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]]>Silencing the Messengers: A deadly environment for journalists
Two journalists were killed in the first quarter of the year—Mukesh Chandrakar and Raghvendra Bajpai—while four others were physically attacked. At least six were arrested, and five faced threats and harassment, according to FSC’s tracker. These incidents reflect not just isolated acts of violence, but a broader, systematic effort to target those who challenge the status quo.
The year began with the horrifying disappearance and murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, an independent journalist who ran the YouTube channel Bastar Junction in Chhattisgarh. He was found dead three days later, stuffed into a septic tank at the home of Suresh Chandrakar, a road contractor and relative who was reportedly enraged over Mukesh’s role in a report broadcast by NDTV on poor road conditions in Bastar. The autopsy confirmed he had been brutally beaten with a heavy object. Police acted only after sustained pressure from local journalists, eventually arresting the accused near Hyderabad. Mukesh’s death starkly illustrates the hazards faced by journalists reporting from India’s hinterlands, where entrenched corruption, state apathy, and local power nexuses operate with impunity.
Three other journalists continue to remain behind bars as of May 2025. These include Rupesh Kumar Singh from Jharkhand and Irfan Mehraj from Kashmir—both incarcerated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)—and Maharashtra-based YouTuber Tushar Kharat, arrested on criminal defamation charges. Mehraj, a well-known journalist and researcher, was detained in March 2023 in a case related to alleged terror funding. Singh was taken into custody in April 2022 on accusations of aiding Maoist groups. Kharat, who runs the Marathi YouTube channel Lay Bhari, was arrested in March 2025 for allegedly defaming Maharashtra Rural Development Minister Jayakumar Gore. All three have been denied bail.
In another shocking case, at dawn on March 12, Telangana police arrested Pogadadanda Revathi, Managing Director of Pulse News, and reporter Thanvi Yadav in Hyderabad for broadcasting supposedly “abusive” content about Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. A third individual, a social media user with the handle NippuKodi, was also detained for sharing the video. The trio secured bail on March 17, following public outrage.
Meanwhile, in Assam, journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder from The CrossCurrent was arrested on March 25 for reporting on protests concerning financial irregularities in the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank. Notably, the bank’s Board includes Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP MLA Biswajit Phukan. Although released on bail a day later, Mozumder was immediately re-arrested in another case and only freed on March 29.
What links all these cases is the journalists’ association with independent digital platforms, particularly YouTube channels—signalling not only the increasing relevance of digital news spaces, but also the lack of institutional recognition and protection for those operating outside mainstream media networks. The chief ministers of the respective states—Sarma (Assam), Fadnavis (Maharashtra), and Reddy (Telangana)—have consistently denied suppressing press freedom. Sarma falsely claimed on X that no journalist had been arrested in recent times, Fadnavis accused Kharat of extortion, and Reddy outrageously called for “so-called journalists” to be stripped and beaten in public during an Assembly address.
Economic reprisal and legal harassment
The state’s hostility extended to the financial backbone of independent journalism. Two well-known investigative platforms—The Reporter’s Collective and Kannada news website The File—had their non-profit status revoked by the Income Tax Department, effectively paralysing their operations. Officials argued their journalism did not serve “public purpose,” a claim strongly refuted by the affected organisations. The Reporter’s Collective described the move as a grave setback to public interest journalism. Editors at The File maintained they operated an ad-free platform and rejected the government’s claim that it was a commercial venture.
These actions reflect a broader tactic known as ‘law fare’—the strategic weaponisation of legal and bureaucratic tools to undermine media freedom. FSC recorded at least five such cases filed against journalists during this period, cementing the notion that legal intimidation is now a key instrument of censorship.
Digital clampdown and regulatory overreach
The Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, triggered yet another crackdown on digital media. Journalists and commentators who raised valid questions about intelligence failures and security lapses found themselves targeted. Two YouTube news channels—Knocking News and 4PM News—were abruptly blocked, with the latter being accused of jeopardising national security.
Simultaneously, legislative threats to press freedom continued to mount. The Maharashtra government persisted with efforts to enact the controversial Maharashtra Public Security Bill, which proposes sweeping powers to curb undefined ‘unlawful activities’. Despite strong objections from more than a dozen journalist and civil society organisations, the bill is being pushed through. Critics argue its vague and expansive provisions are open to misuse and could criminalise legitimate journalistic work.
A wider assault on free expression
FSC’s documentation shows that attacks on free speech extend far beyond the press. Of the 329 violations tracked in the first four months of 2025, a massive 283 involved censorship of not just journalists, but academics, students, artists, comedians, and filmmakers. Among those targeted were satirists and social media commentators such as Neha Singh Rathore, Dr Madri Kakoti (aka Dr Medusa), Shamita Yadav (aka the ranting gola), and comedian Kunal Kamra—most of whom were booked under draconian sections of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Film censorship also saw an aggressive spike. Scenes from Empuraan and Phule were slashed just before or after their release, making a mockery of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) process. The situation worsened with multiple cuts ordered for Punjab 95, the denial of CBFC certification for award-winning films like Santosh, and heavy-handed censorship of foreign films on OTT platforms. The backlash culminated in violent incidents, including mob violence after a screening of Chhava in Nagpur and an attack on Dalit journalist Sanjay Ambedkar while recording public reactions to Phule in Prayagraj.
Pushback and the fight to reclaim rights
Despite the wave of intimidation, there have been determined efforts to resist. Journalists’ unions, civil liberties groups, digital rights advocates, and independent media organisations have raised their voices against these encroachments. Their interventions have kept the conversation on free speech alive and forced public attention onto the state’s shrinking tolerance for dissent.
The constitutionally enshrined right to freedom of speech and expression—Article 19(1)(a)—has come under sustained attack in recent times. The first few months of 2025 are a chilling reminder that India’s democratic fabric is fraying under the weight of censorship, intimidation, and state-sanctioned repression. But the fight to reclaim these rights continues, powered by the courage of independent journalists, artists, and citizens who refuse to be silenced.
Related:
Vanishing Media Freedom J & K, 2019-2024: Free Speech Collective
Uttarakhand High Court slams police and authority for failure in maintain law and order
Terrorism’s Shadow: Rising hatred against Indian Muslims after Pahalgam terror attack
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]]>The post From Prison to Uncertainty: After Battling for Bails, Kashmiri Journalists Battle Stigma, Financial Crisis and Isolation appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>SRINAGAR: “It takes a very long time for an imprisoned journalist to be back to normal life even after being released,” says Fahad Shah, a Kashmiri journalist and the founder of the now-banned Kashmir Walla News outlet.
Shah was arrested on 4 February 2022 and released on 23 November 2023 after a court order but after spending more than 650 days in different jails, facing numerous cases, including the Public Safety Act (PSA) of 1978, allowing for detention without charge for up to two years.
His release on bail was a long-drawn ordeal. Slapped with charges in four different cases and detention under Public Safety Act 1978 (PSA), he had to file bail in each one to be finally let off.
A Cycle of Prolonged Detentions
Caught in an endless cycle of multiple cases, this is the story of many journalists battling for bail after bail to ensure their release from prison.
Since 2018, several Kashmiri journalists – Fahad Shah, Aasif Sultan, Sajad Gul, Majid Hyderi, Manan Dar and several others have been booked under different charges and multiple cases. Once the court grants them bail, the authorities invoke the PSA, prolonging the detention period. Many PSA detentions have been quashed but involve prolonged litigations.
Both in the case of Fahad Shah and Sajad Gul, accused in different cases, the detention under PSA meant a continuum of the ordeal till they were finally granted bail in all cases. The High Court, while quashing his detention order under PSA on April 13, 2023, held that “A mere apprehension of a breach of law and order is not sufficient to meet the standard of adversely affecting the ‘maintenance of public order’.”
But Shah was slapped with a fresh case under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), for a “seditious” and “highly provocative” article published by Kashmir Walla in 2011. He was booked in three other cases subsequently.
Shah was finally released after the Court of Jammu and Kashmir observed that the State Investigation Agency (SIA) lacked evidence against him to prove charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He was accused of “glorifying terrorism” and “spreading fake news” through his magazine. Major charges against him were dropped and he was released on bail. But his trial is going on in designated court under UAPA in Jammu.
Significantly, the High Court, in its judgment, stated, “There is no material to suggest that the article contains content that provokes people to take up arms and resort to violence.”
Columnist and Research Scholar, Aala Fazili, the author of the 2011 article was also arrested in April 2022 under UAPA and was recently released on bail after the court observed that “‘Bail is the rule and jail is the exception’ is a settled law”.
Sajad Gul, a trainee reporter for the now-banned Kashmir Walla, was released after spending 910 days in Indian jails following his arrest on January 5, 2022.
The groundwork for Gul’s arrest was laid almost a year earlier with a First Information Report (FIR) filed against him on February 2, 2021, accusing him of trying to “disrupt peace and tranquility.” At the time of his arrest, another FIR was filed accusing him of “promoting disharmony and public mischief.”
The same month, a local court in Bandipora granted bail to Gul. But prior to that, the government invoked the Public Safety Act (PSA) against him. Though, the courts set aside his detention on November 9, 2023, but a fresh case was slapped against him, prolonging his detention.
In November 2023, while quashing the dentition order of Gul, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir held that detaining critics of the government is “an abuse of the preventive law”.
After the quashment of his detention order, Gul was moved back to Kashmir from a prison in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, and kept for 198 days in the Baramulla district jail on charges he faced in an FIR filed against him in December 2023. On July 8, 2024, he was finally released after a sessions court in Bandipora granted bail in that case.
Like Fahad Shah, he is facing three other criminal cases.
After spending years in prison, many journalists continue to be caught in the vicious cycle of detentions, fresh cases and litigation.
