Hindu nationalists making India a dangerous place for journalists, says United Nations report

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated his ‘unwavering support’ for the freedom of the media and the press. He says that the freedom is vital for a democracy. 

PM Modi tweeted: “World Press Freedom Day is a day to reiterate our unwavering support towards a free & vibrant press, which is vital in a democracy.”

However, the realities staring at India say a different story: A 45-year-old freelance journalist, Aparna Kalra, was violently attacked during her evening walk in a park in Delhi. The brutal attack lead to serious head injuries. Kalra, who was bleeding profusely from the head, had to be hospitalized and had to undergo emergency surgery. Another senior journalist working with the Daily News & Analysis (DNA) newspaper was attacked in Navi Mumbai recently.

“With Hindu nationalists trying to purge all manifestations of ‘anti-national’ thought from the national debate, self-censorship is growing in the mainstream media. Journalists are increasingly the targets of online smear campaigns by the most radical nationalists, who vilify them and even threaten physical reprisals,”says a report backed by the United Nations.

India has, in fact, gone down from the previous year’s 133rd position on the World Press Freedom Index. The report blames the rise of Hindu nationalism, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the lowering of the ranking.

Is journalism and press freedom under siege in India?

The report is particularly critical of media curbs in restricted regions.

“Coverage of regions that the authorities regard as sensitive, such as Kashmir, continues to be very difficult, and there are no protective mechanisms. On the first day of a wave of protests in Kashmir in July 2016, the Internet was cut by the military and was often interrupted thereafter to prevent communication between protesters and prevent coverage by the media and citizen journalists. Journalists working for local media outlets are often the targets of violence by soldiers acting with the central government’s tacit consent,” adds the report.

The ranking and the report is annually released by Reporters Without Borders or Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), an international non-profit and non-governmental organization which promotes and defends the freedom of the press and is backed by the United Nations. It is put out every year on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day.

India ranks 136 on the World Press Freedom Index, three points lower than last year. Norway is the most press tolerating country while North Korea has the dubious distinction of being the worst for journalism. The list contains 180 nations and ranks them according to the level of freedom available to journalists in that country.

The organization, headquartered in in Paris, has consultant status at the United Nations (UN). The organization also publishes “Predators of Press Freedom” list of politicians, religious leaders, government officials, militias and criminal organizations, who openly target journalists.


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