'Press freedom is a tango between right and restriction'

In Naga context, emotions continue to dominate over evidence-based truth Eastern Mirror Desk Dimapur, June 22 (EMN): The media in Nagaland functions amid challenging conditions of militarisation and protracted armed conflict, and violence in different forms, where corruption as well is rampant, widespread and systemic. All this is supported by a culture of impunity and sustained by a silent majority, according to the publisher and former editor of local newspaper, The Morung Express, Dr. Aküm Longchari. An expert in conflict and peace studies, Longchari was addressing political science students of Eastern Christian College as resource person during the college’s first annual lecture. The lecture was on the topic "Freedom of Press and its restrictions (Article 19 clause 2)’ on Fri. June 22 in Dimapur. People, Longchari said, are confused by ‘one truth’ and the many other ‘truths,’ and whether truth and fact are the same. At times they are faced with questions about the two. But it is faith that determines if there are ‘many truths,’ he said. It is likewise that freedom of the Press is a tango between right and restriction. The question of Press Freedom is clothed with legality, he remarked. According to him, fear is a critical element. ‘In the Naga context, we are engaged in a struggle of fear. Are we losing struggle against fear as a society?’ Longchari wondered. ‘If so, imagine the implications fear will have on Press Freedom, he remarked. According to Longchari, the day-to-day existence of the media is impeded by the inadequacy of the basic public infrastructure viz., the road systems, water, electricity supply, basic healthcare, and quality education, which are all in urgent need of strategic immediate intervention. In the midst of such pressing challenges, he said, he placed two concepts of dilemma: the dilemma around stories and ‘the truth dilemma.’ The dilemma around stories Longchari contextualized the first concept around the narrative of historical imperatives as composed by victors as opposed to narratives of the vanquished. He illustrated it with the question about who discovered America. He said to have been informed that most of the stories that one reads were written by the 'victors and the powers' who usually create a narrative that validates their interests and values while negating and dehumanizing the experiences of ‘the other.’ ‘Who is writing the stories and from whose perspectives? Are these stories empowering, or do they confine the people to existing stereotypes? Are people objects or subjects of these stories? Are the questions that needs to be asked.’ The former editor also opined that segregating the media into “national papers and local papers” suggests a “centre-periphery mindset” where the periphery is constantly looking to the centre for answers. The idea is that the “national media” as the centre or dominant entity is concerned only for own interest. While the “peripheries”—considered the “cultural others”—are moved closer to the margins. This differentiation, Longchari asserted, calls for a need to realign what is 'local' because when ‘local newspapers’ are perceived as being located within its own historical, geographical, cultural and political realities, it assumes the position of the national itself, while the national becomes the periphery. In a society which has been heavily militarised, truth is often suppressed and distorted; people are subjected to campaigns that separate and divide them. These factors generate fear and distrust, which in turn create tensions between emotions and truth. The question here is, he said, how truth is portrayed through the media. ‘Is it evidence-based? Is there one truth or many truths and from whose perspectives.’ In the Naga context peoples’ emotions dominate over evidence-based truth and this affects how the media operates. The question of truth is inevitably linked to the interplay of how the freedom of the press is exercised and the limitations that come along with this right, asserted Longchari and mentioned that there was no specific provision for the Press in the constitution of India. And to this problem, he communicated that the college can be the voice for inclusion of Freedom of Press in Article 19 clause 2. "To empower the press to effectively assume its role as the fourth pillar of democracy there is a need for a clear political will to work towards creating a historical opportunity where the press is constantly in a tango between rights and restrictions," Longchari said. ‘The press in Nagaland is evolving and has a profound role but we need to understand that newspaper cannot solve or offer solutions, but only articulate and suggest constructive criticism.  The press here has been stereotyped and therefore there is a need for a strong independent judiciary and press. If only there was a school of journalism, the fraternity would benefit.’ The statement was in response to a question posed by a pol. science lecturer about how free Nagaland’s Press was. A participant queried about what would be the solution to biased news influenced by political leaders when the public expect neutrality from the media houses. To this, the former editor responded with the statement: With liberalisation of the media in India, it is important to recognise who the owners are, and a little research about them would be helpful. If there is awareness about ethics in journalism, Longchari remarked, people will understand how the media works. In today's context where there is an overflow of information, he commented, newspapers have been reduced to opinions. The head of the college’s pol. science dept., Impangsangla Jamir also spoke. She said in the keynote address: "Freedom of speech is basic to the functioning of a democratic system. Freedom of Press is a natural corollary to the Freedom of Speech and Expression. No specific provision in the Constitution of India guarantees the Freedom of the Press; the freedom is a part of the wider Freedom of Expression under Article 19 (1: A)." The Press, she explained, is regarded one of the Pillars of Democracy and it acts as a watchdog of the three organs of government. In a healthy democracy, she concluded, the public can rely on free media to step in to expose the countless examples of corruption and abuse of power but only if Freedom of Expression is allowed to stay in its native power. The time has come for the Press of the largest democracy in the world to work hand-in-hand with justice for the welfare of the people, the gathering was told.