The Mumbai Press Club has raised concerns about Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in one of the rallies in Maharashtra in which he had said that journalists are the “slaves” of their owners.
“At an election rally in Amaravati, Maharashtra, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, made sweeping remarks about working journalists, accusing them of being beholden to the ruling regime and labelling them as ‘slaves of their owners’. While cloaked in concern for the plight of journalists, his comments carried a tone of condescension that warrants closer scrutiny,” the statement said.
The Mumbai Press Club asked Rahul Gandhi to reflect upon the root causes of the challenges faced by journalists. It said, “Has Mr Gandhi ever reflected on the root causes of the challenges faced by working journalists in India and the state of journalism as a whole? The precarious conditions of journalists today stem largely from rampant contractualisation, driven in part by the neo-liberal policies introduced by the Congress-led government in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Until then, journalists had fought for and secured significant rights, including unionization and better working conditions. Contractualisation, however, allowed monopoly media houses to sack journalists at will, weakening unions and leaving journalists vulnerable. If Gandhi truly wishes to address the plight of journalists, perhaps he should redirect his critique toward the media owners and the structural issues within the industry. The ever-present threat of dismissal, combined with an oversupply of unemployed and underemployed journalists, makes it unrealistic to expect working journalists to rebel against the system at great personal risk.”
The club acknowledged the challenges journalists are facing today. “While we acknowledge the immense challenges posed by the current government’s authoritarian tendencies toward the media, it is equally concerning to witness Gandhi’s repeated targeting of journalists. His rhetoric raises legitimate concerns about how his party might approach the press if it were to return to power. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is rightly criticised for avoiding open press conferences, Gandhi’s recurrent mockery and derision of journalists also deserve rebuke,” it said.
The Mumbai Press Club concluded that it has consistently stood against the violation of journalists’ rights, whether by ruling parties, media owners, or other forces. "We, therefore, view the high-handed approach of the Leader of Opposition toward working journalists as a matter of serious concern. Constructive dialogue and accountability, not dismissive remarks, are what the media - and democracy - deserve," the statement mentioned.
Addressing a public meeting on November 16, Rahul Gandhi said, “For over a year, I have been advocating for constitutional reforms, caste-based census, and breaking the 50 per cent reservation ceiling. Despite raising these issues in Parliament, Modi claims I am against reservation. Either he has memory loss, or he chooses to ignore the facts. The media also refuses to show this reality because they are under their owners’ control."
He further said, “Journalists need salaries to educate their children and fill their stomachs. To ensure this, they are forced to obey their bosses. In a way, they are slaves. I like them, but their circumstances bind them. This is why I don’t pick a fight with them. They will never show what we do or say, but they will run propaganda 24×7."
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