Aasif Sultan, arrested in August 2018 is incarcerated for more than six years, and was detained under Public Safety Act (PSA) and other criminal cases. He was first arrested under UAPA and later detained under PSA.
After spending over five years in detention, he was released in February 2024 following a court order that quashed his PSA detention as “illegal and unsustainable.”
However, just a day after his release, Aasif Sultan was re-arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police in another case. Following this, he was finally granted bail in May 2024 by a special court, which noted that he had been in custody for over six years without reasonable justification.
UAPA as a Tool to Deny Bail
While most journalists have been released after their prolonged incarceration, Irfan Mehraj, arrested by National Investigating Agency (NIA) and mentioned as a co-accused in a chargesheet against human rights defender, Khurram Pervez, has now completed 700 days at the high-security Rohini Prison in New Delhi.
Mehraj has been imprisoned for over two years without a trial and was initially detained for six months without a chargesheet being filed. There has been no decision on his bail application despite the lengthy detention period.
His case exemplifies the systemic weaponisation of UAPA against journalists and human rights defenders through deliberately vague charges and procedural flaws, accusations based on unnamed multiple witnesses (in his case 177), making the trials prolong and stonewalling bail applications.
UAPA is characterised by a structural flaw where the burden of proof is reversed. Under UAPA, the accused must prove his or her innocence rather than the prosecution proving his or her guilt, inverting the standard legal principle of “innocent until proven guilty.”
Though the courts have provided relief by granting bail in several cases involving journalists from Jammu and Kashmir, Irfan Mehraj still awaits even that glimmer of hope.
Even for those now out on bail, the process has been long drawn out. Many of them were caught in a revolving door process of multiple charges and cases including under UAPA, making it imperative for them to challenge each charge and case separately in court, to finally find themselves caught in the web of PSA.
Weaponising Public Safety Act
While getting bail in a UAPA case becomes difficult, the most widespread is the use of the PSA which Amnesty International has termed a “lawless law.”
Despite several rulings by the Apex Court and Jammu and Kashmir High Court that the Public Safety Act (PSA) cannot be used to bypass the due process of law, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir continue to use the Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978 as a tool against journalists for their reportage.
Clifton De Rosario, General Secretary All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ) told the Kashmir Times that the weaponisation of PSA against any political dissent is now extended to journalists in Kashmir, exposing the hollow claims of normalcy in the valley.
“Over the past three terms of the Modi government, it is more than apparent that this right-wing regime cannot tolerate any real journalism. The repeated use of PSA against journalists confirms that bureaucrats, committed to such ideology are pulling the daily strings of administration without any care for democratic ethos”.
Jammu based Tarun Behl, 46, a journalist and owner of the newspapers Sree Times and Aasman is a more recent victim of this ongoing crackdown. Behl was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) on September 5, 2024.
Before getting booked under Public Safety Act, he was arrested and booked by police under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, on July 8, 2024, for allegedly circulating a list of 57 protected persons, including journalists, politicians, and retired police officers, whose security cover was recently withdrawn by the J&K administration.
After being granted interim bail in the case on July 22, 2024. Behl was subsequently slapped with the Public Safety Act (PSA), which Amnesty International has described as a draconian law.
The arrest of Behl under PSA demonstrated that there has been no real change on the ground.
Behl, whose PSA was quashed by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on January 2, 2025, was accused of “intentionally circulating secret and confidential information, related to the security issues of various dignitaries, including secret official documents in the WhatsApp group for vested interests”.
While quashing the dentition order of Behl, the High Court observed that “the petitioner’s ultimate arrest and detention on September 6, 2024, is a pointer to the fact that the petitioner was somehow being eyed upon to be a witch-hunt by the authorities.”
The J&K High Court found several critical flaws in Tarun Behl’s preventive detention. The court determined that the detention order was “illegal” and highlighted the misuse of PSA and a collaboration between the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the District Magistrate of Jammu.
When the District Magistrate initially refused to issue a detention order based on the original dossier, the SSP created a “revised dossier” with additional allegations, including a third FIR and information about Behl’s bank accounts. The court viewed this as “a sham show” and deliberately crafted to “fetch preventive detention” to which the District Magistrate then “yielded his discretion and judgment as if given on asking.”
The court criticized how authorities presented Behl’s multiple bank accounts as suspicious, noting they treated “having such a number of bank accounts” as if it “was an illegal act in itself.” This reasoning was deemed unjustified.
The court ultimately ruled that both the SSP and the DM had “blatantly resorted to a dubious exercise of authority and jurisdiction at their respective ends to infringe upon the personal liberty of the petitioner by subjecting him to preventive detention.”
Seven-fold Increase in PSAs
Though the use of arbitrary detentions under PSA has been going on since several decades, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a seven-fold increase in preventive custody since 2019.
According to an Amnesty International press release dated September 18, 2024, a total of 272 habeas corpus petitions were filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court between 2014 and 2019 – 41 before the Jammu bench and 231 in Srinagar.
However, following the revocation of J&K’s autonomy in August 2019, the number of petitions surged dramatically, reaching 2,080 between 2019 and 2024. Of these, 289 petitions were filed in Jammu and 1,791 in Srinagar.
The report further reveals that “Amnesty International have verified cases of at least five individuals, including journalists, political leaders and activists, who have been prevented from travelling abroad or travelling into India, despite having the requisite travel documents, in violation of their right to freedom of movement. The Indian authorities have imposed the bans without any written explanation, court order or proper notification within the legal time frame which indicate a form of retaliation against their legitimate human rights work around Jammu and Kashmir”.
On January 30, 2024, Newslaundry reported that an RTI response in 2015 had revealed that 16,329 individuals had been detained under the preventive detention law since 1988, with nearly 95% of them belonging to Kashmir.
In a separate RTI response filed by the NGO J&K RTI Movement in 2023, it was disclosed that between August 2019 and July 2023, 1,570 petitions were filed challenging detention orders under the Public Safety Act (PSA). Of these, the J&K High Court quashed 900.
Lara Jasani, a Senior Lawyer from Bombay and Member of PUCL says that Public Safety Act has been arbitrarily used in J&K to detain dissenters and those exposing or criticising the government decisions.
“What we have seen because of this is a silencing of the media and criminalisation of journalists. It’s unfortunate if the law is still being used, even despite the spate of court decisions which have not just held such detentions illegal but even at times, imposed costs,” she told the Kashmir Times.
Terming it a disregard for “constitutional principles” and the judicial decisions which sought to remind the authorities of them. She says that the current government needs to be reminded of its own election promise to repeal this draconian law, which is even used against political opponents.
PSA is an unjust law, which allows detention without trial, punishment without crime. “It is a tool to make arbitrary detentions possible and needs to go. It is high time the government initiates action to do so if it really wants to bring peace to the valley,” she adds.
After Behl’s release, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed the detention order of journalist Majid Hyderi on 20 February 2025.
Hyderi was first arrested on September 14, 2023, by the local police in Srinagar following a complaint filed against him for ‘criminal conspiracy, intimidation, and defamation’.
Although the journalist granted bail in a defamation case, he was rearrested a few hours later under the PSA and accused of threatening India’s ‘sovereignty, security and integrity’ through media and social media posts.
Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul of J&K High Court quashed the detention order, stating that the grounds were “vague & ambiguous” as they failed to mention specific dates of the alleged activities attributed to Hyderi. The court ruled that preventive detention without clear grounds cannot be justified.
The judgment emphasized that preventive detention requires a “live and proximate link” between past conduct and present need for detention. The court noted that the detaining authority referenced social media posts and news items from 2018, which failed to demonstrate such a link.
The court expressed surprise that the detaining authority used an FIR to justify detention, noting that the allegations therein would not affect “sovereignty, security and integrity” of India, and did not warrant invoking the J&K Public Safety Act provisions.
While quashing his detention under PSA, the court relied on the precedent of Sajad Ahmad Dar v. Union Territory of J&K, which established that criticism of government policies cannot justify preventive detention.
An unspecified number of journalists have been briefly detained and interrogated since 2019. The detention periods last for a few weeks or a few hours. Many cases are unreported, but several journalists allege that they are repeatedly called to police stations for questioning.
A Continuing Ordeal After Bail
Even for those journalists now out on bail, the ordeal, does not end. The years of imprisonment take their toll.
Out of prison for more than a year, Fahad Shah continues to grapple with the lasting impact of his detention.
“Any type of detention or prison or cases against journalists has an impact,” Shah told the Kashmir Times.
As he deals with the psychological import of that, Shah also struggles to restart his career after his release, with the banned online magazine causing a major setback. The Kashmir Walla he built from a scratch over a decade ago, no longer exists.
Work has shrunk and he now occasionally writes for different publications.
For Sajad Gul, the endless nightmare is even more profound. Unlike Fahad Shah, who was well established in his career, Gul who doubled up as a trainee reporter and a journalism student, it was just the start of his career when his wings were clipped with his arrest in January 2022.
Fear is Palpable
Released in the summer of 2024, he has yet to restart his professional career. He was in the final semester of Masters in Communications when he was arrested. The academic dreams were cut short too. He is struggling to complete his degree.
“The stories I wanted to cover, I can’t do because I fear that they will harass me again and jail is a horrifying experience that I don’t wish to undergo again,” he says, talking about the fears he is unable to shake off.
“When I recall where I could have been by now if I hadn’t been imprisoned, I feel that I have been let down by the government,” he says.
“My career ambitions are at a standstill. I had dreamed of pursuing journalism at a foreign university, but now I can’t do anything,” he says, talking about his almost abandoned dreams.
“I have restrictions on my passport. My travel opportunities have been limited because I am a journalist. Even visiting Delhi sometimes causes trouble if I go without asking the police,” Gul told the Kashmir Times. I also don’t want to come into the limelight now…….,” he adds.
