The future of censorship is very bright in India- in media, culture and
intellectual life. Do not be taken in by political postures and academies
correctness- politicians, the bureaucracy, the literati and the middle class
love censorship. They all want freedom for their own ideas, lifestyles and
moral codes; censorship for that of others. It is obvious by now that modern
democracies cultivate censorship as much as despotisms do. Indeed, a democratic
state often goes farther. It creates a demand for censorship among vocal
sections of the citizens, who come to believe that censorship is vital for
their survival- political, cultural and moral. These sections are kept
constantly anxious about national security and angry about the changing
aesthetic, moral and sexual norms around them.
The nervousness of bureaucrats at the thought of open access to
information’s is a simple matter. They fear openness because they fear loss of
power, relevance and the right to extract favours. The created anxiety about
security and creeping immorality is more compels. Security anxieties are the
sharpest among those reduced to being passive consumers and spectators of
politics and are entirely media- dependent for their political views. As their
sense of personal efficacy declines, they begin to live in a more paranoiac
world of traitors, enemies and conspirators.
The modern literati support a different form of censorship propelled by a
deep-0seated fear of the people. Often shaped by nineteenth – century social
and political theories, they believe that most citizens are ignorant,
superstitious, mired in religious and caste hatred. The literati are
perpetually afraid of wrong exposures that may help this god – forsaken ones to
regress further into atavism and fanaticism. They love to prescribe for the
latter a steady diet of educational TV, official documentaries, didactic cinema
and politically correct editorial pages and handouts produced by the right kind
of ideologues.
Censorship is going to stay and become more invidious. As the populous,
culturally diverse democracies become more technocratic and their politics more
professional, the electoral process becomes more media- dependent. Media gives
one a chance to bypass the slow, painful process of building a political base
by aggregating demands. Ti allows one to artificially create new demands and
public consensus.
If you are a clever politician, through the media you can tailor for
yourself a public persona that represents popular opinions, prejudices and
allows some play for the untamed passions in your society, some of which you
might have stoked in the first place. You can avoid painstaking,
labour-intensive political work- trade unionism, social work, old-style
grievance- articulation and party –building. Censorship becomes an easy way of
manipulating public opinion.
The style however, differs from country to country. Some countries wield
censorship and secrecy clumsily others subtly. Most data on Indian rivers are
confidential; so are it appears all data on the health of prime ministers. As
for non-state actors, about three decades ago, when a nondescript trade union
declared Satyajit ray’s depiction of a young nurse in his movie Pratidwandi
unfair and demanded re-censorship of the movie it seemed a minor spat produced
by high-voltage trade unionism typical of excitable Bengalis. His country had,
of course, progressed much when, about a decade ago a painting of saraswati by
M F Husain, provoked the vandals of Bajrang Dal. The best, I am afraid, is yet
to come. The scanty media coverage to the extreme reluctance of the government
of India to sign the international convection on torture and of the human
rights situation in the north-east and Kashmir are signposts of the future.
6.
Who are the most likely to be anxious about
national security, according to the author?
A.
People who belong to family of freedom fighters.
B.
People who belong to highly educated and elite
class.
C.
Who think that they have been given right to be anxious
about national security by the system of modern governance.
D.
Those who are passive consumers and spectators
of politics.
7.
Why does the author believe that it is easy to
become a politician these days?
A.
There is dearth of good leaders and most of the
people are not at all interested in joining politics so if one tries, one can
become politician.
B.
Since it is the noblest profession so if one
tries to get into field of politics with good intentions one can become
politician easily.
C.
Because one can create an image in media while
avoiding painstaking work.
D.
It is always easy to do anything in globalised
word and becoming politician is one of them.
8.
What is implied by author when he says that the
best is yet to come?
A.
That some new and harsh form of censorship will
come into existence.
B.
That in India censorship lags well behind the
forms of censorship in develop country so best is yet to come in India.
C.
That government is not being pen about torture
and human rights so the best is yet to come.
D.
Since there has not been censorship in a few
fields like education, sports etc. therefore the best is yet to come.
Answer:
6.
D
Directly mentioned in the second paragraph.
7.
C
Paragraph 5 shows how becoming a politician is more about creating an
image than about actually delivering in terms of work or results.
8.
C Last
paragraph, last lines.
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