Attempt to muzzle press, criticism

The filing of charges against a journalist by the police in Uttar Pradesh for exposing corruption in the working of the mid-day meal scheme in a school in Mirzapur district was not only a highhanded action but an attack on the press. A video taken by the journalist Pawan Jaiswal, which went viral, showed that children at a government primary school in the district were given only roti and salt for their mid-day meal. There are norms and guidelines, laid down by the government, about the quantity and quality of the food to be served to children under the scheme. These were violated and the school authorities who were in charge of the scheme cheated the students and denied them their rightful wholesome food. An investigation later found that the journalist’s video report was correct, but he is now facing charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and defaming the state government. Cases have been registered against two others, too, and one of them, the person who informed the journalist about the roti-and-salt meal being served to the students was arrested and sent to jail.

The state government should have welcomed the irregularity in the working of the scheme being exposed and taken prompt corrective action instead of proceeding against the journalist. A senior government official said that the video was stage-managed and the journalist was trying to give a bad name to the education department with his report. He said this was clear from the fact that he took the matter to the public instead of reporting it to the authorities. This is strange logic. The journalist was only doing his duty by informing the public about the school authorities’ wrong action. In any case, he has said the district magistrate had also been informed of it. Efficient and good management of the mid-day meal scheme is important, especially in backward areas, because it motivates children to attend schools and provides them with nutritious food. It is the duty of the government, the administration and the school authorities to ensure that it is implemented well.

The filing of criminal charges against a journalist for a report which exposes a wrongdoing is clearly an attempt to muzzle the press. As the Editors Guild has said, it amounts to shooting the messenger. The message that it conveys is that negative reports and criticism of the government and its officers will not be tolerated and whistle-blowers and dissenters will be harassed and made to suffer. This is not the first time the UP government is sending out such a message. Governments do not realise that the freedom of the media is the people’s right and it actually helps governments to govern better.