National President Sandeep kale wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of India
The nation’s largest organisation of journalists, Voice of Media has demanded for withdrawal of newly enacted Janvishwas Act 2023. In his recent letter written to the Prime Minister, the national president of VOM, Sandeep kale has urged, for the rapid action in this regard.
In the letter written to the Prime Minister, VOM President mentioned that, Jan Vishwas Act will vanish the existence of small and medium newspaper organisations and even newspaper Industry. Further Sandeep kale says that, the recent Janvishwas (amendment of provisions) Act 2023, enacted by the ministry of law and justice has hardly been accepted by the media people. On the contrary the demand for its withdrawal is being raised by various media organisations, across the country.
Till now, the rule with the provision of submission of printed copies of the newspaper, weekly, biweekly etc in certain period of time was very well received and implemented by the newspaper management. But then, one fine morning the government decided to include new amendments in the rule.
For example, now media organisations will have to submit their printed material to RNI or PBI offices within a period of couple of days of its publication. Periodicals in this country are being published from rural and remote places too. This new amendment is definitely going to trouble them. Other provisions of punishments, imprisonment, fine for non implementation of different clauses of the rule are nothing but the injustices with them.
It is claimed that, through this Jan Vishwas Act 2023, government is going cleanup the unlawful activities and incidences in business community of this country. But this is quite difficult to get the point, that, how these laws will help government to curate bad things in media. Today, taking into consideration the inflation, rising cost of news print, changing technology, tough competition, lack of advertisements in the market, running a periodical printing, and its business has already become a difficult task. In this situation, it seems like, instead of helping them, the Ministry is planning to make sure that all small and medium newspaper organisations will not survive at all. This will really be a big mistake, kale says.
Voice of Media has put forth the demand to withdraw the implementation of this act. He has also suggested the PMO to call upon the representatives from the concerning sector, media and journalists organisations etc. to study the provisions in Jan Vishwas act, their republications, impacts etc. Considering their point of views, demands, problems, suggestions, the Ministry of law and justice may reconstruct this act, if found suitable and necessary. Till then, Jan Vishwas act should be revoked, Sandeep kale says.
VOM Reject Jan Vishwas Act 2023