Skip to main content

Attack on journalists in Chhattisgarh: International pressure on Modi government to act, defend scribes mounts

By Our Representative
International pressure on the Narendra Modi government to urgently act for protecting the journalists, who are caught in the crossfire between the BJP government in Chhattisgarh and Naxalite insurgents, has sharply gone up, with at least four of the most well-known organizations taking strong exception to attack on scribes and human rights defenders in the state.
While the arrest last year of two vernacular journalists on charges of supporting Naxalites has already invited considerable criticism abroad, the latest attack on freelance journalist Malini Subramaniam, who is a contributor to independent English news site scroll.in, has taken the outrage at a new level.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which has presence in 139 countries, has demanded the administration should immediately act to protect journalists doing their duty, calling the attack on Subramaniam “a blatant attempt to stifle press freedom and intimidate the media.”
It recalled, earlier, the IFJ called for the release of two Chhattisgarh journalists, Santosh Yadav and Somaru Nag, arrested on “charges of aiding Maoists and remain in the jail without charge sheets”.
The incident relates to a group of 20 people gathering in front Subramniam’s residence, shouting abusive slogans, including ‘death to Malini Subramaniam’, as well as pelting rocks at her home, which shattered her car windows. “The mob tried to encourage her neighbours to attack her, claiming she was a Maoist supporter”, the IFJ said.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said that the attack on Subramaniam faced the attacked for her reports on human rights abuses and the conflict between Maoist groups and the state in Chhattisgarh.
“Reporting from the region poses serious challenges”, says CPJ, adding, its research suggests that “police often pressure, harass, or abuse journalists in an effort to silence critical reporting or to compel them to serve as informants.”
The Dublin-based human rights organization, Front Line Defenders has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying how on February 8, 2016, Subramaniam “spent several hours at one of the local police stations in Bastar district in an attempt to file a complaint for the attack on her home.”
The letter says, chief police officer of Jagdalpur city Deepmala Kashyap refused to accept the FIR as he “claimed that no FIR could be filed without approval of the district chief police officer, who was not in his office on that day. As there was no officially approved FIR, the police took no action to investigate the case.”
It adds, “Police have also interrogated the human rights defender on many occasions, both at her home and at police stations. Scroll.in has tried to take these instances of intimidation of Subramaniam to the attention of the Chhattisgarh chief Minister, but he has never provided a formal response and only threatened the human rights defender.”
The letter insists, “The harassment of Malini Subramaniam is part of a larger crackdown on activists, lawyers and journalists standing up against abuses committed by police in the Bastar district.”
Referring to the attack on Subramaniam, Amnesty International, similarly, said, “Journalists and human rights defenders in Bastar have been at the receiving end of human rights abuses by both security forces and Maoist armed groups in connection with their work”, recalling how “Local journalists Santosh Yadav and Somaru Nag have been in judicial custody since July and September 2015.” It adds, these journalists have “faced repeated police harassment in the past, is suspected of rioting, criminal conspiracy, and attempted murder, as well as associating with a terrorist organization.”

Comments

TRENDING

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Religious divide 'kept alive' with low intensity communalism in Gujarat's cultural capital

By Rajiv Shah  A fact-finding report, prepared by the Mumbai-based non-profit, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), has cited the Vadodara Ram Navami violence of March 30 as yet another example of how, after the BJP consolidating its hold on political power in Gujarat post-2002 riots and at the Centre in 2014, the nature of communal riots has changed, underlining, as opposed to high-intensity violence earlier, now riots have become “more sub-radar and at a smaller scale, more localized”.

Urgency for next pandemic? But Mr Health Secretary, you're barking up wrong tree

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  The Union Health Secretary, Mr Rajesh Bhushan addressing the Health Working Group of G20 India, at Hyderabad on 05 June 2023, cautioned that the next pandemic would not wait for us to make global treaties and called on countries to work together.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Why continued obsession with adding more 'water guzzling' coal, nuclear power plants?

By Shankar Sharma*  The true concerns over water inefficiency in coal power plants have been known and have been highlighted many times in the past. A highly relevant study report by Prayas Energy Group had highlighted this fast looming threat to our society many years ago. But our authorities have been acting as though there can be no issue with water supply, and that additional coal power plants can be added indefinitely; even without any true relevance to climate change.

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.

Caste, impact on Ayodhya area 'halting' BJP rulers to act against Brij Bhushan Singh

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Finally, the #WrestlersProtest has got international attention. The United World Wrestling (UWW),  condemning the treatment and detention of wrestlers and expressing its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations against Brij Bhushan Singh, accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers, has urged the "relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation."

76% Odisha govt school infrastructure in dilapidated state, 'undermine' RTE norms

By Our Representative  As many as 75.86% (5,421) elementary schools in Odisha do not possess a playground, depriving students of physical activity opportunities. Also, 75.68% (5,408) of schools require minor or major repairing, undermining the norms and standards stipulated in the Right to Education (RTE) Act.