Freedom of the Press Is Dying in India
It’s now worse than Palestine and Comparable to Russia
Their hands continue to be stained by the blood of every innocent person who refuses to sell their soul, who refuses to be a criminal. Fresh blood. Every. Time.
This blog will narrate the sad tale of the injustices faced by journalist Raghav Tiwari. It will provide facts for you to evaluate how free India’s press really is and also tell you what you can do about it.
What Really Happened?
Raghav Tiwari, with cameraperson Sandeep Sahni from Molitics, was present at Amit Shah’s rally in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, when he was indefensibly abused for doing his work as an honest journalist.
Raghav was lightheartedly interviewing a group of women from the crowd, one of whom claimed they were waiting for “Pradhan ji,” who had promised them a hundred rupees each to attend the rally.
Later in the rally, Raghav saw a couple of BJP officials and approached them to discuss the claim that people were being promised money to attend the rally. When he asked the officials about this, they replied that those were all false claims. Raghav then mentioned that he had a clip as evidence. He was asked to wait, and moments later, Raghav Tiwari was grabbed by the collar and pushed back, only to find himself surrounded by a group of men pressuring him to delete the clip and leave.
The journalist politely refused and offered to show them the clip or send it via WhatsApp. After this, Raghav Tiwari was attacked by a group of men, irrationally blinded by hate and rage, who assumed he was Muslim, calling him ‘Mulla’ and ‘Deshdrohi’. Some also yelled that he was a terrorist who had come to disturb the rally.
“clip dedo, aur yaha se chale jao”
“Sir mein clip toh nahi doonga, agar aapko lagta hai mein jhoot bol raha hoon toh aaiye ham tasalli se aapko clip dikhadate hai.. mein aapko whatsaap kar doonga”
“isko pakad lo!”
While beating him up, they dragged him to a corner where other journalists from various channels were present. Raghav Tiwari states that, along with the journalists, there were at least fifty to sixty policemen present. Raghav begged the police for help, grabbed the hand of an ANI journalist, and requested assistance from an Aaj Tak journalist, but he was denied help from everyone. As Raghav claims, they punched him almost two hundred times and, as they reached the end of Amit Shah’s speech, they locked him in a waiting room. He felt gravely suffocated and, as soon as he got out, he fainted, only to wake up in a hospital.
Really, how free is India’s press?
In 2023, Reporters Without Borders ranked India’s press freedom at 161, with Pakistan and Afghanistan securing ranks 150 and 152, respectively in its World Press Freedom Index. In 2024, India’s press freedom ranks 159, and if you think that’s an improvement, the facts mentioned below are for you.
“According to the index, press freedom in India is currently comparable to that of the occupied Palestinian territories; the UAE, an absolute monarchy; Turkey, a flawed democracy; and Russia, an authoritarian regime.”
How to Save the World
Gauri Lankesh — I was just nine when she was assassinated and remained clueless about her death because my parents watched the long-sold media that didn’t think her demise was crucial enough. On September 5, 2017, the extraordinarily bold journalist and activist was assassinated by three men who fired seven bullets at her for expressing her honest opinions and writing against the RSS.
Six years, eight months, and eight days later, not much has changed.
Stop, this very instant. Don’t let Raghav’s work go to waste. Gauri Lankesh didn’t die for nothing! Begin consuming content (news) only from publicly funded media channels or independent journalists who provide you with reliable resources, detailed investigations, and honest research work. Here are a few of them:
Journalists don’t stop being abused overnight. Political criminals don’t stop intoxicating themselves with power overnight. Change cannot be brought overnight. But their crimes most certainly won’t break us down. Raghav Tiwari’s spirit stands strong even after the attack. “I was here for six days, I’ll stay for seven if that’s what it takes, but I’ll complete my report,” he said.
Gauri Lankesh didn’t hesitate before writing her very last article. Raghav Tiwari didn’t let anything get in the way of his report.
As a fifteen-year-old who can discern right from wrong, I stand for what’s right. I choose to support Raghav Tiwari. I hope you won’t sell your souls, I hope you’ll refuse to be one of them, and I really, really hope you remain as bold and honest as Gauri Lankesh, Raghav Tiwari, and the others till the very end.
Sources:
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