Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14 (PTI) Keralam Higher Education Minister Roji M John on Saturday demanded the withdrawal of a Mahatma Gandhi University order on media access, even as the university clarified that it had no intention of restricting journalists from entering the campus or gathering news.
In a Facebook post, John termed the reported requirement for journalists to obtain prior permission from the Vice-Chancellor before entering the university campus and collecting news an “attack on press freedom”.
He said the restriction was contrary to the freedom of the press, an integral part of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Such curbs deprived the public of its right to know, compromised transparency in public institutions and challenged constitutional values, he said.
Universities were meant to be centres of independent thinking and democratic discourse, and restrictions on media access reflected authoritarian tendencies, the minister said, warning that any attempt to undermine press freedom would be strongly resisted.
He demanded that the university authorities revoke the order without delay and said the government would not permit such measures at any higher education institution in Keralam, including the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam district.
Meanwhile, the university issued a clarification on Saturday stating that it had not taken any decision to ban journalists from the campus or prevent them from gathering news.
It said the office order had been issued in the wake of instances in which visual media journalists entered offices, including the Syndicate Hall in the Administrative Block, and recorded visuals and responses on issues not directly related to the university, without the knowledge or permission of the university or the Vice-Chancellor.
Such activities could adversely affect the academic atmosphere, examination and teaching activities, as well as security on the campus, the university said.
It also expressed concern that responses given by individuals on unofficial matters within the campus could be wrongly interpreted by the public as the university’s official position.
The clarification said the note issued to the Registrar was intended to bring clarity to the matter and was merely an administrative arrangement to ensure transparent and secure entry into the campus, similar to the procedure followed for other visitors.
The university said journalists would face no restrictions in entering the campus with permission and seeking official responses.
As in the past, media personnel visiting the university should inform the Public Relations Officer (PRO) in advance, through whom the necessary permission and assistance from the university authorities would be arranged, the VC said in a statement.
The Vice-Chancellor also said the university fully respected all constitutionally permissible democratic freedoms and sought the cooperation of journalists in maintaining a peaceful academic atmosphere.
The order, issued by the Registrar’s office following directions from the Vice-Chancellor, had triggered widespread protests on Friday.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) alleged that the move was highly objectionable and part of an attempt to “saffronise” the university. It accused the Vice-Chancellor of repeatedly trying to implement Sangh Parivar agendas on the campus and said the media restrictions were another such attempt.
The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) also condemned the order as “anti-democratic”, saying the requirement of prior permission from the Vice-Chancellor effectively amounted to placing restrictions on news gathering.
In a statement, the journalists’ body said universities should be centres of democratic values and independent thinking and such restrictive orders had no place in them. It described the move by an institution named after Mahatma Gandhi as a deplorable message against citizens’ rights.
The union said the restriction conveyed that the university had matters to hide from the public and called upon democratic sections of society to oppose it.
It warned that journalists would launch protests to force the withdrawal of the order if it was not revoked immediately. PTI LGK ROH
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