Raja Ram Mohan Roy also advocated Freedom of Press in India and was in agreement with the views of John Milton. According to him, where no freedom of press was in existence and consequently grievances remained unrepresented and unredressed ,then many revolutions happened in innumerable parts of the globe. If they were pevented by armed forces, the people were ready for insurrection.
Articel 19 of the Constitution of India guarantees to the people of India the ‘freedom of speech and expression’ , which includes liberty of the press also.
Although as per the constitution of India, there are three pilars of the state, i.e. the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, yet the press is also considered to the fourth important pillar of the state. A free press plays an important role in a democracy, which is said to be life-line , heart-beating and soul of the nation. It is an essential machinary for ensuring openness in the society. A free press not only informs but alsop reforms the society. It entertains, educates and keeps its readers well informed and updated about global and local happenings and interpretes it for welfare of the society. It serves as an important source of information to the public at large and has far reaching effect on the government-policies. On the other hand, it also publishes the weakness, and drawbacks of the Governments and thereby enlightens the public at large . It generates a public opinions. It puts checks and balances over the aforesaid three wings of the State and educates teh opposite parties regarding their rights and duties also.
The liberty of press does not consist of newspapers and periodicals only, but pamplets, circulars and each sort of publications affording information and opinion are also included within its scope and ambit- Sakal papers vs union of india, AIR 1962 SC 305.
Not oly the ruling party but the opposition party also needs the media like tv, radio etc and the press to propagate its views, schemes, plans, policies and programmes in whole of the society, otherwise it wiil be difficult for them to survive. The other social institutions are also in acute need of the press to build up their images before the people. Many a times, the political parties raise questions on the floors of the Parliament and Assemblies on the basis of news, comments and editorials of the newspapers.
So far as the pre-cesorship of the press is concerned, it was decided by Hon’ble Supreme Court in Brij Bhusan vs State of Delhi, reported in AIR 1950 SC 129, that pre-censorship of a journal is restriction on the freedom of the press, which is a necessary part of the freedom of speech and expression enshrined under art.19 of the constitution.
But, the pre-censorship is only valid when it is justified. Reasonable restrictions may be imposed in the interests of sovereignity, integrity and security of India and its freindly related nations, public law and order, decency, morality, etc, However commercial advertisements are not entitled to protection of freedom of speech and expressions and so the law can put restrictions accordingly.
It is expressed for the welfare of the people and betterment of the nation that there should not be any conflict between the aforesaid there wings of the state and the press. They should be in harmony qua each other , keeping in view their limitations and should protect their inter the freedom.
