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Recalling Emergency days, CJI Ramana urges media for ‘honest journalism’
The fresh remarks come days after Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had delivered sharp comments on “kangaroo courts”.
Days after saying that agenda-driven debates and “kangaroo courts” - which are being run by the media - are detrimental to the health of the democracy, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Tuesday said that “independent journalism is the backbone of democracy”. Without using journalism as a “tool to expand business interests,” the Chief Justice said, media should practice "honest journalism".
At a time when debates are raging over “fake news”, the Chief Justice highlighted, “People still believe that whatever is printed is true”. “Only media houses without business baggage, were able to fight for democracy during dark days of Emergency. The true nature of media houses will certainly be assessed from time to time and appropriate conclusions will be drawn from their conduct during testing times,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Chief Justice Ramana, who has been a journalist earlier, said “democracy is compromised” when media houses become “vulnerable to business pressure”. “When a media house has other business interests, it becomes vulnerable to external pressures. Often, the business interests prevail over the spirit of independent journalism. As a result, democracy gets compromised,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Journalists “are eyes and ears of the people”, he said on Tuesday at a book launch event, adding that “only media houses without business baggage, were able to fight for democracy during the dark days of Emergency”.
Last week, the Chief Justice - in a sharp rebuke to “kangaroo courts" - said: “Media trials cannot be a guiding factor in deciding cases. Of late, we see the media running kangaroo courts at times on issues even experienced judges find difficult to decide. Ill-informed and agenda-driven debates on issues involving justice delivery are proving to be detrimental to the health of democracy.”
Later, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, referring to his speech said that media must introspect its limits. "The Chief Justice of India Ramana Ji stated today that some media houses run like kangaroo courts. This raises a huge question and compels people to introspect on the National Broadcasting Day on whether limits are crossed while running news or media trial is conducted… If this perception is forming then we must take this matter into consideration,” Thakur said during his speech.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
