Human Rights Defenders Data Information Knowledge Solidarity

HC nod to hold seminar on ‘fascism’ after Delhi Police deny permission  https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/hc-nod-to-hold-seminar-on-fascism-after-delhi-police-deny-permission/ The plea sought for quashing of a March 9 order issued by SHO police station IP Estate "unilaterally denying the permission to the Petitioners for organizing a private Programme which is a National Seminar to be conducted through a platform called ‘Bharat Bachao’ mere 36 hours (2 days) before the event".

Keeping in view the “apprehension of mishappening” in the mind of the authorities the HC directed, that the petitioners will compile a list of invitees to the two day seminar along with details of their residence, identity cards and submit the same to SHO IP Estate by 9pm Friday.

Comment: Seeking police permission for indoor, by invitation hall meetings is a bad precedent. It diminishes private space and the freedom of association.

Delhi High Court Allows Holding Of Seminar On Fascism, Asks Organizers To Give Invitees’ Details To Police Nupur Thapliyal 11 Mar 2023 https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/delhi-high-court-holding-bharat-bachao-seminar-fascism-parties-peaceful-atmosphere-223506 The counsel appearing for the Delhi police submitted that the anxiety of the police authorities would be satisfied if certain information is provided

Seminar on Fascism: The World's Experience and its Indian Characteristics  https://mlupdate.cpiml.net/2023/01/25/seminar-on-fascism-the-worlds-experience-and-its-indian-characteristics  Com Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of CPIML The general public votes for basic needs like employment, housing, education and health, but the Sangh-BJP are instead misusing the power to push their corporate-oriented communal agenda. Today, communal hate mongers, murderers, rioters and corrupt people who embezzle trillions of government money are roaming free, but the social and political activists who raise their voice and struggle for the rights of Dalits, labourers, youth, adivasis and minorities are becoming victims of state persecution, lies and fake propaganda.

:The Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall Committee today organised a seminar on growing jingoistic nationalism that has been causing adverse affects to the aura of bonhomie in the country https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/jalandhar/seminar-on-growing-fascism-held-214490 Dr Apurvanand, Head of Hindi Department, Delhi University, said, "The rights of people, including freedom of religion, freedom of speech and expression, and democratic values are being suppressed terribly by the jingoistic nationalism in the country. The students are being charged with the sedition cases and basic rights of the people are being oppressed by the fascist ideologue."

BBC के बाद NEW YORK TIMES का मोदी पर धमाका, Anurag Thankur Vs NYT Controversy on Kashmir Reporting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DusME3-O8s0

Modi’s Final Assault on India’s Press Freedom Has Begun  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/08/opinion/india-kashmir-modi-media-censorship.html March 8, 2023 By Anuradha Bhasin Since he took power in 2014, Mr. Modi has systematically debased India’s democratic ideals, bending courts and other government machinery to his will.

The media stands as one of the last remaining institutions capable of preventing India’s descent into authoritarianism. But if Mr. Modi succeeds in introducing the Kashmir model of information control to the rest of the country, it won’t be just press freedom that is at risk, but Indian democracy itself.

References in this article: ‘Vendetta’: Kashmir newspaper’s office sealed by India officials https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2020/10/20/vendetta-kashmir-newspapers-office-sealed-by-india-officials ‘

Snoop List Has 40 Indian Journalists, Forensic Tests Confirm Presence of Pegasus Spyware on Some  https://thewire.in/media/pegasus-project-spyware-indian-journalists

India has highest number of journalists murdered for their work: CPJ report  https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/101221/india-has-highest-number-of-journalists-murdered-for-their-work-cpj-r.html

Under Modi, India’s Press Is Not So Free Anymore   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/world/asia/modi-india-press-media.html India’s government has pressured advertisers

How the Centre’s planned IT rule changes will empower it to censor unfavourable news https://scroll.in/article/1042179/how-the-centres-planned-it-rule-changes-will-empower-it-to-censor-unfavourable-news draft rules that would require intermediaries such as Twitter and Facebook to remove any post that is tagged as “fake news” by the Union government’s information dissemination wing, the Press Information Bureau.  The proposed changes “seem to give the government a carte blanche to determine what is fake or not with determination to its own work”, the Editors Guild of India said 

