IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Aug 16: The Independence Day speech of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, which public broadcasters Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) decided not to broadcast after “collective decision taken at Delhi”, was political as it is of any chief minister. The Prasar Bharati, in its email to Tripura CM on the eve of Independence Day, didn’t pinpoint any particular item in the speech, rather asked him to “reshape” his speech. However, when one goes through the 3-page speech that Tripura’s ruling party CPI-M made public on 15th Aug night, one finds that in his speech, Manik Sarkar had hit hard at the pro-corporate policies of the central government and cow vigilantism. He had also cornered Sangh Parivar for its role during the freedom movement.
The CM’s office had sent transcript and audio of his speech to Prasar Bharati on 14th Aug evening.
The public broadcaster responded: “The matter cited above has been considered and keeping in view the sanctity and solemnity attached with the occasion the broadcast is meant for, the CEO, Prasar Bharati was also consulted and the collective decision taken at Delhi advises that the broadcast may not go with its existing content.”
In the email, Sanjiv Dosajh, Assistant Director of Programmes (Policy) for Director General said: “AIR/Prasar Bhaarti will however be more than happy if the Hon’ble Chief Minister agrees to reshape the content making it to the solemnity of the occasion and sentiments of the people of India at large.”
Key points of Sarkar’s speech that DD/AIR may not have found suitable for broadcast:
Unity in diversity is India’s traditional heritage. Great values of secularism have helped in keeping Indians together as a nation. But today this spirit of secularism is under attack. Conspiracies and attempts are underway to create an undesirable complexity and divisions in our society; to invade our national consciousness in the name of religion, caste and community, by inciting passions to convert India into a particular religious country and in the name of protecting the cow. Because of all these people of Minority and Dalit communities are under severe attack. Their sense of security is being shattered. Their life is under peril. These unholy tendencies cannot be harbored or tolerated. These disruptive attempts are contrary to the goals, dreams and ideals of our freedom struggle. The followers of those who were not associated with the Independence movement, rather sabotaged the freedom movement, were servile to the atrocious, plunderer and merciless British, aligned with the anti-national forces having decorated themselves today in different names and colours are striking at the root of unity and integrity of India. Every loyal and patriotic Indian must take the pledge today to remain committed to the ideal of a united India and to counter the attempts towards such destructive conspiracies and attacks. We must all work and collectively strive to ensure security of the Minorities, Dalits and preserve the unity and integrity of our country.
Today, the gulf between the have and have nots is speedily widening. Nation’s vast resources and wealth are being concentrated in the hands of a very few. A large majority of our people are suffering from poverty. These people are the victims of inhuman exploitation. They are being deprived of food, shelter, clothing, education, health care and security of jobs for assured income. This is contrary to the aims and objectives of our independence struggle. Our current national policies are squarely responsible for this state of affairs. Such anti-people policies shall have to be reserved. But words alone will not achieve this. For this, we need the deprived and the suffering Indians to arise, become vocal and to protest fearlessly, collectively in a ceaseless manner. We definitely need an alternative policy that serves the interest of vast majority of Indians. To bring this alternative policy into reality, the deprived and suffering Indians need to take pledge on this Independence Day to launch an economic, political and social movement unitedly in a broadway.”
The mounting problem of unemployment has created a sense of despondency and gloom in our national psyche. On one hand, lakhs of employed are losing their jobs, on the other hand crores of unemployed youth are waiting for jobs, which is nothing but like a mirage to them. It is not possible to solve this gigantic national problem without reversing the national economic policies which work to strengthen the very small group of profiteering corporates, and without increasing the purchasing power of the common people of India. Hence, the students, youth and working classes will have to take a pledge on this Independence Day to launch a collective and continuous movement to reverse these destructive policies.
In contrast to the anti-people policies of the government at the Centre, the state government of Tripura despite its limitations has been pursuing policies for the welfare of the people in all walks of life with special focus on the downtrodden and to advance forward with their cooperation. This is a totally different and an alternative path. This path has been able to not only attract the people of Tripura but also elicit a positive response of the downtrodden people of our country. This is not being tolerated by the reactionary forces here in Tripura. Hence, conspiracies are being hatched up one after another by the enemies of the people to disturb peace, fraternity and integrity of the state. And at the same time attempts are on to disrupt the realm of developmental works. We need to counter all these unholy designs and isolate the reactionary forces. In this background, on this Independence Day, all the right thinking, peace loving and development seeking people of Tripura need to take a determined pledge to come forward to work unitedly against such disruptive forces.
CPI-M Condemns DD/AIR
The CPI-M on Tuesday denounced the refusal by Doordarshan and All India Radio to broadcast the customary Independence Day address of Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and sought action against officers who took the decision.
“This is a gross infringement on the right of a Chief Minister to address the people of his state on Independence Day,” the Communist Party of India-Marxist said.
“This act is reminiscent of the Emergency days and goes beyond as it seeks to gag the elected Chief Minister of a state. The central government is trampling upon the autonomy of Doordarshan, AIR and Prasar Bharati by such acts of censorship.”
The party demanded action against those responsible for prohibiting the broadcast. It asked the Modi government to stop treating the Prasar Bharati “as a department of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.”
“Doordarshan Refuses to Broadcast Tripura CM Manik Sarkar’s Speech. Is this the Cooperative Federalism that PM Modi Talks About? Shame!” the party tweeted.
Slamming central government led by BJP, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri tweeted: “BJP’s model is to remote control Tripura from Delhi. CPI(M) will fight for Tripura’s rights and honour against BJP’s dictatorial centralism.”
Many others have also denounced the decision of public broadcasters.
Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said: “AIR will carry RSS Chief’s speech but not Tripura CM’s speech. So AIR will now become like Hitler’s Goebbles?”
