Constitutional Right V/S National Security. #BaagonMeinBahaarHai

#NDTVBanned is now the rolling headline of the week. The whole propaganda now is that the freedom of speech is being curtailed because the channel was asking uneasy questions which the Government was finding hard to answer. Hence, this whole Hashtag Ban on them. The poor, downtrodden, suppressed victims of totalitarian government who were penalized for unethical and hazardous style of reporting. #Emergency like situation, isn’t it. The problem is that they are not exactly telling why this ban was ordered at first place and this narrative which they are relying on is dangerously sensationalist especially by equating it with the dark times of Emergency. This narrative, not only misleading, is also a shoddy cover-up of abusing your duty as a journalist to apparently put national security at stake and then cry foul of discrimination for free speech. Kindly read the following link for further understanding of what happened.

Let’s just quickly glance through what has happened here. NDTV India #allegedly divulged critical information whilst the anti-terrorist operations were being conducted. And minutes after a crucial top brass meeting of the Armed Forces and the Government, the details and the discussions of the meeting is informed through the coverage. Also other crucial positions and targets sensitive to the on-going operation were reported during this coverage.  A show cause notice is issued by the concerned ministry of the government to which NDTV India properly responds. NDTV India did a good job defending their approach to the whole coverage and offered a defence as to why they should not be penalized. I am more than certain that they would go to the Supreme Court and contest the order passed by the Government.

So first things first, this is not an overnight arbitrary ban on NDTV India which they were shell-shocked and surprised to find out while the employees of the company were walking into the office on one fine smoggy morning. It is definitely not an Ex-parte order where the government without hearing the other party has passed an order. Proper proceedings were conducted, every part was properly heard, sorry the government did not agree, please appeal it further, it is your right, nobody can stop you. But, for the love of God, DON’T PLAY THE VICTIM CARD!

Let me (#Bhakt #Modifier #HinduBrigade #NaziFascist) give a factual explanation. This ban was ordered because apparently they flouted with the ethics of reporting an anti-terrorist operation (#LIVE) which could have potentially had a worse contingency due to the timing and the substance of reporting. Government thought of just giving a slap on the wrist. So, NDTV has two options left. Either to quietly comply with the ban and move on. Or appeal against the impugned order before the higher courts and fight their case for justice. But what they do is beautifully play the victim.

Unfortunately, the Oh-I-Was-Born-Yesterday-and-Why-Is-The-World-So-Harsh-On-Me attitude does not sell anymore. Not at least when you are facing a stiff and even more liberated and unorganized Social Media (Ravish Kumar refers to this as Troll) where these things dilute your real fight for freedom of expression. NDTV India was fighting and fighting so well, but because you know you cannot accept the truth of your misdeeds, that you have been mostly guilty of your coverage which doesn't "seem" always fair, probably money mongered, and maybe not always in the interest of the nation and its security, time and again, which might give you a right to gain sympathy and malign the image of this Government. And all this to try and hide your nefarious sense of reporting and preposterous sense of journalism only proves the point further. You should be penalized. #ChorKiDaadiMeinTinka

Is it an Emergency like situation? Are they being stopped from asking questions? Is their fundamental right of free speech being curtailed? Are they being gagged for asking tough questions? Any person of even ordinary prudence would disagree with NDTV. The truth is the government felt their coverage was a direct threat to the national security where an anti-terrorist operation was going live. My trouble is to fathom this as a fallback to the draconian days of Emergency. Any such comparison is trivializing the gravity of a period like Emergency. This could be due to their lack of knowledge or understanding of times like Emergency or this could also be to create a new sense (read Nuisance) of sensationalism because it could probably create pressure on the Government and it could withdraw its order.

Ravish Kumar is pissed that the Troll and the Authority have colluded and are dubbing his voice so that and his channel can’t ask tough questions. But the irony lies in the stupidity of this program. Ravish Kumar is seen questioning the mimes especially the question, “why are you denying us the right to question? “ , “Why are you suppressing our voices?” while the mimes are just miming. Here lies the irony. Instead, the mimes should have questioned and spoken freely while Ravish Kumar should have kept mum to prove his point. This episode of stupidity only laments the ghastly interpretation of the media’s understanding of key concepts like freedom of speech and expression.

#BaagonMeinBahaarHai #JabSirfTumBegairadHokarBolo




P.S.: 
1. http://www.livelaw.in/need-know-ndtv-ban-order-read-order/ ( To further understand the whole order)