How would you describe Nehru's attitude towards the Indian press?
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
The history of freedom of the press beforeIndia’s independence was characterized by
a swing between imposition and relaxation of restrictions on the press. The attitude to
the press depended on the personality and values of those in power at that time. The
swing from freedom of the press to control of the press has persisted in the post
independence period again depending on the personality and values of those in power.
Before independence, the attitude to the press depended on the Governor Generals
and Viceroys in power and after independence, the attitude to the press depended on
the Prime Minister at that time.
In the post-independence era the press enjoyed a large measure of freedom because
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minster of India was a liberal who realized
that for the successful functioning of democratic set-up, the freedom of the press was
absolutely necessary. Nehru had acquired the liberal outlook as a part of his education
in Britain, in the public school at Harrow and the University of Cambridge. He was
democrat to the core and welcomed criticism, whether it was from political parties or
from newspapers (Ravindran, 1997:26-27).During his regime, the press was tolerated
as he was quite generous in overlooking and ignoring its criticism of his government’s
policies and programs (Sahni, 1974:215). To him, criticism was a way in which the
working of the government could be improved and so not only to be tolerated, but
also to be encouraged. No other public man of his standing tolerated criticism as
much as he did (Padhy and Sahu, 2005:156). Knowing the dangers of arbitrary
government in the absence of free press, Nehru once said: “To my mind the freedom
of the press is not just a slogan from the larger point of view, but it is an essential
attribute of the democratic process. I have no doubt that even if the Government
dislikes the liberties taken by the press and considers them dangerous, it is wrong to
interfere with the freedom of the press. I would rather have a completely free press
with all the dangers involved in the wrong use of that freedom than a suppressed or a
regulated press” (Padhy and Sahu, 2005:110).
Explanation:
I like to say about his, he will ask and say to his daughter Indira Gandhi that not to get fear for anything and hide anything from others, if ur hiding anything that shows u that u have fear. that is a great quality of Nehru