[News] International uproar following mass raids and arrest of Indian journalists

[Anti-Imperialist News]

peoplesdispatch.org
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/10/04/international-uproar-following-mass-raids-and-arrest-of-indian-journalists/>
International uproar following mass raids and arrest of Indian journalists
Peoples Dispatch - October 4, 2023
------------------------------

Protests in New Delhi and New York City decrying the raid and detention of
journalists in India.

In the hours following the raids
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/10/03/50-detained-over-100-homes-raided-in-sweeping-crackdown-on-press-freedom-in-india/>
of over 100 journalists affiliated with Indian leftist outlet *Newsclick*,
international outlet *Peoples Dispatch*, and Tricontinental Research
Services, and the detention of around 50, leading academics and journalists
from across the world have expressed solidarity and outrage.

The coordinated repressive action was carried out as part of an
investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, a draconian
law which has been widely criticized by human rights organizations in India
and internationally as it undermines civil liberties and rights. *Newsclick
*editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and administrator Amit Chakraborty were
arrested during the raid under the draconian anti-terror law and remain in
police custody.

On October 3, after news broke about the raids, the Press Club of India held
an emergency meeting
<https://x.com/PCITweets/status/1709165740966953340?s=20> in New Delhi,
wherein journalists and media activists resolved to continue fighting for
media freedom in India.

On October 4, journalists and writers, including novelist Arundhati Roy, staged
a protest <https://x.com/cpimlliberation/status/1709533498430873784?s=20>
at the Press Club of India, while hundreds of young activists gathered at
Jantar Mantar area in Delhi to reject the attacks on press freedom.

Several journalist bodies, students’, youth and civil society organisations
held protests at Press Club of India and Jantar Mantar on October 4th
against recent witch hunt of employees of #NewsClick
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewsClick?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>, and
especially the arrest of #PrabirPurkayastha
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrabirPurkayastha?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
and #AmitChakravarty
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmitChakravarty?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/Qjtd7OHzwt <https://t.co/Qjtd7OHzwt>

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) October 4, 2023
<https://twitter.com/cpimspeak/status/1709585336773546074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

Roy spoke to the BBC, denouncing the charges against the journalists under
the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. “They have confiscated the
phones, the computers, they have charged them under this anti-terrorism
act, collapsing the difference between terrorists and journalists,” she
said.

Media persons turned up in large number at the Press Club of India to
protest against multiple raids on a number of journalists associated with
#Newsclick
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/Newsclick?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
#FreeThePress
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeThePress?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>
pic.twitter.com/8KFrTB8tYO <https://t.co/8KFrTB8tYO>

— Press Club of India (@PCITweets) October 4, 2023
<https://twitter.com/PCITweets/status/1709545093953450208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

#NewsClick
<https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewsClick?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> Delhi
citizens came out in hundreds to mark the protest against attack on freedom
of press and expression. While Jantar Mantar saw over 500 young students
and activists Press Club of India was jam packed with journalists .

First three photos from Jantar Mantar ,… pic.twitter.com/z3K2OiyWz9
<https://t.co/z3K2OiyWz9>

— Shabnam Hashmi (@ShabnamHashmi) October 4, 2023
<https://twitter.com/ShabnamHashmi/status/1709545662734295315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

In New York City, activists and journalists picketed on October 3 outside
of the *New York Times* building in Midtown Manhattan. Much of the blame
for the latest unjust targeting of these Indian journalists lies at the
hands of the New York Times. The Indian government has been viciously
targeting *Newsclick* for many years, following their first raid of the
outlet in 2021 following *Newsclick*’s faithful reporting of the farmers’
protests in the country. A recent article by the *New York Times*, claiming
that *Newsclick*-affiliated journalists are part of a Chinese propaganda
network, was used by Modi’s government to justify further repression.

“A Government that has not been able to substantiate any charges against
Newsclick despite being in possession of all its information, documentation
and communications, needed a motivated and bogus article published in the
New York Times to invoke the draconian UAPA and attempt to shut down and
stifle independent and fearless voices that portray the story of the real
India,” said *Newsclick* in a recent statement
<https://www.newsclick.in/statement-newsclick-oct-3-raids-special-cell-delhi-police>.
“Of peasants, of laborers, of farmers, and other oft-ignored sections of
society.

The *New York Times*’ recent article is merely a part of the West’s Cold
War against China, activists claimed. Ben Becker, editor-in-chief of
*BreakThrough
News*, said at the picket that the piece is a way to accuse “anyone who
opposes US foreign policy of being an agent of China.”

“What this article did is to lay the groundwork for an attack on the
anti-war movement or anyone who’s critical of US foreign policy against
China,” he said.

It is *Newsclick*’s steadfast reporting of working class struggles in India
that has landed them in hot water with the Modi government, said Zoe
Alexandra, co-editor of *Peoples Dispatch*, outside of the 52-story *New
York Times* building.

“[Newsclick] dared to cover the incredibly powerful and courageous uprising
of farmers in India. They were talking to farmers when they were committing
suicide in the dozens and in the hundreds,” said Alexandra. “It’s Newsclick
that covered the largest strike in human history. A quarter billion people
<https://peoplesdispatch.org/2020/11/27/250-million-people-participate-in-nationwide-strike-in-india/>
on the streets.”

Hands off NewsClick!

A recent New York Times hit piece smeared leading Indian progressive outlet
@newsclickin <https://twitter.com/newsclickin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw> as part
of a “Chinese propaganda network”. This week the Modi gov’t cited this
pretext for mass raids & arrest of journalists — we protested outside the
NYT in response! pic.twitter.com/BsOyWJzagJ <https://t.co/BsOyWJzagJ>

— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) October 4, 2023
<https://twitter.com/pslnational/status/1709652661295804696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>

A coalition of 18 media organizations in India have penned a letter
<https://www.newsclick.in/18-media-organisations-write-cji-call-steps-end-repressive-use-probe-agencies-against-scribes>,
published on October 14, to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Y V Chandrachud,
expressing concern over the state’s repression. “The invocation of UAPA is
especially chilling. Journalism cannot be prosecuted as ‘terrorism’. Enough
instances in history abound to tell us where that eventually goes,” reads
the letter. Signatories include Digipub News India Foundation, the Indian
Women’s Press Corps, the Press Club of India, and the Foundation for Media
Professionals.

In Taliparamba municipality in Kerala, India, dozens in the Democratic
Youth Federation of India marched in solidarity with *Newsclick*.

The International People’s’ Assembly (IPA), a platform of over 200 trade
unions, people’s movements, and left parties, declared in a statement
<https://ipa-aip.org/declarations/stop-the-attacks-against-journalists-in-india/>
on October 3 following the raids: “Today’s raids constitute a dangerous
attack on press freedom in India and concerns all the democratic and
progressive people around the world. The International Peoples’ Assembly
(IPA) demands an end to persecution and press suppression in India.”
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20231006/c93dbf22/attachment.htm>