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PM’S SPEECH AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE CONGRESS
The following is the text of the speech of the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the inauguration of the International Press Institute Congress here today:
"It gives me great pleasure to be with you at this prestigious assembly of eminent journalists from around the world, under the aegis of the International Press Institute. I am especially heartened by the fact that you chose to hold your Congress at a time that coincided with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of India’s Republic. I hope you enjoyed watching the Republic Day Parade yesterday.
The celebration of our Republic is also, in some ways, a celebration of our free press. India is proud to have one of the freest media in the world. The number and diversity of the media outlets in English and other languages in our country, the sheer range of views and opinions expressed in them, the large and well-protected space for dissent and criticism, and, lately, their growing technological sophistication — all these have earned for the Indian press an honoured place on the global media map.
Your choice of the timing of the IPI Congress may be a coincidence of the calendar. However, at a deeper level, there is a profound conceptual inter-connection between the two events. A free and responsible press is an important pillar of the Republican architecture — as essential for a healthy democracy as the legislature or the judiciary.
I wish to lay special emphasis on the two defining qualities of the press — freedom and responsibility. The press is either free, or it cannot be called the press at all. Freedom of thought and the right to information are a fundamental human right. What turns this abstract ideal into a force of democratic empowerment is the free press.
Free flow of information and ideas, effected by newspapers, magazines and journals, radio, television, and now the Internet, pulls down the most elaborate barriers for self-protection erected by authoritarian regimes of all ideologies and labels. The triumphant march of democracy in several parts of the world in recent decades was catalyzed, largely, by the media.
Thus, journalists are the torchbearers of democracy and I am honoured to add my own personal welcome to the most eminent representatives of the global journalistic community who have come to India for this Congress.
Friends, responsibility is the flip side of freedom. The media commands an extraordinary power to do good or bad, because of its capacity to influence events and minds. Therefore, the media cannot be value-neutral. It must reflect a strong sense of social responsibility, and an ability to distinguish between right and wrong. If the media expects — and rightly so — accountability from governments, political parties, businesses and private individuals, it too must offer itself to be judged by the same norms of accountability.
Beyond the minimum reasonable restrictions imposed by any democratic country, it is entirely up to the media organizations, and the people working in them, to define the content and contours of responsibility. News, entertainment, and other products of the media are not like other commodities in the market. Sensationalism and other tactics to "sell" them with the sole motive to maximize profits militate against the very essence of journalism. On the other hand, self-monitoring, self-regulation and, when necessary, even self-censorship, enhance the credibility of the media, which is its most precious asset.
Distinguished media persons, I have been a journalist myself at some time — though a long time ago — in my life. In later years, my experience in politics and governance has given me some understanding of international relations. I often ask myself: What is the role of journalists and media organisations in reporting, analyzing, and commenting on the affairs of this Global Family?
The forces of globalization and technology have vastly enlarged the reach of the media in the new century. The birth of the information and communication revolution has brought about a phenomenon that one journalist has vividly described as "The Death of Distance". For the first time in the known history of mankind, we can see the making of "One World" — a united, integral, and inter-dependent world.
This phenomenon has vastly increased people’s expectations from the media. In this global family, the community of journalists is rightly called the "Brotherhood of Words". Words and ../../../../../images have power — power to enlighten, power to motivate, power to heal, and power to bring people closer together. Therefore, journalists everywhere should rise above narrow considerations and promote the bonds of mutual understanding and solidarity both within and among the nations of the world.
Media organizations with a global reach have a special role in our times. The astonishing diversity of cultures and traditions, and the rich plurality of thoughts, in different parts of the world are often overshadowed, if not blacked out, by what the dominant media choose to portray. The glaring inequities and imbalances in the global media make it almost impossible for poor and developing nations to tell their story in their own words to the rest of the world.
Diversity of faiths, cultures, ethnicity, and language are a source of strength — and not of weakness — for mankind. As more and more countries around the world begin to reflect these diversities in the new century, because of the increased movement of people and information, it is all the more necessary for the media to be democratic and representative.
There is another thought that I would like to share with you. Various nations of the world are today engaged in a race to achieve economic prosperity. This is a legitimate objective. The new century must not carry forward the problems of underdevelopment created by the previous centuries. The forces of science, technology, and global cooperation have indeed made it possible for us to achieve this objective.
