DD & AIR are destined to echo ‘his master’s voice’ only! National broadcasters denied broadcast the CPI’s recorded address

New Delhi, 25^th April. Binoy Viswam, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Secretary, National Council, Communist Party of India has issued the following statement:

Following
Doordarshan, All India Radio also has indicated that the national broadcasters
are destined to echo ‘his master’s voice’ only. After completing all
formalities and recording of my address to the voters on behalf of CPI, the AIR
authorities have informed my party that they would not broadcast the recorded
version. It was scheduled for broadcasting on 25th April at 9.30 pm!

AIR now says
that they have problem with the paragraph dealing with the Hindutva philosophy,
which gathered its energy form Mussolini and Hitler. The paragraph attempts to
tell that the ruling dispensation is enarmed by a misleading conception that
Hindutva philosophy and Hindu religion are one and the same. It deals with the
atrocities against Dalits, adivasis, minorities and women at the influence of
fascist ideology.

The speech
was recorded by AIR on 18th April and the voucher granted by the Election
Commission was exchanged on the same day.

Before the
recording itself I have informed AIR authorities about my experience in DD and
asked them whether they have any problem in broadcasting the speech. I even
told them that if they are to edit the text which was sent to them sufficiently
in advance, I would rather prefer to desist from recording, as I did with DD.
They assured me that it would be aired without any alterations.

After that I
can only guess on what might have happened in the corridors. Some one from
‘above’ might have intervened and threatened the officials. In the official
letter to CPI, dated 22.4.2019, AIR has attached a note said to be signed by
the members of the ‘impartial’ vetting committee. And all the signatures were
dated as 16.4.2019! As the recording was already made on 18.4.2019, the secret
behind the vetting committee on 16.4.2019 is imaginable!! This speaks about the
way in which DD and AIR are handled by the government led by Narendra Modi. The
government religiously follow the propaganda machinations designed by none other
than Joseph Goebbels.

As a
concerned citizen of India who believes in freedom of speech and expression I
urge up on the Election Commission to intervene in the matter and protect the
right of political parties to communicate with the people in order to ensure
free and fair elections.

(Binoy Viswam)