GIRISH NIKAM writes from New Delhi: “Freedom of the press is the cornerstone of any democracy,” is a well-worn cliché though it has stood the test of time as a universal truth. No one in a functional democracy like ours can deny the importance of the freedom of the press. It is also a fact that this freedom has not come about easily.
People in authority have a tendency to undermine this freedom, whenever it comes in their way. And therefore eternal vigilance of the people and the media is an essential requirement to maintain this freedom. And to protect our democracy.
It is also a fact that many a time this freedom boils down to freedom of the proprietor, more than the freedom of the journalist. And this is a subject which attracts very passionate debates within the media circles.
No wonder when distinguished media persons like N. Ram of The Hindu and H.K. Dua of The Tribune, intervened on behalf of the Eenadu newspaper group, the other day during the seminar on the relationship between the legislature and the media, in the Parliament Library complex, the issue became a hot topic of debate.
The two editors, one a proprietor-editor (Ram) and the other editor of a group run by a unique trust (Dua), pitched for Ramoji Rao and his newspaper, and sought to make out a case against the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekara Reddy for trampling on the freedom of the press. The two warned the journalists that these attempts should be fought as they spell danger for the entire media.
These passionate appeals in the normal circumstances would have had the desired response as Indian media have by and large stood up against any assault on the freedom of the press.
The facts and circumstances of the present “war” between the Eenadu group and the Andhra Pradesh government however has a different dimension, which needs to be understood, before any hasty conclusions are drawn.
The tussle started when a Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh revealed that Margadarsi Financiers (not Margadarsi Chit Funds) had started dilly-dallying about repaying its depositors, after the deposit period had expired.
He also came out with its balance sheet which clearly showed that till 2005, deposits of Rs. 2, 200 crore had been collected, on which a loss of Rs 1,100 incurred had been incurred.
Moreover, the MP established that Margadarsi Financiers was a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) company, of which the karta was Ramoji Rao, the owner of the Eenadu Group.
The RBI laws strictly disallow any HUF from collecting deposits from the public, and it has listed out 21 relatives from whom deposits can be collected. Margadarsi Financiers had however collected Rs.2, 200 crore from lakhs of depositors.
The performance of this company as well as how these funds are being used is entirely another matter.
What is pertinent here is that the collection of deposits from the public is illegal. It is quite possible that the public deposited their funds, thinking that they were doing it in Margadarsi Chit Funds, which has a good reputation for decades. However, Margadars Financiers is a different entity and not as old as the Margadarsi Chit Fund.
When this issue was raised, Ramoji Rao used all the might of his TV channels and the vastly circulated newspaper, Eenadu, to refute these charges—not convincingly is another matter—and charged the Government of launching a witch-hunt.
He also made out a case of freedom of press being under attack.
It is no secret that Ramoji Rao has openly taken an anti-Congress stand in his newspapers for years and is also seen as a friend, philosopher and guide of the Telugu Desam party chief, Chandrababu Naidu, having been close to his late father-in-law and TDP founder N. T. Rama Rao.
It is also no secret that the present chief minister and Ramoji Rao have no love lost for each other, considering the years of targeting both have done of each other.
It is also no secret that what began as an exposure of Ramoji Rao’s “dubious” financial company activities, has now been expanded to his “dubious” land deals involving hundreds of acres of prime land in and around his dream project, Ramoji Film City.
YSR’s decision to give notice to Ramoji about his lands, led to YSR himself being exposed with his excess assigned lands. In a fit of over-smart thinking, he surrendered the lands, only to face the allegation that he had kept the holdings under wrap all this time.
Be that as it may, Andhra Pradesh is now undergoing convulsions with every other big politician, industrialist, newspaper baron, among others getting exposed and charged with holding illegal lands.
Coming back to the issue of freedom of the press, now would we be fair in defending Ramoji Rao for all the acts of commission and omission in his other business activities, which have nothing to do with his newspaper or the news TV channels?
#Should the conflicts with law and its violations by the media magnates in their other business activities be treated with kid gloves, just because they control media?
