Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday said that censorship on media is not possible now because of technology. He said, if the emergency was ever to be re-imposed, it would collapse for the simple reason that one of the strengths of the emergency was Press censorship and technology does not permit a press censorship today.
Addressing National Press Day event in New Delhi on Friday, Jaitley said, the greatest challenge before media is to retain its credibility. Reasserting that nobody can now complain that their free speech is in danger due to multiple forums for readers and viewers, the minister said technology has made that putting pressures on media is next to impossible due to the growth of social media
Media's credibility will be its own maker and if misused, it can also be its own breaker, he said. At the event, Jaitley gave away the National Awards for Excellence in Journalism, presented by the Press Council of India (PCI). National Press Day which is celebrated on November 16 every year, symbolises free and responsible press in India. The Press Council of India started working as a watchdog on this day.
Veteran journalist and Hindu publishing group chairman N Ram was presented with the prestigious Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award for his outstanding contribution to journalism. Awards in other categories were also presented.
In his address, Jaitley said every political viewpoint is able to find space in some section of the media or the other. "With multiple (media) forums now available, nobody can seriously complain my speech is in danger. Neither the viewer or the reader, nor the one who wants to convey. You have alternatives available," he said.
He, however, cautioned that the alternatives are sometimes grossly abused, for personalised grounds, collateral purposes, political purposes, or for lobbying.
"I think the worst that can happen to free speech is that if a doubt in the mind of a reader or a viewer is created with regard to the integrity of the news or the opinion that he is seeing," the finance minister.
In his remarks, Jaitley also recalled that in the 1950s an amendment was brought in by the Jawaharlal Nehru Government restricting free speech if it adversely affected the country's relations with a foreign country.
He claimed that it was brought in because Nehru-Liaquat Ali pact became a subject matter of political debate and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee decided to lead a campaign against it. "We have grown out of that 1950-1952 phase... I don't think that is capable of happening today," he said.
"If the Emergency was ever to be re-imposed, because it is fashionable to say it is another Emergency. If the Emergency was ever to be re-imposed, it would collapse for the simple reason that one of the strengths of the Emergency was press censorship. And technology does not permit press censorship.
"You suddenly get access to information through various instruments that technology has provided," Jaitley said.
The finance minister said he has not been able to understand the criticism of those "who criticise the maximum". "Well your speech can't be in danger if you are criticising seven days a week," he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Press Council of India Justice Chandramouli Kumar Prasad said, regulating media is unacceptable and Press Council work relentlessly to uphold the integrity and impartiality of the media.