An eminent English daily in its leading news reported about widespread abuse of newly passed Digital Security Act. According to the report political parties, human rights organisations and several hundred citizens in separate statements on Wednesday voiced grave concerns over the arrests of several human rights activists, writers and political activists and also over reported disappearances, extra-judicial killings and infringements of fundamental rights by law enforcement agencies. It cited instances of police cases in support of the news item.
In general term the news item mentioned publishing of reports or cartoons harmful for the image of the government. There is also the indication that the ministers or high officials are not directly involved in instigating the cases. The main thrust was on use of RAB or police for actions against those harming the image of the government.
In the present messy position of the government there is no need for too much anxiousness for the image of the government. The image of the government can be built by being helpful to the people in this time of worst crisis of life death. But there is less success for the government to show.
But the instances mentioned in the news item did not appear to us so serious calling for immediate police actions. We find no serious newspapers or important journalists were subjected to police actions. There would have been easy ways of dealing with them. The best thing would have been not giving them so much importance. That is why we have been saying that for running a good government political judgement is unavoidable.
In the past we all condemned digital law and curtailment of press freedom and free speech. At the same time we did not encourage irresponsible people claiming freedom as journalists. Because true journalism cannot be irresponsible
In dealing with matters of state and welfare of the people no journalist can be careless and publish
anything subversive under the umbrella of free press. That is why we have Press Council for imposing self-regulation of the professional ethics and professional responsibility. The government has to act with restraint in dealing with the problem. Whereas these masters have sent the Press Council to the dark corner.
This is also not right for the government to regulate the media relying on arbitrary laws and police decisions. In applying the law due judgement has to be exercised politically by the government. By ignoring the importance of media freedom the government has come to the position of a failed government overwhelmed by corruption. Now for everybody to see what’ll be the fate of government.
We have been saying many times that running of a government is not responsibility of the police but this government depended on police for everything including the election management. The result is the government is not a politically organised entity.
We know that blaming the police for excesses is not also fair for the reason that they are not for politics or exercising political judgements. The government was running the government like a police state bereft of political leadership. The government itself will have to agree that now it is caught in an awful mismanagement.
At a time so critical to remain engaged in organising the broken healthcare system and making food and cash urgently available to the needy people, it is not the time for police actions for improving the image of the government.
In our view the persons against whom police actions have taken are not that influential enough though they may claim to be journalists. They could have been handled in a different way.
In our view the persons against whom police actions have taken are not that influential enough though they may claim to be journalists. They could have been handled in a different way.
There is nothing new that the media freedom is not guaranteed in the country. No democratic institution is left undamaged.
The journalists being political activists of party politics it has become easier for the government not to take seriously the press freedom. The pro-government journalists do not care about press freedom. The others are termed as pro-opposition. So the crisis is to know who are journalists and who are motivated by other considerations.
By gagging the press the government has not gained public acceptability or become well-organised for dealing with the problems caused by the vicious pandemic. The image of any good government cannot be tarnished by irresponsible utterances. The government image is to be built and protected by the government itself. But lies have crippled the government.
In our view the government has damaged itself irreparably by the lies of self seekers in or around the government. The truth is the government is suffering from the crisis of faith and credibility among the people.
The government should now listen to experts and competent persons to know how best to succeed in overcoming the devastating coronavirus and not rely on those who have made the administration dysfunctional.
Our preparation of medical care is abysmally inadequate. Unless the people’s trust in medical treatment is restored no amount of lockdown or easing of lockdown will be helpful. More and more people will be contacted by the virus creating more problem.
Our opinion is the government should worry about lies of policy makers within the government than lies of outsiders who do not matter.
