Delhi: At a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Press Trust of India, held in Delhi on Saturday, the difficulties in collecting factual news reports from East Pakistan were considered. The Board issued the following statement:
“There has been considerable criticism regarding absence of news of recent disturbances in East Pakistan. The ‘P.T. I.’ which is a partner of ‘Reuters’ and is responsible for the coverage of news from Pakistan, desires to draw attention to the circumstances and conditions which have made it well high impossible to obtain news from that area. For the past half a century the ‘P.T.I.’ (formerly the ‘A.P. I’) organization has depended on a network of 30 to 40 correspondents spread through East Bengal for its news.
“During the months of December and January these men were told by the Pakistan authorities that they would not be permitted to function unless they obtained reaccreditation from the Government. Accordingly, applications were made for reaccreditation of these correspondents but no accreditation was given nor were any replies received.
“Two of the correspondents were arrested. These men are Mr Santosh Chatterjee, arrested on November 25 in Dacca and released on bail after six weeks’ detention and served with a notice not to act as a correspondent, and Mr Birendra Sarkar, arrested at Rajshahi in January and still in jail and not produced before court.
Work at standstill
“In consequence, the whole of the long-established organization in East Bengal was paralyzed early in February and practically ceased to function. But even before the wholesale disaccredition of correspondents news sent out by P.T.I. correspondents, more particularly in recent months, has been subjected to the most rigorous censorship and nothing has been permitted to be telegraphed without copies having to be submitted beforehand to the district authorities in each case. Almost invariably the messages have been so mutilated by the censoring authorities that correspondents have hardly found it worthwhile to file them. When other methods, such as the post, have been used for the transmission of news, the publication of such items in the Press outside Pakistan has resulted in unpleasant consequences to those known to have or suspected of having sent these messages.
“The news of the recent serious events in East Pakistan reached Calcutta in the middle of February and, in spite of the handicaps involved, arrangements were made to send two men who are now there, but the absence of any news messages from them merely goes to confirm the general experience of P.T.I. men functioning in East Pakistan.
“In these circumstances, it has become impossible to obtain verified news of current happenings in large areas of East Bengal. In order, however, to avoid distressing repercussions in India, the P.T.I. has refrained from carrying accounts of atrocities taken from refugees in spite of every indication that some of the stories are well-founded.”
“All the evidence, from both official and private sources, goes to confirm the view that there is virtually an iron curtain around East Pakistan and unless correspondents in East Bengal duly accredited and offered free facilities to file reports are allowed to function an effective news service cannot be produced. As matters stand at present correspondents attempting to send objective and accurate news are liable to find themselves in jail or be attacked physically. In the circumstances, the P.T.I. regrets to observe that matters in Pakistan have reached a stage directly affecting the fundamental principles of freedom of information which calls for the serious consideration of the world Press – as a whole and other appropriate authorities.”
The following directors attended the meeting: Mr Kasturi Srinivasan (Hindu, Madras), chairman; Mr W. J. B. Walker (Statesman, Calcutta); Mr Devadas Gandhi (Hindustan Times, New Delhi); Mr Ramnath Goenka (Indian Express, Madras); Mr Deshbandhu Gupta (Tej & News Chronicle, Delhi); Mr C. R. Srinivasan (Swadesamitran, Madras); Mr Tushar Kanti Ghosh (Amrita Bazar Patrika, Calcutta); Mr H. R. Moharay (Samyukta Karnataka, Hubli); Mr Harishankar Vidyarthi (Pratap, Kanpur); and Mr Parulekar (Sakal, Poona).