At least 6 scribes were killed, 108 attacked and 13 media houses targeted in 2021, report by New Delhi-based rights group says
Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura topped the list of States and Union Territories where journalists and media houses were targeted in 2021, a report by a New Delhi-based rights group said on Wednesday.
At least six journalists were killed, 108 attacked and 13 media houses or newspapers targeted across the country, according to the India Press Freedom Report 2021 by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) said.
“The highest number of journalists or media organisations targeted was in J&K (25), followed by Uttar Pradesh (23), Madhya Pradesh (16), Tripura (15), Delhi (8), Bihar (6), Assam (5), Haryana and Maharashtra (4 each), Goa and Manipur (3 each), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (2 each), and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Kerala (1 each),” the report stated.
While J&K recorded the maximum attacks by State actors, Tripura had the most cases of attacks by non-State actors, the analysis of data showed.
Eight women journalists faced arrest, summons and registration of First Information Reports.“The widespread attacks on the press freedom from J&K to Tripura are an indicator of the continuing deterioration of civic space in the country. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, is an affirmation of the government’s intent to crack down on media freedom,” RRAG director Suhas Chakma said.
Spotlight on J&K
The spotlight on attacks against media freedom during 2021 remained on J&K. Out of the 17 journalists arrested or detained in the country, five were from J&K, followed by Delhi (3), Maharashtra, Manipur and Tripura (2 each), and Assam, Chhattisgarh and Haryana (1 each), the report noted.
In 2021, at least 24 journalists were allegedly physically attacked, threatened, harassed and obstructed from doing their professional works by public officials, including police, across the country. The police assaulted 17 of them. The year saw FIRs registered against 44 journalists, 21 of them under Section 153 of the IPC relating to promoting enmity.
Sedition, criminal defamation laws have no place in democracy: Rights group
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) on Tuesday called for the withdrawal of sedition cases file against journalists and called for the repealing of sedition and criminal defamation laws.
In a statement, the CHRI said criminal cases had been filed against journalists over the past few months for various reasons.
“Senior and younger journalists, photographers, news anchors and editors have been physically and legally attacked as well as missused on social media for their work. This casts a long shadow over the state of freedom of expression in the country, which has for decades been a thriving bastion of journalism.”
The CHRI said police forces in various States had used colonial era laws like sedition and criminal defamation as well as economic offences to “silence media”.
“Laws such as sedition and criminal defamation have no place in a nation committed to democratic practices. The sedition cases against the journalists should be withdrawn. India should commit to revisiting, reviewing and repealing these archaic laws, rooted in a colonial past. The government must ensure protection under law for journalists who face harassment and threats,” the CHRI said.
It said India was a leading member of the 54-nation Commonwealth, which is set to have a summit in June, and that it was a signatory to the Commonwealth Charter to uphold freedom of expression.
In 2021, the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department raided offices of media houses or newspapers and houses of journalists who were critical of policies and functioning of the government, the report said.
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