residences of around 50 employees/journalists of a news website Newsclick
countrywide was loaded with a larger message. That the press should not opine,
ask questions of the powers that be, and that the state can round up anyone
& everyone frivolously with the ultimate charge of being antinational and slap
a UAPA.
In these times when India has fallen to the lowest
rank in press freedom, 161 in 180 countries, the reasons are there to see. Last
few years there have been threats and raids on news channels and digital news
platforms including independent newspersons. (for their views and analysis of
issues that concern the system and the government.) NDTV was raided in 2017 and
years after it saw the end of free and fearless journalism. Similarly Newsclick was earlier too raided and
inquired for its financial dealings. This time they came with another reason…anti
nationalism. The use of coercion is a new low to muzzle media freedom in these
times.
Delhi police reached Newsclick employees homes in the
early morning, confiscated their phones, laptops and other gadgets, which very
much fall into the domain of professional use, questioned that if they had
covered the Delhi Riots, or the NRC protests or Shaheen Bagh, and then took a
few of them to the police station. The Editor Probir Purkayasta and its HR Head
were taken into police custody and others left to go home with the suggestion
that divulging the interrogation will only not work in their favour. Newsclick
has been charged allegedly for having taken investments from China and has
taken funds to spread anti India propaganda. No allegations have been proved yet.
Newsclick is one of the few platforms that has been openly questioning the
government of its actions and asking for accountability in its schemes and
programmes. Yes, its the duty of a journalist to cover all sorts of happenings wherever
to report objectively as is seen. And to that end a phone, a camera, a laptop
and other supporting gadgets are his/her professional tools.
Press Clubs across the nation including Mumbai,
Chennai, New Delhi, Bangalore issued statements condemning the treatment meted
out to journalist. A letter was written to the Chief Justice of India to
intervene seeking action against assault on freedom of expression that is
inherent to journalism. A peaceful protest was held at Press Club of India to
affirm solidarity with fellow journalists.
Leading minds of the country including lawyers, senior
journalists, opposition leaders have voiced their concern comparing the times
to undeclared emergency. In 1976 when Indira Gandhi declared Emergency, press
was the first bastion to fall. Although a large section of it lost no
time in towing the establishment’s line but at least it was a declared
emergency. These times are dreadful. Anyone can be picked up anytime, even a
twitter or Facebook post of five years back can be reason good enough for the government to
put one behind bars. Journalists, satirist, comedians, writers, activist are
languishing in jail for years without being proved guilty. Social media is full
of toxic trolls. Party dedicated IT cells are working as the third eye. Are we being
turned into a surveillance state!
If an unverified sentence in a news report in a
foreign newspaper can be taken as reason enough for framing charges against a
news organization in India the intentions are clear enough. In that case a news
can be planted anywhere to declare anybody an anti national.
Press Freedom across the globe has taken a hit. In
times of unbridled social media and open source information, governments are at
liberty to curtail freedom of
expression. In the name of democracy, autocracies are emerging as a new norm. To
remain in power governments ensure that the narrative is in their favor. And to
that purpose, with law & order and all agencies under their control its not too
difficult to throttle voices of reason. The basic foundation of a democracy is
freedom of expression and so freedom of press. Majority of popular media has
turned approvers (bootlickers) in awe of the system. Media has become a
business. Big houses are owned by capitalists or are taken over by them, who employ journalists who see
the fire of journalism in them die a slow death for not being able to report
stories objectively and unbiased. That was when independent journalism is born.
Many a protests have been held in last few years to
fight for freedom of expression in New Delhi, from where the power of the State emanates. Ironically Press Club of India is at the very next door of the newly built
sprawling Parliament building. As the general elections 2024 come by it will be
interesting to watch the state of press freedom. If Newsclick was a trailer, we
ll keep our fingers crossed.