Sajad Gul’s two and a half years in prison have shaken him. During this time, he was shifted from one jail to another within Jammu and Kashmir and finally to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh – an experience that became unbearable.
For almost two years in Bareilly, Gul spent in a 10-foot by 10-foot cell amidst the heatwave and the bitter cold. “From the cold damp quarters inside the cell, it was so chilling that one would prefer death over life in such situations,” he says, recalling his ordeal.
“I used to tremble in the chilling cold of Uttar Pradesh. Once I was even tempted to ask my jailor to give me warm clothes, but the jailor wasn’t bothered. It becomes tougher in jail when you are sent away and need money and clothes, but your family can’t even afford to visit you. Then the jail becomes even harder,” Gul told the Kashmir Times.
A senior journalist, preferring anonymity, says that given the number of journalists incarcerated, summoned and raided, their electronic devices confiscated, cases slapped against them and travel bans etc, “the psychological impact is massive”.
He said: “Even routine storytelling has been criminalised and censorship normalised. Fear is not imaginary, it is real.”
“Invoking draconian laws to silence journalists means that there is also the element of self-censorship involved. Simply put, journalism is dead and buried. Any story can be your last,” he says, pointing out the dismal scenario even for journalists who haven’t suffered incarceration.
“When you write a story as a journalist but are compelled to edit or proofread it as a bureaucrat or a police officer – that is a telling comment…. Fear of reprisal is palpable,” he says.
(Mubashir Naik is a legal researcher and A Kashmir Times staffer provided inputs to this report.)
(This report has been updated for accuracy and corrected quotes of journalist Fahad Shah)
Courtesy: Kashmir Times
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]]>The post The murder of Raghvendra Bajpai: A chilling reminder of the dangers faced by journalists in India appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>The circumstances leading to his murder
Bajpai’s murder is suspected to be linked to his investigative reporting on alleged irregularities in paddy procurement and stamp duty evasion in land transactions. His recent reports had exposed corruption in government dealings, leading to the suspension of four local administrative officials. His family firmly believes that these exposés made him a target, though the police have not ruled out a personal enmity angle. Bajpai had been working as a journalist for nearly a decade and was known for his fearless reporting on corruption in land and agricultural transactions.
Despite the clear suspicions regarding his reporting, police initially downplayed the possibility of threats against him. The Sitapur police suggested that his murder might be related to a land dispute, as Bajpai had reportedly raised concerns over the improper formalities in a recent land transaction. However, his wife, Rashmi Bajpai, lodged an FIR against unidentified persons, alleging that her husband’s movements had been closely monitored before the attack. She suspects that those angered by his journalism orchestrated the killing and has demanded a high-level investigation.
The FIR also highlights that Bajpai had been investigating multiple cases of corruption in land records and procurement scams, which had angered several influential figures in the district.
Rashmi Bajpai, speaking to reporters, accused the authorities of negligence in ensuring her husband’s safety despite his repeated concerns. She demanded immediate arrests and called for a CBI probe into the case. “My husband was killed because he exposed the truth. He was fearless, and that made him a threat to those in power. If justice is not delivered, it will only embolden those who want to silence journalists,” she stated.
Investigation and arrests
Following the murder, police launched a probe, forming multiple teams to track down the assailants. CCTV footage from the crime scene showed the attackers following Bajpai before executing the attack. His phone has been sent for forensic analysis, and police are scrutinising his recent call records to identify potential leads.
As of now, at least 12 people have been detained for questioning, including three lekhpals (local revenue officers) and one retired army personnel. Among those questioned is Anish Dwivedi, president of the Lekhpal Sangh, hinting at a possible link between Bajpai’s reporting and his murder. While some of those detained were in touch with Bajpai in the weeks leading up to his death, no concrete arrests have been made yet.
Political reactions and public outrage
Bajpai’s murder has ignited political controversy, with opposition parties criticising the Uttar Pradesh government for failing to protect journalists. State Congress chief Ajay Rai condemned the killing, calling it a “shameful act” and a glaring example of lawlessness under the BJP-led state government. He accused the government of suppressing press freedom and demanded a compensation of ₹1 crore for Bajpai’s family, along with a government job for his wife. Rai also warned of state-wide protests if justice was not swiftly delivered.
Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) MLA Pallavi Patel also slammed the government, stating that Bajpai was “silenced” for exposing corruption. She demanded a fair and transparent probe into the murder, warning that her party would take to the streets if the family’s demands were not met. The BJP, on the other hand, has promised strict action against the perpetrators. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak assured that all those involved would be arrested and tried in a fast-track court. BJP national vice-president Rekha Verma visited Bajpai’s family, vowing justice and financial aid.
Tensions flared between the journalist’s family and local police on March 9 when his relatives initially refused to perform the last rites until the killers were arrested and a job was provided to a family member. In protest, the family placed Bajpai’s body on the highway, leading to a confrontation with police officers. Eventually, district officials persuaded them to proceed with the cremation by assuring them that their demands would be forwarded to the state government. His father, Mahendra Nath Bajpai, performed the last rites as Bajpai’s 10-year-old son was unable to do so due to the trauma.
The broader issue of press freedom and journalist safety
Bajpai’s assassination has sparked widespread outrage among journalist associations across India. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), and the National Union of Journalists – India (NUJ-I) have strongly condemned the killing, calling for an urgent and thorough investigation. The IJU described the murder as a direct attack on press freedom and expressed concerns over the rising threats faced by journalists in Uttar Pradesh. NUJ-I President Ras Bihari reiterated the demand for financial assistance of ₹1 crore for Bajpai’s family and warned that his murder highlighted the increasing dangers faced by reporters exposing government irregularities. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger stated that Bajpai’s death was a tragedy and called on the authorities to ensure the perpetrators were brought to justice without impunity.
Bajpai’s killing is a chilling reminder of the perils faced by journalists who dare to expose corruption. India has witnessed a worrying trend of journalists being attacked, threatened, or even killed for their work, particularly in states where government accountability is weak. Uttar Pradesh, in particular, has seen several such incidents in recent years, raising concerns over media rights violations and the safety of independent reporters. If the murder of Bajpai is not met with swift and decisive action, it will further embolden those who seek to silence the press through violence. Even as Bajpai’s family, colleagues, and supporters continue to demand justice, the present case not only highlights the vulnerability of journalists in India but also raises critical questions about the government’s commitment to press freedom and the rule of law. If journalists are not safe, the very foundation of democracy is at risk.
Related:
Baster Journalist killing: UNESCO condemned the killing of Mukesh Chandrakar
Investigative Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar killed for exposing corruption
Supreme Court eases bail conditions for Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan
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]]>The post Investigative Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar killed for exposing corruption appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>The body of a 28-year-old journalist was found in a septic tank on the premises of a contractor whom he had recently exposed for corruption in #Chhattisgarh. #MukeshChandrakar, who worked with a local news channel, was found dead on January 3 in #Bijapur district.
Mukesh, who… pic.twitter.com/tPl7LLFAJO
— Hate Detector
(@HateDetectors) January 4, 2025
Chandrakar, known for his in-depth reports on alleged corruption in public construction projects, was also the host of a popular YouTube channel. His family claims he had been receiving threats for exposing a scam related to a road project, suggesting his tragic death may have been a targeted attack. Hours before his body was found, his brother posted a heartfelt video on the channel, appealing for help and revealing the emotional devastation of losing his brother.
Goodbye @MukeshChandrak9
Your reporting for his soil, for society, and for humanity always be remembered. My humble requests to the politicians is that they should not play politics on his death.#MukeshChandrakar #Bastar pic.twitter.com/u99EsLOhPd
— Aarav Gautam (@IAmAarav8) January 4, 2025
Who is Mukesh Chandrakar?
Mukesh Chandrakar, a fearless investigative journalist known for his ground reporting in Chhattisgarh’s conflict-ridden Bastar region, had a remarkable trajectory. From his humble beginnings of selling mahua liquor and working as a mechanic, he transitioned to journalism by renting an office and eventually starting his YouTube channel, Bastar Junction, which garnered 1.66 lakh subscribers. At just 32, Mukesh had carved a niche for himself, bringing attention to crucial issues, especially in a region plagued by Maoist violence and corruption.
Born in Basaguda, a village severely impacted by the armed conflict of the mid-2000s, Mukesh’s early life was marked by hardship. His family, displaced by the violence, sought refuge in a government shelter in Bijapur. After the death of his father when Mukesh was a child and his mother’s untimely death in 2013, Mukesh, along with his brother Yukesh, persevered through the challenges.
Mukesh’s reporting on the dire state of a road in Bijapur, which was tied to his cousin’s construction contract, led to an official inquiry. Angered by the story, Mukesh’s cousin, contractor Suresh Chandrakar, allegedly orchestrated his murder, with his brother Ritesh carrying out the act. Mukesh’s death reflects the risks faced by journalists exposing corruption in volatile regions, as Indian Express reported.
Press Club and Editors Guild express concern over journalist’s safety
On January 4, the Press Club of India expressed its shock and condemnation over the brutal murder of Mukesh Chandrakar. The Club strongly condemned the killing, calling for swift, time-bound action against the perpetrators. In a statement, the club said, “We strongly condemn the killing and demand time-bound action against the perpetrators.”
The Press Club also requests the Press Council of India to take cognisance of the matter and demand that the state government take appropriate action. The Club urged that, “The state government should immediately look into the long-standing demand of local journalists to enact a law to protect journalists.’
