Agartala, Feb. 16: The Tripura CPM is worried over the allegedly “biased and prejudiced” role of the state’s print and electronic media in portraying the party.
The issue was discussed in the recent 20th state conference of the party and a resolution was passed to neutralise the “negative media propaganda” through a statewide campaign.
But the situation has taken a new turn with two local dailies, Syndan Patrika and Ganadoot, moving the Supreme Court and the Agartala bench of Gauhati High Court respectively for inclusion in the “A” category of newspapers for government advertisements.
The Left Front government that introduced the distribution of government advertisement on the basis of definite rules it had framed after coming to power in 1978.
But the relation between the CPM and the local media never improved as, barring the CPM party organ Daily Desher Katha, no local newspaper gave fair share of coverage to the Left Front government or the CPM party. Things worsened because of former chief minister Nripen Chakraborty’s consistent attacks on the local editors and newspaper owners in articles published under the pseudonym Arup Roy in party organ, Daily Desher Katha.
The CPM leaders also initiated a process of attacking media in public meetings. Even after the violence surrounding the Congress’s agitation on July 10 and 11, CPM party secretary Bijan Dhar made controversial comments, advising media persons to work for the Congress after dissociating themselves from the profession.
But with the Assembly polls barely 11 months away in 2013, the ruling party is worried about the role of the media. However, CPM office secretary Haripada Das played down the issue. “We know, barring one newspaper and one TV news channel, all others are bent on harming us. They can never influence voters in any way,” he said.
Veteran editor B.K. Nath attributed the deteriorating relation between the media and the ruling party to “sectarian and intolerant attitude” of the CPM.
“They never positively accept any criticism and want the media to toe their line on all issues. This is not possible in a democracy,” said Nath.
