In the tower of Babel which is the public discourse the world’s most populous democracy dominated by politicians whose prime motivation — it’s easy to discern — is not the public good but primitive capital accumulation, Justice (Retd) Markandey Katju, chairman of the influential but toothless Press Council of India (estb. 1966), stands out as a pillar of rectitude and straight talk. As Press Council chairman, the learned judge has fired broadsides at the media casting aspersions on the learning, training and competence of the fourth estate; called for the arrest of policemen who wrongfully detained two Mumbai women students for a Facebook post about the Mumbai shut-down following the death of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray, and recently opined that 90 percent of the nation’s population are “idiots”, easy prey to religious bigots in the business of provoking communal riots. Addressing a seminar in Delhi on December 8, Katju said that all it takes for mischief-mongers intent upon sparking a communal riot is a pay-off of Rs.2,000 to an unemployed youth to throw the severed head of a pig into a mosque or of a cow into a temple, to ignite a bloody communal riot. This observation has provoked two Lucknow-based law students to issue a legal notice to the judge to withdraw his remarks or face legal action for hurting sentiments of the citizenry. The classical Greek definition of an idiot is a person who doesn’t vote in elections. With just over 50 percent voter turnout in every general election, it’s proven that 50 percent of the population are idiots. And given that citizens who do vote, repeatedly elect ill-qualified dynasty darlings, communalists, casteists, charlatans and crooks, it’s not a far stretch to describe 90 percent of the population as idiots. Therefore the learned judge’s opinion of the quality of the citizenry requires serious introspection rather than law suits for stating the obvious. Unwarranted fear The publication in Britain of the Justice Leveson Report in November, has sent alarm bells ringing within the Indian media. The 2,000 page report of the judge who was appointed to investigate the culture, practice and ethics of the runaway British press, and replacement of the toothless Press Complaints Commission by an independent regulatory body with powers to levy fines and force prominently displayed apologies from the media, has scared the proprietors and top brass of several indigenous newspapers, magazines and television channels. Appointment of a similar commission in India could spell finis to the extortion, blackmail and sundry rackets routinely practiced under the guise of exercising freedom of speech guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution. Set up on the lines of the British Press Complaints Commission, the Press Council of India is also a toothless watchdog which can censure — but not punish — media top brass and journalists. And whatever strictures it passes can be safely buried away in the inner pages of newspapers on the assurance that competitive publications or television channels — following the dog doesn’t eat…