However, I sometimes worry that, in the race for economic development, the world is ignoring the main agent and beneficiary of science and technology, trade and investment — namely, man. We need to humanize economic development. We need to make man and his deepest aspirations for self-fulfilment and fellowship the focus of all our efforts. Here, too, journalists have an important role to play.
Friends, before I conclude, I would like to dwell briefly on what you, as the leading representatives of the international media, might want to know about the direction in which India is moving. Our democracy is growing in maturity. Multi-party coalition governments are proving to be stable and successful. More and more sections of our diverse society, which were earlier under-represented, have found a voice and a place in our electoral and governance systems. Very soon, we shall bring forward an important legislation for women’s reservation in our Parliament and State Legislatures.
Ours is a multi-religious, multi-lingual, and multi-ethnic nation. The rights of religious minorities are fully protected. We believe that India’s demonstration of unity in diversity is, in many ways, useful to the entire world in the age of globalization.
Today our top priority is to achieve faster and more balanced economic growth, so that the fruits of development can reach every one of our billion-plus citizens. To achieve this objective, we have, during the past decade, embarked on an ambitious programme of economic reforms. There is a broad consensus over these reforms across the political spectrum.
Ours is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and we are confident that India will grow even faster in the coming years. In a very short time, India has emerged as a leading power in Information Technology. We are taking many conscious steps to ensure that we not only overcome the challenge of "Digital Divide", but actually bring "Digital Dividends" to all sections of our population.
In the international arena, India is following an active policy aimed at establishing friendly and cooperative relations with all countries in the world, especially in our neighbourhood. South Asia needs peace, as it will bring the fruits of prosperity and security to all the countries and peoples in this region, who account for one-fifth of the world’s population.
There is now growing international recognition that a democratic and rapidly developing India is a positive force for peace, stability, security, and cooperation in Asia and the world. The evolution of this New India in the new century is a big media story. I invite all of you to explore this exciting story and report it to the world community.
With these words, I convey my felicitations to the 51st Congress of the International Press Institute. May all of you have a pleasant and memorable stay in India.
‘11’
Right to Freedom of Expression includes not only the liberty to propagate one’s own views but also includes the liberty of publication and circulation. This was stated by the Minister for Information and Broadcasting Smt. Sushma Swaraj while addressing the International Press Institute World Congress-2001 & 50th General Assembly, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee here today. The Minister said that the Right to ‘Freedom to Press’ is inherent in the Fundamental Right to the ‘Freedom of Expression’. Freedom of the Press is sought and obtained on the ground that it is a prerequisite to democracy. India has been championing from the very beginning the cause of the freedom of the press. Without the medium of the Press, people have no means of judging the performance and credentials of aspirants to power. It goes without saying, that all other freedom becomes irrelevant without the freedom of the Press and violence against journalists is an attack on the freedom of Press tantamounting to an attack on democracy, further said the Minister.
Smt. Swaraj stressed the need for free political discussion to create public awareness, which is essential for the proper functioning of the popular Government. Democracy thrives where the public is eternally vigilant and conscious of its rights, duties and responsibilities. Public opinion goes a long way in safeguarding the democracy and the Press is a vehicle through which it is articulated, the Minister added.
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The Minister of Communications, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan released special postage stamps in the "Personality Series : Socio-Political Development" on Shri E.M.S. Namboodiripad, Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir and Shri N.G. Ranga, here today.
E.M.S. Namboodiripad (1909-1998) started his public life as a Congress worker in Kerala during the Freedom Movement, but was later drawn towards Marxism in his search for solutions to the problems of poverty and inequality. He was among the founder of the Communist Party in Kerala and created history in the 1957 elections by leading it to power in the state. As the Chief Minister of Kerala, he initiated the path-breaking land reform legislation and many other pro-poor measures, bringing solace to millions of people.
Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir (1899-1976) plunged into the Freedom Struggle at an early age, stirred by anguish over the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, calling people to action through his sensitive, poems in Punjabi. He went on to play a crucial role in the Struggle in Punjab, courting arrest many times. He was drawn to the Akali Movement for social reform, in which his sincerity of purpose and spirit of dedication took him to the highest religious office of Sikhism i.e. Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Amritsar in 1930. After Independence, he was actively involved in building up Punjab as a model of growth and development. In 1966, when the new state of Punjab came into being after re-organisation, Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir took over as its first Chief Minister.
