When democracy becomes increasingly autocratic, the first victim will be the media. If the media is silenced, the autocracy will have no challenge. In the absence of the media, the suppressive ways of the autocracy will never be known properly to the people. An autocratic government chooses two ways to suppress or shut the media. First it buys it. If that is not possible, then destroys it. The media at present is largely bought over by the powers-that-be. As a result, however worse the administration is, the media does not present this to the people and its role is limited to praising the government. One way of silencing the media is to threaten or attack it through goondas and another way is to use existing laws to harass journalists and silence them. The recent statement by the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM), India’s respected civil rights organization, expressing concern over the increasing attacks on media houses and journalists across India has revealed that along with the media, even democracy is in danger.
The UPA government was also not far behind in misusing laws to silence journalists. Under Narendra Modi now, it has assumed dangerous proportions. In 2020, the country witnessed a 20 per cent increase in arrests of journalists and attacks on media houses. It is also notable that a large number of such cases are reported in states where BJP is in power. Journalists who are honest and those who abide by the principles of their profession are facing threats and violence. Between 2014 and 2019, more than 200 journalists faced physical assaults and several have even died. Even as the anti-CAA movement and farmer protests expanded throughout the country, the restrictions imposed against journalists have started increasing. Journalists who are reporting about the farmer protests are being directly attacked in the recent days. An example of this is the raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on the office of online news portal, NewsClick, that has been consistently reporting about the farmers’ protests. NewsClick’s Chief Editor Prabir Purakhayastha and writer Geeta Hariharan were practically kept under house arrest by the officials of the Enforcement Directorate.
Freelance journalist Mandeep Punia who was reporting about the farmer protests at New Delhi borders from the first day was dragged inhumanly and taken into custody. Five FIRs have been filed against famous journalists Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pande, Zafar Agaa, Caravan Magazine Founder Paresh Nath, Editor Ananth Nath, and Executive Editor Vinod K Jose along with other journalists. A non-bailable warrant was issued against senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurtha for a news story published in The Wire against Corporate giant Adani against which Adani filed a defamation case. Later, the Gujarat High Court not only cancelled the warrant but also directed Thakurtha to appear before a lower court.
In January, the provisions of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) were invoked against journalists Dhiren Sadokpam, Paojel Chaoba, and M Joy Luwang for an article published in a newspaper in Manipur. In the last few years, it has become quite common to invoke the provisions of the UAPA against journalists who question and oppose the controversial decisions of the government. In the case of Kerala journalist Siddiqui Kappan who was imprisoned, the Uttar Pradesh government threw all Constitutional norms to the wind. The Uttar Pradesh police filed charges in an unconstitutional manner, invoked provisions of the UAPA, and arrested Kappan who was travelling to report the incident of rape and murder of a Dalit girl in Hathras. Kappan who was jailed on October 20, 2020 had to remain in prison until he was granted a temporary bail on February 15th, 2021.
Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and expression to citizens enabling the print and electronic media to function. This is one of the basic tenets of democracy. But the Union and state governments are employing barbaric laws to control information and news. Such a fascist attitude is against the values that the Indian Constitution upholds. Journalists are not safe where democracy is in danger. The increasing attacks on journalists is an indication of democracy being in danger. For journalists, it is like a replay of the dark days of emergency.
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Jaipur, Mar 28: Young Riyan Parag showed why he is considered a precocious talent as he struck a stunning 84 not out off 45 balls to set up a 12-run win for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in their IPL match here on Thursday.
Sent in to bat, RR were reduced to 36 for 3 in the eighth over but the 22-year-old Parag single-handedly took the home side to 185 for 5 with a magnificent unbeaten knock studded with seven fours and six sixes.
Parag, who was promoted to number 4 by the team management this season and made 43 in the previous match, took 25 runs off veteran South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score.
Chasing 186 for a win, DC could only manage 173 for 5 in 20 overs though South African youngster Tristan Stubbs (44 not out off 23 balls) kept them in the hunt till the final over from which they needed 17 runs.
Avesh Khan conceded just four runs to help RR win their second consecutive match.
South African pacer Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece to also contribute in the RR win.
"Definitely disappointed. The best thing to do from here is to learn from it. The bowlers did well through the 15-16 overs. But the batters did well at the death, hopefully we do better in the next game," DC skipper Rishabh Pant said.
DC were reduced to 34 for 2 in the fourth over with Burger taking two wickets in three balls in a fine display of fast bowling.
Burger, who was brought in as Impact Sub for Shimron Hetmyer, dismissed opener Mitchell Marsh (23 off 12 balls) and Ricky Bhui (0) in the fourth over.
DC captain Rishabh Pant came out to bat at the fall of Bhui's wicket and along with senior batter David Warner built the innings without taking too much risk. Delhi were 89 for 2 at the halfway stage.
Warner was the more aggressive one as he got the boundaries to keep DC in the hunt. The senior Australian batter fell one run short of his fifty courtesy a brilliant diving catch by Sandeep Sharma off the bowling of Avesh in the 12th over.
Warner and Pant were involved in a crucial 67-run partnership for the third wicket.
Playing in his 100th IPL match and 14 months after a horrible car crash, Pant tried to build the innings with occasional boundaries. But he got out for a 26-ball 28 as Chahal induced a faint lower edge for Sanju Samson to do the rest behind the stumps in the 14th over.
The asking rate shot up to more than 13 runs an over and DC needed 66 from the last five overs.
Stubbs kept DC in the game with two consecutive sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin in the 17th over, but in the end the Delhi side were short by 12 runs.
They needed 34 runs from the final two overs which they could not get. It was DC's second consecutive loss.
Earlier, Parag shared 54 and 52 runs respectively with Ravichandran Ashwin (29) and Dhruv Jurel (20) after RR made a shaky start.
Royals captain Samson struck three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over bowled by pacer Mukesh Kumar before nicking a Khaleel Ahmed delivery two overs later to Pant to get out for 15.
RR were 30 for 2 by then as Mukesh had given DC their first breakthrough with the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal (5).
The Royals were in more trouble after wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav literally forced his captain Pant to take a review, which later proved to be successful, to dismiss Englishman Jos Buttler for an LBW decision.
Ashwin came out to bat at number five and he lofted a Kuldeep delivery for a six to help RR reach 58 for 3 at halfway stage. He gave Nortje even a harsher treatment with two sixes in the next over that yielded 15 runs.
Ashwin, however, holed out to Tristan Stubbs near the boundary ropes for a 19-ball 29.
Parag then made his presence felt, striking two boundaries and a six off Ahmed to take RR past 100 in the 15th over.