A question of credibility

AFTER HAVING PERMITTED Mr. George Fernandes to use Doordarshan to make offensive political remarks as part of his explanatory statement, the Government cannot shirk its responsibility to ensure that those whom the former Defence Minister castigated are given equal opportunity to defend themselves on the same medium. The so-called clarification from the Prime Minister's Office that Mr. Fernandes was still holding the defence portfolio when he made the statement on DD last week and the explanation by anonymous sources in the PMO that Prasar Bharati was an autonomous body and that consequently the Government had no role in granting permission to any party or person to use the medium are extremely unconvincing. The question whether Mr. Fernandes was still a member of the Cabinet or not is only half the story. The other, more pertinent half is why and how was he allowed to make such disparaging remarks against the Opposition on an official channel. Instead of resorting to untenable and lame excuses, the same authority that granted Mr. Fernandes permission to use DD - whether DD is under the thumb of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry or not is another matter - must immediately permit whichever party wants to rebut the remarks that he had made in the statement telecast on March 15. The rejection of the demand made by the Congress(I) for its representative to be given time on DD smacks of political partisanship. It is time the NDA partners who had sworn to ensure autonomy for Prasar Bharati, under which Doordarshan functions, demonstrated that their words, given on the floor of Parliament, are not empty rhetoric.

For, not even a semi-autonomous institution, eager to have its credibility restored, would have allowed Mr. Fernandes, Minister or exiting Minister, to make polemical remarks against the entire Opposition. The damning preface in the long statement that he made would have been excised by an independent media organisation. Having failed to do that, the authority that permitted this unethical act should have readily given an opportunity of rebuttal to those whom Mr. Fernandes maligned. This is what in part the first paragraph of Mr. Fernandes' statement said: ``... by blocking Parliament, thereby preventing me from telling the truth; by taking to the streets when a discussion in Parliament would have brought out the facts, the Opposition parties have caused immeasurable harm to our national security. That is why I am here before you.'' The imperious arrogance this conveys could be dismissed as being characteristic of Mr. Fernandes. But it must be political naivete of the extreme sort for the BJP Government or its abrasive Minister of Information and Broadcasting to argue that an autonomous body, run by professionals, would first of all have allowed such remarks to get aired and having done that let them go unrebutted.

Instead of hiding behind the PMO and its sources, Prasar Bharati must grant the demand of the Congress - and the NDA Government must see beyond the old habit of using the State-owned media as tools of propaganda. The fundamental goal of years of relentless and untiring all-round effort to evolve an autonomous Prasar Bharati was the building of a wholesome democratic culture of plurality on which DD and All India Radio would regain their credibility for the national good. With their enormous reach and unparalleled potential in this age of increasing transparency and competition, healthy and otherwise, there is today even greater urgency for ensuring their autonomy. Any effort to whittle it down should be resisted and condemned.

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