Humiliations and attacks on journalists by politicians are not new to the world but BJP has crossed all the barriers in just four years of ruling. Prime Minister Narendra Modi coined a term for them, “Bazaru” (people who can be bought). He might have said this due to his own insecurities and self-importance during pre-poll election surveys that painted a very unfavourable picture for the BJP. Since then, the trend of attacking journalists has gone extensive! BJP and its leaders and supporters spare no single journalist for speaking against the government or questioning about the accountability.
A very recent example — a day after Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit tendered an apology to a journalist for patting her cheek during a press conference in Chennai, senior BJP leader S Ve Shekher stirred up a controversy after sharing a Facebook post which makes outrageous and offensive comments against women journalists. He posted a comment that ‘Can’t Be Reporter If Not Sleeping With Bigwigs’. Later on, he deleted the comment. BJP is desperate and in a tearing hurry to come to power in TN. They should understand that TN is a different ball game. People have the right to express their opinion but not in a slanderous way by using cuss words and defaming the other person. We all have to maintain a certain degree of decorum. But who will teach these mannerisms to such hooligans?
In a country that has seen 22 assaults on journalists since the beginning of 2016, female journalists are particularly vulnerable to online harassment, abusive phone calls, and death threats, there are heads of state and governments who publicly refer to journalists in a contemptuous, insulting, defamatory or racist manner, violating the principle of freedom of information and drawing attention to the terrible pressure to which media personnel are often subjected just for doing their job. Over the last 16 months, 54 attacks on journalists in India were reported in the media. The actual number will certainly be bigger because Hansraj Ahir said during a question hour in the Lok Sabha that 142 attacks on journalists took place in 2014-15. The government will take its own time to disclose the figures for 2015-16. Meanwhile, the data reveals a disturbing pattern of impunity. In the 114 incidents of attacks on journalists in 2014, only 32 people were arrested and in relation to the 28 incidents in 2015, 41 people were arrested.
Journalists are increasingly under fire for their reporting. They are killed, attacked and threatened. In 2017 the killing of yet another journalist from Bihar came into news. The harassment is widely condoned: In April 2015, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, General V K Singh made a comment that has since unleashed a thousand trolls. In response to criticism from an Indian TV channel, the former army chief used the word “presstitutes” to describe journalists who were criticising him for an earlier comment. (He had said that making a visit to the embassy of Pakistan was “more exciting” than rescuing Indians from a combat zone in Yemen.) Singh was forced to apologise, but the damage was done: Since then, “presstitute” has become a popular term to insult journalists in India.
Although Singh was referring to the media in general, his comment was nevertheless gendered, and it came in a society where female journalists are particularly susceptible to harassment. ‘Presstitute’ is a horrible term for female journalists. It is a way of debasing a woman and comes from the idea that women can be creative but not powerful in what they do.
Other journalists, like the veteran journalist and TV news anchor Barkha Dutt, have received rape threats as well as death threats. While some women combat their abusers head on — Dutt has consistently said that “trolling is a mind game” and she refuses to let keyboard bullies’ intimidate her — the threat of violence is often enough to muzzle women online.
Indeed, much of the problem comes from right wing, anti-feminist, and pro-Modi groups. Anything that is seen to be going against their creed, including comments about the Prime Minister, brings out the ‘Internet Hindu’ mob in force. It is not surprising that trolling has escalated since the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party won the national elections in 2014. The BJP’s relations with the media have been turbulent at its best. India, always risky for journalists, has suddenly turned more dangerous.
Abusing journalists is almost a national pastime on social media. The tiniest of provocations unleashes the vilest of expletives. One journalist with the Quint news website was subjected to online harassment and even rape and death threats that resulted in her story being pulled off the site. Dhanya Rajendran of TheNewsMinute website was subjected to offensive tweets following a casual comment of hers about a Tamil language movie. #PublicityBeepDhanya received over 30,000 tweets, mostly derogatory.
The increasing number of attacks on journalists and media in India is a serious threat to independent journalism in the country. Indian authorities need to act immediately to ensure the safety of journalists and media, and speedy investigation and prosecution of crimes against journalists to ensure such incidents are not repeated. At the same time, politicians should realise that the Media is the fourth estate of democracy, and one must refrain from abusing and humiliating them.
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