SOME WEST BENGAL MEDIA DEFEND MAOISTS

A section of media in West Bengal have raised their voice against the so-called “deceitful manner” in which Chatradhar Mahato, the dreaded anti-national Maoist terrorist responsible for the gruesome murder of hundreds of innocents, eviction of thousands of people and plunder and torching of their houses in Lalgarh and Jangalmahal areas of West Bengal, has been arrested by the police in the guise of journalists. They think that the action of the police has tarnished the image of their profession.

IS IT REALLY SO? HAS THE POLITICALLY MOTIVATED MEDIA LEFT ANY IMAGE IN THEIR PROFESSION?

Kishenji, one of the top Maoist leaders, has already declared that most of the media in the state are friendly to them. So, the criticism on the part of some media over the arrest of their murderous terrorist-turned-friend is very natural. But the pretext of condemnation is unnatural and ludicrous.

There is no denying the fact that some media in West Bengal think themselves to be the most appropriate successors of Dr. Joseph Goebbles, Propaganda Minister of Adolf Hitler, and above the Constitution as well as Law of the land and the Code of Ethics of Journalism & Media Guidelines evolved by the Press Council of India. They also believe that the cowardly acts of butchering unarmed poor tribals and innocent people by armed Maoists are justified, defensible, necessary, acceptable, reasonable and need of the day. So, this media never raised any protest against the terrorist outfits for butchering innocent people and unleashing a reign of terror and panic in Nandigram, Lalgarh, Jangalmahal and other areas of the state. On the other hand, they along with Mamata Banerjee and her rainbow alliance of TMC-Congress-SUCI-pseudo intellectuals always tried to prove unsuccessfully that the Maoists were never in Nandigram, Singur, Lalgarh, Jangalmahal and other Maoist infested areas and dismissed the fact as bogus and as a propaganda maneuvering of the CPI (M). But the cat has come out of the big. The presence of Maoists in Nandigram, Singur, Lalgarh, Junglemahal and other areas is as clear as broad daylight. So, now they have started to glorify and defend them in every possible manner as a part of their political strategy.

The media in West Bengal believes that they have the birth right to adopt any dubious or fraudulent method in their profession and approach anyone including antinational terrorist outfits, wood smugglers and abductors at anytime in the guise of any profession to glorify them as “national heroes” and “modern Robinhoods”. They have the fundamental right to write anything, whatsoever, in respect of any person or any organization that they do not like out of political considerations and professional compulsions. It does not matter whether it goes against the interests of the country or ethics of journalism. But others have no such right. The media people think that everything and every act stand fair and justified in their profession. They also think that the Maoist assassins, hired killers, extortionists, blackmailers and mercenaries have also the freedom to carry on all sorts of inhuman and barbarous anti-people and anti-national activities without any interruption from any quarter.

The Constitution of India gives editors and journalists the fundamental right to publish and print news or any kind of information and to comment and criticize on public affairs. It includes the right not to publish or comment as well. However, the freedom of the press is not absolute; neither is the freedom of expression.

The fundamental objective of journalism is to serve the people with news, views, comments and information on matters of public interest, in a fair, accurate, unbiased, sober and decent manner. Publication of inaccurate, baseless, graceless, misleading or distorted materials should be avoided. All sides of the core issue or subject should be reported.

Every single news and reporting in the media in West Bengal in respect of CPI (M) and the Left Front Govboernment is based on exaggerations, distortions of fact, slanderous campaign, untruthfulness, defamatory, derogatory and misleading imputations, inaccuracy, partiality, unfairness and indecency. If Hitler and/or his Propaganda Minister Dr. Joseph Goebbels were alive, they would have hung their heads in shame and traumatized to see that their successors in the media of the state have reached very far-off surpassing them in all matters of fraudulency, deception, dishonesty, distortion of facts, manufacture and concoction of false & fake news and reports, slanderous campaign, unfairness and what not.

Many people say that the media in West Bengal has already lowered the coffin of journalism into the grave.

So, their protest against the arrest of a dreaded Maoist on the pretext of ‘blots on their profession’ and attempt to create sympathy and compassion in his favour is not only unjustified, unnatural and unacceptable but also antinational.

Mark Twain had very rightly commented to the effect that:

“IT IS A FREE PRESS……THERE ARE LAWS TO PROTECT THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS’S SPEECH, BUT NONE THAT ARE WORTH ANYTHING TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE FROM THE PRESS.”

WB MEDIA LAUNCHES TERROR ATTACK ON CPI (M)

The Constitution of India gives editors and journalists the fundamental right to publish and print news or any kind of information and to comment and criticize on public affairs. It includes the right not to publish or comment as well. However, the freedom of the press is not absolute; neither is the freedom of expression.

A compendium of broad principles evolved by the Press Council of India through its adjudications/principles was first published in 1983-84. In October, 1992, the Council published an updated but succinct compilation of the principles of journalistic ethics sorted out from the adjudication of the Council and the guidelines issued by it in their wake. The Guide of Journalistic Ethics was further revised and updated in 1995 by the then Chairman, Mr. Justice P.B. Sawant. Below are excerpts from the 1992 Guidelines.

