My tryst with the fourth estate

Voltaire, the great philosopher, wit and writer, said, "When the press is free and the people are literate, democracy is safe." The freedom and independence which the media enjoy in a country has rightly been regarded as the hallmark of a democracy. Thomas Carlyle described the press as the 'fourth estate,' according it the pride of place along with the executive, the legislature and the judiciary, as a watchdog of the Constitution of the country.

Freedom cannot, however, be allowed to become license and be misused. Which is why, in most democratic countries, there are authorities who regulate the content of the print and electronic media. In India, Press Council of India performs that function. In recent years, especially with the explosive growth in electronic media, sensationalism has become a cause of worry and concern. 'Eternal vigilance,' let us all remember, is the price of liberty.

In the print and electronic media sensationalism is a type of tactic meant for attracting the greatest number of readers or viewers. The presentation of selected events and topics is worded in such a manner as to excite the greatest number of them.

In 1979, I was posted as Collector of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh. I had just reached that point in a stint when one has learnt all the ropes and has a few crystallized ideas of how best the remaining part of one's tenure can be utilised best. Vijayawada city (a part of Krishna district), was, and continues to be, a hotbed of intense political activity. Quite naturally for such a place, the media is acutely active and alert. The task of steering clear of politics and avoiding adverse publicity was quite a challenge. Imagine my horror, when one morning the headlines of a popular and respected local daily newspaper accused me of succumbing to political pressure and protecting vested interests by failing to allot to eligible unemployed youth bus routes in the town then being operated by private bus operators. After the din subsided, Dr Chenna Reddy who was the Chief Minister of the state at that time was visiting the district. I enjoyed a comfortable relationship with Dr Chenna Reddy though it had not been without its occasional hiccup. As the Superintendent of Police and I received him, he responded with great affection and patted us on our backs for the manner in which we had acquitted ourselves in handling a sensitive law and order issue a few days earlier. Barely a couple of weeks later I received my orders of my transfer.

While the sense of regret at having left many things half-done haunted me for quite some time thereafter, I still savour the feeling that, instead being subjected to impersonal, sudden and summary marching orders, I had been the recipient of what was undeniably decent, if not handsome, treatment at the hands of a Chief Minister to whom such an attitude did not quite come naturally! The whole train of events was triggered by an encounter with the press.

It was year 2004. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR, was the Chief Minister of the (then) Andhra Pradesh state and I was the Chief Secretary of the government. I had taken the lead for putting in place the arrangements for the ensuing Pushkarams of the Krishna River. The main place of pilgrimage was Vijayawada town, on the banks of the River in Krishna district.

In the early hours of the morning of the day on which the event was to commence, a report was received that four people drowned and lost their lives in an accident near the barrage across the river at Vijayawada. As a matter of fact, the formal inauguration of the event had not yet taken place. The accident occurred at a spot which was not one of the venues designated for pilgrims to bathe and engage in their rituals. Apparently a group of people went to an unprotected place where water was being discharged and were washed away. In fact, the event did not seem to have any connection with the Pushkarams as such.

The Chief Minister was on tour, at the temple town of Srisailam at that time. In the wake of the allegations made by the media about the ineffective arrangements made by the State for the festival, we had to handle the issue of 'accountability' (not to be confused with the issue of 'responsibility'). I advised the Chief Minister that: the District Collector of Krishna District be asked to proceed on leave; the Police Commissioner of Vijayawada be transferred out and the Superintending Engineer in charge of the Krishna Barrage be kept under suspension and an enquiry be ordered.

Upon arrival in Vijayawada, the Chief Minister straightaway announced all the decisions I had earlier suggested and his programme went off smoothly. Largely because, the media was appeased with the CM's announcement and desisted from sensationalising the event.

Unintentional slips can cause considerable amusement such as the one which reportedly said that "Mr. Churchill is in bed with a coed," when Churchill was actually in bed with a cold!

Another similar instance happened where, one morning in Hyderabad, my wife and my son brought to my notice, a headlinein the popular Telugu daily 'Eenadu,' which speculated that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which was then conducting an investigation into the alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets by former Chief Minister, was expected to issue a notice (as the Chief Secretary) to me to clarify certain issues in regard to that matter. I contacted the officers concerned of the CBI, and confirmed that, it was, in fact being contemplated. I chose not to wait for the notice to come and proceeded to the office where the investigation was being conducted. The officers were nice enough to have offered to come home to settle their doubts but I preferred going over there as the records were available with them. The meeting concluded satisfactorily with the doubts being cleared. But the fact remains that, in the public mind, I was seen as having been associated with a matter involving suspected dishonest practices. And, unfortunately, the outcome of our meeting was never publicised by the media so that my name could be cleared.

The event reminded me of the following story.

An Italian Bishop was travelling to the United States as part of his missionary work. On the eve of his departure he sought an audience with the Pope for a briefing on the proposed visit. His Holiness advised the Bishop to be extremely cautious while dealing with the American media which was known to be aggressively intrusive and eager to sensationalise matters.

Upon arrival at La Guardia airport, the Bishop was besieged by media persons. Out of the blue a cub reporter asked him, "Hey, Bishop! Will you be visiting any night clubs in New York?" Somewhat startled by the unexpected and loaded question but remembering the Pope's counsel, the Bishop replied in guarded manner. Innocently he asked, "Are there any night clubs in New York?"

Any relief the Bishop felt at avoiding potential embarrassment lasted only till the next morning when he read, with shock and alarm, the headlines that screamed at him in a local newspaper. "Are there any night clubs in New York"? First question Italian Bishop asks on arrival!"

Duly chastised by that experience, the Bishop started his sermon to a congregation in Boston that afternoon, first seeking to know whether any gentlemen of the press were there. A few hands went up. The Bishop fervently pleaded with the reporters not to publish the contents of his address as that would make his messages stale even while he had to speak at a number of places across the country over the next few weeks. Confident, thereafter, that no further danger lurked ahead, he proceeded to deliver his speech. And the headlines next day were: 'Italian Bishop tells many stories. All unprintable!' They are really something else, the Paparazzi! Clearly thereis no gaining an upper hand over them.

(The writer is former Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)

(The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of The Hans India)