# Should any Government take action or dare to take action, legitimate of course, if there is a prima facie case of illegality on the part of these media barons in their other businesses?
# And should such legitimate actions be dubbed as an assault on the freedom of the press?
In the Ramoji Rao vs YSR battle, which we are witnessing, does Eenadu or ETV figure in any of the Government’s actions? Has any journalist of these outfits faced any difficulty in performing his legitimate duty, and has any government machinery been used to come in his way?
While all these questions need careful scrutiny and answers before we jump to any conclusions, one also needs to look at the dangers of any blind support to cries of “assault on the freedom of the press”.
It is no secret that dozens if not hundreds of fly-by-night operators and businessmen with dubious track records start media organisations, only as a cover for their illegal activities.
Ramoji Rao does not come under this category as he has displayed stamina, strength and commitment in running his newspaper for over three decades and his TV channels for nearly a decade.
Yet, can he claim clemency for any illegal or illegitimate actions in his other businesses, on the ground that he has been a committed media man?
Is this an assault on the freedom of the press?
It is for each one of us to judge, before we scream, “there is an attack on the freedom of the press”.
First published in Sunday Vijay Times, Bangalore
cross-posted on the sans serif
Excellent article.
On the same topic, a 4-part Frontline special is underway on PBS, News War. You can watch it online.
In any debate on the media, one important fact has to be noted, that the media themselves consist of unelected persons.
The issue was kickstarted with the debate on freedom of press and has now strayed into unexpected channel of illegal acquistiion of land by dubiious means in which both Ramoji Rao and Y.S.R Reddy have been exposed. To that extent the controversy has had a beneficil fall out and presumably the public will gain.
IF so problem in Margadharshi Financiars ,Then what RBI id doing till today.It has all right to take action against any financial institution in India.Donot be baised in writing articles. Eenadu has given much prominence to rajasekhar reddy’s padayatra .Eenadu has covered almost each and every protest laid by then appostion congress party and MR YSR use to be media friendly esp with eenadu when he was an opposition leader.IF these is not suppresing press y State govt tried to realease 938 GO.If U explain me these issues i’ll suport ur article
Why is the commie N.Ram supporting the capitalist Rama Rao?
This is the opinion I had been holding since many a years. Media by its very nature has been misusing the unwritten authority given to it to safeguard the society.
Just imagine had this happened in a BJP ruled state, there would have been a hue and cry from all and sundry right from, Arkalgudu to New Delhi, many effigies would have been burnt and many a processions would have been taken. But because it is a congress government whose “Leader” is Madam and “Our” media has its allegiance to her, all are keeping quite.
It has become a habit for the media to be arrogant on all matters and it feels it is a holy cow and cannot be touched. It is always the habit of the media to fall upon a quite person or organization (NOT WEAK) and to conveniently forget the strong and loud. The case in the point is the SUN TV episode in The Hindu and Our VC’s comments on Tamilians, we very well remember the shouting and media reaction when Mr. Bal Thackery said similar thing about non Mumbaikers some time ago.
Also it is curious to know that certain channels are shouting “India Pride” on their channels, when the cost of living has shoot up to unprecedented levels. But this very media shot down the “India Shining” campaign of the BJP when cost of food was not that high.
So much for our media.
Is Margadarsi Finance involved in Hawala?
Why are they resisting and refusing to submit finance transactions to Government?
http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvfWPs2YDWiEO7vGeuB8BKmQHQx.?qid=20070223093522AAUqoqn
You related to the other Nikam, who worked for the congress’ mouthpiece in Mysore?
Hell with Ramoji Rao or Naidu, is arresting and restricting the movement of the journalists who reported CM’s illegal land hoarding, lawful, legitimate exercise of power??
:|
did this all not start with the Hyderabad ORR?
eenadu published a series of articles on all the knots in the ring road. this continued for a while when things started to heat up. then govt responded using the other big paper. when heat finally became white, first RR’s filmcity land that apparently is in the ORR’s alignment came into play, it was only then that margadarsi became a fair game, then followed YSR’s bhoo dahana.
i think this is not a game between media and the govt. especially since the media in question has very strong political affiliations, and when the govt in question too has media reach and has used it to spread it’s own propoganda.
