Outlook's Journalist Shahina K.K. gets CPJ International Press Freedom Award for 2023
New Delhi: Outlook magazine's senior editor, Shahina K.K., has been announced as one of the winners of the prestigious Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) International Press Freedom Award for 2023. The award recognizes Shahina's courageous journalism and her relentless efforts to shed light on critical issues such as gender, human rights, and marginalized communities in India. She will be among four journalists from different countries to receive this honor. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 16, 2023, in New York City.
Describing Shahina's exceptional career, the CPJ commended her extensive work in both print and broadcast media, where she fearlessly reported on the challenges faced by oppressed communities and highlighted their struggles for justice. Notably, Shahina was among the first journalists in India to face charges under a draconian anti-terror law that has been heavily used against journalists for more than a decade. Despite awaiting trial for a case initiated in 2010, when local government officials sought to criminalize her reporting on a controversial police investigation, Shahina continues to pursue her journalistic endeavors. As of June 2023, she is out on bail awaiting trial, which, if convicted, could result in a maximum prison sentence of three years and a fine. Throughout her career, Shahina, who is a Muslim, has also faced harassment from right-wing groups in India aiming to suppress her reporting on religious minorities and vulnerable caste groups.
Shahina's contributions to Outlook magazine have covered a wide range of subjects, including gender equality, human rights, and the plight of marginalized communities. Her noteworthy article titled "Gender Journey" examined a feminist perspective on the Uniform Civil Code and its historical engagement with the idea of UCC. Additionally, her piece titled "Taking the Bull by Its Horns" delved into the emergence of the queer community in the realm of sports, highlighting their resilience in the face of structural discrimination.
Expressing her gratitude for the recognition, Shahina reflected on a particular investigative story she pursued in 2010 for Tehelka, where she exposed a fabricated charge sheet against Abdul Nasar Madani, a Malayali Muslim cleric accused in the 2008 Bangalore bomb blast case. Shahina's interviews with three witnesses revealed that their statements had been manipulated and falsified. However, upon returning to Kerala, she discovered an FIR had been filed against her, accusing her of intimidating the witnesses. The legal proceedings against her have persisted for over a decade. In her acceptance speech, Shahina dedicated the award to all journalists who face violence, threats, and false charges in the line of duty.
In addition to Shahina K.K., three other remarkable individuals were recognized with the CPJ International Press Freedom Award for 2023. These include Nika Gvamaria from Georgia, the founder of Georgian broadcaster Mtavari Arkhi; Maria Teresa Montaño from Mexico, the founder and editor of The Observer; and Ferdinand Ayité from Togo, the director of investigative outlet L'Alternative.
Furthermore, the CPJ honored Alberto Ibargüen, the outgoing president of the Knight Foundation, with the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award for 2023. This award acknowledges Ibargüen's extraordinary and sustained contributions to the cause of press freedom.
Established in 1991, the Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, non-governmental organization based in New York City. It focuses on recognizing individuals who have displayed exceptional courage in their journalism, particularly in countries where press freedom violations are severe. The CPJ International Press Freedom Awards are presented annually to honor journalists and publications that have demonstrated remarkable commitment to defending press freedom despite facing attacks, threats, or imprisonment.
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Canadian report finds 'no definitive link' between Nijjar killing and India
Ottawa, Jan 29 (PTI): A Canada commission report has said that "no definitive link" with a "foreign state" in the killing of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was "proven", smashing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations that accused the involvement of Indian agents in the killing.
In September 2023, Trudeau said Canada had credible evidence that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023.
The report titled "Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions' was released on Tuesday.
In the report commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue said "Disinformation is used as a retaliatory tactic to punish decisions that run contrary to a state's interests."
The report has suggested India spread disinformation on the killing of Nijjar.
"This may have been the case with a disinformation campaign that followed the Prime Minister's announcement regarding suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (though again no definitive link to a foreign state could be proven)," the report said.
Nijjar was gunned down in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
The 123-page report also talked of expelling six Indian diplomats.
"In October 2024, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials in reaction to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India," it said.
However, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of its high commissioner.
The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
New Delhi had rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd".
India has repeatedly criticised Trudeau's government for being soft on supporters of the Khalistan movement who live in Canada. The Khalistan movement is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
On Tuesday, India strongly rejected "insinuations" made against it in the report by a Canadian commission that investigated allegations that certain foreign governments were meddling in Canada's elections.
In a strong reaction, the MEA in New Delhi said it rejects the report's "insinuations" on India.
It is in fact Canada which has been "consistently interfering" in India's internal affairs, it said.
