My Dear Journalists,

I thought I must write to you now because I think you need a little advice and I am not sure whether next week will be too late, if you know what I mean.

You must surely realise by now that there is absolute media freedom in this Paradise of ours. After all, there is freedom to set fire to television stations under cover of darkness and there is freedom to kill newspaper editors in broad daylight! So, please remember, you shouldn’t be sitting around Lipton Circus or standing in front of the Fort Railway Station shouting slogans complaining that there is no media freedom...

Then, how can you say that there is discrimination against the independent media and claim that they are being harassed unfairly? Don’t you remember that even when the state media stepped out of line they were dealt with equally well? Have you forgotten that a state television station was also given a gentle reminder by a genial minister who made an unscheduled visit to that television station one day?
And why would you grumble that you don’t have the freedom to write what you want to write or broadcast? Now more than ever before, there are events that you could write pages and pages or broadcast for hours-a city is being captured in the North almost every other day and all you need to focus on is that, isn’t it?

We are even winning the economic war which is why the price of petrol was reduced by two rupees, so why don’t you write about that instead of always complaining that it was not reduced by twenty two rupees as someone ordered. Now, you must realize that even if it was possible to reduce the price by twenty two rupees, it would have given the impression that someone else was running the country, so how can that be allowed?

Then, you complain that there is no democracy in Paradise. How many elections have we had in the last year? There were three major provincial elections and now we are having two more. One terrorist has been ‘rehabilitated’ and is heading a provincial administration. Another terrorist has been rehabilitated and is in the Legislature. We must be the most democratic country on earth to allow that, instead of trying them for the crimes they committed-and yet you are complaining that democracy is dying in Paradise!
Also, don’t forget when some are bravely battling terrorists, anyone who opposes them is automatically seen as an accomplice of the terrorists, even if they are learned justices of the highest court in the land.

Surely, that is simple logic which you must appreciate. So, all you need to do is to be patriotic and extend your fullest support to those fighting terrorists, no matter who. Surely, that is not too much to ask?
So, please remember these bits of advice before you put pen to paper or shoot the next scene with your camera. Then, there will never be a need to worry and we can all live happily ever after!

Yours truly,
Punchi Putha

PS-Also, be careful with whom you associate. Among those who are claiming to fight for you and defend you now are those who, when in their heyday had the media under their control, claimed that you could be bought for a bottle of arrack and intimidated you in many ways. Remember, your enemy’s enemy is not necessarily your friend...