A Call for A Movement From 28th September to 2nd October (SHAHEED NIYOGI DIWAS to GANDHI JAYANTI)

Against the Lackluster Attitude of the Government
In Enacting A Law for the Protection of Journalists

By  MediaVigil

• The demand for enacting a “Legislation for the Protection of Journalists” to bring an effective check on the murders and violent attacks on media persons has been an old one in Chhattisgarh. While the attacks on journalists continue unabated, there is not even a hint of such a Law being legislated by the Government. Last one heard on the issue of Law for the Protection of Journalists in Chhattisgarh was that a Committee had been constituted to review and finalize the Draft Law. Kamal Shukla, a senior journalist, told the Media Vigil on phone that the present Congress Government in the State did not appear to be really serious about the said Law. Truth is that the Committee constituted for this purpose has not even had a single meeting, nor has the Chairman appointed to head this Committee, Justice Aftab Aalam, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, even once visited Chhattisgarh. Kamal Shukla clearly states that: “We have been betrayed”

In this regard, Kamal Shukla wrote on his Face book post on September 8:
Reminding the Government about their promise to enact a Law for the Protection of Journalists, and providing a conducive atmosphere for fearless journalism and ptotection against the continued attacks on media persons, state-wide movement will be launched from 28th September to 2nd October.

Friends,
Struggles for a Law for the protection of journalists will now complete five years. But, it seems to us that we back to square one, and have to restart our struggle for bringing such a Law. We have been cheated. Firstly, the BJP Government betrayed us. At that time, those sitting in the Government now were in Opposition. They had then promised to bring a private bill in this regard. That was not done! Then they promised to enact a Law for the Protection of Journalists in their Election Manifesto! A Committee was constituted to formulate and enact this law, in which a Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Aftab Alam was appointed as Chairman. The situation is so pathetic that he has not visited Chhattisgarh, even once. No meeting has been held. Not draft has been prepared. Everything has been just blown by the wind.
Two intellectual journalist friends have been included as Advisors in the Government, which raised our expectations. But, the truth of the matter is that the DRAFT LAW that was prepared by us was thrown in the dustbin. The Draft Law raised hopes and aspirations of journalists all over the country, but no concrete steps are being taken to consider it. Attacks on journalists have increased more than ever. In spite of the tall promises, fake and fabricated criminal cases against journalists are not being withdrawn.
It now appears that all this VADA KHILAFI by the Government should not be allowed to pass silently without any challenge; we have to reconstruct our struggles as before. Thus, I appeal to all my journalist friends in the State that they must come out of the boundaries of their organisation, association, press club, and give impetus to this movement through united struggles.
On the 28th Anniversary of assassination of Shaheed Comrade Shanker Guha Niyogi on 28th September this year, we must launch a non-cooperation movement and hunger strike. And, at the 150th Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti on 2nd October, 2019, we must assemble at the Budha Talab, Raipur to remind the Government of their promises that within 100 days of the formation of the Congress Government, they would enact a legislation for the protection of journalists. But, even after 250 days, the Government has not moved even its little finger in this direction.

ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS CONTINUE
IN THE CONGRESS RULE
IN CHHATTISGARH
A REPORT BY KAMAL SHUKLA

Attempts are under way to press for the enactment of legislation for the Protection of Journalists. The long-pending demand is being revived through an agitation, so that the Government may introduce the Bill in the Winter Session of the Vidhan Sabha. However, a survey suggests that attacks on media persons continued in the Congress Regime,
in spite of the assurances to the contrary.