The Press Club of India is shocked to learn about the murder of Bijapur (Chhattisgarh)
based young freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar.We strongly condemn the killing and demand
time-bound action against the perpetrators.The club also requests the @PressCouncil_IN to… pic.twitter.com/cwD1tbYEBj
— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) January 4, 2025
On January 4, the Editors Guild of India issued a strong statement expressing deep concern over the brutal murder of Mukesh Chandrakar. The Guild condemned the suspected killing and raised alarm over the apparent foul play behind his death and said that, “The young journalist’s death is a matter of grave concern as it raises suspicion of foul play.” The Guild, urging the Chhattisgarh government to expedite the investigation and ensure those responsible are swiftly brought to justice, expressed that, “The Editors Guild calls on the government of Chhattisgarh to spare no efforts in investigating the case speedily and bringing the guilty to book.”
The Editors Guild highlighted the broader issue of journalist safety, particularly for those working in smaller towns and rural areas. “The safety of journalists, especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas, is of paramount importance,” the statement continued. “Authorities across the country must ensure that no harm or hindrance is caused to journalists in the course of their professional duties.”
EGI statement on the death of journalist Mr. Mukesh Chandrakar pic.twitter.com/LtOI7oYw3T
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) January 4, 2025
The Guild further mentioned the essential role of a free press in a functioning democracy. “A free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy. While the Editors Guild grieves Mr. Chandrakar’s death, it hopes that his passing under unnatural circumstances will serve as a wake-up call and prompt better measures for journalist protection. The country must not let Mr. Chandrakar’s death go entirely in vain.”
Press Council seeks report from Chhattisgarh Government over killing, takes suo moto action
On January 4, the Press Council of India took suo moto cognizance of the suspected brutal killing of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar. It has requested a report on the case from the Chhattisgarh government. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, Chairperson of the Press Council, also expressed deep concern over the incident.
#pressreleasepci #presscouncilofindia pic.twitter.com/GMV19fLpa3
— Press Council of India (@PressCouncil_IN) January 4, 2025
Mukesh Chandrakar’s heroic role in CoBRA mission
Mukesh Chandrakar played a heroic role in securing the release of CoBRA commando Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, who had been held captive by Maoists in April 2021. This occurred after the deadly Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur, where 22 security personnel were martyred. The CoBRA Battalion, a specialized unit of the CRPF focused on jungle warfare, had been involved in the ambush. Mukesh, alongside six other journalists, helped facilitate negotiations between the security forces and the Maoists, ensuring the safe return of the captured CoBRA jawan.
Public protests demand justice, held Candle march
The brutal murder of Mukesh Chandrakar has ignited widespread protests. On Sunday, January 5, members of the Mahar community organized a candle march, demanding the death penalty for the accused. Journalists also took to the streets, staging a protest at the Raipur Press Club, calling for swift and severe action against those responsible for the journalist’s death.
The candle march began at Ambedkar Bhawan and concluded at Jaistambh Chowk. RD Jhadi, a patron of the Mahar Samaj, stated that all those involved in the murder should face the harshest punishment, as reported in The Print.
Murder of Chandrakar is a grim reminder of the danger faced by Journalists: Kejriwal
While condemning the murder of Mukesh Chandrakar and expressing concern over the safety of journalists, AAP President and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated, “The killing of Mukesh Chandrakar is a stark reminder of the risks faced by journalists who expose corruption and speak the truth. The perpetrators of Mukesh’s murder must receive the harshest punishment.”
The murder of #MukeshChandrakar is a grim reminder of the dangers faced by journalists who dare to expose corruption and tell the truth.
The culprits behind Mukesh’s murder must face the harshest punishment. pic.twitter.com/pPmW6qlX7O
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 5, 2025
Arrest of key suspect in journalist Mukesh Chandrakar’s Murder
Days after a Chhattisgarh-based journalist was found murdered, the key suspect in the murder of Bastar journalist and YouTuber Mukesh Chandrakar, Suresh Chandrakar, was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Bijapur police from Hyderabad on the night of January 5, 2025. Police confirmed the arrest after the body of Mukesh was discovered on January 3, hidden in a septic tank at a property owned by Suresh in Chattanpara Basti, Bijapur. Three others involved in the crime—Ritesh Chandrakar, Dinesh Chandrakar, and supervisor Mahendra Ramteke—have already been arrested in connection with the case.
In response to the crime, authorities have moved to seize Suresh Chandrakar’s illegal properties. A construction yard that he had established after encroaching on forest land along the Bijapur-Gangaloor Road has already been demolished. Furthermore, police have initiated steps to freeze Suresh Chandrakar’s bank accounts, with three of his accounts already put on hold.
Alleged motive: corruption in road construction and alleged tide with Congress and BJP
A news report aired on NDTV on December 25, 2024, exposing alleged corruption in a road construction project in Bijapur, is believed to have triggered the murder. The project, linked to contractor Suresh Chandrakar, is seen as the possible motive for the crime. Additionally, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma claimed that Suresh Chandrakar had ties with the Congress party, while opposition parties assert that he recently joined the ruling BJP.
BJP’s Jungle Raj in Chhattisgarh, Congress condemned the killing
On January 3, Congress criticized the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh government over the brutal killing of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, questioning the state’s law and order. In a post on its official X handle, Congress wrote:
“BJP’s jungle raj in Chhattisgarh.
Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar exposed corruption in road construction. Enraged by his findings, the contractor responsible for the road lured Mukesh, killed him, and dumped his body in the septic tank of his own house.
In BJP’s jungle raj, no one is safe. The law-and-order situation is in complete disarray.
It’s no surprise that the media won’t highlight this issue or challenge the BJP government, as the ‘Sab Changa Si’ mode is on.
We demand swift and strict action in this case. Mukesh’s family deserves justice, and it should be delivered without delay.”
छत्तीसगढ़ में BJP का जंगलराज
पत्रकार मुकेश चंद्राकर ने सड़क में भ्रष्टाचार का खुलासा किया था. इसके बाद से सड़क बनवाने वाला ठेकेदार नाराज था.
ठेकेदार ने मुकेश को बुलाया और उन्हें मारकर लाश को अपने घर की सैप्टिक टैंक में चुनवा दिया.
BJP के जंगलराज में कोई भी सुरक्षित नहीं है.… pic.twitter.com/vyoiCWIw0O
— Congress (@INCIndia) January 3, 2025
Chhattisgarh government formed SIT probe; alleged accused tied with Congress
Following the incident, the Chhattisgarh government’s orders SIT probe over the incident. BJP alleged a strong connection between the prime accused, Suresh Chandrakar, and the Congress party. Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Rao took to his X handle
“A lie does not turn into truth by shouting loudly, dear Bhupesh ji!
This is the basic mantra of Congressmen.
Anyone who comes in contact with their corruption will be crushed to pieces.
And the Congress contractor did the same with brave journalist Mukesh of Bijapur!
Those defending the contractor accused of murder raised concerns about morality.”
जोर-जोर से चिल्लाने से झूठ सच में नहीं बदल जाता प्रिय भूपेश जी!
कांग्रेसियों का मूल मंत्र है..
जो उनके भ्रष्टाचार से टकराएगा चूर-चूर हो जाएगा।और वही किया कांग्रेसी ठेकेदार ने बीजापुर के जांबाज पत्रकार मुकेश के साथ!
हत्या के आरोपी ठेकेदार की पैरवी करने वालों ने नैतिकता..(१/४) https://t.co/WFj6XrrIIg pic.twitter.com/20M1Q7iJbU
— Arun Sao (@ArunSao3) January 4, 2025
Letter of boycott of Mukesh Chandrakar by Congress viral on social media
Amidst allegations linking the accused contractor, Suresh Chandrakar, to the Congress party, a letter dated April 29, 2024, from the District Bijapur Congress Committee has gone viral on social media. The letter reveals that journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, along with his colleagues Ishwar Soni, Ranjan Das, and Chetan, was officially boycotted by the district Congress committee. This action was taken after the journalists were accused of publishing and reporting false news about Bijapur MLA Vikram Mandavi. The controversy surrounding this letter has fuelled further speculation and debate, with critics questioning the motives behind the boycott.
Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi also condemned the killing, demand strict action
Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the killing of Mukesh Chandrakar. She expressed her condolences through her X handle and wrote that, “The news of the murder of Bastar, Chhattisgarh journalist Mukesh Chandrakar is shocking. According to reports, Mukesh was brutally murdered after he exposed corruption in his report. I demand from the state government that strict and immediate action should be taken in this case, the culprits should be given severe punishment and proper compensation and job should be considered for the family of the deceased.
Humble tribute!”
बस्तर, छत्तीसगढ़ के पत्रकार मुकेश चंद्राकर जी की हत्या का समाचार स्तब्ध करने वाला है। खबरों के मुताबिक, मुकेश जी ने अपनी रिपोर्ट में भ्रष्टाचार का खुलासा किया था जिसके बाद उनकी बेरहमी से हत्या कर दी गई।
मेरी राज्य सरकार से मांग है कि इस मामले में सख्त और त्वरित कार्रवाई हो,… pic.twitter.com/I1TwRJXOFW
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) January 4, 2025
The tragic death of Mukesh Chandrakar, a courageous 32-year-old freelance journalist from Chhattisgarh, has not only shocked the nation but also highlighted the grave risks faced by journalists in volatile regions. Chandrakar, known for his investigative reporting on corruption within public construction projects, was discovered murdered in a septic tank, raising suspicions that his death was directly linked to his work exposing illegal activities. His death underscores the vulnerability of journalists who dare to challenge powerful figures in corrupt systems. Mukesh’s fearless reporting and his YouTube channel, “Bastar Junction,” gave voice to the marginalized and shed light on corruption and violence in Chhattisgarh’s conflict-ridden Bastar region.
