Democratic Institutions

The misuse of draconian laws for political gain https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2024/May/26/the-misuse-of-draconian-laws-for-political-gain  Kapil Sibal 27 May 2024,  

The PMLA is perhaps the most draconian law in the history of India. Preventive detention laws, which were often used at one time, still provided for procedural safeguards that are absent in this legislation. 

monies generated from the predicate offence are proceeds of crime and using those proceeds by projecting them as untainted money is ‘money laundering’.  By virtue of the explanation added to the definition of money laundering through the Finance Act, 2019, it in effect alters the meaning of money laundering.  .The added explanation obliterates the distinction between proceeds of crime and money laundering. Therefore, under the law as it stands today, the proceeds of crime and money laundering allow the ED to enter any state to investigate the offence... Even though the predicate offence has not resulted in a chargesheet and is at the initial stage of investigation, the ED merrily starts arresting persons. Once arrested, it is impossible for the accused to secure bail because of the stringent legal provisions wherein the court has to come to the conclusion that the accused is not guilty of the offence.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged political parties in India to commit to press freedom and suggested concrete measures that aim to “defend the right to reliable news and information and protect journalists”. https://thewire.in/culture/rsf-urges-political-parties-to-commit-to-press-freedom-suggests-10-concrete-steps 

“It is unacceptable that the country portrayed as the world’s biggest democracy now lacks so many of the safeguards needed to sustain a free and diverse press. It is unacceptable that Indian journalists and foreign reporters are subjected to so much obstruction in their day-to-day work,”Célia Mercier, head of RSF’s South Asia Desk said.

Notably, India is now ranked as low as 161 out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2023 World Press Freedom Index. Since 2014, at least 28 journalists have been killed and nine are currently imprisoned, as per RSF. 

15/04/2024

As unfortunate as it is, India is a founding and permanent member, it appears, of this cloud of shame where journalists get killed in connection with their work and no final justice is rendered.

https://thewire.in/media/m20-india-press-freedom-g20-impunity-it-cell 

The most shocking thing in recent times was the takeover of an independent news channel in English called NDTV taken over by Gautam Adani’s Adani Group and the whole thing has changed. There are a couple of channels which are notorious for playing a propaganda role. They really do hit jobs, you know. They play along with disinformation on social media and do hit jobs on those who are independent and speak out.

The Committee to Protect Journalists justifiably called India one of the most “dangerous” places for journalists to work. Journalists are being arrested on the laws relating to terrorism – the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and also the state Acts, which are draconian – in a targeted way. But it’s the fate of the Editors Guild of India, which in recent months has issued a number of statements raising concerns.

N. Ram

08/09/2023

चैनल मालिकों को PMO से धमकी? दावे से हड़कंप https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvL3n7i4yYs   Sep 18, 2022 चैनल मालिकों को PMO से धमकी? दावे से हड़कंप

Under Modi, India’s Press Is Not So Free Anymore   April 2, 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/world/asia/modi-india-press-media.html  By Vindu Goel and Jeffrey Gettleman

India’s government has pressured advertisers and even shut down channels to shape the information that 1.3 billion Indians receive. It’s part of a wider assault on dissent.

Through an aide, India’s information and broadcasting minister, Prakash Javadekar, initially agreed to discuss the government’s media policies. But in the two weeks since then, Mr. Javadekar has declined to answer any questions, including a written list emailed to him. His aide cited the demands of the coronavirus crisis.

India’s media universe is vast, perhaps the biggest in the world: More than 17,000 newspapers, 100,000 magazines, 178 television news channels and countless websites in dozens of languages. Thousands of Facebook pages call themselves news publishers, and YouTube is filled with local bulletins on everything from real estate trends to police raids.

But Mr. Modi’s ministers have leaned on business leaders to cut off support to independent media, slowly strangling their operations. His government has pressured media owners to fire journalists who have criticized the prime minister and told them to stop running features like hate-crime trackers that have embarrassed Mr. Modi’s party.

Mr. Modi is backed up by an army of online allies who discredit and harass independent journalists; female journalists, in particular. And for the most part, Indian news outlets have knuckled under, concluding that since much of the public supports the prime minister, they should, too. Even skeptical journalists censor themselves, afraid to be branded anti-national by a government that equates patriotism with support for Mr. Modi.