It’s not state vs media, it’s YSR Govt vs RR Media…
A smaller truely unallied media house would not have been able to take on the Govt.
and the Govt would have completely swallowed such a media.
More expose of media controlled by criminals
http://www.udupipressvictim.wordpress.com
Is any body understands why Chandrababu makes trips to Singapore then to Swiss for Holidays (After all He is andhra Pradesh ex chief minister worried about poor and down trodden farmers). Then blackstone appears on the scene to sign papers with Ramoji. Only God knows how black money flowed from Andhra Pradesh to Singapore to Swiss to Blackstone to save Chit funds which is harboring hundreds of thousands tax evaders in the name of UHF. Better to dissolve this stupid HUF which violated every known law under the cover of press and distribute that wealth to genuine depositors from day one who invested on this UHF to raise this level today. What if Ramoji dies tomorrow? Where this UHF stands? Let us hope land of the law reveals the true colours of this UHF and all the politicians, media persons, who ever stood behind to support it.
Better media v. Govt. than a media which panders to Government interests to ensure profitability of business.
If Margadarsi Financiers is under RBI investigation, so be it. To believe that distracting the public will somehow bury the investigation is a very stupid move by RR, and equally stupid of YSR to take the bait dangled by Eenadu and ETV.
But that apart, what is wrong with a media outlet taking a definite stand on a political issue? They are obligated to present the facts truthfully without distorting the issue, and if on the presentation of such facts, they feel compelled to feel strongly one way or the other, why should we care?
It is a different matter that facts are conveniently ignored or left out by media outlets to fit pre-conceived notions and political ideology. That is a different kind of danger which can undermine the entire media’s role in a democracy.
The present ‘dispute’, if you ask me, should elicit no more than a ‘so-what-its-business-as-usual’ shrug. YSR is not going to be unseated nor is the RR empire coming to an end anytime soon. In this process a few more uncomfortable truths about our elected representatives and media owners will come forth, and I dare to suggest that in fact we will be the better for it.
Well said!!!
sir,
you people are raising voice in favour of Ramoji Rao
of Etv in the name of freedom of press.
but This is his contribution for press freedom.
Sir I made to pay 50,000 through court order by him
sir
read this story and if possible try to bring our
problem to the notice of ramoji rao.
From;
a young journalist from Karnataka
Respected Sir,
This is a peculiar problem faced by more than 20
ex-journalists (from
all over the country-expected to hit another 80+)
associated with ETV
NEWS channel, owned and managed by Shri Ramoji Rao, a
resident of Ramoji
Film City, Hyderbad-12 (Andhra Pradesh) India.
Sir, I would like to summarize the problem in some
words.
1. We are all Masters in Mass Communication and
Journalism and
applied for ETV News, as per their advertisement in
media.
2. After a written test and oral interview, they
selected us for the
post of trainee copy editor/reporter and offered Rs
5,000 as the
salary.
3. But, at the time of joining they forced (!) us
to sign a articles
of agreement saying that we must serve the company for
minimum of three
years.(see: attachment)
4. The articles of agreement even read that even if
ETV people
terminate us from the job, we must pay the said
amount. But unfortunately
they not even said a single word on how much they pay
us or what’s the
service conditions, pay scale etc
5. Actually we are all well trained in our
University including
two months of internship at newspaper offices. But as
we thought that ETV
is professionally managed company and they might treat
us as per the
rules in regard to the journalist acts.
6. But one fine day, they created us such a
situation that, we
simply flown out of Hyderbad. After wards the problem
started.
After that NEWS TODAY PVT LTD sent many notices and
finally terminated
us from job and now even secured a order from Andhra
Pradesh High court
over formation of an arbitration bench. Sir,
arbitration bench hearing
is on November 10 at Hyderbad.
Sir, what about law and Justice?
Sir, I do agree that we violated the agreement. But I
think, it’s not
at the cost of Rs 75,000. Sir, when we joined ETV
NEWS-Kannada as the
trainees they assured of international level training.
