts in AP on May 3 to demand unfettered freedom of expression. The last nine to ten years have seen the worst crippling of democracy, with a special targeting of independent journalism and even censorship of news of journalists and their associations too.
Journalist Dhanasumod, said when we speak of attacks on individual journalists or independent media we are watching the trees, not the forest. We need to see the larger picture which is the imminent threat to democracy in the country.
Veteran journalist Sujata Madhok said there is need for both more solidarity and more networking among journalists and their organisations. We should individually do more ‘prachaar’ on WhatsApp, X, Instagram and other social media, forwarding information and calling out fake news. We must work together on drafting and demanding a fair media policy. We must publicise all attacks on journalists and draft and demand laws to protect journalists and their rights.
The meeting ended with DUJ Secretary Mukund Jha reading out a poignant Hindi poem titled ‘Rona’ by veteran journalist and poet Kuldeep Kumar, reflecting on the times which was widely appreciated.
