MEDIA/FREEDOM OF PRESS - 2013 - Indian Social Institute

the print media," he said. Director of Free Speech Debate, Oxford University, Timothy Garton Ash said,"There was no threat to the freedom of speech as internet was actually an opportunity for spreadingfreedom of expression." India with the large number of net users could act as swing state between twoextremes of China which is trying to control the net and the US which champions free speech, he said."The question is what are the legitimate limits of free speech rather than asking for unlimited speech,"said Ash. Ajit Balakrishnan, CEO and founder of online portal rediff.com, said "there was a sense ofpowerlessness among nation states as only local laws applied to any such violations." He said theinternet was not so democratic as it sounded as the actual numbers of users who posted content onFacebook were just 8-9 million while the rest just watched. The same was with Twitter with just 7-8 percent users actually posting messages. Kirsty Hughes, CEO, Index on Censorship, said "freedom ofspeech was universal" while noting a "worrying trend that increasingly governments were moving tocontrol the internet." "The risks of such controls are that we could have a much more controlled, censoredand fragmented internet," she said. Ramanjit Singh Chima of Google India stressed on the need to havelaws to protect internet freedom as such curbs affected livelihood of many users and contributed to localeconomies. He said the internet allowed people to instantly collaborate and publish critical informationduring emergency situations. (Times of India 17/1/13)Scribe attacked for making police complaint (1)NAGPUR: A local journalist was on Monday attacked by a gang of youths about whose illegal activities hehad complained to the police. On Tuesday afternoon, Mukhtar Shaikh, who runs a weekly, was going toGolibar square on his bike when five or six youths stopped him and thrashed him. Shaikh said hesomehow managed to escape and took shelter at nearby office of corporator Ramesh Punekar. "Theysurrounded me and were about to hit with hockey sticks. I drove my bike in the lanes to confuse theattackers and hid at Punekar's office," said Shaikh who suffered minor injuries. He claimed that while atoffice, he kept calling police control room but it was busy for nearly ten minutes. Later, after ensuringsafety, Shaikh rushed to Tehsil police station. He claimed the police response was disappointing. "Initially,they were rude with me. When told that I am a journalist from a small newspaper, they behaved better butstill refused to register my complaint," he said. Shaikh said that on Tuesday, he had informed police abouta gambling den at a religious place and at rented house at Hansapuri. Police raided the spot immediatelyand seized many things but failed to nab anyone as all the culprits had fled. Shaikh, 42, alleged thegamblers came to know that he had tipped-off the police and they attacked him. He pointed fingers atKawde brothers. However, till late night, no case was registered. Shaikh claimed senior officials hadassured him an offence will be registered after preliminary investigation. Shaikh was given medical aid.(Times of India 23/1/13)Journalist sent to six month imprisonment (1)JODHPUR: The Rajasthan high court sentenced a journalist of a Jaipur-based newspaper to six months'imprisonment and imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 each on the owner of the newspaper, editor and itsSikar correspondent for wrong reporting in a criminal case. While hearing a contempt petition, a divisionbench comprising Chief Justice Amitava Roy and Justice Mahendra Maheshwari, ordered that if theamount is not deposited in 2 weeks, the three will have to serve one month imprisonment. According toadditional advocate general GR Punia, the Churu correspondent of a vernacular newspaper had reportedon October 10, 2011 that the CJM of Churu had sent a criminal under judicial custody instead of policestudy after accepting bribe. "The CJM issued notices to the concerned persons and referred the matter tothe high court as criminal contempt," said Punia. (Times of India 24/1/13)Debate on Article 19(2) needed, says journalist (1)