Spare us the law

Mumbai is grounded,all key infrastructure projects are either stuck or way past their deadlines,the Congress has egg on its face after its ringing defeat in the civic polls. It’s hard to believe why and how a law to protect journalists should become a priority for the state government. Of course,attacks on journalists for what they write or broadcast should face the full force of law — in fact,it’s a journalist who’s among those in prison in connection with the alleged murder of her colleague J. Dey — but to argue for a separate law misses many points. How will such a law be implemented? Who will define who is a journalist? Article 19 doesn’t define categories of citizens whose freedom of speech has to be protected. So why should one life be more important than another? But then,these questions are missing in the discourse of a state where already some lives are more important — like those of doctors and paramedics,since attacks on them have been made non-bailable offences. What would stop others,lawyers,actors,even politicians,from clamouring for similar protection later?

Justice Katju,from all available evidence,has time on his hands and not much to do other than working towards that very honourable goal of prodding the illiterate media to excellence. Surely,Chavan knows he doesn’t have similar luxuries. He has work to do and he should get back to it.