The Downward Spiral of Freedom of Press in India

Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had once said: “I would rather have a completely free press with all the dangers involved in the wrong use of that freedom than a regulated or suppressed press”. It is said that the “state must be controlled by public opinion and not public opinion by the state” – this ideal can be an objective reality only when the press is free. India unfortunately does not have an explicit clause guaranteeing freedom of the press, although the Constituent Assembly and the Supreme Court have acknowledged that “it is implicitly part of Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, which grants the right to freedom of speech and expression.” According to these institutions, this right is subject to fair limitations as under Article 19 (2) of the Indian Constitution, the relevant grounds for these being, “security of the state” and “public order”. However the ambiguity associated with the interpretation of these articles has led to third party influence of media in India to a large extent. With that being said, I argue that the freedom of press in India, over the past decade, has seen a constant decline, and is directly or indirectly influenced by the government and other vested interests.