Nagpur: Competition among mass media channels has led to misuse of the freedom of expression the Indian Constitution guarantees, says the top official monitoring human rights situation in India.
“Freedom of expression has become a double edged sword. Media has over stepped the limit of the privacy, personal integrity and reputation,” says Justice Cyriac Joseph, chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission.
The former Supreme Court judge also says the channel war has led to media persons going after sensation rather than information. “They only want sensation and nobody is concerned about information,” he regretted while interacting with a group of Catholic priests and religious at the Archbishop’s House in Nagpur on September 13.
The 68-year-old jurist says the misuse has prompted some groups to call for restriction on the freedom of expression. If we consider freedom of expression is good and a cherished value, we must uphold it and stand for it, he added. He also wants people to rectify the mistakes and restore the freedom.
“We should not be carried away by the sensationalism we must stand by the values and principles,” he added.
Justice Joseph, who has claimed to be proud of his Catholic roots, says some people misunderstand the concept of conversion. He says the right to convert and right to conversion are different.
“We have no right to convert a Hindu as Christian, a Muslim as Hindu. However, that does not mean a Hindu has no right of conversion,” he explained.
Right of conversion, he added, does not give someone the right to convert another person to his religion. However, a person has a right to undergo change of heart and accept a new religion.
Justice Joseph says friction and conflicts would disappear from society if everyone is sincere to live according to one’s religion. “Problems arise when people start misusing and abusing religion for selfish, political interest,” he added.
He also asserted that nobody can claim monopoly over India and patriotism. “India is not someone’s private property as it belongs to everybody. Everyone breathes the same air and drinks the same water. We must have the courage to assert it,” he added.