October 29: Information and broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj has said there would be a National debate on the entry of foreign media in India, a matter, which is under the consideration of her ministry.She said no decision had yet been taken on this sensitive issue and added that the decision would be taken after considering the pros and cons of the matter.Talking to media persons here on Saturday night, she said that the situation had changed since then when the proposal was shelved but now it there was a need for the country to have an open discussion in the matter to arrive at some conclusion.Ms Swaraj said that she had planned to give wider perspective to information technology, which was being considered as entertainment sector, due to change in values. She said that her ministry was one in which revenue could be earned.Stressing the need for modernising Doordarshan services in view of the latest technology, she said that each of her ministry's activity should be employment-oriented by introducing use of software and hard ware. If needed, she said, assistance from private sector would also be taken to make it an entertainment sector which, of late, was known as a sector of happenings.Justice Sawant further warned that " alongwith the indigenous small, medium and language press, the Indian news agencies will also have to wind up."On the availability of foreign newspapers on the internet, he said that they have been coming in the country and that there had never been a ban on their import. ``They are generally read by a class of readers who now has an access to the internet as well," may be there has been a marginal increase in the numbers of those who have got computers and have an access to the internet.''INS Secretary General P K Lahri said his organisation in its October 23rd executive meeting here held that the INS was consistant in its strong opposition to the foreign print media as it found no plausible reason to reverse the policy which had steadfastly been followed since 1955.While referring to ins office bearers luncheon meeting with Ms Swaraj, Mr Lahri said it was impressed upon the Minister that there was absolutely no need for bringing in any change in the policy decision of 1955-56 and told her about the two INS resolutions passed in this regard in Bangalore on September 14, 1994 and in New Delhi on December 17, 1999.Nayar, the former editor of an English daily the Statesman said he was surprised over the Minister's remark and said it was contrary to the undertaking given by the then I and B Minister Arun Jaitley in May last in parliament and the Union cabinet ruling out any such move on February this year." Why is she raising the dead issue? " he wanted to know. Besides if the foreign print media was allowed, they will come here to pursue their " social and political agenda". Hindu Deputy Editor K K Katyal ridiculed those advocating necessity of foreign capital in the Indian Newsapper Industry for technological upgradations saying that the latest technology was freely available in world markets and that too had been acquired by even medium sized newspapers.AINEC president and former INS Chief Vishwa Bandhu Gupta questioned the wisdom of the Minister for raking up the issue saying " it is absoluteley unnecessary and merits no attention." he says if the government was keen to reconsider," it will be a wrong step." According to Mitra, the entire debate about foreign investors tailoring the policy of publications to purely suit their ideological agenda ''is therefore frivolous as it does not happen anywhere. In any case foreigners will not able to determine policy unless they hold more than 50 per cent in the company and nothing remotely close to that figure is contemplated,'' he added.
