Feminist group condemns attack on journalist Sneha Barwe, demands immediate arrest, judicial inquiry

By A Representative 

The All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) – a collective under the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) – has strongly condemned the brutal assault on journalist Sneha Barwe and called for the immediate arrest of the prime accused. In a statement issued on July 18, 2025, the alliance expressed solidarity with Ms. Barwe and demanded a time-bound judicial or magisterial inquiry into the incident, while holding the state accountable for the increasing attacks on grassroots journalists across India.

Ms. Barwe, a reporter with Lokshahi Varta, was attacked on July 4 in Manchar village near Pune while reporting on alleged illegal construction along the Ghod River. She was assaulted with a wooden stick, resulting in serious injuries that required hospitalization. The assault, captured on video, drew widespread outrage. The main accused, Pandurang Morade, remains absconding despite the visual evidence and previous complaints against him, including a reported 2019 sexual assault case.

According to ALIFA, the attack on Ms. Barwe is not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern of threats and intimidation she has faced as a woman journalist covering land and governance issues in rural Maharashtra. The alliance highlighted that such harassment is part of a broader national trend of increasing violence against grassroots journalists, particularly women, Dalit, and minority reporters working in vernacular media.

Citing reports by the Press Council of India, Free Speech Collective, and Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), ALIFA pointed to a disturbing rise in threats from both state and non-state actors. India’s ranking in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, at 151, further reflects this deteriorating situation.

ALIFA emphasized that Ms. Barwe’s right to safety and dignity is protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, and her freedom as a journalist is upheld under Article 19(1)(a). These constitutional guarantees impose a duty on the state to protect journalists from violence and ensure accountability, particularly for those from marginalized communities.

The group also cited several landmark Supreme Court judgments—including Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras (1950), Indian Express Newspapers v. Union of India (1985), and Rajat Prasad v. CBI (2014)—which affirm the role of the press in upholding democratic accountability. ALIFA warned that the attack on Ms. Barwe must be viewed not just as an assault on an individual, but as an attack on democratic institutions and constitutional values.

The alliance reminded the government of its international obligations under instruments like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and UN General Assembly Resolution 68/163, which call for protection of journalists, especially women, and accountability for crimes committed against them.

ALIFA has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of Pandurang Morade under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, an independent inquiry into the incident and earlier threats, full state-supported legal and medical assistance to Ms. Barwe, and disciplinary action against police officials who failed to act on previous complaints.