The Arun Jaitley Chat
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley appeared on Rediff Chat on May 23. Predictably, the questions varied between two subjects -- the IT Bill, and the ongoing match-fixing scandal rocking Indian cricket. As you will see from the transcript below, the Minister handled the deliveries -- even the occasional bouncer -- with considerable aplomb. Read on...
SRINIVASAN (Tue May 23 8:14 IST)
Respected Minister, our city, Salem in Tamil Nadu, still does not have an radio station. The city has a population of more than seven lakh. Kindly do the needful.
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 8:53 IST)
Srinivasan: Good evening. The IB ministry has recently allotted licences for setting up FM stations in 40 cities to private parties. After the first round is complete, we are going to expand to other cities. Hopefully Salem should be there.
Ila (Tue May 23 8:23 IST)
Hello Mr Jaitley, what is your opinion about the betting scandal that has rocked the nation? Isn't it more of a fight between Bindra and Dalmiya?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 8:54 IST)
Ila: A self destructive exercise is on. The evidence so far available is against the South African player. I would not rule out the possibility of involvment of others, but before we accept that there should be hard and cogent evidence.
Roshan (Tue May 23 8:24 IST)
Sir the IT Bill has come under a lot of scrutiny on the powers it gives the lawmakers......you say this provison is in all laws....but sir in a specialised field such as this how can u give such sweeping powers to a constable who doesn't even know how to hold a mouse?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 8:57 IST)
Roshan: Every penal law which creates an offence prescribes a procedure of investigation. You are right, police training in India has to improve and professionalise, but the absence of that is no reason why the police hands should be tied and the cyber criminal be allowed to get away. I know the way the police behaves. I also know the menace that cyber criminals can create. They may prove worse than the police.
Rustom (Tue May 23 8:29 IST)
Mr Jaitley. when is the government planning to take a decision on DTH? Will Indian viewers ever see this technology come into their homes?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 8:59 IST)
Rustom: I think the country needs the benefit of the DTH technology. The real question relates to the methodology by which it should be brought in. The issue is pending before a group of ministers.
jo (Tue May 23 8:30 IST)
What are you doing to counter PTV propagand?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:1 IST)
Jo: The answer to propaganda is truth. We are, and will continue to, spread that message.
Maharaj (Tue May 23 8:32 IST)
Mr Jaitley why doesn't a government body look after cricket rather than leave it to a private body like the BCCI, which aren't answerable to anyone?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:3 IST)
Maharaj: There should be no knee-jerk solutions to hard problems. In an era of privatisation, nationalisation of sports bodies is hardly the solution. When somebody breaks the law, the government must step in to punish the law breaker.
ajay (Tue May 23 8:31 IST)
What is the government going to do if Manoj Prabhakar cannot provide proof?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:4 IST)
ajay: The government does not step in. If someone has been strongly defamed, the remedy lies with him alone. But let me tell you, this issue is not purely legal. The discovery of truth should lead to a moral censure.
ajay (Tue May 23 8:32 IST)
Do you think Kapil Dev is innocent?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:6 IST)
ajay: I rather go by evidence and not by instinct. So far there appears to be no evidence against Kapil Dev. He served India well. He was a role model cricketer, and we should not damn him in the absence of any evidence.
Gulshan Vohra (Tue May 23 8:38 IST)
What is your take on the DD and Dalmiya connection? Secondly sir, DD in today's world is a defunct organisation....with babus peddling time and making hay for themselves. The programming is third rate....just look at other channels.....are you planning to privatise DD anytime soon? And how do you plan to take stock of the irregularities?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:9 IST)
Gulshan Vohra: Cricket telecast rights used to be acquired by Doordarshan. Some irregularities have been alleged by a person in relation to the 1998 Asia Cup at Dhaka. The CAG is looking into the matter. However, in the last few months, to avoid any such eventuality Doordarshan acquires the market rights of cricket tournments only thorugh a transparent bidding process. It is not defunct. It has earned the highest ever revenue in cricket for the next five years. For the year 1999-2000 it records the highest revenue earnings. Even today it enjoys the highest viewerships, more than all the satellite channels taken together. Please correct your facts.
ani (Tue May 23 8:45 IST)
Why is the disinvestment process not made more transparent? There are reports of some vested bidders trying to influence , e.g salem steel jv process
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:12 IST)
ani: Your question is based on a wrong impression. There is no disinvestment by negotiations. We follow a clear process. Firstly, we take a decision to disinvest in a PSU. Secondly, we appoint an advisor depending on his credentials through a bidding process. And thirdly, we select a partner only through a transparent bidding process. The market forces determine the best price. There is no scope for discreation, or favouritism. Look at the facts, and not the uneducated opinion. There is going to be not a single disinvestment without a bidding process.
