May 19, 2024 • Makkal Adhikaram
The role of media in the country is important for social welfare, national welfare, economic progress, social harmony and peace. Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi give priority to the neutral media if he comes to power again? Why has this become a talking point in the country? Many political parties have created their own media to disseminate their ideas and messages to the people.
All these are corporate companies today. Television and magazines are all functioning in each state. When asked why he did not hold a press conference in the last 10 years, Modi said the media is not neutral. That’s a fact 100% people know.
But neutral media can only count on a handful. So far, the central and state governments have not given any importance to such media and are running newspapers fighting for social welfare. The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Journalists Federation has sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He forwarded it to the Press Council of India. I have received two letters from there asking me to give your clear opinion again. It has been sent again. So far, no response has emerged.
The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Journalists’ Federation has decided to send legal notices to the Tamil Nadu Press Council of India, the Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Information Department and the Information and Broadcasting Department of the Government of India in this regard soon. The arrest of Savukku Shankar has created a crisis for freedom of speech and expression in Tamil Nadu. This is political vendetta. Who gave them the authority to arrest the police for abusing the police and break their hands? It is a violation of the law and a violation of human rights. Apart from this, Felix Gerald, who interviewed him, has also been arrested. besides
When the freedom of the press in the country gives voice to justice, such unjust arrests are made by the rulers through the police. Does that mean the police are law-abiding? Or does it work as a stooge of the rulers? For both of these questions, the court is there. Now the right of law can be upheld, does the law rule here? Or did the police take the law into their own hands? For all this, the court has been under the main obligation to uphold the freedom of the press and freedom of expression in the country.
Moreover, in the case of Tamil Nadu, the Information Department of the Government functions as corporate press agents. I mean, the press secretary I just met, Dr. Subramanian, is a very conscientious officer, and there is no difference of opinion on that. Besides, from hearing about him, I heard that he started life from the lowest rungs.
Moreover, I was informed that even when he was serving as a Collector, he would take immediate action against the common poor and the middle class. I went there two or three times. He said I had forwarded my petition to the director. I don’t know what action the director has taken so far. “People’s Power is the only newspaper that has been continuously reporting on the plight of journalism for five years.
If so, the news department has admitted the mistakes. I have already been told that the real news I am writing is true by Mohan IAS and Bhaskara Pandian IAS. But officials say there is nothing to be done about these newspapers because of political interference here. Now, when the matter is taken to court, how many newspapers are neutral? How many newspapers are partisan? How many newspapers are news of social welfare? They’re going to question everything there.
If you answer there, it is the policy decision of the news department. Only then can we usher in a dawn for all these newspapers. There is no point in telling the people that this is the biggest newspaper in the country. Now all that situation has changed. People are not ready to buy those magazines and read them. It is said that Malai Murasu is a newspaper for one district and 100 magazines are coming to Tiruvallur district.
How much is the sale and how much is the return? This account is a fake auditor’s report that is being given in the news industry and getting concessions and advertisements. How deceptive is the rule of circulation when this is the case? Many newspapers are cheating like this in the media industry. Also, what if it is a month of newspapers that people can read, news that people need, and can give? What if it’s a week? What if it’s daily? Or what if it’s on the internet?
Instead of giving importance to it, the newspapers of their choice, the newspapers that can be the cymbals of the rulers, if this is what we are giving concessionary advertisements, then this is the freedom of the press and the government officials are helping to waste crores of tax money. The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Journalists Federation is going to move the court to put an end to all this. If the central and state governments do not read and regulate journalism, it will not benefit the society.
Moreover, the central government should pay more attention to this and take neutral decisions to regulate the press. On behalf of People’s Power Magazine, I record this opinion that only if there is a law for the corporate press and a law for the ordinary press, only if all these changes are made, social welfare, this national interest, will be important in the freedom of the press.
