Media in Modi’s India

Freedom of the press is dying in Modi’s India rather quickly. The World Press Freedom Index ranks India very low at 142 out of 180 countries. The rank deteriorated consistently from the time Modi became the Prime Minister. The Press Council of India, a state-owned body, accepts that there is unwarranted censorship of the media in the country. There are various types of “intimidation” of journalists and news agencies.

Both human rights and press freedom have crumbled in India faster than in any other country. “Freedom of expression is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace,” The Nobel Peace Prize Committee said while awarding the prize last year to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov “for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia.” The Committee went on to say that these two are “representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.” India has entered the watchlist of international observers of democracy and press freedom.

Several journalists in India have been subjected to various forms of harassment by the government. Many faced intimidation including death and rape threats. Bobby Ghosh, editor of the Hindustan Times had to resign when he opened a portal called the Hate Tracker on the newspaper’s website. Hate Tracker was a database for tracking violent crimes motivated by race, religion and sexual orientation. It should be recalled that Ghosh resigned just after Modi visited the owner of the newspaper.

Journalists like Gauri Lankesh were brutally killed for reporting truths which were supposedly antinational. At least 40 journalists were killed and 200 were attacked between 2014 and 2019, according to a report. The new press accreditation policy ensures that more and more journalists will face serious consequences if they report truths which are unpalatable for the government. If a journalist “acts in manner which is prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement of an offence,” his/her accreditation will be cancelled. The intent is crystal clear. And ominous too.

India Digital News Report from the illustrious Reuters Institute says that the India media is fast losing credibility. According to this report, only 38% of Indians trust news now.

Recently a Malayalam TV channel named Media One was shut down as the government refused to renew its license. Reason: it gave to its viewers accurate reports about the attacks on Muslims in Delhi in 2020. What is bizarre is that the High Court quoted the Rig Veda to justify the government’s action against the channel. Will we have the Vedas as our Constitution soon?

Media's Deadly Dilemmas

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