Since last one year, the method of democratic freedom of media has been in the notice of the Chief Justice of India and the High Courts of all the states.
Along with Delhi Police raiding the houses of several journalists and other professionals working or associated with the news portal Newsclick and seizing their mobile phones, laptops, Newsclick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources Head Amit Chakraborty have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The entire journalism world of the country is shocked by the arrest of a case under stringent sections of the Indian Penal Code (UAPA). Due to this, fear, dread and terror of considering the profession of journalism as terrorism has spread in everyone’s heart and mind. On the issue of a collective report by the Editor Grid journalists on the request of the Indian Army on the violence going on in Manipur for the last 6 months, even before the FIR was registered against them, all the journalists, family and socially, remained committed to their journalism, religion and constitutionally. Feeling suffocated in performing national duty.
On this, DigiPub News India Foundation, Indian Women Press Corps, Press Club of India New Delhi, Foundation for Media Professionals, Network of Women in Media (India), Chandigarh Press Club, National Alliance of Journalists, Delhi Union of Journalists, Kerala Union of Working Journalists, Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists, Free Speech Collective Mumbai, Mumbai Press Club, Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, Press Association, Guwahati Press Club and Indian Journalists Union have written a collective letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in which Now without any delay, there is a request to intervene and put in place proper guidelines and system to end the increasing oppressive use of investigative agencies against the media so that all the journalists can follow their journalistic dharma with fearlessness and freedom and live a life of democracy with true patriotism. Keep making it more strong, effective and stable.
The unknown new steps that have been requested to be taken in this letter lead only in one direction, that is to give the Indian media a constitutional face and legal rights with accountability because even after completing 75 years of independence, the rights of a common citizen are still limited. Journalists are doing their work only on the basis of freedom of expression. About a year ago, young Shailendra Kumar Birani had written and emailed the names of the Chief Justice of India and the heads of the High Courts of all the states together with its complete information. He told the judges that the matter is pending before the President to take a final decision on his invention. It also includes the constitutional aspect of media which will make democracy effective by resolving all the matters related to journalism, information and hate speech.
On this, Kamal Singh, Secretary of the National Legal Service Authority of the Supreme Court, gave an official reply. On this, Shailendra Kumar Birani replied that neither he needs financial help nor he wants to file a separate case in the court. The biggest truth of media in Indian democracy has come to the notice of all the High Court judges including the Chief Justice, this is enough for them and their duty as citizens of India is fulfilled here.