11/7/2016

Mediacensorship:WhenthescreengoesblankTheHindu

OPINIONCOMMENT

Published:November7,201600:46IST|Updated:November7,201600:46ISTNovember7,2016

Whenthescreengoesblank
SanjayPinto

AFP
Whodetermineswhatconstitutesabreachofnationalsecurity?
WithouttheimpositionofEmergency,willexecutivepowertocensorandstoptransmissionofnewsstandjudicialscrutiny?
TheInformationandBroadcastingMinistrys24hourbanonthetelevisionchannelNDTVIndiaoveritsPathankotcoverageisbeing
seenasanattempttomuzzleinconvenientlivereportage.Andworse,acaseofselectivevendetta.TheMinistryhasinvokedtheCable
TelevisionNetworks(Amendment)Rules,2015,onthegroundthatthechannelbroadcastcrucialinformationwhichcompromisednational
security.Theserulesprohibitlivecoverageofanyantiterroristoperationbysecurityforcesandrestrictmediacoveragetoperiodic
briefingbyadesignatedofficertillsuchoperationconcludes.Itisnotclearifthechannel'simpugnedbroadcastwas'livecoverage'orjust
'reportage'.
Acaseofoverreach
The2015Rules,whichoperateasaninteriminjunctionon24x7reportage,aretopreventsensitiveinformationfromfallingintothewrong
handsandnotbecomealicenceforexcessesoracoverup.Theyaresilentonwhetheritismandatoryforthegovernmenttodesignatean
officialspokespersontogiveoutinformation.Whiletherestrictiononlivecoverageiscategoricalwiththeuseofthewordshall,thereisno
definitionofthetermperiodic.WhatisperiodicfortheStatemaybeinadequatefora24x7televisionchannel.Further,briefingimplies
sharingacarefullyvettedstatement,andnotnecessarilyansweringquestions.Antiterroroperationsmustcertainlynotbecompromisedby
irresponsiblerevelationsofstrategicallysensitiveinformation.Butthejobofthemediaistobeanobjectiveobserver,tospeaktruthtopower,
toquestion,eveninvestigate,forinstance,whetheranencounterisgenuineorstaged,whetherasuspectgunneddownisreallyaterrorist,in
keepingwiththeguidelinesoftheNationalHumanRightsCommission.
TheMinistrysbanflowsfromitspowerunderSection20oftheCableTelevisionNetworks(Regulation)Act.Theprovisionempowersthe
Centralgovernmenttoregulateorprohibitthetransmissionorretransmissionofanychannelorprogrammeifitisnecessaryorexpedient
todosointheinterestofthesovereignty,integrityorsecurityofIndia,friendlyrelationswithanyforeignStateorpublicorder,decencyor
morality.TheseclausesareareplicaofthereasonablerestrictionstofreespeechunderArticle19(2)oftheConstitution.Thelegislative
intentwasobviouslytoonlysanctionactionwithintheconstitutionalframeworkandasalastresort.
Courtswordofcaution
TherightofthemediatoreportnewsasithappensisconstitutionallyguaranteedunderArticle19(1)(a)oftheConstitution.Thisextendsto
viewersandreaderswhohavearighttoknow.Ofcourse,itishemmedinwithreasonablerestrictions.Isthebanareasonablerestrictionon
thisfundamentalright?Howdidthechannel'scoverageunderminetheinterestsofthesovereigntyandintegrityofIndia,thesecurityofthe
state,friendlyrelationswithforeignstates,whicharetherelevantconstitutionallypermissiblerestrictionsonfreespeech?Whodetermines
whatconstitutesabreachofnationalsecurity?ThescopeofreasonablerestrictionswasexaminedbytheSupremeCourtinS.Rangarajanv.
P.JagjivanRam.Itnotedthattheanticipateddangershouldnotberemote,conjecturalorfarfetched.InChintamanRaov.Stateof
MadhyaPradesh,theapexcourthadheldthatreasonablerestrictionsmustnotbearbitraryorexcessive.
TheCableTelevisionNetworks(Regulation)Actmustnotbetrivialisedtooperatelikeastickinthehandsofaheadmastertoreinin
disobedientschoolchildren!Themootpointhereiswhethertheimpugnedcontentfellwithintheconstitutionaltestofclearandpresent
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11/7/2016

Mediacensorship:WhenthescreengoesblankTheHindu

danger.Iftheinformationwasalreadyinthepublicdomain,asthechannelargues,whatisthemechanismadoptedbythecommitteethat
recommendedtheban,tozeroinonNDTValone?Actiontaintedwithmalafideintentisliabletobestruckdownongroundsof
discriminationandmaliceasitwouldfallfoulofArticle14.Toshutdownanewschannelforawholedaytoostensiblysetanexample
createsadangerousprecedent.
Fallingintoerror
WithouttheimpositionofEmergency,willexecutivepowertocensorandstoptransmissionofnewsstandjudicialscrutiny?Canthe
governmentbeajudgeinitsowncauseandbasedonitssubjectiveinterpretation,usurpthepowersofcourtstocarryoutpunishmentfor
violationofthelaw?Wouldntsuchpracticesunderminethedoctrineofseparationofpowers,whichisabasicstructureoftheConstitution?
HavetheprinciplesofnaturaljusticebeenadequatelyadheredtobeforetramplingoverthechannelsrighttodoitsjobunderArticle19(1)
(g)?
InShreyaSinghalv.UnionofIndia,theSupremeCourtcautionedtheauthoritiesagainstanyinsidiousformofcensorshipwhich
impairsacorevaluecontainedinArticle19(1)(a)andhasachillingeffectonthefreedomofspeechandexpression.
ItisrelevanttoquoteJusticeJacksoninAmericanCommunicationsAssociationv.Douds:Thoughtcontrolisacopyrightof
totalitarianism...ItisnotthefunctionofourGovernmenttokeepthecitizenfromfallingintoerroritisthefunctionofthecitizentokeepthe
Governmentfromfallingintoerror.
Letthemediaremainawatchdog.Leavetheinterpretationofnationalinteresttoourcourts.Anddontallowtheexecutivetobecomea
bloodhound.
SanjayPintoisalawyer,columnistandformerResidentEditorofNDTV24x7.
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