Alas! The Murder of the Fourth Estate

Democracy, free will, fundamental rights, an independent judiciary and finally a free and independent press. Seems to be right out of a civics text book, doesnt it?....Possibly, yes...but what if the word "India" is added into the equation?Makes any sense? Well, let me explain.

India, touted as the world's largest democracy, a shining beacon of hope for many of the less-privileged countries especially many of the third-world countries where democracy is brutally suppressed. A nation whose citizens enjoy numerous rights, freedoms which can only be the envy of the people in countries like China, Russia, and many of the Middle-eastern countries. A nation that has been the toast of the world as a rising power with strong democratic credentials. A nation that co-founded the UN Democracy Fund with the world's oldest democracy, the United States, amidst much fanfare.

A reason for every Indian to be proud, dont you think?...Now, what if I go along exactly diagonally opposite lines and say..."I'm not at all impressed with our democratic credentials, in fact India is no better in comparison to China and Pakistan"...Have I gone a bit too far?Is it sacrilege? Maybe the Indian government would have others to believe that this post is the handiwork of a "foreign hand across the border", posing to be an Indian hell-bent to "destablise the nation". Though, I really doubt how many people reading this blog would buy that argument, do not get me wrong. I'm every bit an Indian as is Dr.Manmohan Singh, possibly even more so.

In fact, I hold Dr.Singh in the highest esteem, but two events over the last few weeks has weakened my confidence in his government.

One is his goverment's proposal to introduce the draconian "Broadcast Regulation Services Bill 2006" in the monsoon session of the Parliament. This bill, if passed by the two houses of the parliament would even put Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao to shame.

The Bill — which will effectively regulate private broadcasting — provides for punishment like revocation of licences and fines on those who violate the proposed broadcast guidelines, including the Content Code under preparation, if their service is considered “prejudicial to friendly relations with a foreign country, public order, communal harmony or security of the state,” which are not specifically defined. It is particularly galling to see that the government is unilaterally going ahead with this proposal without even consulting the media. As a matter of fact, Information & Broadcasting minister PR Dasmunshi ruled out any discussions with the broadcasting industry on this subject saying that there was no way the bill will be "polluted" or "diluted".

Well, somebody sure is in a hurry to get this legislation passed. The question is "what is the motive behind this?"...Is it to stymie the media's ever growing influence in people's lives? That can be the only reason for this. And surely, Prime Minister Singh had to be in the know about this legislation, otherwise he has no business to head the cabinet. Turning a blind eye to such a draconian bill only means that he is an accomplice in the crime. I call this a "crime" because no democratic government can undermine the Fourth Estate. We all know that a free press is an essential component of any democratic setup, an absence of which tantamounts to "the murder of democracy in India".

Another instance where the government's indifference towards the freedom of speech came to fore soon after the 7/11 Mumbai commuter blasts that left nearly 200 dead. Instead of bringing the perpetrators to justice and taking tough anti-terror steps, the UPA government decided to ban a number of blogging websites across the country, as if this could help nab the terrorists who were responsible for the dastardly act. With this, India has joined the elite "Internet-Filtering Club" in the company of countries like Saudi Arabia,China,Russia and Pakistan.The country's 153 internet service providers (ISP) have blocked 17 websites since last week on government orders.I would not be surprised if this blog of mine too is given the same treatment.

The fact of the matter is that this UPA goverment has been relentless in its pursuit to regulate the media and to curtail civil liberties. Unless, the civil society raises its voice against these vicious moves, our country would be reduced to the status of a 'sham' democracy.

The summer saw the release of the blockbuster - "Quota:Politics ka ek atuut hissa" starring Arjun Singh.Now hold your breath for its grand sequel "Khoon ki pyasi:Baying for the media's blood" this time starring super-villain Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi. Only time will tell if this too proves to be a hit at the box office...If it does, it could embolden the other directors in the Congress party and the UPA government to come up with more such blockbusters!!