In a functioning democracy, transparency is not a privilege but a right. The media, as the fourth pillar of democracy, plays a crucial role in ensuring that the government remains accountable to the people. However, in Assam, an alarming trend is emerging—an unwritten diktat seems to have been issued to state government officials, police, ministers, preventing them from sharing information with the press. While this diktat is not officially documented, the reluctance of officials to disclose information suggests that the government is actively discouraging transparency. Despite this unofficial gag order, journalists in Assam continue to uncover information through their sources, demonstrating the resilience of the press.
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Additionally, the Right to Information (RTI) Act remains a crucial tool for drawing out facts that the government may wish to keep hidden. However, an environment where journalists must struggle to access public information is deeply problematic. It signifies an attempt to curtail the flow of information, which, in turn, restricts the people’s right to know.
This situation amounts to an indirect attack on freedom of speech, a cornerstone of democracy. When governments seek to control information, they weaken the foundations of democratic governance. Without a free press, who will hold the government accountable? Who will expose corruption, mismanagement, or policy failures? A democracy cannot function on three pillars alone—executive, legislature, and judiciary—while the fourth, the press, is systematically weakened. History has shown that authoritarian tendencies often begin with silencing the press. If journalists are forced into submission, the government can function without scrutiny. The Assam government’s alleged unwritten diktat is, therefore, not just a minor inconvenience to reporters—it is a step toward restricting press freedom, and by extension, democracy itself.
However, the people of Assam and the journalists in the state must not remain silent. The press must continue to push back against these restrictions, leveraging RTI applications, investigative journalism, and legal mechanisms to ensure that truth is not buried. Civil society must also rally behind the media, recognising that the erosion of press freedom today can lead to an erosion of democracy tomorrow. If Assam’s government has nothing to hide, it should have no problem sharing information with the press. The very existence of an unwritten order to suppress information suggests otherwise. The government must recognise that democracy thrives on transparency, and any attempt to suppress information is a direct assault on democratic values. A government that fears the press fears accountability. And a government that fears accountability fears democracy itself. It is, therefore, the duty of every citizen and journalist in Assam to resist this suppression and fight for the right to know.