In Chhattisgarh alone, after the formation of a separate state in November 2000, more than 200 Media persons have been incarcerated for publishing news/broadcasting news. After the Congress Government came to power in December, 2018, comparatively, 22 media persons have been implicated in false and fabricated criminal cases filed by the police.
6 journalists have been arrested and sent to jails;
3 journalists have been brutally beaten up inside the police stations;
5 other journalists have been brutally attacked by the Mafia/criminal elements and politicians;
2 young journalists have committed suicide on the same day i.e. 17th June, 2018 respectively in Ambikapur and Jagdalpur
After the formation of the State of Chhattisgarh, 6 journalists have been ruthlessly murdered in cold blood. It is sad that none of these murder mysteries have been solved by the police administration, now a single murdered was sent behind the bars. The unverified statistics indicate that due to work related pressures and the fear of repression by police/administration and political mafia, 20 journalists in Chhattisgarh said to have made an attempt to commit suicide. Two young journalists have committed suicide on the same day i.e. 17th June, 2018 respectively in Ambikapur and Jagdalpur. In the year 2018, a young journalist, Saurabh Agrawal from Raigarh District, along with four other journalists in the State had made an attempt to commit suicide due to police harassment and atrocities.
Investigations in the murders of journalists in the state are dumped in the cold storage. Public is awaiting reports of these investigations in the murder of Late Susheel Pathak, who was shot dead on 19th December, 2010; while others are: Late Umesh Raipur, Late Nemichand Jain, Late Sai Reddy, Late Achyutyanand Sahu.
The entire police force in the country nurses a negative attitude towards the journalists. If your news reporting are against politicians, mafia and police, and reflects on the ground reality in the naxalite areas, then you can imagine what the repercussions would be. After all, presently, more than 200 journalists in Chhattisgarh facing false and fabricated criminal cases, have yet to pass through the judicial process, after having already suffered the police atrocities. One of them is Nitin Sinha. His crime or courage was that he filed a news item against a Coal-Mafia Politician. He is now facing four false and fabricated criminal cases, filed one-after-another by the police.
During the past three months, eight journalists have been falsely implicated in the fabricated criminal cases by the police – Yogesh Mishra, Kamal Shukla, Giri Goswami, Vikram Chauhan, Kaushlendra Yadav, Chanchal Singh, Dilip Sharma, Humesh Jaiswal, Akash Mishra. And this has happened during the so-called Congress Government (led by Bhupesh Bhagel) claiming to be sensitive and conscious about the Right to Freedom of Expression, making tall promises about the safety and security of journalists. Their silence in this regard is criminal, and beyond any comprehension of a common man. Atrocities against the journalists in Chhattisgarh are not coming to a halt.
A recent incident that occurred in Ambikapur is worth citing here. Two journalists, Santosh Kashyap and Shrawan Mahant were subjected to severe thrashing by the police, and openly threatened that “if you do much of such journalism, then your journalism would be shoved up your arse”. They were beaten up so badly inside the police station that they had to be hospitalized.
A decision to launch a big movement has been taken for appropriate action on these issues and concerns, and demand for a law for the protection of journalists. The movement will be launched under the banner of PATRAKAAR SURAKSHA SANYUKT SANGHARSH SAMITI- CHHATTISGARH starting on 28th September (SHAHEED NIYOGI’s MARTYRDOM DAY) till 2nd October (Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th Birth Anniversary). It will be held at the capital city of Raipur.

It may be recalled that on the third day after taking oath as the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel had made a public declaration that his government would enact legislation for the protection of journalists, which will be first of its kind in India. Congress had also prominently promised to enact such a law in its Manifesto, ironically called the PEOPLE’S MANIFESTO.  Thereafter, a new discourse on the issue was initiated in the country, and a ray of hope had kindled among the journalists.  

Chhattisgarh’s plan for journalist safety law could be template for all India,
writes ⁦@kunalmajumder⁩ https://t.co/ux9ltUBURD
It may be worth noting here that in the context of attacks on journalists all over the country, a national level committee has been formed: COMMITTEE AGAINST ATROCITIES ON JOURNALISTS (CAAJ). It had organized a two-day national convention on September 22-23, 2018 at New Delhi. This Convention has unanimously demanded the need for enacting a law for the protection of journalists. One year has almost lapsed since the Convention organized by CAAJ at Delhi. And during this last one year, journalists, social activists, academics and writers etc., have continued to be subjected to violent attacks and harassment. Journalists have been arrested and murdered from Chhattisgarh to North-East and Kerala. People have been arrested from UP to Maharashtra for Social Media Posts. Troll of such people continues unabated. After the removal of Article 370, how the media has been throttled in Kashmir is a burning example. Violation of the Right to Freedom of Expression and attacks on media are systematically carried out all over the country.