THERE CAN’T BE TWO YARDSTICKS FOR FREE SPEECH
Just think of an imaginary situation for a moment — a journalist offends Prime Minister, Narendra Modi with some remark that the PM believes to be derogatory and consequently, 200 FIRs are registered against the journalist in the BJP-ruled states all over the country, BJP workers and Modi supporters try to attack him physically, and he is subjected to police interrogation for more than 12 hours. Oof, the very idea of a possible reaction from the advocates of free press is so scary.
By: Brajendra K Parashar
Frankly speaking I am no longer a fan of Arnab Goswami and I rarely watch the ‘Poochta Hai Bharat’, primetime debate hosted by him on his Republic Bharat, a news channel, every day from Monday to Friday. The reason is simple — I find more noise and less substance there.
There was a time when I would make it a point to regularly watch the ‘News Hour’, the famous debate show he used to anchor on the Times Now, an English news channel. The ‘News Hour’ and Arnab Goswami were coterminous.
The show was immensely popular and so was Arnab Goswami who emerged as a brand. Many other anchors working for different channels tried to copy his style and aggression. Not that the ‘News Hour’ was not noisy. It was. But the way he conducted the show and took on the mightiest guests with is cogent arguments appealed to viewers.
But once he parted ways with the Times Now and co-founded the Republic Bharat starting the ‘Poochta Hai Bharat’ debate show on it, he not only became even noisier but also got histrionic — beyond a limit. And all this made me lose interest in him and his show. There are a large number of people who still love watching his primetime.
His admirers see nothing wrong in Arnab often taking a position on issues he debate. They believe that Arnab, like some other chief anchors such as Sudhir Chaudhary, Rohit Sardana and Rubika Liyaquat, merely tries to balance what is so blatantly imbalanced by terribly ‘prejudiced’ and ‘agenda’ anchors like Ravish Kumar and his ilk who invariably show and magnify shortcomings of one side but conveniently gloss over the shortcomings of the other camp.
HEIGHT OF INTOLERANCE
So, you may like or dislike Arnab Goswami, you may agree you may disagree with his viewpoint or his kid of journalism. It is a matter of personal choice. True, many people criticize Arnab Goswami for his remarks aimed at Congress party president Sonia Gandhi during a discussion on the Palghar lynching incident in which three persons, including two sadhus were lynched by a mob amid the police presence.
During the discussion on the incident Arnab remarked on Sonia’s Italian origin by mentioning her by her original name. “I think Sonia is happy in her heart that saints are being attacked in a state where she has formed the government”, he said in his roaring monologue daring Sonia Gandhi to condemn the lynching of Sadhus. This brought him in the firing range of her supporters and party workers who termed the remark as ‘derogatory’.
Within no time around 200 FIRs were registered against Arnab in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chatisgarh all the Congress-ruled states as well as in Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir. Three days ago, Mumbai police interrogated him at the police station for more than 12 hours on end.
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Legally, Arnab committed no wrong by questing Sonia Gandhi’ s expedient silence or by mentioning her by her original name. Raising and asking question is any journalist’s right. But, I somehow, feel that Arnab could have asked the same question in a better way without sounding discourteous and offensive. People including me, respect Sonia Gandhi not only for the way she Indianised herself after she was married to Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 but also for grace and dignity with which she always carried and conducted herself in personal and professional life after she became widow in 1984 at the age 44.
WITCH-HUNT
A bigger question here, however, is this: Will you indulge in a witch-hunt of a journalist just because he puts some uncomfortable or even avoidable questions to you? Mind it, when you condemn lynching of Akhlaq but adopt expedient silence over a bigger incident of lynching of three helpless people including two Sadhus in the police presence, the questions will naturally be asked. You can choose not to answer the question but cannot shoot the messenger.
Registering some 200 FIRs against Arnab Goswami, an attempt to physically attack him and his wife and his police interrogation for more than 12 hours is the height of intolerance of criticism and a clear bid to gag the free press in a country that boasts of its Constitution and democracy. This deserves condemnation by all.
May be, Arnab’s remark was not in good taste but there was nothing derogatory so much so that 200 cases are registered against him in a set of particular states. If a purportedly derogatory remark can invite such a strong action against a journalist, then we me must also not forget the kind of remarks (‘neech, maut ka saudagar, gandi naali ka keera, to name a few) that the senior Congress leaders have, in the past, made publicly about an elected and popular Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi. Congress scion Rahul Gandhi is often seen using abusive and indecent language for the PM.
DOUBLE STANDARDS
The Arnab episode has badly exposed the dual standards of political parties and all others who
claim to be ardent advocates of free speech in the country. These people always brazenly defend even the anti-India slogans in the name of ‘freedom of speech’. Remember politicians belonging to different political parties took no time in rushing to the JNU in February 2016 when police cracked down on KanhaIya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others for their shouting ‘Bharat tere tukre honge’ slogans and organizing an even ‘The Country Without A Post Office’ to commemorate the death anniversary of Parliament terror attack convict Afzal Guru who was hanged in 2013? They defended JNU students’ action in the name right to freedom of speech and expression.
Aldo, the same people have been going about convincing everyone for last six years that there was a fascist rule in the country muffling the freedom of press. Interestingly, all these self-proclaimed champions of free speech have disappeared like horns from a donkey’s head when it came to the persecution of senor journalist for posing some uncomfortable questions to a powerful politician. They are the Janus-faced people whose only concern is to promote their own agenda in the country though they pretend to be upholders of liberal, secular and democratic values.
Unfortunately, Arnab appears to be fighting his battle alone with the media fraternity also not rising a voice against the wrong. Probably no news channel, newspaper, and magazine are debating the issue.
Now, just think of an imaginary situation for a moment — a journalist offends Prime Minister, Narendra Modi (remember he is a PM and one of the most popular ones) with his remark that Modi believes to be objectionable and consequently, 200 FIRs are registered against the journalist in the BJP-ruled states all over the country, BJP workers try to attack him physically, and he is subjected to police interrogation for more than 12 hours. Oof, the very idea of the possible reaction that would have come from the advocates of free press is so scary.
Believe me, the political parties, intellectuals and 24x7 news channels would have all set the country on fire. They would have immediately declared that there was an emergency and Fascist rule in the country, many of them would have hit streets with protests and taken out candle processions and what not.
Always remember, there cannot be two yardsticks to protect freedom of press — a right that is inherent in the Fundamental Right to freedom of speech and expression. You cannot take a stand on the violation of this important right as per your convenience.
