The right to know what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir

Pavan K Varma
Pavan K Varma | Diplomat, Author
Updated Aug 21, 2019 | 12:50 IST

The dharma of a conscientious journalist is to find out what is actually happening, in an impartial and professional manner. If, in pursuit of this goal, the govt's perspective has to be questioned, so be it.

Jammu and Kashmir
J&K after the abrogation of Article 370  |  Photo Credit: PTI

An opaque pall hangs over Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). There is total information clampdown. Landline telephone lines are but partially restored, mobile telephony is blocked, the internet is shut, cable television is inaccessible, broadband not activated, and independent reporters and observers unwelcome. How then does one know what is happening in J&K?

Let us accept that the government is sincerely trying to restore some degree of normalcy. Everyday press briefings are conducted by officials, and press statements handed out, seeking to reinforce the projection that all is well within the Valley. But, is this source of ‘information’ or credible?  

In my career as a diplomat, I have been the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and Press Secretary to two Presidents of India. I am aware that the government can be a source of information, but that information is slanted in favour of a particular point of view. In other words, it is ‘Sarkari’ news, reflecting what the government would like the people to believe, and not necessarily what the actual position may be.  It is not as if in every case the government intentionally or brazenly lies. When I was the Spokesperson of the MEA, I used to tell the media that to the greatest extent possible I would not lie to them, but I was entitled sometimes to not reveal the full truth.  

In such a situation, what is the role of free media in the world’s largest democracy? It is, I think, to try and probe beyond what the Sarkar is saying, to interrogate its statements, to try and find out what exactly is the real position on the ground, to independently ascertain the truth, and to separate the propaganda from facts.  

However, there is a section—unfortunately enough—from the media itself, which believes that to do the above is tantamount to being anti-national. Two arguments are given in support of such an untenable position. First, that to question the government’s version of things is ‘unpatriotic’; and, second, that any questions asked or doubt expressed provide grist to the mills of Pakistan’s propaganda machine against us.  

To my mind, both arguments are specious. Every vocation has its own dharma. The dharma of a conscientious journalist is to find out what is actually happening, in an impartial and professional manner. If, in pursuit of this goal, the government’s perspective has to be questioned, so be it.  Where does patriotism or the lack of it come into the picture? As to whether Pakistan can take advantage of the freedom of the media in India, can the counter-argument be that in order not to give Pakistan this ‘advantage’ we jettison a free press, and thereby erode our great distinction of being a truly vibrant democracy? A little bit of investigative sunlight, penetrating through the clouds of official handouts, will also be the best antidote to those spreading fake news and circulating will rumours.  

There is little doubt that irrespective of the merits of abrogating Article 370, the people of J&K are unhappy, hurt, angry, sullen and alienated. Such a tectonic change, including extinguishing J&K as a state and making it a Union Territory (UT), was done without any semblance of consultation with them. Resentment is a natural corollary. This resentment could find means to express itself, notwithstanding the current lockdown of the state and the attempts of the government to show that everything is happily returning to normalcy.   

We wish the government all the very best in its attempts to deal with a difficult situation. We hope too that the statements its spokespersons are issuing are reflective of the truth. But, in a democracy, it is incumbent on spirited citizens, and above all the media, to question, probe, and interrogate the official version of what is happening, and to present the truth, and nothing but the truth before the people of India. 

Pavan K Varma is a guest contributor. Views expressed are personal.

NEXT STORY