This incident has sparked widespread outrage and concern from press organizations like the Press Club of India and the Editors Guild, who have demanded swift justice and stronger protections for journalists. The brutal killing is a stark reminder of the critical need for legal safeguards and enhanced security for those who report the truth. The ongoing investigation into Mukesh’s murder, with arrests made, is an important step, but it also highlights the urgent need to address the broader issue of journalist safety. Mukesh Chandrakar’s death must serve as a catalyst for stronger measures to protect journalists and ensure that such atrocities do not go unpunished.
Related:
Gauri Lankesh assassination: 6 years down, no closure for family and friends, justice elusive
Gauri, a film on journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh wins international award: Montreal 2023
Gauri Lankesh memorialised as Journalist killed in Line of Duty
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]]>The post Free And Fearless Journalism In A Fight For Survival appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>A free press is a cornerstone of democracy, crucial for holding elected politicians accountable and fostering informed public discourse.
As we mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, this freedom and the independent media crucial to safeguarding democracy are increasingly coming under threat.
Journalists across the world are being intimidated, harassed and attacked. They are being put under surveillance, subjected to physical violence and online abuse and increasingly put behind bars by misusing the law and the judicial process.
This is apart from information being controlled by the state through regulatory laws.
Journalists’ attempts to foster public accountability from elected representatives is increasingly pitting them against the power of the state which is threatened by such truth telling.
A prison census conducted by the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) estimated that as of December 1, 2023 there were 320 journalists behind bars for their reporting. This was the second highest recorded since the CPJ census began in 1992.
According to the CPJ, “At least 94 of the 320 journalists in the 2023 census – almost 30 percent – are known to have health problems. Many cannot get medications or access to doctors but their families are often reluctant to speak out for fear of reprisal against their relatives.”
While authoritarian states routinely repress journalists, one would expect democratic societies to create and nurture a safe environment for the media. However, a media environment free from violence and obstruction seems to be shrinking even in some democratic societies.
Two critical arenas where threat to journalism and journalists are playing out dramatically are Israel and India, both self-proclaimed democracies which profess a commitment to uphold freedom of the press. Seventeen of the 320 journalists in jail are in Israel and seven in India.
But prison is not the only threat that journalists face in these two countries.
The Israel-Gaza war is proving the most deadly for the practice of journalism. It is estimated that since October 7, 2023 at least 97 journalists and media workers were among the more than 34,000 killed in Gaza and the West Bank and 1200 dead in Israel.
Journalists in Gaza are particularly vulnerable as they have to report in the midst of Israeli ground assaults and airstrikes with disrupted communication, power outages and supply shortages.
In India, grave threats have emerged to the media with journalists being silenced and imprisoned for critical reporting. The Indian state has been using strong-arm tactics to subdue critical reportage as the regime in power tries to reverse India’s constitutional commitment to secularism as well as cultural and religious diversity.
Such is the power of the state to control the media space by denying access and government advertisements that many news organisations in India have succumbed – and offer uncritical support to the government.
The legal process is used wantonly to file police charges against journalists to criminalise their work and stigmatise them as “terrorists” or “anti-national” elements using a whole host of laws ranging from counter-terrorism laws to preventive detention provisions without any charges being filed while journalists suffer in jail with routine denial of bail.
The state’s desire to control the media has become even more intense as India enters into a prolonged period of voting in a general election.
Foreign news entities like the BBC have been forced to virtually shut shop and restructure some operations in India, while foreign correspondents are being constrained in their reporting using a variety of strategies. These range from restrictions on visas, cancelling the Overseas Citizen of India card (a lifetime residency permit) given to those born of Indian-origin parents or with Indian spouse and denying them permission to report on elections to accusing them of journalistic activities “inimical to the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India.”
At least two foreign correspondents – one from France another from Australia – have been forced to leave the country recently. Those within, have been forced to write an open letter to the government criticising it for pushing out foreign correspondents on the eve of an election that it describes as the “largest democratic exercise in the world.”
While the spread of social media has made it a powerful alternative tool for the dissemination of news and views, states have responded by asserting their right to control these platforms.
Big Tech is willingly cooperating with authoritarian regimes or those tendencies towards authoritarianism – from China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to India — to control the social media platforms.
The regimes themselves are introducing new laws which allow them shut down digital sites and force the platforms to cooperate with them in taking down critical content.In addition, big social media companies are also deprioritising content moderation, including policies to check hate speech, which is often promoted by some regimes.
The challenges and obstacles are many and the solutions, few. Yet, despite this, journalism remains indispensable, especially in confronting global crises.
Courtesy: Kashmir Times
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]]>The post Top US academics, including Amartya Sen, condemn long incarceration of journalists & activists, erosion of Indian democracy appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>Prabir Purkayastha, a 75-year old senior journalist, author, and founding editor of the independent newsportal Newsclick, whose office and home were repeatedly searched for weeks on end for incriminating evidence without any being found, has been arrested and, despite being imprisoned for nearly six months, is yet to be served a charge-sheet; the harmful effects of such an action on media independence are obvious for everyone to see, says the statement.
A group of prominent international scholars, academicians, and writers has sounded the alarm over the prolonged incarceration of critics of the BJP government in India. This open letter with known names such as Amitav Ghosh and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen has been published urging the global community to pay attention to the erosion of democratic principles in the world’s largest democracy, and released by SAHMAT.
“India has long been admired internationally as an exemplary democracy, and the largest in the world. Any abridgement of democracy in India is tragic, not only for the people of India, but for all of humanity. We write this letter to alert international opinion to these recent alarming developments in that country and to urge those holding positions of responsibility in the various organs of the Indian state,” reads the statement. The statement especially mentions the case of online media portal, Newsclick’s founding editor, 75-year-old journalist, author, Prabir Purkayastha who has been in custody for nearly six months without being charged. Some of the other signatories of the letter include academics Charles Taylor, Judith Butler, Wendy Brown, Sheldon Pollock, and David Shulman.
Others have been incarcerated even longer, such as those arrested in the Bheema-Koregaon case who (with the exception of those whom the courts have released on bail on medical or technical-legal grounds) have been languishing in prison for over five years without any trial.
Likewise, many accused in the Delhi riots case have been in prison for over three years without any trial –and often without complete charge sheets brought against them; some, who have been charged, but with no trial in sight, have spent even longer in jail than the maximum legal sentence warranted by the charges against them.
This extended incarceration without trial has been given legislative backing, through an amendment to the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act passed by the Indian parliament. But legislative backing provides no justification for such incarceration. Indeed, to use it as a justification amounts to saying that Constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights can be abrogated through a legislative majority; that, notwithstanding Constitutional provisions, someone can be imprisoned for any length of time by a government enjoying a legislative majority. This amounts to undermining the Constitution and overturning the structures of democracy.
A separate note was also penned and released by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen directed to “my fellow citizens,” where he highlighted a series of cases where journalists and activists have been detained solely for expressing dissent against the current administration. “There are, of course, many other unjust uses of compelling law that continue in India, despite our hope of building a fairly governed country, but imprisonment without trial and without fairness in the treatment of human beings is certainly among the worst injustices that the country has made into a regular arrangement.”
Recently, after the detention of Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal in relation to a liquor policy scam, the US state department released a statement citing the importance of ensuring a “fair, transparent and timely legal process” and that the US was closely monitoring the case of the chief minister. India soon summoned a top diplomat after the statement was made and the foreign ministry stated, “We take strong objection to the remarks”.
However, state department spokesperson Mattew Miller declined to comment on the summons citing confidential diplomatic meetings the following day, also stated that the US government was aware about how the Congress party’s funds were also frozen in their banks.
The statement by academics also states that, “India has long been admired internationally as an exemplary democracy, and the largest in the world . Any abridgement of democracy in India is tragic, not only for the people of India, but for all of humanity. We write this letter to alert international opinion to these recent alarming developments in that country and to urge those holding positions of responsibility in the various organs of the Indian state, in particular the judiciary, to ensure that the abridgements we are currently witnessing are reversed, and that no encroachment occurs on the fundamental rights of its citizens. Those holding such positions of responsibility will be remembered by posterity if they honourably stand up for Indian democracy.”
Signatories include:
- Amitav Ghosh, Novelist and Author, New York.
- Wendy Brown, UPS Foundation Professor, Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton.
- Judith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor, Department of Comparative Literature, and the Program of Critical Theory, University of California, Berkeley.
- Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, University Professor, Columbia University, New York.
- Sheldon Pollock, Arvind Raghunathan Professor Emeritus of South Asian Studies, Columbia University, New York.
- Martha C. Nussbaum, Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Philosophy, University of Chicago, Chicago.
- Steven Lukes, Professor of Politics and Sociology, New York University, New York.
- David Bromwich, Sterling Professor of English, Yale University, New Haven.
- Marjorie Cohn, Professor,Thomas Jefferson School of Law,San Diego; former president, National Lawyers Guild, U.S.A.
- Jonathan Cole, John Mitchell Mason Professor, Provost & Dean of Faculties (1989-2003),
Columbia University, New York. - Janet Gyatso,Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies and Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, Divinity School, Harvard University, Cambridge.
- Carol Rovane, Violin Family Professor of Philosophy, Columbia University, New York.
- Jan Werner-Muller, Roger Williams Straus Professor of Social Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton.
- Charles Taylor, Emeritus Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory, Oxford University; and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at University of Montreal.
- 15. Akeel Bilgrami, Sidney Morgenbesser Professor of Philosophy; Professor, Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University, New York.
- David Shulman, Renee Lang Professor of Humanistic Studies, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Amartya K. Sen, Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University, Cambridge, supports this statement (see the supporting statement attached).
