Common concerns of the South Asian media
SOUTH Asia has been witness to several significant changes over the last two years. This has included the exist of monarchy in Nepal and the creation of the Constituent Assembly; democratic changes in Maldives resulting in the defeat of an authoritarian regime; re-emergence of democratic institutions after the February 2007 elections in Pakistan; introduction of a constitutional monarchy and free elections in Bhutan and the revival of democracy in Bangladesh and the establishment of a democratic government. During this period, the media has acted as a watch-dog and contributed towards this meaningful process.
It was consequently a matter of great satisfaction to participate recently in the South Asian Free Media Conference VII as a member of the South Asia Media Commission. Attended by over 250 journalists from both the print as well as the electronic media, the theme of the Conference was 'Democracy and Authoritariansim in South Asia.' In addition, there was in-depth discussion on factors associated with militancy and terrorism. In this context, ideas were also exchanged frankly about the terrorist attack on Mumbai, India on 26 November 2008 and the manner in which the media from Pakistan and India had handled the incident.
It was interesting to see the least common denominators that emerged from the meeting. Despite prevailing mistrust within the countries of South Asia, there was agreement that holding of free and fair elections was 'a good omen' for the countries of the region. It was also noted however that democracy goes beyond the electoral process and needs to include the 'ensuring of fundamental human rights and women rights, participation by and empowerment of the people at the grassroots, transparent and accountable governance, tolerating of dissent and observing plural political culture'. In this context it was also re-affirmed that ensuring peace and tranquillity and a tolerant political culture are important pre-requisites for sustaining democracy and 'good neighbourly relations'.
The discussion on terrorism covered several aspects. It included the expressing of concern 'over spread of terrorism in the region, in the north-western region of Pakistan and Afghanistan and its spill over to India and other countries' and the condemnation of the attack on Mumbai. At the same time however, there was constructive engagement through the emphasizing of the need for 'resumption of a composite dialogue process to dissipate tensions' and promote cooperation between India and Pakistan through the strengthening of bilateral anti-terrorism mechanism. This was done with full recognition that the media can be a useful instrument for this purpose. Consensus was also reached on SAARC member countries considering the setting up of 'a task force to handle cross-border crimes' and the creation 'of a judicial mechanism to try such criminals.'
Aware of the serious global recession and its dire implications for the economies of the region, the participants reiterated the need for the softer borders that will be required for the eventual emergence of a South Asian customs and monetary economic union. It was felt that regional cooperation had to be streamlined so that SAARC could move forward. It was also stressed that such a dynamics would be facilitated through free movement of information, goods and people and the promotion of trans-national communication linkages and connectivity.
It was also logical that the media representatives should have focused on and expressed disappointment over the increasing casualties of and attacks on journalists in conflict ridden areas. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal were particularly highlighted in this regard. References were also made during discussion to problems faced by the media within Bangladesh. It was however agreed that in principle, the conditions obtaining here, had improved somewhat in the recent past. Nevertheless, I am constrained to note here that we might be passing only through a plateau. It would be fitting to remember that many incidents related to journalists in Bangladesh have not as yet been resolved satisfactorily and culprits who have committed these crimes, in some cases have not been clearly identified and consequently still remain unpunished.
It would be pertinent at this point to note that quite rightly, concern was also expressed regarding not only the safety of journalists but also on the need to provide insurance cover to all journalists involved with reporting from conflict situations. Representatives from the electronic media from several countries, particularly Nepal and Sri Lanka, also alluded to non-state actors and the intimidation carried out by them on media persons and bodies. It was quite correct when they suggested that this affects independent reporting. We have also seen this in the past in Bangladesh, where indirect pressure has been created through the question of giving advertisements in the print media.
There was also another area of consensus. It dealt with the questions of respecting the right to know, accessing to relevant information and freedom of expression. This was quite material in nature given the various constraints that are in place (on the plea of state security) in conflict zones in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India and Nepal. There was broad agreement on the need for confidentiality. However, there was also the aspect of 'trusting the media' that received special attention.
It was an interesting meeting. It provide the requisite opportunity for members of the media, with the different political persuasions, to exchange views and to identify potential areas of cooperation so that they can rise over their mental divides.
We sometimes forget that the media, to a large extent, is a principal actor which can contribute towards peace and understanding. In this context it might be useful to encourage working exchanges of young journalists (from both the electronic and print media) between different countries in South Asia. Such exchanges could be for periods of one month each. The SAARC leadership could possibly facilitate this process. It could be a public-private partnership. It might start as a first step between Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. I believe that mutual suspicion will be greatly reduced through such a process. It will also contribute towards fairer reporting.
Such functional and constructive measures are required to remove the fault lines that exist within our South Asian matrix. Understanding within the media will also advance the cause of saner voices and will assist in the meaningful tackling of jingoistic hysteria.
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