"Freedom and Licence" - Jawaharlal Nehru

Introduction:

“Freedom and Licence” is a speech given by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at the All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference, in New Delhi on December 3, 1950. In this speech, the former Prime Minister of India puts forth the role and responsibility of the Press in a democratic nation like India.

Role of the Press in a Democracy:

The press performs a very essential function in our lives today, especially in the life of democratic countries. In other countries, it is performed under authoritarian direction. We take pride in our independence. But independence carries enormous responsibilities such as that of defending that independence when it is attacked, not only from external attack, but also from internal weakening and to maintain the inner strength, the morale and the self-confidence of a nation.

Different Kinds of Newspapers in India:

Newspapers are of course, of all kinds, and in India there are thousands of them. There are responsible newspapers; there are newspapers which are sometimes responsible, sometimes not; there are newspapers which are more irresponsible than responsible; and there are some sheets which excel only in flights of imagination and other acts of irresponsibility.

Right Way to Punish Evil in the Press:

In olden days, it was the function of the government to suppress the newspapers that had an evil tendency, in the opinion of the government. But, one cannot cure the evil by suppressing it. But the evil has to be checked; for it may grow and become dangerous to public welfare. Obviously the right way is for an organisation like the All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference to interest itself in forming a strong body of opinion among those responsible for the newspapers, that any backslider can be pulled up; or, it can  be made known to the public that the person concerned is a backslider and is not acting rightly.

Power and Responsibility of the Press:

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