Dignitaries Share Insights on ‘Democracy and Freedom of Expression’
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, April 12: A one-day international conference on the theme ‘Democracy and Freedom of Expression’ was inaugurated today at the Aryabhatta Auditorium under the joint organization of the College of Communication, Culture and Media, MGM University, and the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Center for Buddhist Studies. The event was graced by the presence of several distinguished dignitaries.
Chief Guests Present:
Senior journalist Niranjan Takle, ABP Majha journalist Prasanna Joshi, Chancellor of MGM University Ankushrao Kadam, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Vilas Sapkal, Registrar Dr. Ashish Gadekar, Dean Dr. John Chelladurai, Dean Dr. Rekha Shelke, and other respected guests attended the event.
Keynote by Niranjan Takle:
While speaking at the event, senior journalist Niranjan Takle stated, “The Indian Constitution, authored by Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, has granted us the right to freedom of expression. The central government is proposing a Public Safety Bill, which is alarming. According to it, if someone wishes to publish the name of a department or an official from any ministry, prior permission will be required. Without it, publishing such names won’t be allowed. If we can’t report what we see, then what’s the point? Being critical of the government does not equate to being anti-national.”
He further said, “Are we going to use the fundamental rights given to us by the Constitution or not? We must utilize our right to freedom of expression. This includes the right to communicate, the right to life, the right to read, learn, and write—these freedoms must be exercised daily. If we fail to do so, we might find ourselves on the path to slavery. We also need to observe whether the duties laid out in the Constitution are being fulfilled by the government and its leaders.”
Insights by Prasanna Joshi:
Journalist Prasanna Joshi stated, “In India, 22,000 newspapers are published every day in 189 languages. There are around 900 TV channels, of which 350 are news channels. In addition, we have 850 FM radio stations. The media in India operates in three forms—trust-based, cooperative, and private. Predominantly, the media has remained corporate-driven.”
He added, “Independent journalism can be successfully run, but it is important to understand the financial dynamics of media first. Nowadays, many have shut down their TV channels and moved to digital platforms. While digital media eliminates distribution costs, challenges like algorithms and user preferences remain. In the pursuit of more views, anything is being published. Advertisement models are being built around this trend.”
Opening & Closing:
The program began with an introductory speech by Dean Dr. Rekha Shelke. The event was anchored by Dr. Rihana Sayyad, and the vote of thanks was presented by Dr. Rameshwar Kanse.
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