The government resolution does not spell out what action would be taken, if any, against those writing and publishing 'negative' news. Nor does it define negative' news and 'misinformation', explains Jyoti Punwani.
In January, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the Maharashtra government for not paying compensation due to villagers whose land had been acquired to build a water tank way back in 2005.
The villagers of Beed had spent 19 years trying to get the compensation. Despite high court orders directing it to pay, the Maharashtra government had not done so.
What exactly was the amount which the government refused to pay?
Rs 1.49 crore.
Not a huge amount, if you consider that roughly ten times that (Rs 10 crore) has just been allotted by the government to set up a media monitoring centre, which will check, everyday from 8 am to 10 pm, if 'negative information' or 'misinformation' regarding the government is being published.
From print to social media, every forum of public communication will be scanned and documented by a hired agency.
The government resolution does not spell out what action would be taken, if any, against those writing and publishing 'negative' news. Nor does it define 'negative' news and 'misinformation'.
Last week, tribal MLAs met Finance Minister Ajit PAwar to complain about funds not being allotted to them for projects already approved, said a news report. But the same report quoted the tribal development minister denying that the MLAs were dissatisfied. The meeting with Pawar was just a 'goodwill visit', the minister said.
Would this news qualify as 'negative' news, or would the minister's 'clarification' save it from being so classified? What if his denial had not been carried?
After videos and images of the torture of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch in Beed district who was killed in December, started circulating on social media last week, Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde finally resigned. He had ignored demands for his resignation ever since it became known that the main accused in Deshmukh's killing was reportedly close to him. These videos and images, part of the chargesheet in the murder case, left him no choice.
It's difficult to imagine an incident that could have created a more negative image of the new Mahayuti government than this murder. A sarpanch tries to stop extortion from a firm setting up a project in a village. The extortionists abduct him and urinate upon him while torturing him to death, inflicting 56 injuries with a range of weapons. They are found to be close to a minister, yet, the three most powerful men in government: The CM and his two deputies do not force this minister to resign.
Will the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government ever be able to wash off this stain? Yes, if the media lets go of this story, as often happens once the accused are arrested and the case goes to court. Keeping track of the legal proceedings; staying in touch with the slain main's family; checking if the police put up a strong case and the PP tries to get a conviction -- none of this is easy.
Will the fear that such a follow-up might be seen as 'negative information concerning the government' deter journalists?
How about if the media were to point out the double standards of CM Devendra Fadnavis? BJP MLA Nitesh Rane has, any number of times, provoked hatred and even instigated violence against Muslims. While doing so, he's bragged about being above the law, saying he's protected by the CM. No action has been taken against him for these offences, even after citizens have filed complaints.
Yet, one statement by Samajwadi Party Maharashtra president Abu Asim Azmi made outside the assembly, has led to his expulsion from the House for the entire session! He'll go to jail, the CM has declared. What Azmi said has been recorded by many historians: Aurangzeb was a good administrator, many of whose actions were motivated by politics, not religion; and India's GDP under Mughal rule was 28% of the world's GDP.
Will pointing out the government's double standards in dealing with two MLAs, one from the ruling party and the other from the Opposition, amount to 'negative' news?
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The Mahayuti government has completed just three months but already, dissensions within the coalition, hate speech and action by its MLAs, attempts to protect policemen indicted by the judiciary, and scams have made headlines.
Schemes launched by a previous CM are being investigated on orders of the current CM, and both are partners in government! It's significant that Fadnavis didn't order these investigations into Eknath Shinde's schemes after any public outcry, but suo moto. Surely this is a first.
Has all this made the government decide to restrain the media? Neither in these three months, nor in the Mahayuti's previous tenure, did the government prosecute anyone from the media for misinformation. Its ministers however, did browbeat journalists, threaten them and even order them to be thrown behind bars. One journalist was even killed by the mafia leader he had exposed.
These incidents were met with resistance by the media; within a few hours, the police had to release the journalist who'd been taken into custody on the orders of a minister.
Is this media monitoring centre a more organised way of bullying the media?
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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