Journalist under the baton

We are appalled at the news of a journalist being once again at the receiving end of the wrath of the law enforcing agencies. This time it was the elite force, RAB, beating up a photojournalist while he was going about his professional duty and fulfilling his responsibility as a journalist, which is to keep the people informed.

The RAB personnel apparently took exception at being snapped while they were administering on-the-spot justice to a few extortionists. It was not a case of mistaken identity because the said pressman gave out his identity to his tormentors. And while they were beating him they kept on reminding him of the fact that it was not permitted to take photographs of RAB.

Pardon our ignorance, but we are not aware of any restriction imposed upon the press not to take pictures of a piece of action by an agency, paid for by the people, and meant to serve the people. The people have the right to be informed of any occurrence that is of public interest and it our considered opinion that no one ought to be above public scrutiny, and that includes the elite forces. It is as well that an apology was tendered to the journalist but that was too late, not before the poor journalist had gone through considerable personal agony and humiliation.

There are far too many instances of the members of the journalist community being made the butt of police highhandedness. This appears to be a deliberate attempt to prevent the press from carrying out its duty.

This goes against the idea of an unfettered and free press that is so very essential for a vibrant and meaningful democracy. If we are to recognise the comments of an illustrious modern day philosopher that the behaviour of the police is the index of the state of a nation, to be true, one really has reason to believe that ours is in a dire strait.

What the journalist was subjected to was patently illegal: and when the law enforcers resort to illegal acts, who will protect the public?