INDIAN DEMOCRACY AND PRESS
An efficient and fearless free press is one of the pre-requisites of a democracy. Existence of a free press satisfies the condition as for as Indian democracy is concerned. It acts as a watch dog of democracy where ideas and majority opinions prevail. When a single party rules with over whelming and brute majority, its decision often goes one sided and against national interest. There was no active opposition to resist or criticize the rulings. It was for the press to watch the activities of govt, highlights its failures when it deviates from the path of democracy.
In a democracy, people’s participation in the Govt, affairs is vital for the efficient working of the administration. The press, by presenting the burning topical issues to the people for their consumption and reflections, causes the people’s participation in the nation’s affairs.
The voice of the press is the voice of the people. Censoring the press means the suppression of people’s voice. The survival of the democracy invariably depends on the freedom of the press. The press should not fail to follow its code of conduct and misuse the freedom.
Democracy presupposes the existence of a well educated people. Only a well educated and intelligent people could understood the policies of the Govt. But in our state 50% of the people are illiterate. So the illiterate masses easily fall a pray .to the mechanism of our politicians. The press shielding the illiterate from the onslaughts of the politicians by standing and speaking for them.
To uphold the democratic values, the Indian press has also started taking up the job of investigative agencies. This augurs well for Indian democracy.
The Indian press had a unique role here simple handedly to uphold the democratic values in a multi-party govt.
Of late, journalism has also been communalized. For cheap popularity and an eye on the circulation, there has been a growing tendency to go for sensational news throwing to wind, the fundamentals of journalism. Well analyzed and researched news and stories have become a rare comedy.
A responsible value based free press is the back bone of a democracy. The Indian press has so far no let us down. And the future of Indian democracy is very bright.