Professor N.G. Ranga (1900-1995) hailed from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. Deeply influenced by western socialist thinkers at Oxford, England, where he went for higher studies, the amelioration of the lot of the peasantry became his major motivation and he joined the Freedom Movement and championed the cause of the downtrodden peasants. He continued to be active in politics in independent India, strengthening the Kisan Movement, striving for empowerment of women and working for famine relief. He was instrumental in the formation of the Swatantra Party along with Rajaji in 1959, though he later returned to the Congress. Bold, uncompromising and knowledgeable, he waged a tireless war against social evils such as the caste system. Prof. N.G. Ranga is remembered as champion of rural India.
The First Day Cover alongwith the information sheet is available on sale at all Philatelic Bureaux/Counters and at selected Post Offices.
GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE
DR. NAJMA HEPTULLA APPEALS TO PARLIAMENTARIAN TO CONTRIBUTE FOR RELIEF WORK IN GUJARAT
The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Najma Heptulla expressing shock at the devastation caused by the earthquake in Gujarat has appealed to one and all to donate generously for the relief work in the State. She said that in her personal capacity would contribute a day’s salary for the relief work as a mark of solidarity with the affected people. She has also appealed to all Parliamentarians to donate a day’s salary and contribute as well from their assigned MP Local Area Development Fund for the rehabilitation work.
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GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE HEALTH MINISTRY MOUNTS EMERGENCY RELIEF MEASURES
The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. C.P. Thakur has said that relief measures for the victims of earthquake in Bhuj and neighbouring areas of Gujarat have started on war-footing and 60 doctors from the major Central Govt. hospitals in Delhi have been sent to Bhuj and Ahmedabad to assist the State Government. The Indian Red Cross Society has been asked to arrange for required blood, blankets, tents etc. 80 cartels of medicines have already been despatched and 40 more cartels are on the way, he said.
The Indian Red Cross has already sent 15000 blankets and is arranging to send 35000 more blankets to Bhuj. Also 100 big tents are likely to be airlifted from Calcutta to Bhuj by a special plane soon. The Indian Red Cross in its bid to mobilize enough units of blood has opened special counters at its head office in the capital and this will remain open between 3 to 7 P.M. , the Minister said.
Dr. Thakur reviewed the situation this morning and ordered the officials to be in touch with the neighbouring State Governments and also the subsidiary units of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare so that emergency needs of the earthquake affected victims can be met on priority. He also said that the health care delivery administration has been put on high alert so that the requirements are met immediately. A round the clock cell has also been made operational for this.
So far medicines worth Rs. 12.15 lakh have been sent and the next lot worth Rs. 3.5 lakh is also on its way to the affected areas.
GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE ‘15’
EXCISE AND CUSTOMS DUTY RELIEF FOR GOODS MEANT FOR QUAKE-HIT GUJARAT
The Central Government have provided full exemption from excise duty to goods donated or purchased out of cash donations, for the relief and rehabilitation of persons affected by the earthquake that struck the State of Gujarat on 26th January, 2001. A similar exemption has been provided from customs duty to imported goods intended for donation for the same purpose. Notification Nos. 2/2001-Central Excise and 7/2001-Customs, both dated 27.01.2001 containing the procedure required for availing of these exemptions have been issued in this regard. The notifications take immediate effect.
| GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE |
‘5’
HOME MINISTRY RUSHES RELIEF TO QUAKE-HIT AREAS OF GUJARAT
The Centre has rushed 23 companies of Para-Military Forces to Gujarat to assist in the rescue and relief operations. These include 5 companies of RAF, 10 companies of CISF, 6 companies of SSB and 1 company each from BSF and CRPF. Doctors from Para-Military forces have also gone to the quake affected areas with life saving and other essential medicines.
The relief materials including tents, food, 4000 blankets have been transported by air to the affected areas. A communication restoration team has also been sent to Kandla by the CISF for setting up wireless communication.
'20'
GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE OIL PSUs TO CONTRIBUTE Rs. 40 CRORE FOR GUJARAT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF WORK
Shri Ram Naik, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas today reviewed the efforts being made by the Public Sector Oil Companies towards providing relief to the earthquake affected areas of Gujarat. He exhorted oil companies to put in their best to ensure adequate supplies of petroleum products to the affected areas.Shri Naik also said that a sum of Rs. 40 crore will be contributed by the Public Sector Oil Companies towards the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the benefit of the affected areas in Gujarat. Further, he also appealed to employees of the oil companies to contribute to the PM's Relief Fund with all their mite.
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas has also approved an additional quota of 45,000 KLs (4.5 crore litres) of Kerosene for distribution in the earthquake affected area.
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