Bengaluru: The media along with Parliament has always been the watchdogs for anything untoward happening in the country, be it the lawmakers or anyone else. But if both fail to keep up to the tasks entrusted upon them, it could ruin the pillar of democracy, said Prasar Bharati chairman A. Surya Prakash here on Saturday.
Anyone claiming freedom to express their thoughts and yet not abiding by the Article 19(2) posed a threat to sovereignty and integrity of the country, he said at Narada Jayanthi celebrations organised by the Vishwa Samvada Kendra.
Two journalists from the city were felicitated at the event. Ramadhyani, a freelance cartoonist who contributes to HosaDigantha daily and Vikrama weekly, apart from other local news papers on various social and political issues, was presented with Ti Ta Sharma memorial award. Editor of Kannada weekly Karmaveera and author G. Anilkumar was presented with the Be Su Na Mallya memorial award.
Mr Surya Prakash touched upon the dark days of Emergency, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He said this was against the principle and ethics of the ruling government and also to subdue democracy.
“Hitler had done the same in Germany and what Ms Gandhi did was no different,” he said. His latest book, The Emergency: Indian Demo-cracy's Darkest Hour, treads through the period of Emergency on how opinions and free voice was suppressed by the leader of the nation then. He expressed his displeasure at police reviewing journalistic pieces in those dark days.
