Press freedom? 28 journalists killed since 2014, nine currently in jail

By Kirity Roy*
On the eve of the Press Freedom Day on 3rd of May, the Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) shared its anxiety with the broader civil society platforms as the situation of freedom of any form of expression became grimmer in India day by day. This day was intended to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of press and to pay tribute to pressmen who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The persecution of journalists and media has deepened since the Bharatiya Janata Party came in power in 2014 and India is now ranked as low as 161 out of 180 countries in the index on press freedom by Reporters Without Border. In 2022, India was ranked 150th.
The violence against journalists, arbitrary arrests of media persons, politically biased media reports, propagating hatred against minorities and socially underprivileged and the concentration of media ownership at the hands of state backed business houses; all establish that press freedom is in crisis in “the world’s largest democracy”.
At least 28 journalists have been killed since 2014 and nine well known journalists are currently imprisoned. Anti-Terrorism laws are being misused to hound media personnel. The police and tax agencies are constantly deployed to silence independent media.

Journalists are routinely subjected to the scourge of disinformation campaigns, while access to political happenings in India is getting increasingly restricted for foreign journalists. In the last 12 months or so, income tax authorities have searched BBC offices in India and a prominent think tank, the Centre for Policy Research.

In an arbitrary direction, the Government of India asked Australian journalist Avani Dias and French pressman Vanessa Dougnac either to leave India or their stay in India was made untenable. Arbitrary shutdowns of internet and censorship is also a major concern; one can recall the blocking of Hindutva Watch and India Hate Lab’s websites in India, as well as the blocking of 177 social media accounts during the farmer’s protests.
Aggrieved by the reality, Free Speech Collective depicted the situation by saying, “Free speech in India has sunk into a perilous abyss and steadily falling press freedom indices underscore the dangers of crossing a line that is becoming increasingly contentious.”
The state of affairs in the provinces of India, ruled by different hues of political dispensations are not different. In West Bengal recently, "Republic Bangla" journalist Santu Pan was arrested in West Bengal while broadcasting a report on the reported breakdown of law and order in Sandeshkhali, was booked in sexual assault case on 19th February 2024.

In another incident, Debmalya Bagchi, a seasoned journalist with a decade long association with the leading Bangla daily, "Anandabazar Patrika", was arrested after investigative reporting on illegal liquor trade. Such attacks on journalists not only impede the freedom of press but also pose a threat to democracy. It is essential for the government to take immediate action and pass a protection act for journalists to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
While commemorating press freedom and its protagonists, we are willing to converse on Right to Information in India and activists attached with this cause. It’s been nearly 20 years since the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 was enacted to provide transparency to government decisions, hold the government accountable and fight corruption.

Access to political happenings in India is getting increasingly restricted for foreign journalists

The use of the RTI Act has increased manifold over the years, with around 53-56 lakh RTI applications filed annually. Assaults on and alleged murders of RTI activists continue across India. Media reports of more than 300 instances of attacks on or harassment of citizens and at least 51 murders and 5 suicides can be linked to information sought under the Right to Information Act.

In this context, on the onset of Press Freedom Day, we put a charter of demand before the Government of India:

Immediately free the arbitrarily detained journalists, including media persons from Jammu and Kashmir
Amend the anti- terrorism laws so that these laws can no longer be used to persecute journalists (The Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Act 2019 (UAPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA) are often used against journalists).
Stop the censorship and surveillance of journalists. Constitute an independent commission of enquiry into cases of spying on journalists (At least 15 Indian journalists have been targeted by the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware since 2021 with complete impunity)
Protect the confidentiality of journalists’ sources
Ensure the physical and digital safety of journalists, especially those who say they are being threaten· Stop to arbitrary Internet shutdowns
End the restrictions on access to certain parts of the country
Safeguard the foreign media’s right to cover India

---
*Secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM); National Convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), Hooghly

Comments

Green Revolution’s reliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides contributing to Punjab's health crisis

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh* Punjab was once synonymous with robust health, particularly in its rural areas, where farmers were known for their strength and vitality. However, in recent years, reports from these villages tell a different story, with rising cases of serious health issues, including cancer. What led to this decline? The answer lies largely in the erosion of good nutrition, once a hallmark of Punjabi village life. The health of a population is closely tied to its nutrition, and Punjab's reputation as a provider of high-quality nutrition has suffered greatly. The loss of biodiversity in agriculture has led to a decrease in the variety and quality of crops, resulting in poorer nutrition. Pulses, a key source of protein, have seen a steep decline in cultivation due to the disruption of traditional farming practices by the Green Revolution. This has had a detrimental effect on both soil and human health. Although pulses are still available in the market, they are exp

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Bid to isolate India globally 'to drive it even closer' to long-time ally, Russia

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The relationship between India and Canada has plunged to unprecedented lows, with both governments seemingly exploiting the situation for their domestic political gains. Canada has long been home to several anti-India elements, with little action taken against them. When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984, some of these secessionist groups openly celebrated and issued further threats, particularly from Canada and Britain. While Britain eventually acted to contain such elements in the interest of maintaining ties with India, Canada did not. Over the years, India has sought the extradition of 23 criminals residing in Canada, but the Canadian government has mostly dismissed these requests, claiming these individuals have no criminal records in their country.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Influence of mining corporations on policy makers 'leading to' erosion of democracy in Odisha

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Odisha is rich in high-quality natural resources, including iron, bauxite, chromite, and manganese ore, as well as a variety of other valuable minerals like coal, limestone, dolomite, tin, nickel, vanadium, lead, graphite, gold, and gemstones. This resource-laden state is responsible for 57% of India’s iron ore production, hosting over 60 operational mines and more than 150 square kilometers under exploration for further mineral deposits.

How pseudo-liberals 'went wrong' in judging DY Chandrachud as Chief Justice India

By Shamsul Islam* DY Chandrachud took charge as Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court (SC) on November 09, 2022. On this occasion many of the pseudo-liberals who claimed to be defenders of the democratic-secular polity of India manifested great happiness. They declared that the time of SC being an appendage of the RSS-BJP government headed by PM Modi was over as Justice Chandrachud was a liberal judge committed to the democratic-secular polity of India.

NHRC failing to 'effectively address' human rights violations: NGO groups tell UN-linked body

By Rajiv Shah In a joint submission to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions' (GANHRI's) Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA), two civil society groups -- All India Network of NGOs and Individuals working with National and State Human Rights Institutions (AiNNI) and Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) -- have said that the National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC's) accreditation, deferred in 2016, 2023, and 2024, fails to find space on its website.

Search This Blog