पत्रकारों पर किसी रूप में हमला मुझे स्वीकार नहीं : काटजू

जाने माने जज और प्रेस काउंसिल आफ इंडिया के चेयरमैन मार्कंडेय काटजू ने जम्मू-कश्मीर के मुख्यमंत्री उमर अब्दुल्ला को एक पत्र लिखकर पत्रकारों पर हमले की घटनाओं पर अपनी सख्त आपत्ति जताई है और कहा है कि वे देश भर के मुख्यमंत्रियों को पत्र लिखकर बताने जा रहे हैं कि पत्रकारों पर किसी भी रूप में हमला उन्हें बिलकुल स्वीकार नहीं है. उन्होंने सभी को याद दिलाया है कि प्रेस की आजादी सुरक्षित रखना प्रेस काउंसिल का कर्तव्य है जिसकी व्याख्या प्रेस काउंसिल एक्ट के सेक्शन 13 में की गई है… काटजू का पूरा पत्र इस प्रकार है…

December 1, 2011

Mr. Omar Abdullah,

Chief Minister of J & K

Srinagar.

Through Mr. Asgar Khan PS to Chief Minister

Dear Mr. Abdullah,

I sent you an mail recently about the assault on some Kashmiri journalists in Srinagar, and asked you for your comments and the action you took in this connection. As yet I have not received any reply.

In the meantime I have received a report from the South Asia Chief of Bureau of the Associated Press, Mr. Ravi Nessman in which he mentioned that according to the police there was an unruly mob of about 300 to 400 youth armed with lathis and stones who were told to disperse, but instead of doing so they hurled stones on the police party, which resulted in the lathi charge. According to this police report, the journalists could not be differentiated from the rest of the mob.

I do not agree with the police version. I am informed that the journalists had video cameras and other equipments, which clearly distinguished them from the rest of the crowd. At any event, it is obvious that when a journalist is being attacked he is bound to tell the police that he is a journalist.

I am writing a letter to the Union Cabinet Secretary and Union Home Secretary, and all the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries/Home Secretaries of all the States in India, and all the Chief Secretaries of Union Territories that I am not going to accept violence on journalists by the police or para military forces. It is the duty of the Press Council under section 13 of the Press Council Act to uphold the freedom of the press. A journalist while covering an incident is only doing his job. He is like a lawyer who defends his client. Just as a lawyer cannot be equated with his client, so also a journalist cannot be equated with the crowd. A lawyer may defend a murderer, but that does not make him a murderer. Similarly, a journalist is only doing his duty of conveying information to the public, and he enjoys the fundamental right of freedom of the media guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India.

The paramilitary forces and police in all States/Union Territories must therefore be instructed not to commit any violence on media persons, otherwise they will face criminal proceedings which the Press Council will launch against them.

Yours faithfully,

(Markandey Katju)

Chairman, Press Council of India 

Copy to:

Union Cabinet Secretary/Union Home secretary

All Chief Ministers/Chief Secretaries/Home Secretaries of States Government and Union Territories