Members of the Kolkata Press Club, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a privilege and an honour for me to inaugurate the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Kolkata Press Club. Kolkata has the proud distinction of being home to the first modern press in India as well as to the first press club in the sub-continent. Kolkata was also the home of the father of the Indian press and of Bengal renaissance, Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He published newspapers in Bengali and Persian languages and remained at the forefront of the struggle for a free press. Raja Ram Mohan Roy brilliantly expounded the importance of the freedom of the press as early as in 1823, when he said:

"..... a free press has never yet caused a revolution in any part of the world ........ whereas, where no freedom of the press existed and grievances consequently remained unrepresented, innumerable revolutions have taken place in all parts of the globe."

When restraints were imposed on the press in Calcutta, Raja Ram Mohan Roy submitted a memorandum to the British Government lamenting the decision of the Government. He drew the Government's attention to the useful role of the press in these words:

"........ever since the art of printing has become generally known among the Natives of Calcutta numerous Publications have been circulated in the Bengalee Language which by introducing free discussion among the Natives and inducing them to reflect and inquire after knowledge, have already served greatly to improve their minds and ameliorate their condition".

Friends,

As a home to patriotic Indians like Ram Mohan Roy, Kolkata is quite naturally also home to India's first press club. More importantly, in recent times it has also been home to many bright sparks of Indian journalism who cut their teeth and earned their spurs in the newsrooms of Kolkata. They have set new standards for professional journalism in India and inspired many generations of journalists.

With intellectual leaders like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, it was not surprising that in the 19th Century it was popularly said that 'what Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow'. Your great city has played and continues to play a vital role in the intellectual progress of our Nation. I salute this great intellectual tradition of Kolkata and the inspirational leadership of such great citizens of this city as Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Satyendra Nath Bose and the legions of writers, artists, scholars and, of course, journalists.

Even today Kolkata remains, in many ways, the cultural and intellectual capital of our country. But I do urge you, the thinking people of Bengal, to once again recapture the frontiers of intellectual activity in our rapidly changing world.

The Kolkata Press Club which represents the liveliness and vitality of the media of Bengal reminds us of the role of the press in galvanizing our freedom movement. The media has been vital to the defence of democracy and democratic rights. It has been a key instrument in the dissemination of information and in moulding public opinion. The media has also come to play an active role in promoting development and above all in sustaining the unity of our people.

Friends,

I have always believed in the importance of a free press. It is the ultimate check against the tyranny of authority. More importantly, it is a mirror that enables people in authority to get a continuous reality check. This remains an important role for the media, despite the increasing pressures of commercialization.

In 1945, when your press club was established, Bengal was reeling under the impact of a great famine. My friend Amartya Sen, yet another distinguished son of Bengal, has written in glowing terms of the role of the media in democratic India in influencing public response to such disasters. Greatly influenced by his deep understanding of the Bengal famine and the contrast he drew between India's handling of famines and droughts after Independence and that of China, Amartya lauded the role of the media in securing succour for the needy.

The fact that Democratic India could avoid famines, Amartya has suggested, was almost entirely due to the role of the media in sensitizing the authorities to the urgency of providing relief. We have seen how the media continues to play this constructive and socially responsible role recently after the tsunami tragedy struck parts of our country. An alert press has kept up the pressure on local authorities and the Central government to act quickly and act in the service of the people. I greatly value this role of the media.

In fact, I must pay a personal tribute to the media in the context of the tsunami tragedy because it was an early report on a television news channel that had first alerted me to the tragedy! This helped us save time in responding to the crisis. It is said that information is the chief means of prevention. We have to augment our power to caution people much before such a disaster strikes them. I have appealed to the scientists to strive hard to address this question. But whatever warning systems we put in place, there can be no substitute to an alert and energetic media. You can play a constructive role in helping people in such times of crisis.

Indeed, our free and energetic media is our best early warning system. Not just in the event of natural disasters, but also in times of social and political crisis. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that a free media is a society's and a nation's most effective early warning system. It helps Governments remain alive to the needs and concerns of the people.

I must also thank the media for its positive role in generating an overwhelming response to the tsunami tragedy. I am told that in one fortnight we have been able to collect in the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund as much as was collected in a year's time after the Gujarat earthquake. I do not take any special credit for my Government for this generosity of the people. I do, however, think the wider reach of the media, especially the electronic media, may well have played a role in motivating people to contribute more quickly. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "he gives twice, who gives quickly". I appeal once again to all those who may not have already contributed to the relief effort to do so. I must also thank warmly and sincerely the many thousands who have already come forward and helped in their own and personal ways.

I believe the years ahead will be an exciting time to be in India, as we undertake the task of realizing the many commitments that we as a people have made to ourselves from the time of independence of our country. While it is true that over the years, we have not fully realized our vast latent developmental potential, I now feel confident in asserting that we have never before been better poised to take advantage of our potential as a people and as a Nation.

At this historical juncture, when we seek to create a modern, progressive, inclusive and dynamic society, built on a rapidly growing economy, I venture to think that it is a good time to be in your profession. The media has a crucial role in tracking this process—and I dare say, guiding it as well, through your reportage and your criticisms.

While politicians do not necessarily relish the latter, since we cannot do without the former, we look forward to the continued interaction between government and media that characterises a healthy democratic society!

I wish the Kolkata Press Club and the media in Bengal many more years of active and creative work. I would like to see Bengal once again at the forefront of our Nation's creative endeavours. I sincerely hope that the next 60 years will be far more productive and fulfilling for all of us in the service of the people.

Jai Hind!