NEW DELHI: Senior journalists from India’s leading newspapers have made a joint complaint to the press council of India a statutory organization seeking reversal of are cent government decision barring defence chiefs from talking to media in the wake of embarrassment caused to the authorities by certain remarks made by Army chief general S.F. Rodrigues in an interview to Pioneer.
Defence minister Sharad Pawar had told the Indian parliament that the kind of interview granted by the army chief was best avoided. The dictum the journalists pointed out could lead information will be choked” the journalists added
The defence ministry was reportedly working on “guidelines” on media coverage. This can only mean further restrictions. A few years ago defence journalists were denied access to defence ministry. The journalists added “While the world is moving towards a free flow of information the government of India has been moving in the opposite direction.”
It is well known that the chairman and members of the P.C.I. are hand-picked by the Indian government. The organization rarely gives any relief against the Indian government.
It may be recalled that the Indian government tightly controls all information from Punjab. Newspaper editors are directly approached by senior officers against their accredited correspondents reporting of Punjab. All editors in India oblige the authorities barring a few.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 24, 1992