The separate statement released by Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen is below:
ON THE UNDERMINING OF ELEMENTARY FREEDOMS IN INDIA
Amartya Sen
Some friends of mine have recently written a cogent statement on the violation of elementary freedoms in contemporary India, and, even though I do not, as a rule, sign joint letters, I would like to add my voice to theirs. So this is written as a general statement addressed to my fellow citizens.
Under British rule, Indians were often arrested and imprisoned without trial, and some were kept in prison for a long time. (As many of my family members were trying hard to free India from colonial rule, several of them experienced this kind of treatment of imprisonment without trial.) As a young man, I had hoped that as India became independent, this unjust system, in use in colonial India, would stop. This has not, alas, happened, and the unsupportable practice of arresting and keeping accused human beings in prison without trying them has continued in free and democratic India.
Along with others who are rightly outraged by this injustice, I must also strongly express my sense of indignation at this basic violation of human freedom in my own country, whose claim to being a democracy is strongly negated by such practice.
There are, of course, many other unjust uses of compelling law that continue in India, despite our hope of building a fairly governed country, but imprisonment without trial and without fairness in the treatment of human beings is certainly among the worst injustices that the country has made into a regular arrangement. We should very much hope that the judicial system of India will have the good sense to eliminate barbarities of this kind.”
Related:
India third highest across the world to enforce internet shutdowns
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]]>The post Stop treating journalists like terrorists, media unions tell government as the 17th Lok Sabha begins appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>The NAJ, DUJ, KUJ and APWJF have further demanded a Media Commission of India in the lines of the First and Second Press Commissions, end to the Labour Codes and increasing attempts to gag the media.
Noting that “several journalists, including eminent editor Prabir Purkayastha, are in jail for exposing this government and the forces that control this government. Journalists such as Siddique Kappan are facing criminal charges, including UAPA charges, after spending years in prison. In Kashmir many journalists such as Fahad Shah, Sajad Gul, Irfan Mehraj, Aasif Sultan and Majid Hyderi have been arrested while most other journalists live in fear. Since 2010, as many as 15 journalists and two media managers have been charged under UAPA, seven are still behind bars. Sedition charges have been filed against leading journalists like Vinod Dua, Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai and others.
Besides, defamation charges have been filed against journalists like Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair and many others. Raids on media, seizure of electronic devices and harassment of media employees is becoming another menace.”
The charter has stressed the fact that there has been no Wage Boards for the past 13 years, nor any willingness to constitute another one, or even grant interim relief.
The letter is timed with the current session of Parliament.
The detailed charter of demands, filed by all four unions representing 1,000 journalists relates to the Free Functioning of the Media and may be read below:
“The media has an effective role to play in a democratic society. Leaders of our national movement upheld this concept after Independence and the Constitution too values freedom of expression as a fundamental right. This concept was the base for passing the Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act (known as Working Journalists Act) and the Working Journalists (Fixation of rates of wages) Act in 1955 and 1958 by the Parliament of our country.
“The works of two Press Commissions were also broadly in this direction. The Parliament too has played a role in enriching this principle of ensuring a free press in the country and the rights and dignity of journalists and co-workers-all of which are being unfortunately negated lately.
“The term of the 17th Lok Sabha will end within a few months. This winter session will be the last full-fledged session of the 17th Lok Sabha. As the country is moving towards the next general elections in 2024, we, the media fraternity would like to make some submissions before the Parliamentarians and leaders of political parties.
“As trade unions of experienced journalists who cover and write about a myriad issues and problems in the country we have no qualms in saying that the last five years have been the most dangerous years for journalists and journalism in this country. The country’s ranking in the Freedom of Press Index has consistently declined during these years and stands as low as 161 out of 180 countries.
“Several journalists, including eminent editor Prabir Purkayastha, are in jail for exposing this government and the forces that control this government. Journalists such as Siddique Kappan are facing criminal charges, including UAPA charges, after spending years in prison. In Kashmir many journalists such as Fahad Shah, Sajad Gul, Irfan Mehraj, Aasif Sultan and Majid Hyderi have been arrested while most other journalists live in fear. Since 2010, as many as 15 journalists and two media managers have been charged under UAPA, seven are still behind bars. Sedition charges have been filed against leading journalists like Vinod Dua, Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai and others. Defamation charges have been filed against journalists like Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Ravi Nair and many others. Raids on media, seizure of electronic devices and harassment of media employees is becoming another menace.
“Social media handles and YouTube channels of independent journalists are often forced to shut or censored for speaking or showing truth. Many of the independent YouTubers were leading anchors and editors who were forced out of TV news channels. Big corporate companies and other vested interests, have cemented their control over media, despite our warnings that cross- media ownership is dangerous for this country and its democracy. Journalists have been retrenched by managements under pressure from their corporate funders. Traditional family owned newspapers and media houses too are forced to bow before the pressure from the market or the governments.
“We deeply regret the weaponisation of sections of the media to spread hate. A rabid communal agenda has divided and polarized the people, threatening the unity and integrity of the Indian state. We hold the corporate media, particularly TV channels and their anchors and editors, culpable for these divisions and fissures in society as much as politicians.
“On the other hand, we note with dismay the increasing attempts to ‘regulate’ the media, particularly the relatively independent digital media and social media through amendments and changes to the laws. The IT Rules, 2021, the Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, 2022 and the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 are the most recent such moves that threaten democracy and free speech.
“The Union Government has also dealt journalism a big blow by submerging the two above mentioned Acts for journalists into the Labour Codes, reducing our rights. These Acts were the last resort for a journalist to fight the pressures from the management, the corporate advertisers or autocratic governments.
“It has been 13 years since the Centre accepted the recommendations of the Majithia Wage Board, which was the last Wage Board for journalists and press workers. The Centre has not shown any willingness to constitute another Wage Board and this is impacting the lives of many journalists and workers.
“As trade unions, we believe that collective struggles should be launched along with workers, peasants, youth and students to protect the democracy of our country. We urge you to help us in raising the voices of independent press in Parliament and other forums.
“We have certain concrete suggestions to cross over this crisis of democracy. Here is our fourteen point charter of demands, which we request you to consider.
1. A law to protect journalists from arbitrary arrests and malicious prosecution is the need of the hour. Journalists cannot be treated as terrorists.
- A recent amendment to the IT Rules, 2021 gives not just the Press Information Bureau but also all Union government ministries and departments the powers to demand that news they object to be taken down by social media companies. We demand that these Rules aimed at censoring the small, independent digital media be withdrawn immediately.
Other moves such as the reported inclusion of digital media in the draft Registration of Press and Periodicals Bill, 2022, to controls news and views carried on digital media through any electronic device, must be reviewed. The draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 which is meant to replace the Cable Television Networks (Regulation Act), will affect not just streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video but also individuals putting news and current affairs online on platforms like YouTube and WhatsApp. These bills must be discussed in the public domain, through public hearings and consultations with all stakeholders including journalists’ organizations before being passed.
- Early setting up of a common Media Council for print, electronic and digital media, with representatives from the media, media unions and independent public persons.
- Setting up of a Media Commission to study the entire media like the First and Second Press Commissions and to recommend remedial measures, in view of sweeping changes since the onset of imperialist globalisation and the deplorable condition of journalists and non-journalists in media establishments.
- Putting responsible checks on cross-media ownership.
- Immediate steps to help the growth of national language news and feature agencies through a National Newspaper and Feature Agencies Development Corporation.
- Repeal the four Labour Codes. Restore previous pro-labour legislations. Restore the two Working Journalists Acts with a simple amendment to include broadcast and digital media.
- Implement the last Wage Board recommendations as per the historic Supreme Court ruling of February 7th, 2014. Set up fast track courts with time bound implementation in view of pendency of cases. Constitute a new Wage Board at the earliest. Interim relief is overdue.
- Proper Risk Insurance cover for media workers and their equipment as well as a decent Pension Scheme. Currently, the contributory pension that journalists get is a pittance, seldom more than a couple of thousand rupees.
- Ensure a one-year package to the premier national news agency United News of India to help sustain regular payment of long delayed salaries and payments to retrenched employees including their gratuity and other dues. Some of them are in critical condition. The once virtually self-reliant UNI Urdu news service is barely surviving, amidst celebrations of 200 years of the Urdu press. Attempts to discriminate against another premier national news agency, the PTI, must stop.
- India’s record of imposing Internet bans is the worst in the world, with 741 shutdowns from 2012 to July 2023. Shutdowns seriously impede the work of journalists who are unable to send their news reports, stories and photographs at such times. Shutdowns have been imposed for everything from riots to stopping cheating in exams! This abuse of law must be stopped through appropriate rules and guidelines.
- The laws relating to Sedition, Defamation and arbitrary detention laws like the UAPA are being increasingly misused to arrest and prosecute journalists. Journalists have been booked even for tweets and Facebook posts. These laws should be reviewed and repealed to prevent their misuse.
- Given the increasing tendency of media companies to outsource work, provisions need to be made for freelance journalists, stringers and consultants, to ensure that payments by media companies are both timely and adequate. The number of such media workers is growing by the day but there are no proper legal provisions for their welfare and social security.
- And lastly, but most importantly, release all the journalists, academics and activists arrested arbitrarily.
We sincerely hope that you will consider our demands and respond to them with the earnestness and immediacy they deserve. Today journalism, independent journalism in particular, is battered and bruised as never before. Surely immediate steps are needed to save it and ensure that the print, broadcast and digital media are allowed to co-exist and flower and bloom in a responsible manner.”
The statement has been signed by S.K.Pande, President-DUJ, Sujata Madhok, General Secretary –DUJ A.M. Jigeesh, President- NAJ,N.Kondaiah, Secretary General-NAJ, G.Anjaneyulu, General Secretary-APWJF and R.Kiran Babu, General Secretary – KUWJ
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The post Stop treating journalists like terrorists, media unions tell government as the 17th Lok Sabha begins appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>The post 103 of 194 scribes target of hostile action by state actors: Delhi-based group appeared first on SabrangIndia.
