President Pranab Mukherjee today expressed concern over the stand off involving a section of advocates and the media in Kerala affecting coverage of judicial proceedings in the Kerala High Court.
This was conveyed to a media delegation headed by Philip Mathew, Editor, Malayala Manorama, also comprising M V Shreyan's Kumar, Director, Mathrubhumi, and M G Radhakrishnan, Chief Editor, Asianet, when they called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today.
Mathew handed over a memorandum to the President requesting his urgent intervention to defuse the situation and re-establish the rule of law and freedom of the press, which are pre-requisites of a healthy democracy.
Mathew said he was writing with "great anguish" on the
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stand off between the journalists who cover the Kerala High Court and the advocates.
It all started on July 19, 2016 when the advocates prevented the media from reporting court proceedings and manhandled the media persons in the High Court premises. This had its echo in some of the other courts in the state as well in the subsequent days.
Since the advocates threatened to take on the media physically, reporters have not been able to go to the High Court to report its proceedings thereafter, he said.
Also, media people were denied entry into the chambers of the justices of the High Court and a media room that was functioning in the High Court for a long time was closed down.
"The provocation for the high-handed behaviour of the advocates is only the press reporting related to a molestation case registered by police against advocate Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran, who was a government pleader at the time.
"The Chief Justice of Kerala convened two meetings of
media managements, journalists and advocates' representatives where the other judges of the High Court were also present
"The High Court took the stand that media was free to go to the High Court and report. Budget the judges in their wisdom decided not to permit media enter the chambers of the judges. Also, the advocates were against re-opening the media room which the judges also endorsed," Mathew said.
He said believing the assurance from the Chief Justice on the safety of the media persons, several reporters, including women, went to the High Court on September 30 but were forced and threatened by the advocates.
Police had to escort the media team out of the High Court fearing attack by advocates. The victims have given a written complaint to the High Court Registrar as directed by the Chief Justice.
Mathew said the media was pained to report that rule of law has "miserably failed" in the premises of the High Court. "We believe that there is a conscious and concerted effort to muffle the press and undermine the citizens' right to information," he said.
The issue has gone up to the Press Council of India which has issued notice to the concerned. "But we don't see any silver lining amidst the gloom that has been forced up on the media in Kerala," he said.
