INTERACTIVE SESSION OF CHAIRPERSON, NHRC WITH SENIOR MEDIA PROFESSIONALS
In interactive session of Senior Media Professionals and Chairperson along with other Members and Senior Officers of the Commission was organized on 9th December, 2008 in New Delhi. The Session was focused on 'Human Rights and Role of Media'. It also aimed at exploring the points of convergence for both the Commission and the Media where they could together work for the promotion and protection of the Human Rights. It had a panel discussion followed by an open session. The panelists included Mr. I. Ramamohan Rao, Chief Editor, ANI TV, Mr. Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN7, Mr. Sumit Chakravarty, Editor, Mainstream and Mr. N. Bhadran Nair, Executive Producer (News), INX News Private Ltd. The Session was chaired by Mr. Justice S. Rajendra Babu, Chairperson, NHRC.
The recommendations emerged from the discussion included that follow-up action on the notices issued by the Commission specially in the matters of SUO-MOTU cognizance needs to be shared with media as often as possible. The other important point was that media needs to be very careful about reporting the events like terrorists attacks in the country. It was also emphasized that violations of human rights issues need to be covered more prominently specially in television news channels which in search of better Television Rating Points (TRP) get killed at the desk sometimes. It was also felt that the Commission should organize more such interactions with media. Someof the Journalists who participated in open session after the panel discussion raised several points relating to media coverage of human rights and terrorists attacks, role of NHRC, the functioning of State Human Rights Commissions and the status of Commission's recommendations on key issues like Food Security and also about the status of some reports and cases relating to Nandigram Violence, Dr. Binayak Sen's case, Punjab Mass Cremation etc. The open session participants included Mr. Rohit Bansal, Senior Journalist and Chief Operating Officer, INDIA TV, Mr. Sudesh Verma, Editor, News Network 365, Ms. Aditi Tandon, Special Correspondent, The Tribune, Mr. Appu Esthose Suresh, Reporter-Sub Editor, Covert Magazine, Mr. K.A. Badarinath, Senior Editor, Financial Chronicle, Mr. D.S. Malik, Additional Director General (News), All India Radio, Ms. Pratibha Jyoti, Principal Correspondent, Nai Duniya. In all about fourty media persons attended the session in which the NHRC Members and Senior Officers were also present.
The Chairperson, Mr. Justice S. Rajendra Babu, in his concluding remarks said, there is no right without responsibility. He said, media should itself observe restraint in its coverage of issues. There should be no regulation and prohibition. Referring to Dr. Binayak Sen's bail petition he said, the same was subject matter of three courts' decisions Trial Court, High Court and Supreme Court of India and the Commission will not intervene with the decisions of High Court or Supreme Court. His bail application has been rejected by three courts. Referring to the point raised about sharing the status of Commission's follow-up actions on its notices, orders and recommendations with the media, the Chairperson said, the Commission receives more than a lakh cases in a year and it will be difficult to inform the media periodically about each of them. However, he said if the media persons check up, perhaps the Commission would tell them the status of the cases. Justice Rajendra Babu said, in Batla House case the Commission has received some reports and when the Commission is satisfied with them, these will be released. On Meerut Girls case, he said, it is pending with the National Commission for Women and not with the NHRC. If the N.C.W. transfers the case to the NHRC, the Commission will certainly take up the case.
The Chairperson emphatically said, the National Human Rights Commission is not playing in the hands of the State holders. He said, it is the responsibility of the concerned Chief Minister to strengthen the State Human Rights Commission. He said, media can work a lot on economic, social and cultural rights. He said, the way, the Commission is depending upon the media especially in the context of wide publicity it gives to some issues is very credible. However, he said, developing a common platform of the NHRC and the media to address the promotion and protection of human rights will be very difficult as there are so many media organizations.
The recommendations emerged from the discussion included that follow-up action on the notices issued by the Commission specially in the matters of SUO-MOTU cognizance needs to be shared with media as often as possible. The other important point was that media needs to be very careful about reporting the events like terrorists attacks in the country. It was also emphasized that violations of human rights issues need to be covered more prominently specially in television news channels which in search of better Television Rating Points (TRP) get killed at the desk sometimes. It was also felt that the Commission should organize more such interactions with media. Someof the Journalists who participated in open session after the panel discussion raised several points relating to media coverage of human rights and terrorists attacks, role of NHRC, the functioning of State Human Rights Commissions and the status of Commission's recommendations on key issues like Food Security and also about the status of some reports and cases relating to Nandigram Violence, Dr. Binayak Sen's case, Punjab Mass Cremation etc. The open session participants included Mr. Rohit Bansal, Senior Journalist and Chief Operating Officer, INDIA TV, Mr. Sudesh Verma, Editor, News Network 365, Ms. Aditi Tandon, Special Correspondent, The Tribune, Mr. Appu Esthose Suresh, Reporter-Sub Editor, Covert Magazine, Mr. K.A. Badarinath, Senior Editor, Financial Chronicle, Mr. D.S. Malik, Additional Director General (News), All India Radio, Ms. Pratibha Jyoti, Principal Correspondent, Nai Duniya. In all about fourty media persons attended the session in which the NHRC Members and Senior Officers were also present.
The Chairperson, Mr. Justice S. Rajendra Babu, in his concluding remarks said, there is no right without responsibility. He said, media should itself observe restraint in its coverage of issues. There should be no regulation and prohibition. Referring to Dr. Binayak Sen's bail petition he said, the same was subject matter of three courts' decisions Trial Court, High Court and Supreme Court of India and the Commission will not intervene with the decisions of High Court or Supreme Court. His bail application has been rejected by three courts. Referring to the point raised about sharing the status of Commission's follow-up actions on its notices, orders and recommendations with the media, the Chairperson said, the Commission receives more than a lakh cases in a year and it will be difficult to inform the media periodically about each of them. However, he said if the media persons check up, perhaps the Commission would tell them the status of the cases. Justice Rajendra Babu said, in Batla House case the Commission has received some reports and when the Commission is satisfied with them, these will be released. On Meerut Girls case, he said, it is pending with the National Commission for Women and not with the NHRC. If the N.C.W. transfers the case to the NHRC, the Commission will certainly take up the case.
The Chairperson emphatically said, the National Human Rights Commission is not playing in the hands of the State holders. He said, it is the responsibility of the concerned Chief Minister to strengthen the State Human Rights Commission. He said, media can work a lot on economic, social and cultural rights. He said, the way, the Commission is depending upon the media especially in the context of wide publicity it gives to some issues is very credible. However, he said, developing a common platform of the NHRC and the media to address the promotion and protection of human rights will be very difficult as there are so many media organizations.