]]>In a study released on June 27, the Rights and Risk Analysis Group (RRAG) states that of the 194 journalists who faced police action or assault or threats last year, 103 were targeted by State actors and 91 by non-State actors, including political activists. The statistics have been collated from news reports.
Earlier in 2020, the State and non-State actors clocked equal figures for targeting scribes, the same think-tank had found. During the Covid-19 pandemic, as many as 226 instances of hostile action against journalists were reported. Out of these, non-State actors accounted for 114 instances and the State-actors snapped at the frontrunners’ heels by targeting 112 journalists. Last year, 2022, eight journalists died — one was killed for his work and another in a terrorist attack.
The study of the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) that appears confined to information only from news reports, also said that among the States/Union Territories (UTs), the journalists from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) faced the maximum target with 48; followed by Telangana (40); Odisha (14); Uttar Pradesh (13); Delhi (12); West Bengal (11); Madhya Pradesh and Manipur (6 each); Assam and Maharashtra (5 each); Bihar, Karnataka and Punjab (4 each); Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Meghalaya (3 each); Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (2); and Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttarakhand (1 each).
According to the press release issued of the 103 journalists (targeted by State actors in 2022), 70 were arrested/detained; FIRs were registered against 14; four were summoned by police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED); and 15 were allegedly physically attacked, threatened and harassed by public officials/police.
“Telangana reported the highest arrest/detention with 40, followed by Uttar Pradesh (6) and Jammu and Kashmir (4),” the statement said.
The FIRs against the 14 journalists were lodged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 124-A (sedition), punishment for defamation (Section 500), 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups); Section 66-C, Section 67 and Section 69 of the Information Technology Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
In 2022, at least four journalists were summoned for questioning — three by police, and Sucheta Dalal of Maharashtra by the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi…. At least 15 journalists were allegedly physically attacked, molested, threatened and harassed by public officials, including police across the country.”
“At least three journalists, i.e. Aakash Hussain, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Rana Ayyub, were stopped by immigration officials from flying abroad.”
The statement also said: “One journalist, Subash Kumar Mahto, was killed for his reporting (against mafia groups in Bihar) while the rest were killed for personal enmities, road rage, etc…. A journalist identified as Rohit Biswal, a reporter of the daily Dharitri, was killed in an IED blast triggered by alleged Maoists while performing his official work on February 5.”
“Telangana reported the highest arrest/detention with 40; followed by Uttar Pradesh (6); Jammu and Kashmir (4); Madhya Pradesh (3), Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur and Odisha (2 each); and Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal (1 each). First information reports (FIRs) were registered against 14 journalists under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including Sections 124-A (sedition) punishment for defamation (Section 500), 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups); Section 66-C, Section 67 and Section 69 of the Information Technology Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.”- Stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the RAAG.
In 2022, at least 15 journalists were allegedly physically attacked, molested, threatened and harassed by public officials including police across the country. Odisha reported the highest number of cases with four journalists being beaten by police.
At least three journalists i.e. Aakash Hussain, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Rana Ayyub were stopped by the Immigration officials from flying abroad.
During 2022, out of the 91 journalists attacked by the non-State political actors and criminals across the country, the maximum attacks on journalists were reported from Odisha (5) and Uttar Pradesh (5).
About 41 journalists were targeted by the armed opposition groups in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and the Naxal affected areas. One journalist identified as Rohit Biswal, a reporter of a daily Dharitri, who was killed in an IED blast triggered by alleged Maoists while performing his official work on 5 February.
The list of 194 journalists targeted during 2022 is given in the Table below:
| Sl No. of journalists targeted | Name of journalists | State/UT | Nature of targeting | No. of journalist targeted by the State actors | Type of State actors | No. of journalists targeted by the non-state actors | Type of non-State actors |
| 1 | Kollu Ankababu | Andhra Pradesh | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 2 | Maksam Tayeng | Arunachal Pradesh | Assault | 1 | Forest officials | ||
| 3 | Kunu Borang | Arunachal Pradesh | Assault | 1 | unidentified persons | ||
| 4-5 | Nasidur Rahman and Mushtafizur Rahman | Assam | Arrest | 2 | Police | ||
| 6 | Jayant Debnath | Assam | Abused and assault by two policemen | 1 | Police | ||
| 7 | Biswa Kalyan Purkayastha | Assam | Assault by Home Guard S Deb | 1 | Govt. Home Guard | ||
| 8 | Banajit Thakuria | Assam | Assault by unknown persons | 1 | |||
| 9 | Subhash Kumar Mahto | Bihar | Murder | 1 | Four accused identified as Sourav Kumar, Priyangshu Kumar and Roshon Kumar | ||
| 10 | Anup | Bihar | Assault by police | 1 | Police | ||
| 11 | Ravi Shankar | Bihar | Shot at | 1 | Unknown armed men | ||
| 12 | Gokul Yadav | Bihar | Murder | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 13 | Vivek Chaubey | Chhattisgarh | Murder | 1 | Four persons including a Sarpanch | ||
| 14 | Jitendra Jaiswal | Chhattisgarh | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 15 | Nilesh Sharma | Chhattisgarh | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 16 | Mohammad Zubair | Delhi | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 17 | Ravi Nair | Delhi | Arrest warrant served for criminal defamation | 1 | Police/ | ||
| Court | |||||||
| 18-22 | Siddharth Varadarajan, M.K. Venu, Sidharth Bhatia, Jahnavi Sen and Mithun Kidambi | Delhi | Searches at home and The Wire’s office & registration of FIR | 5 | Police | ||
| 23 | Naresh Vats | Delhi | Assault | 1 | Security personnel | ||
| 24 | Aakash Hussain | Delhi | Stopped from flying by immigration officials | 1 | Immigration officials | ||
| 25 | Sanna Irshad Mattoo | Delhi | Stopped from flying by immigration officials | 1 | Immigration officials | ||
| 26 | Sucheta Dalal | Delhi | Summon | 1 | ED | ||
| 27 | Rajat Sharma | Delhi | Threat | 1 | Unknown persons | ||
| 28 | Juned Khan Pathan | Gujarat | Murder | 1 | Unknown persons | ||
| 29 | A woman journalist | Haryana | Molestation and threat | 1 | Railway officials | ||
| 30 | Rupesh Kumar Singh | Jharkhand | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 31 | Arup Chatterjee | Jharkhand | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 32 | Vidyut Mahato | Jharkhand | Assault | 1 | Police | ||
| 33 | Sajad Gul | J&K | Arrest & detention | 1 | Police | ||
| 34 | Fahad Shah | J&K | Arrest & detention | 1 | Police | ||
| 35 | Gowhar Geelani | J&K | Summons under Sections 107 and 151 of CrPC & arrest order by court | 1 | Police/ Court | ||
| 36 | Yash Raj Sharma | J&K | Summon under Section 160 of CrPC | 1 | Police | ||
| 37 | Aasif Sultan | J&K | Detained under PSA | 1 | Police | ||
| 38 | Khalid Gul | J&K | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 39 | Shahid Tantray | J&K | Harassment | 1 | Police | ||
| 40 | Shabraiz Bashir | J&K | Assault | 1 | |||
| 41-80 | 40 journalists | J&K | Threat & intimidation | 40 | Armed opposition groups | ||
| 81 | Rana Ayyub | Karnataka | Registration of FIR | 1 | Police | ||
| 82-84 | Ajith Kumar K, Praveen Kumar and Siddique Neeraje | Karnataka | Registration of FIR | 3 | Police | ||
| 85 | Bandu Mali @ Pandit | Madhya Pradesh | Murder | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 86 | Shubham Pathak | Madhya Pradesh | Registration of FIR and beating by authorities | 1 | Police & other public official | ||
| 87-89 | Kunjbihari Kaurav, Anil Sharma and N.K. Bhatele | Madhya Pradesh | Registration of FIR | 3 | Police | ||
| 90 | Govind Gurjar | Madhya Pradesh | Assault | 1 | Staff and security guards of a private hospital | ||
| 91 | An unidentified journalist | Madhya Pradesh | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 92 | Vicky Rajpurohit | Madhya Pradesh | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 93 | Chandrakant Suryvanshi | Maharashtra | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 94 | Govind Wakade | Maharashtra | Arrest and detention | 1 | Police | ||
| 95 | Varun Singh | Maharashtra | Manhandled by traffic policeman | 1 | Police | ||
| 96 | Mohan Dubey | Maharashtra | Stabbed | 1 | ne Yusuf Sheikh | ||
| 97 | Ganesh Jadhav | Maharashtra | Shot | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 98-99 | Bijoy Kakchingtabam and Leimapokpam Shanjitkumar | Manipur | Arrest | 2 | Police | ||
| 100 | Wangkhemcha Shamjai | Manipur | Summoned and harassment | 1 | NIA | ||
| 101-102 | Josh Sharma and L. Kanta | Manipur | Assault | 2 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 103 | An unidentified TV reporter | Manipur | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 104-106 | Three unidentified journalists | Meghalaya | Assault | 3 | Mob | ||
| 107 | Rohit Biswal | Odisha | Killing in IED blast | 1 | Triggered by suspected Maoists | ||
| 108 | Sailendranath Jena | Odisha | Murder | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 109 | Lokanath Dalei | Odisha | Detention and torture | 1 | Police | ||
| 110 | Achyuta Mohanty | Odisha | Arrest and torture | 1 | Police | ||
| 111 | Kalu Charan Sahu | Odisha | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 112 | Rakesh Roul | Odisha | Assault | 1 | Police | ||
| 113-116 | Four unidentified journalists | Odisha | Assault | 4 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 117 | Pravat Kumar Lenka | Odisha | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 118-120 | Prabin Kumar and two others | Odisha | Assault | 3 | Police | ||
| 121 | T. Udayanarayanan | Puducherry | Assault and threat | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 122 | Ravinder Singh Wazidpur | Punjab | Booked under Section 153 of IPC & Section 66-C of IT Act | 1 | Police | ||
| 123-124 | Jatinder Singh and Satinder Singh | Punjab | Assault | 2 | Officials of the TCS Immigration Company | ||
| 125 | Alok Verma | Punjab | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 126 | Aman Chopra | Rajasthan | Registration of FIR | 1 | Police | ||
| 127 | Balaji Baskar | Tamil Nadu | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 128 | Savitri Kannan | Tamil Nadu | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 129-168 | 40 journalists and YouTube content creators | Telangana | Detention and harassment | 40 | Police | ||
| 169 | Tapas Das | Tripura | Assault | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 170 | Kishore Ram | Uttarakhand | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 171 | Sudhir Saini | Uttar Pradesh | Murder | 1 | By three persons in a road rage | ||
| 172 | Gaurav Bansal | Uttar Pradesh | Arrest and torture | 1 | Police | ||
| 173 | Faizan Qureshi | Uttar Pradesh | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 174-176 | Ajit Kumar Ojha, Digvijay Singh and Manoj Gupta | Uttar Pradesh | Arrest | 3 | Police | ||
| 177 | Uma Nath Tiwari | Uttar Pradesh | Registration of FIR | 1 | Police | ||
| 178 | Anil Yadav | Uttar Pradesh | Arrest | 1 | Police | ||
| 179 | An unidentified journalist | Uttar Pradesh | Assault and threat | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 180 | Vikas Sahay | Uttar Pradesh | Assault | 1 | Relative of the Chairperson of Municipal Corporation | ||
| 181 | Mukesh Gupta | Uttar Pradesh | Shot at | 1 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 182-183 | Shyam Sunder Pandey and Laddu Pandey | Uttar Pradesh | Shot at | 2 | Unidentified persons | ||
| 184-192 | Nine journalists | West Bengal | Assault | 9 | Members of a political party | ||
| 193 | A female reporter | West Bengal | Assault | 1 | Members of a political party | ||
| 194 | Manab Guha | West Bengal | Arrest | 1 | Police | Members of a political party | |
| Total | 103 | 91 |
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]]>The post No NCRB data on journalist, media personnel arrested under UAPA and other penal laws: IBM appeared first on SabrangIndia.