Rauol (Tue May 23 8:46 IST)
Why doesnt the government make betting legal?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:13 IST)
Rauol: What is morally questionable can never be legally sanctioned. Law after all is a moral code which a society adopts for itself.
Manish (Tue May 23 9:11 IST)
Mr Arun, what do you have to say about the news of wedding of Ajay Jadeja with your daughter ?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:15 IST)
Manish: This only shows how our newspapers are. I have a daughter who is still in school. Every girl with a Jaitley surname is not my daughter.
Volga (Tue May 23 8:57 IST)
Are news reports of DD being bought out true? Is such a move imminent?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:16 IST)
Volga: I havent heard any such news report. If there any, the reports are wrong.
Siva (Tue May 23 9:3 IST)
Mr Jaitley, your defence, in The Sunday Times of India, of certain cybercafe-unfriendly clauses in the revised IT Bill, sounded hollow. Show me one civilised/developed country in the world that has this kind of law....
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:19 IST)
Siva: Your question shows how hollow your information is. The clauses related to cyber cafe were never a part of the IT Bill introduced in Parliament. The standing committee in Parliament recommended them, but the cabinet rejected the recommendations. It is not even a part of the new act.
Kumar (Tue May 23 9:5 IST)
Good evening, Mr Jaitley... What action is the government going to take on the match-fixing scandal with all the Board officials, including the president Muthiah, claiming that there's no scandal?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:21 IST)
Kumar: The issue relates to match fixing. That is whether the bookies and players have colluded and monies have changed hands. You cant reach the bookies through the players, you will have to reach the players through the bookies. To crack the bookies you need a tough police investigation. That is the process which is on. How does the government interfere without full knowledge of the facts? It is only the Delhi police and the CBI which can earn us the facts.
Manish (Tue May 23 9:16 IST)
What are you doing to improve the program quality on DD-1
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:23 IST)
Manish: I have good news for you. DD India channel has been running but not effectively. The channel is now being converted into a 24-hour satellite channel, a very effective team has been set up which is currently travelling around the world to tie up satellite arrangements for downlinking in areas where there is a large population of Indian origin. Hopefully within this calender year we will be able to reach you.
Siva (Tue May 23 9:18 IST)
Do you miss your lying, I mean lawyering / legal practice, Mr Jaitley? Or is politics better and more rewarding, eh?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:25 IST)
Siva: I certainly do miss law. And probably will not wait a day to get back when the opportunity arises. But I am equally enjoying my new responsibilities. This is an entirely different education and an opportunity.
Siva (Tue May 23 9:15 IST)
The J-J connection OR JADEJA-JAITLEY LINK: On this very Web site, there was this news that a member of the Indian cricket team was all set to become your *dhamadh*. The cricketer's picture was on the cover of a newsmagazine a short while back with the insinuation that he is into match-fixing. Care to comment?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:26 IST)
Siva: Even websites must check their facts.
Siva (Tue May 23 9:26 IST)
Mr Jaitley, have you seen Karan Thapar's interview with Kapil Dev the Cry Baby? What are your views? Have you changed your views on CryKap after the interview?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:28 IST)
Siva: Yes I did see the interview. And I did not like Kapil Dev crying. Heroes dont cry, they prevail.
Texico (Tue May 23 9:13 IST)
How do you propose to curb pornography on the Net? Porn sites, including child porn and bestiality, are freely accessible in India. Do you think it is feasible to curb this kind of traffic? Do you think governments of the world ought to unite to curb this menace? And what about freedom of speech?
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:31 IST)
Texico: Free speech is subject to restrictions even under Article 19 of the Constitution. The Constitution of India itself makes obscenity and pornogrphy an exception to free speech. There is on fundmental right to propogate pornography. But you are right. Technology has made censorship on pornography difficult. Perhaps, there may be special special chips available to block such sites or at least keep such sites away from children's access.
HINDU (Tue May 23 9:32 IST)
Maybe...the govt can ensure that every pvt channel carries its news bulletin...and then there wont be any need of wasting billions of rupees on DD
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:35 IST)
HINDU: The Doordarshan is a public service broadcaster. Even in a world dominated by private broadcasters, there is a distinct space for a public service broadcaster. This is true in various democracies. The BBC is an example of a public service broadcaster.
Mr Arun Jaitley (Tue May 23 9:35 IST)
Thank you.
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