The Jammu and Kashmir government has given itself unbridled powers to take action against journalists and media houses over “fake reports,” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/world/asia/india-pakistan-kashmir-jammu.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/world/asia/kashmir-internet-shutdown-india.html

Panopticon of fear and rumours: Inside Kashmir’s media centre during lockdown  https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/02/05/a-panopticon-of-fear-and-rumours-inside-kashmirs-media-centre-during-lockdown  The only place to go online during the valley’s communications blackout, the government’s media centre was where journalists and their journalism were cut down to size.
ByRayan Naqash05 Feb, 2020

https://lawbeat.in/amp/top-stories/top-court-issues-notice-plea-filed-against-orders-restricting-internet-speed-2g-jammu-kashmir The plea filed by Private Schools Association J&K,says "given the grave impact that internet slowdowns have on the future of students and other ordinary citizens in the region, terrorism cannot become a ground to indefinitely restrict the internet especially without a formal state of emergency being declared, and without considering the suitability and necessity of existing internet restrictions when compared to less restrictive alternatives."

Jammu and Kashmir Media Policy 2020: A Veil Covering Freedoms  https://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/jammu-and-kashmir-media-policy-2020-a-veil-covering-freedoms/  The policy states that – “DIPR shall examine the content of the print, electronic and other forms of media for fake news, plagiarism and unethical or anti-national activities. Any individual or group indulging in fake news, unethical or anti-national activities or in plagiarism shall be deempanelled besides being proceeded against under law.” 

‘Remnant of Colonial-Era Censorship': J&K Parties Decry New Media Policy https://thewire.in/media/jks-new-media-policy-threatens-legal-action-against-fake-news-stopping-of-govt-ads The Jammu and Kashmir government has given itself unbridled powers to take action against journalists and media houses over “fake reports,”

Crackdown on Journalists Is the New Normal in Kashmir  https://thewire.in/media/summoned-raided-censored-crackdown-on-journalists-is-the-new-normal-in-kashmir
In two years, more than 40 journalists in Kashmir have either been called for a background check, summoned or raided; they are being forced to present themselves to explain their stories, social media conduct and other societal behaviour. 

https://freepresskashmir.news/2023/02/04/kashmiri-journalist-fahad-shah-completes-one-year-in-jail/ three journalists from Kashmir Fahad Shah, Asif Sultan and Sajad Gul are among five journalists of India who are currently facing detention under various sections of the law, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on December 8, 2022.Journalists, Siddique Kappan of Kerala and Manan Dar of Kashmir, who were also mentioned in CPJ report, were released on bail recently

https://cpj.org/2022/01/two-journalists-detained-in-jammu-and-kashmir-chhattisgarh/

https://institute.aljazeera.net/en/ajr/article/1974

https://cpj.org/2022/09/an-open-air-prison-kashmiri-journalists-on-how-travel-bans-undermine-press-freedom/

https://www.news18.com/news/india/shujaat-bukhari-latest-addition-to-long-list-of-journalists-killed-brutally-in-jammu-kashmir-1779089.html

https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/bhasin-v-union-of-india/

https://countercurrents.org/2020/10/kashmir-times-office-sealed-in-srinagar/

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/02/india-demolitions-in-kashmir-must-be-immediately-halted-and-those-affected-compensated/

https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/front-page/state-land-worth-rs-24058-cr-retrieved-srinagar-admin-takes-down-influential-who-grabbed-state-land-with-bulldozer-stroke

https://www.meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Revised-IT-Rules-2021-proposed-amended.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/world/asia/india-bbc-tax-raid.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/24/world/asia/india-democracy.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/modi-is-abusing-govt-machinery/articleshow/56881176.cms

 FIR against Neha Rathore, questions asked to PM modi on Pahalgam Terrorist Attack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhEog2P7lE8
The Public India Bhojpuri folk singer Neha Singh Rathore faces an FIR in Lucknow for her social media posts questioning PM Narendra Modi and the government's handling of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives. Her video, alleging security failures and political exploitation of the tragedy ahead of Bihar elections, went viral, even being shared on Pakistani platforms, leading to accusations of anti-national remarks. Join us as we dive into the controversy, exploring the debate around freedom of expression versus national responsibility. What are your thoughts?