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The idea of a free and vibrant media is not a utopian concept. It is an essential requirement not only for the people but also for the state to make informed choices and policies that reflect reality, and to calibrate various decision-making processes. The critical distance maintained by journalism from various entrenched interests gives it the ability to document changes and record people’s aspirations. A good field report has a ear to the ground; it traces the emerging fault lines. Journalistic work may not be appealing to demagogues but every reflective policymaker values its immense role. It is in this context that the inability of Indian journalists to cover the biggest news story of last week, the general election in Pakistan, shows the insular attitude of South Asian leadership.
Among the various regional groupings, intra-regional reporting within South Asia has been one of the weakest. The illiberal visa regime is the main reason for this avoidable lacuna. In 1985, when SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) was formed, its charter laid out some lofty objectives such as to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potentials; and to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia. SAARC proclaimed to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems. However, in reality, intra-regional cooperation and travel has been minimal, and we have ended up with more mistrust than trust.
While it is true that securing a journalist visa for South Asian countries remains a major hurdle, it has become nearly impossible for Indian journalists to travel to Pakistan and for Pakistani journalists to travel to India. In 1997, when Prime Ministers I.K. Gujral and Nawaz Sharif mooted the idea of the Composite Dialogue, there was also a hint that a SAARC visa would be provided for journalists to facilitate easier travel for reporters across the border. In the early 1990s, there were two Indian journalists in Pakistan — one from The Hindu and the other from the Press Trust of India — and two Pakistani journalists in India — one from the Jang group and the other from the Associated Press of Pakistan. When the Composite Dialogue resumed under the leadership of Manmohan Singh and Pervez Musharraf in 2005, it was suggested that this number would go up.