"Journalists under life threat"

"Journalists under life threat"

Representation 

Photo courtesy-Southasianmedianet 

If you are going to cover the reports on sand mafias, corrupted politicians in hinterlands then you are going to take a big risk which can ruin your life. I am not claiming this. The recent cases are saying this.  

We have not forgotten the painful story of Jogendra Singh, who died on 8 June 2015 due to burn injuries in Shahjahanpur, UttarPradesh. He had allegedly been set on fire on 1 June 2015 by some local policemen and goons allegedly under the directions of Uttar Pradesh Minister of Dairy Development, Ram Murti Verma.

Another case of murder has reported in Pilibhit, UP on June 13. Haider Khan, a stringer for a local TV news channel in Pilibhit district, was beaten by a group of men and dragged behind a motorcycle.

According to Times of India Report, Haider Khan told that he was attacked while following up on what he believed was a tip over the phone about an accident. When Khan reached mentioned by the caller, he was surrounded by at least five men who beat him. The journalist said he was hit on the head with a revolver, tied to a motorcycle, and dragged for about 100 meters, according to local reports.

A journalist set on fire in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh after he accused a state minister involving in illegal mining, land seizures and rape cases in his facebook post.

Another journalist also has been set on fire in Madhya Pradesh. According to “Times Of India” report, The deceased Sandeep Kothari, 44 had gone missing from his house in Katangi area of Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh on June 19. His family members had lodged a missing person's complaint with the Katangi police station on June 20.

During investigation police rounded up three youths from the locality on Sunday who allegedly confessed to have murdered him. They said he was set afire, murdered and buried in forest area of Nagpur district in Maharashtra.  

According to report of “Jharkhand State News”, on June 18, photo journalist Manoranjan was attacked and beaten. The incident took place minutes after some youths spread ink on the body and face of the state House Construction Department’s Executive Engineer Pradeep Kumar Singh inside his office near jail Chowk.

“As Manoranjan took photograph of the incident.This prompted the youths to caught him, put him up inside a room and beat him up. His camera was damaged and thrown.

In Mumbai, Journalist Raghvendra Dubey has been killed and his colleagues Santosh Mishra, Shashi Sharma and Anil Nautiyal were assaulted by staffers of the White House bar when they were covering a raid conducted by the police. These journalists were attacked in front of Police officials.  According to DNA report, Police failed to provide protection to Dubey, says one of the victims. 

According to Press Freedom Organization report, India has been ranked 141 in the World Press Freedom Index among 180 countries. The press freedom organisation which said freedom of press is often sacrificed in the name of national security.

When you are covering the reports on Land issues, Sand Mafias, powerful peoples in Hinterlands, you will have to be very careful In UP and Madhya Pradesh. The conditions of freelancer reporters, stringers are very bad in Hinterlands. In terms of financially or family security, the conditions are very poor. In hinterlands, the nexus of Police and Mafias are very strong. The fights of minerals play a vital role in killing of Journalists or officers. The reporting is not simple and it is very risky.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report (2014), Uttar Pradesh accounted for 72 per cent of the total cases relating to attacks on journalists in the country. Bihar comes on 2nd position and Madhya Pradesh on 3rd position. In this report, we must look that almost all the cases were still pending in courts or police are yet to file charge sheets. According to official data, 85 police cases were registered for attacks on journalists across the country this year, with 15 of them resulting in an arrest. Hinterlands are increasingly becoming a less free and dangerous environment for the journalists.

According to “Freedom of the Press 2014”,a survey brought out by Freedom House, a United States-based non-governmental organisation. Also published in the U.S., by the Committee to Protect Journalists, a non-profit organisation is the “2014 Impunity Index”. It compiles the list of countries where journalists’ murders are most likely to go unpunished.  India ranks 13th in the list of countries where journalists are slain and killers go free. It is a big shame for the largest democratic country in the world.

Journalist’s murders are mostly because of these reasons which are mentioned below.    

Police-Mafias Nexus

Minerals Fighting, conflict of Power  

Reporting on Corruption, Politics and political groups  

In a report “safety of Journalists” completed by Press Council of India, PCI has recommended enactment of a law that would make any attack on a journalist a cognizable offence with “stiff and deterrent punishment” .It has also been recommended that the state government pay Rs 10 lakh in case a journalist is killed and Rs 5 lakh in case of grievous injuries. All medical expenses…may be paid by the state government.