1 The fundamental objective of journalism is to serve the people with news, views, comments and information on matters of public interest, in a fair, accurate, unbiased, sober and decent manner. Publication of inaccurate, baseless, graceless, misleading or distorted materials should be avoided. All sides of the core issue or subject should be reported.

2 Verification and checking of news before publication is necessary.

3 News of slanderous nature should be discarded.

4 News based on the report of an accredited correspondent should be discarded.

5 Unjustified rumours and surmises should not be set forth as facts.

6 Journalists should judge no one unheard.

7 Newspapers should not publish anything which is per se defamatory or libellous against any individual or organization.

8 Whenever a newspaper receives a report or article containing defamatory or derogatory imputations or comments against a public figure, public servant or public organization, touching his/her or its public conduct or character in so far as it appears in that conduct, the editor should, before publishing it, check with due care and attention, its factual accuracy apart from other authentic sources, with the person or the organization concerned to elicit his/her or its version, comments or reaction and publish the same.

9 This salutary rule of journalistic ethics and fairness follows as a necessary corollary from two basic principles:

a. The first is a fundamental canon of natural justice that no one should be condemned unheard.

b. The second is that freedom of the press is not merely a right of the publishers and editors but also of the readers’/peoples’ right to know all sides of an issue of public interest.

10 Newspapers should not present acts of violence and terrorist activities in a manner that glorifies these acts.

11 Newspapers should not pass on or elevate conjecture, speculation or comment as a statement of fact.

As a matter of fact, most of the media, both print and electronic, in West Bengal has always been very much biased and prejudiced against the C.P.I. (M), the Left Front and the Left Front Government. They never follow the minimum journalistic or the media ethics of the Press Council of India as enumerated above while publishing news in respect of CPI (M) and the Left Front Government. Now-a-days, their sole and only political aim is to instal Mamata Banerjee as the next Chief Minister of West Bengal by any how and at any cost. So, all their reporting is guided by this ultimate aim in mind. Every single news and reporting in respect of CPI (M) and the Left Front is based on distortions of fact, slanderous campaign, untruthfulness, defamatory, derogatory and misleading imputations, inaccuracy, partiality, unfairness and indecency. If Hitler and/or his Propaganda Minister Dr. Joseph Goebbels were alive, they would have hung their heads in shame and traumatized to see that their successors in the media of West Bengal have reached very very far-off surpassing them in all matters of fraudulency, deception, dishonesty, distortion of facts, manufacture and concoction of false & fake news and reports, slanderous campaign, unfairness and what not.

“Ananda Bazaar Patrika” is the leader and pioneer in this respect with ‘Star Anand’, ‘Bartaman’, ‘Pratidin’, ‘Sangbad’, “The Statesman” and others following it. Throwing all code of ethics of journalism and media guidelines to the winds, they are hell bent on disgracing, defaming, tarnishing and discrediting CPI (M) and its allies adhering to all sorts of polluted and desecrated methods.

The following are few of the glaring examples of their misdeeds.

(1) During Indo-China War, these media termed Communists as agents of China and tried to create public hysteria against them.

(2) During Indo-Pakistan War in 1965 and 1971 the media tried to term CPI (M) as the agent of Pakistan.

(3) The media created a hue and cry over the unfortunate incident at Rabindra Sarovar Stadium in 1967 and tried to slander CPI (M) and other Leftist parties saying that hundreds of women were raped and molested.

(4) A flood of concocted and fabricated stories were unleashed while reporting on the incident of Sain Bari at Burdwan.

(5) Most respected Forward Block leader Hemanta Bose was murdered by Naxalites in 1971. But the media tried to put the onus of the same on CPI (M).

(6) During 1969-1972 this media tried to glorify the Naxalites and justify the murder of hundreds of CPI (M) cadres by Congxals (Congress + Naxals).

(7) During Panchayat Election in 1998 this media spread concocted news that Chapala Sardar was raped by CPI (M) leaders in South 24, Parganas. Later it was proved false.

(8) During Nandigram episode this media spread fabricated false news that hundreds of women were raped and hundreds of minor children were murdered by CPI (M) cadres. But not even single case was proved true.

(9) Misusing the unfortunate death of Rizwanur Rahaman, they created unprecedented communal ill-feelings and hatred against CPI (M) and the Leftists during the last Parliamentary Elections.

(10) The media has been glorifying the Maoists in every possible manner and justifying their gruesome murder of CPI (M) cadres and leaders in Nandigram, Lalgarh, Jangalmahal and other areas.

(11) They have been justifying the violence perpetrated by the rainbow alliance of TMC-Congress-Maoists-SUCI in West Bengal on this or that plea.
They are in competition with one another as to who can manufacture, fabricate and concoctate fake and false news in respect of CPI (M) and the Leftist movement in West Bengal and the rest of the country. They are so much obsessed with anti-CPI (M) politics that even a slight rumour or gossip occupies headlines of their front pages.