When one goes through the pages of the report of the registrar of newspapers, one cannot escape the conclusion that tendencies of monopoly have been increasing day by day. I might read out a few sentences so that we might be able to understand the dangerous trend that is prevalent so far as monopoly is concerned. The registrar of newspapers says in chapter V that there is a further concentration of newspapers, under common ownership as represented by chains, groups, and multiple units. I would like to know whether we should not cry a halt to this growth of monopoly in the press. The question is how to do it, how is bring about diffusion in paper ownership. May I suggest that one of the ways to bring about diffusion in the matter of ownership is to put a limit on the ownership of papers by a group or a chain? Now, I would refer to one or two other aspects about the policy of the Government itself in regard to certain matters. Madam, after the emergency was declared I thought that the patriotic press of India would react to the needs of emergency and I must say, whatever may be the position or the capital structure of the press, whatever mey be the monopolistic trends in the Indian Press, in the beginning though the press was comparatively free to publish anything it liked, it exercised restraint and showed a sense of responsibility but later on I find that Government interfered with the functioning of the various papers and even directed or suggested that certain things should not be published at all and a sort of veiled threat was issued by the home ministry to various papers that they should not publish certain things which are critical of government. Water can be used for drinking So, immediately the water bodies desilting, and all these things. Now, where is the rain to store water in the water bodies? There is no good rainfall. What is it that we are doing? Now, we have to take tree plantation aggressively or else, we would be ruined within 10 years. The Government should not feel contented that they are having sufficient food grains now.
