Re: Is India a model Democracy?

[Npsingh123@aol.com]

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In a message dated 1/5/01 11:56:03 PM Central Standard Time,
kvprao@igidr.ac.in writes:

<< The good things which go to strengthen our communities and the
country
 as
 a whole -do they have to be *necessarily* linked to "CurrentNews" ? I
 don't suppose you meant to say that. So, we could still have those even

 with banning the FMs from "covering" "CurrentNews". They could be
 engaged
 in discovering things instead.

 Thanks.
  >>

Banning "current news" or anything else for that matter, without a very
good
reason, is not good for the health of democracy. Freedom and Bans simply
are
opposite in meaning. Imagine if we had hundereds of independent FM
stations
in 1975, instead of only AIR, the mouthpiece of the then Congress
regime, the
then Government would not have gotten away with the Emergency. If we
have
Independent stations airing people's current problems government can be
held
more accountable for its failings. Controlling the airwaves and
controlling
access to information and opinions is the way tyrants have always
subjugated
people. The reason why government is lukewarm to truly Independent
broadcasts
and greater freedom on the internet is not because of any concern about
protecting our moral sensibilities from pornography and irresponsible
propoganda, but because of the fear that the hold of corrupt politicians
and
corrupt government on every aspect of our lives will be considerably
weakened
if we have a real freedom of expression.

Of course with greater freedom comes greater responsibility. But our
system
of laws and courts is quite capable of dealing with any serious
deviations
from responsible broadcasting.



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