New Delhi: The Press Club Of India organized a meet to protest the CBI raids on NDTV and the attack on freedom of press. Following are the highlights:
Rajdeep Sardesai, Senior Journalist
Rajdeep Sardesai, Senior Journalist
- I believe in the present atmosphere, silence is not an option.
- This a moment when we have to be on the right side of history
- Last time, most of the press community did not stand up. They crawled, as Advani famously said. Then came the defamation bill.
- We got together, it became a national movement.
- Rajiv Gandhi sought talks but we refused. The unity of the press won the battle. The bill had to be withdrawn as the people were against.
- Similar signs are visible now.
- Unless we are united, we can meet the same fate
- This is a wake-up call, we have to be vigilant and cautious of such attacks.
- Freedom after speech is what freedom of speech is all about.
- No one is immune from being prosecuted under a criminal offence, but the manner, circumstances give me reason to believe all of this is unjustified attack on press and media freedom.
- On 2nd of June, an FIR is lodged by the CBI - 7 years after the event.
- Why it was not brought to light earlier was not mentioned earlier in the complaint. The CBI did not bother to find out.
- The first thing CBI is expected to do, once a such complaint is filed, is seek NDTV's response. But that wasn't done.
- When any government agency files a complaint against a media company, it must first enquire from the owners what they have to say in the matter before conducting raids.
- This is not a matter of courtesy or favour, but a constitutional duty.
- Important to mark the events preceding the letter and raids. On June 1, when Sanjay Hazarika was speaking on a NDTV show, Sambit Patra interrupted and said: I interrupt people only on NDTV, and I need to do that because NDTV has an agenda.
- It was after these allegations by Patra that the offices and residences were raided.
- There were similar attacks on the media under Mrs Indira Gandhi. About 120 criminal complaints were filed against the Indian Express for not filing returns.
- Ultimately we won in the Supreme Court.
- Whenever there is a majoritarian government, there is this tendency. We must resist it.
- I strongly believe the freedom of the media is inviolable in a democracy.
- Such a move also undermines basic tenets of free speech.
- During the Emergency, nobody had to tell anybody what to do. Everybody knew what to do.
- Indian Express became the symbol at the time.
- Today, when we are facing more or less the same situation - not that extent - all of us have to ensure we don't allow any body to muzzle free speech.
- We are deeply concerned of what has happened. Any attack or raid is a serious threat particularly if residences and offices are being raided in such a manner.
- I must express deep gratitude to Narendra Modi. He has brought so many friends together.
- I have a couplet for him: He who was occupying this throne before you. He also had a similar belief that he was God.
- First they used incentives like ads, then a subterranean atmosphere of fear. Now, they are using a third instrument of overt pressure.
- They have made NDTV an example of that. This will intensify in the coming months because of the nature of the regime - its genes are totalitarian.
- Anybody who has tried to lay a hand on the press in India, has had their hand burnt.
- The CBI has not been able to answer the facts put out by NDTV. There is even an article on The Wire. The facts are irrefutable.
- You must help your friend because they will try to divide. Do not become instruments.
- Nothing demoralises than not having the support of the peers. I have seen this in civil service.
- It is my grievance against my colleagues in the press that we haven't been as vigilant as we should have been.
- It is very sad we have not reacted the way we should to the choking of the RTI.
- Raj (Kamal Jha) told me almost all RTI applications of the Indian Express are being rejected these days. Only in appeal stages do they get access.
- Narendra Modi has a whole team in his office led by a boy called Hiren Joshi who keeps a watch on social media. That is his weakness.
- You must raise your voice on social media.
- Some people think by giving ministers air time, they will have protection during a crisis. But this is not true.
- This government is not a government of ministers. Yeh dhai aadmio ki Sarkar hai.
- During the Defamation Bill struggle, we effectively used boycott as a useful approach against Rajiv Gandhi's ministers.
- Thatcher said publicity is the oxygen of terrorists. I say it is also of ministers.
- Every time something inconvenient happens, the government tries to distract the attention. Don't become instruments of distracting your readers and viewers.
- Redouble the work that is annoying the government. We have only three protections: our solidarity, the court, the protection of our own readers and viewers.
- If the media is not united today, this can happen to anybody.
- What has happened is not new. Has happened a lot during the Congress days, Atalji's days.
- When Modi government completed 3 years, Ravish Kumar did an entire show to call out their lies.
- The time to fight has come. And journalists should fight by themselves.
- It is one of those times when we have to forget our organisational and institutional affiliations. This is an issue that concerns the mother of all our institutions - the free press. This is an assault on the free press.
- Please stop self-flagellating. Social media got us all disoriented.
- Per capita there are far better people in journalism than other professions.
- Nobody is presstitute. Don't get intimidated by this storm of abuse.
- When the IE was being bombarded by cases, Ramnath Goenka's response to all cases was, 'What difference does it make? We have broken all laws except murder.'
- I hope NDTV will continue to do what it is doing. Our job is to speak truth to power. Too many of us have become megaphones for power.
- I really hate doing this. My arm was twisted by my boss. I have the same boss at home and at work.
- We are here today because of these gentlemen. We grow in their shadow.
- Once I went to China, they asked me aren't you a bit jealous of our skyscrapers? I said we have the best skyscraper: free speech.
- This is not just a flimsy case against NDTV. It is a signal to all of us: we can suppress you even if you haven't done anything.
- Free press is the best thing about India.
- Their message is: crawl, or we'll come for you. I say: Stand up and they'll never do.
- We are not fighting the agencies. They are institutions of India.
- But it is the politicians. The officials tell us why they have to do this.
- Please don't believe there cannot be smoke without fire. Politicians can make smoke without fire.
- I am ashamed of our politicians that they can make such allegations.
- We will answer to all charges. We only request for a time-bound charges.
- In three years, the government has requested for 21 adjournments.
- I commit to you here: Radhika, I, NDTV have never touched one rupee of black money have never bribed any official.
- I want to say we will die knowing we have never touched black money and most importantly we will live happily ever after.
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