Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the great son of freedom and liberation struggle in Southeast Asia, uttered a stark truth ages ago to wake up the sleeping masses. He said, 'Freedom is not given, it is taken'. At all levels, personal or collective, local or global, it is today resounded by the voice of millions of oppressed people of the world as the ultimate truth.
Various events are held around the world around the World Press Freedom Day on May 3. Numerous editorial articles have been published. Journalists in eastern and western countries also took to the streets with the demand to pave the way for free journalism though the incidents like silence of journalists and newspapers, murder-torture, threat-kidnapping did not stop, but despite this, the events and programs that are held every year.
There is no hesitation to say - no one in power or powerless is behind in oppressing journalists. If we look at recent years, many examples of such incidents can be given. Even if the incident of oppression of journalists at the hands of the ruling party is forced to be accepted as a 'normal' incident, but when the journalists are oppressed at the hands of the opposition political parties who make the government think about the freedom of the press, the safety of journalists, etc., there is no answer!
On October 28, 2023, there was a barbaric attack on the journalists on duty at the rally of the BNP-led political alliance. After a few days there was a commotion. With the passage of time, those events are buried by the frequent occurrence of new events. It is proven that the political parties have no sense of responsibility in this regard, so there is no investigation - punishment is a far cry.
The political leaders involved in the incident had a tea-chat with the journalist leaders in the VIP lounge of the press club before the wounds of the journalists were healed. Some of the beleaguered journalists may have peeped into the chatter, but they retreated in silent humiliation, yielding to the powerful.
Finally, is there any justice for the infernal attack on entertainment journalists led by film villain actors at FDC? The news of the incident was heard in a secret meeting of some journalist leaders at the residence of an actor. The news of setting up an inquiry committee also came in the media. Several days passed but no response was received.
The day after this year's World Free Press Day, when the discussion meeting about this day was held at the National Press Club, the 'topic' was chosen as 'Environment and Development Journalism'; the issue of journalist persecution was secondary there. From top media editors to the Minister of State for Information himself were the guests of the event. If there is such a tendency to compromise and the desire to get the blessing of power among the oppressed community, then it is a 'crime' to demand a remedy for the oppression of journalists!
In the beginning, the topic of freedom fighter Netaji Subhash came up. Not only did he talk about taking away the 'freedom' of emancipated people, National Congress President Subhash Chandra Bose also reminded us of our innate servile instincts by saying, 'Friends, we are born slaves. Let us resolve, we shall be free before we die.'
In truth we have become numb to seeing only servitude and flattery around us. The glorious history of those whose traditions we carry in journalism affects us little.
August 11, 1922. Bengal's rebellious poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, who aspired to express the truth in a lively manner, was publishing the bi-weekly ‘Dhumketu’ from 32 College Street, Kolkata. Dhumketu is a shining example of how newspapers and journalism can create memorable narratives. It is important to remember the events of contemporary journalists and editors because the narrative of that event will give us some idea of how much more we need to strive to uphold the dignity of this great profession.
The young poet Nazrul himself decided to publish a newspaper named 'Dhumketu', feeling the limitation of his thinking and freedom under the editorship of the evening-daily Navajug owned by Sher-e- Bangla AK Fazlul Haque. Poetry Guru Rabindranath sent blessings. Kabiguru did not return him. Dhumketu published with the blessing of Rabindranath did play a unique role in awakening a sleeping nation! In the words of writer and poet Pabitra Ganguli, "Dhumketu" was pounding the unmoved mind of the nation in such a way that the royal power is lost.
A vociferous voice against oppression in a subjugated country, the few issues of Dhumketu that were published were like sparks that set fire to the throne of power. Nazrul was able to speak about independence with great power in all his timeless poems and fiery editorials.
In an editorial in an issue of Dhumketu, Nazrul wrote, '..First of all, Dhumketu wants complete independence of India..not even an inch part of India shall be under foreign rule. The complete responsibility of India, the complete freedom-defense, the responsibility of governance, all will be in the hands of the Indian. No foreigner will even have the right to wrap it. Those who are now turning the country into a cremation ground by becoming a king or a ruler, they should be wrapped up, wrapped in bundles and crossed to the seashore...'-what a bold statement!
Pabitra Ganguli recorded the narrative of an incident in a memoir entitled 'Dhumketur Kabi Nazrul'. The gist of what he brought out is that one day in the office of Dhumketu, a young and cheerful poet named Gopinath sat down and asked Nazrul, "The country is subjugated, the tyranny of the English. How does joy arise in that burning?'
It turned out that within a few days the young man was caught red-handed with a pistol at Kolkata Chowrangi area. The young man's name is Gopinath, the immortal revolutionary. However, before being caught, Police Commissioner Charles Taggart thinks that the revolutionary shot dead another Englishman named Mr. Day. Nazrul wrote a passionate poem titled 'Anandamayi's arrival' in the midst of the incident. When it was published in Dhumketu, the British police were shaken. In the poem, the poet wrote, "How long will you stay daughter/Hide the idol of clay/Heaven that has conquered today/The tyrant power has broken/The children of God are being whipped/The brave youth are being hanged/The land of India will come to the slaughterhouse today when will it be destroyed?"
As a result, police raided Dhumketu office. Nazrul was arrested from Cumilla. The testimony given by courageous Nazrul in the court is an example not only in the history of Bengali literature but also in the history of free journalism. The poet pronounced in the court with a strong voice, "No blood-stained scepter can restrain the self-expression of truth."
In January 1923, the Chief Presidency Magistrate of Kolkata Mr. Swinho sentenced Dhumketu editor Poet Nazrul to one year rigorous imprisonment. Prisoner Nazrul was shifted to Hooghly Jail through Alipur Central Jail. He gave a great jolt to the subjugated nation by fasting for 39 days to protest the discriminatory treatment there. At this time Kabiguru dedicated his ballad 'Basant' to the young poet Nazrul. This heroic narrative of Kazi Nazrul Islam is an important historical event in the field of Bengali literature, as well as an inspiration for the traditional tradition of free journalism.
Entering the interior of contemporary newspapers and journalism, if we recall our glorious past, we must bow to shame. Where has the value of journalism gone today! While doing journalism in a free country, we are literally 'crying' for freedom. But speaking the truth will always be hindered, there will be oppression - but the truth must be embraced - this is the reality in journalism. How can we expect the path of truth to be so clear there? The past is scolding us and saying, "If you don't have the courage to break through the obstacles, the redeye, then this path is not yours".
If we take the contemporary reality into consideration, what is becoming clear is that even in the independent sovereign country that we got free from colonial and neo-colonial misrule, our challenges are not less. To say that today politics, administration and business class have caught a strong colonial character added to that, the equation of regional, sub-regional and even global power. Today's journalism and newspapers have to face all these challenges together and move forward. But the question is, how much are we ready to accept this challenge?
What is visible, self-criticism must be said, we are compromising to a large extent. In true pronunciation, some voices sometimes flare up and become still or halting. But if these burning voices can be mobilized, breaking the deadlock is not impossible. Let us strive to make that intention a reality.