But for our bad
luck, they are not even taken a single day class in my
case. They taught
nothing special including what’s media, freedom,
ethics, guidelines
etc. Even after completing the one-year of trainee
period, they not even
given any special degree or additional qualification
other than change
in the designation.
As in our class rooms, we taught that Manisana Wage
Board is accepted
and implemented we taught that NEWS TODAY PVT LTD also
implement the
same. But, only after joining we came to know that
it’s not implemented in
the organization. At last we taught that after
completion of the
trainee period we might given the wage as per the govt
orders. But it’s also
not done. They are not ready to follow the law of this
land. But
expected us to follow the bond. Sir, this is just a
example for how we
cheated by NEWS TODAY LTD.
Sir, first I would like to draw your attention towards
how the NEWS
TODAY PVT LTD violated the laws related to working
journalists. Sir, as
per the WORKING JOURNALISTS AND OTHER NEWSPAPER
EMPLOYEES (CONDITION OF
SERVICE) AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS ACT, 1955, Hours
of work in any
media house should not exceed for more than one
hundred and forty-four
hours during any period of four consecutive weeks,
exclusive of the
time for meals. But, NEWS TODAY PVT LTD fixed 8 hours
work per day leading
to 192 hours. NEWS TODAY PVT LTD, which speaks of
75,000 compensation,
is silent in this regard.
Sir more than anything I want to draw your attention
towards the
another torture given by the NEWS TODAY PVT LTD. Sir,
once in 15 days they
made us to work between 12 at midnight to 4 pm of next
day without a
single minutes rest. Sir, how could any journalist
could work for such a
long hour and handle the news items which is has
greatest impact.
Sir, I would like to bring your kind notice towards
the some of the
provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition)
Act, 1976, which
defined the bonded system as ‘forfeit the freedom of
employment or other
means of livelihood for an specified period or for an
unspecified period
Or forfeit the right to appropriate or sell at
market-value any of his
property or product of his labour. Sir, but none of
our government
agencies tried to topple such an effort taken out by
NEWS TODAY PVT LTD.
Sir, as like as any other journalist of this country I
am also working
for a state newspaper from Karnataka. Sir, you know
the salary and
perks provided by news organizations! Sir, now as most
of our journalists
are scattered all over the India and not in a position
to pay for a
advocate, how could we defend our self in the
arbitration bench or in front
of highcorut?
Sir, please interfere and protect the poor
journalists….
Yours truly
sri B
CBN is complete fraud and Ramoji rao helps him to do all these bad acts in open light using his paper and media channels. Why are people getting press freedom in margadarsi fraud issue ? These two are independant issues and to attack the govt, CBN is using press freedom as excuse to supress margadarsi fraud issue. Why shouldnt the govt intervene in margadarsi fraud ? If tomorrow something happens to the depositors then the same CBN will target the govt for not protecting the investors earlier. Why are people not able to identify true colors of CBN and his consort ramoji. you will point at govt if they do something wrong but if other big wigs like ramoji does fraud then govt shouldnt intefere, is it ? YSR might have something personal against ramoji but the same time ramoji and his papers and media is completely 200% biased and they only carry false reports against the govt. so why partonize ramoji ? he is a fraud as much as CBN for supporting him. He has been evading all RBI notices on margadarsi and taking new deposits. wake up people.
Isn’t money laundering a crime?
http://www.indianpad.com/story/34762
I have a very horrible problem with eenadu reporters in my town.These reporters are running a parallel power in terms of providing support to the corrupt ppl.even the local authorities are scared about these guys.They threaten the senior officials of dire consequences.These guys provide support for all the illegal and anti social activities for a fee…they also help ppl by printing articles praising them again for a fee….I am not sure exactly how to handle this..I have met almost all the top authorities in the town but all of them are scared..Believe me even eenadu pays these guys very less salary their earnings are more than 6 figures…it is not just eenadu but the other paper reporter’s like andhra jyothi and saakhi started the same business….Pls advice how to stop this…I dont have any contacts to reach top officials at any of these papers…I did write to editors before but not sure they have read my emails..