Shiban Khaibri
Frank Herbert , an American science -fiction author, journalist ,book reviewer and an ecological consultant had once aptly remarked , ” there exists a limit to the force even the most powerful may apply without destroying themselves. Judging this limit is the true artistry of government . Misuse of power is the fatal sin. The law cannot be a tool of vengeance , never a hostage, nor a fortification against the martyrs it has created. You cannot threaten any individual and escape the consequences.” Journalism is such a vast but critical field and with such a vast realm that it is said that its greatest virtue and its greatest fault are that it cannot remain silent. If it has to confirm to the tenets of true journalism , then it must speak and speak plainly and also speak immediately. The journalist worth its name and salt, must empower the citizens with all the available information to keep them informed adequately so that they take decisions about their lives, societies, countries and the Government. And the powers of journalism are really beyond imagination irrespective of being subjected to harassment, undue regulations, censors, intimidation, gagging , muzzling and what not as they can be effective to some extent only for a very , yet very limited period but not without making the victim turn as a martyr for truth and generate waves of sympathy , love , affection and endearment across the societies for him or her.
Are not sincere journalists serving as the watchdogs over those who are in power and position affecting the citizens? Does journalism not provide means and modes to the voiceless to raise voice for justice? Are not journalists , by their very profession , supposed to be watching over the ”powerful few” on behalf of many to guard against injustice and tyranny? Are not the truthful journalists supposed to dissect , probe, investigate and find what was kept hidden or passed on as half truth just like a surgeon operates upon an ailing patient even if it meant a bit of pain or discomfiture behind which lies setting the trouble right? In search for the truth and to know ”where, how, why, who and when ”, should a journalist not never think of even anything like fear or favour ? If journalism pawns its conscience and the pen with the echelons of power , the rich , the corrupt , the incompetent and the fake liberals and spurious democrats championing a particular brand of secularism and patenting it , what fate awaits in the long run of the concepts, nay realities of accountability, sincerity, moral code, ethics and the duty towards the people ,can be visualised in uncertain terms , it is another thing that something else could be feigned to camouflage the scenario.
The way Arnab Goswami was handled on the eve of his arrest and as shown live by TV channels, -pushed and shoved must have hurt millions of people otherwise holding media and journalist fraternity in high esteem. Before seeking justice in a court of law , people prefer to inform the media , the press to highlight the injustice faced by them or the problems, discrimination or excesses undergone by them. Cases of rampant corruption and scams, embezzlements and thieving, incompetence of the bureaucracy wherever noticed which could prove perilous to the interests of the citizens, criminalisation of politics and politics of criminalisation, drug and land mafia, highlighting the dangerous activities and anti national connotations of forces like ‘Tukday Tukday Gang’, Award Wapsi Club, over ground urban Naxal ”intellectuals”, Jihadi and fundamentalist elements and the like are highlighted by the journalist community, the media – electronic and printed, in which the Editor-in-Chief of the Republic TV Channel Arnab Goswami has taken an enviably leading role. That has really left a deep imprint in the psyche and the minds of the people across the country. Not only through his own Republic Channel but even prior to it, in the earlier TV Channel where he held the same position , he performed his role fearlessly and honestly.
We may and in fact are not liking his way of functioning many a time , in many ways, which relate to his unwarranted continuous interruptions whilst a panellist speaks in the frequent TV debates or his not being in a position to discipline a few panellists who, at times speak simultaneously creating a mess reminiscent of even a fish market , nevertheless, that does not cast any aspersion on his honesty as a fearless journalist whose aim should be to perform the role of a true , fearless ,impartial and knowledgeable journalist and not be concerned only about pecuniary gains and commerce . Yes, he took up the issue of chain of scams vociferously that took place during UPA regime and the same was widely got known by the people of the country. Imagine , if it had not been uncovered and made known, apart from giving a long reprieve and virtually bail out the suspects and the accused, the quantum of multifaceted damage it would have created to the country can only well be imagined. It is only through the media, we come to know about various crimes committed in the country especially crimes like massive corruption, financial irregularities ,nepotism and favouritism. Should any attempt be made to discourage such an arrangement which has the legal and constitutional backing?
We do not plead for any leniency for a crime committed by any one howsoever great and influential one be but only to face the legal consequences and we also know that even those accused of having committed heinous crimes were not treated roughly by the police in the course of arrests, during investigations etc and right up to prosecution stages but the way Arnab Goswami was treated as shown on camera is hardly justifiable. Slapping cases after cases against him and his channel smack of much more than meets the eye. All of a sudden , chain of FIRs against him are there , TRP case is there, then Hansa case is there of some money trail between Republic TV and Hansa Research Group, Abetment of suicide case is reopened after three years, Privileges motion case in the Maharashtra Assembly is there and other cases cannot, all of a sudden , spontaneously on their own, and in ordinary case, sprout – is what even an ordinary citizen can understand . Were all these cases where his involvement is suspect kept in cold storage so far and all of them surfacing in one go under normal course is not ascertained by the concerned authorities to the satisfaction of the citizens. However, again, that does not mean any act of offence should go unpunished but apples and mangoes can be distinguished easily from one another or in other words, wreaking of no vengeance and merely serving the tenets and the respect for law must be made explicit and distinguishable . It may be noted that police must do its duty of investigations as protectors of law and order but care must be taken that the process does not become a tool to suppress the rights of the media as otherwise guaranteed to it by the constitution.
Yes, he did not trivialise the extent and consequences of terrorism ”popularly” called in our country as ”militancy” and did not refer to a terrorist as a son of a poor Headmaster . Yes, he raised the voice for unfortunate, innocent, weak and defenceless two Hindu Sadhus and their innocent driver who were lynched mercilessly in Palghar, Maharashtra who were on their way back home after condoling death of their acquaintance and even seeking help frantically as SOS, they could not save their lives. Yes, he raised the voice for an investigation into the alleged suicide by a budding and talented Bollywood actor . Yes, he raised his voice for a talented young actress who chose to be outspoken and candid and whose house was bulldozed by the Maharashtra authorities while many more were in the list prior to her as “seniors” to have the illegal portions of their buildings brought down. Yes, he raised his voice against selective political tourism where a victim of physical assault and murder happened to be belonging to a particular caste , religion and from a state run by the ruling dispensation . Yes, he questioned the sincerity , propriety and conscientiousness of such opportunist leaders in not visiting similar incidents where the victim and the offender belonged to different faiths or the victim was not from a segment of vote bank. Yes, he raised other issues of national and international importance but having a lasting impact on the security , territorial integrity and sovereignty of this country. Yes, he raised his voice against dynastic rule and promoting dynasties. Yes, he abhorred the content of purpose and motive behind protests like Shaheen Bagh and exposed those who supported the ill conceived movement as also massive Delhi disturbances of death and destruction that followed. The list is endless. What personal interest had he in all these except serving , behaving and acting like a true journalist failing which it was better for him to sell peanuts somewhere else rather than being in the profession of journalism.
This country cannot be allowed to be dictated and policies framed on such dictations which emanated from corrupt and opportunist politicians wherever they are , nor from those who all these decades down had been pursuing policies of sheer and blatant appeasement. Times are changing and so must be true of all the pillars of democracy for the betterment of this country in which case, we have to keep in view how China and Japan, our two neighbours tremendously progressed , media being the fourth pillar may not be attempted to be weakened , democracy will be weakened that way with irreparable magnitude. A question to those liberals and ”open hearted democrats” who approached the Apex Court of this country in the middle of night for court’s intervention for granting their prayers in some cases must ponder over the case of Arnab too.
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