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Image courtesy: The Quint/Erum Gour
In the ongoing budget session of the Parliament, Lok Sabha member Shri Pradyut Bordoloi (INC) brought the issue of journalists being arrest under the charges of Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment (UAPA) Act. Bordoloi had asked the ministry of Information And Broadcasting to provide the Lok Sabha with the details and the number of journalists arrested under UAPA, Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other penal laws during the last five years and the current year. The member had also enquired about the details and the number of Information Technology surveys and raids carried out at News organisations by the Government during the last five years and the current year.
Responding to these queries, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, informed the Lok Sabha that the above-mentioned matters are state are state subjects, as ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ fall under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. Thus, the State Governments are responsible for prevention, detection and investigation of crimes and for prosecuting the criminals through their law enforcement agencies. Additionally, it also informed that even the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not maintain data separately for Journalists and media personnel.
The question can be read here:
In a country where authorities are increasingly targeting journalists and online critics for their critiques of government policies and practices, including by bringing charges against them under counterterrorism and other penal laws, this response reflects the authorities’ indifference to ensuring the safety of journalists in India.
The Indian authorities and state agencies have repeatedly violated the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. An increasing number of journalists are detained on trumped-up or politically motivated charges for critical reporting, and they are then imprisoned for years, with the goal of targeting journalists, spreading fear, and silencing independent media.
The targeting of journalists by the authorities, combined with a more extensive restriction on dissent, has enabled the Hindu nationalists to intimidate, persecute, and abuse journalists critical of the Indian government, both online and offline, with impunity.
Against the backdrop of increasing restrictions on media freedom, Indian authorities have arrested journalists on bogus terrorism and seditious charges, and have consistently aimed at critics and independent news organisations, even raiding their offices. Even though it has only been three months since the beginning of this year, there have already been numerous reports of journalists being arrested and charged with UAPA, as well as raids on media outlets. In the month of March itself, 2 such cases have been reported, which are as follows:
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On March 20, 2023, Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj was arrested by the National Investigation Agency from Srinagar in a case registered under the UAPA. In a 2020 case of terror funding allegedly through NGOs, Mehraj was the first accused arrested following an alleged comprehensive investigation. In a statement, the central agency said that Mehraj is a close associate of human rights activist Khurram Parvez, who was arrested in November 2021 under sections of the UAPA which deal with terror funding. On March 22, a Delhi Court had now remanded Mehraj to NIA custody for 10 days in a case registered under UAPA.
Mehraj and Parvez are both associated with the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, a coalition of non-profit campaign and advocacy organisation based in Srinagar. Mehraj founded Wande Magazine and now works as a senior editor at TwoCircles.net. He has tirelessly contributed to leading news publications such as The Indian Express, Al Jazeera, Himal Southasian, DW, and TRT World, and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the truth about the atrocities in Kashmir reaches the world.
It is also worth noting that Parvez, who was arrested by the NIA in November 2021 under the draconian UAPA on charges of criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government, and terror funding, is still detained.
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On March 13, Sanjay Rana, a YouTube reporter, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for asking a question to an elected state functionary. On March 12, Rana had questioning the state minister for secondary education Gulab Devi at a function about unfulfilled promises. He asked “questions to a minister over her unfulfilled promises of development work during a function”. Devi had visited Budh Nagar Khandwa to inaugurate a dam. Rana was eventually granted bail but not before remaining in police custody for over 30 hours. The Union noted that not even a day had passed since the event when the Sambhal police arrested Rana based on a complaint by a leader associated with the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the BJP’s youth wing. An FIR under IPC Sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), was filed against Rana.
In February, the income tax department had raided the Mumbai and Delhi office of the BBC News. The raids, which the income tax officials have described as “surveys,” follows the recent controversy over the BBC’s showing of a two-part investigative documentary, titled India: The Modi Question, which for the first time revealed a confidential investigation by the British government into the 2002 Gujarat riots that left more than a thousand Muslims dead. On February 26, a journalist employed with a TV channel was shot at by two unidentified bike-borne gunmen in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh. In his FIR, journalist Devendra Khare had alleged that he was allegedly being pressuring against reporting a recent attack on Akhil Bhartiya Brahman Mahasabha national president Rajendra Tripathi and his family. On February 6, hours after a Ratnagiri-based local daily carried a front-page story about a land agent with alleged criminal antecedents, the story’s reporter was mowed down by a car allegedly driven by the subject of the story. Furthermore, Indian authorities have also been implicated in using the Israeli-produced spyware Pegasus to target journalists.
These are just a few examples of incidents that have occurred this year. It is worth noting that many journalists who have had cases filed against them in recent years are either still in jail or are out on bail, fighting against the current tyranny. Given the polarised environment, India has been labeled as dangerous for journalists. Freedom of expression protection in India has never been strong, and it is now dwindling even further.
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]]>The post Press Council of India demands explanation from Tripura Govt on allegations of attacks on journalists appeared first on SabrangIndia.
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Image Courtesy:asiasociety.org
The Press Council of India has demanded an explanation from the Tripura government on allegations of attacks on journalists made by the Assembly of Journalists (AOJ), which is a forum for protection of media rights. The AOJ has alleged that over 20 scribes were attacked in Tripura after Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s controversial remarks on the media during a programme last year in September. It was widely reported when on September 11, 2020, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Tripura’s first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Sabroom had said that a section of “over-excited newspapers” were “trying to confuse people” over Covid-19 and added that “neither history nor I will forgive them”.
Journalists had called him out on this comment and said that the CM seemed to have issued a ‘threat’ to the media and that it was an “assault on press freedom”. Deb had reportedly responded that while he “didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” he “would continue to protect the best interests of people of Tripura against any attempts at misleading” the people. It was reported that the CM’s media advisor, Sanjoy Mishra had also said his comments were misinterpreted. However, according to local media, allegations of various attacks on journalists from working in the region, were reported.
The AOJ took cognisance of that and had recently issued a statement that said, anti social elements have been emboldened to attack the media after the CM’s speech. The AOJ stated: “The chief minister (Biplab Kumar Deb) had threatened the media during an event at Sabroom sub-division on September 11. Encouraged by this, anti-socials and miscreants sheltered under the umbrella of the ruling party are organising constant attacks on the media. At least 23 journalists have been attacked in Tripura in the last six months following the chief minister’s threat.” A delegation of the Assembly of Journalists had met at the Agartala State Guest House on Sunday, and informed Press Council of India representatives “about the increasing attacks on journalists and news media in the state.”
https://www.facebook.com/assemblyofjournalists/posts/209565894255000
Now the Press Council of India (PCI) has sought a response from the Tripura government regarding purported complaints of these attacks on journalists in the past six months. According to media reports, PCI secretary Anupama Bhatnagar has written to Tripura Chief secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police, and asked them to respond within two weeks. Media reports quoted the letter: “on consideration of the complaint, Chairman, Press Council of India has decided to take cognizance in the matter under provision of Regulations 14 (f) of Press Council ( Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations, 1979 and I have been directed to request to file your comments in the matter within two weeks from the date of receipt of this letter to enable the Council to determine further course of action in the matter.” According to news reports, state Home Secretary Sharadindu Choudhury told the media on Saturday that the letter had been received “last week” and that a reply will be given soon.
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