If journalism falters, democracy will collapse: Justice Srikrishna

Former Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna has called for preserving the independence of journalists to ensure smooth functioning of democracy in the country.

If journalism as a profession falters, democracy will collapse, Justice Srikrishna said Friday night after presenting the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism, instituted by the Mumbai Press Club.

Speak the truth to the powers that be," he said. "Two professions have to be necessarily independent, a judge and a journalist. If they falter, democracy collapses, he added.

Justice Srikrishna said a journalist who loses his independence is as bad as a judge who has lost his independence.

Remember, you are in a profession where honesty is really the best policy, said the noted jurist, who headed the Srikrishna Commission that investigated causes and apportioned blame for the Mumbai riots of 199293.

We all know about the four pillars of democracy: judiciary, legislature executive and the press or the fourth estate. If the firs