Modi govt refuses to accept India is fifth most dangerous place for scribes; says no such data

The Modi government does not have any data on how many journalists were attacked or murdered since the time it came to power in the year 2014, as the National Crime Records Bureau does not compile data in respect to separate categories of professionals.

This was stated in a reply to question by Minister of State (independent charge) for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore in Lok Sabha to a question by Trinamool Congress leader Dinesh Trivedi. However, the government is in the process of collating this information.

“National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has not published data on attacks in respect of separate categories of professionals, including journalists. However, information is being compiled.”

TMC MP had also asked from the I&B ministry if the government was aware of India’s rank of 138 in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index published by the international non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders.

Earlier this year, in a report titled ‘Worldwide Round-up of Journalists Killed, Detained, Held Hostage’, Reporters without Borders had highlighted that the risk journalists face even in countries like India which are not even at war. Nearly half the media fatalities were from nations not at war. "Journalists also live in fear in India. Six were murdered this year and many others were the targets of murder attempts, physical attacks, and threats. Hate campaigns against journalists, including incitement to murder, are common on social networks and are fed by troll armies linked to the Hindu nationalist right," the report said.

“The Government has come across media reports carrying the results of survey ‘World Press Freedom Index 2018’ by ‘Reporters Without Borders’ (RWB),” said the Minister in his reply.

“Press Council of India (PCI) has raised its concern about the authenticity and credibility of the reports and the basis on which the ranking is done and also the methodology used to rank the nations.”

Dinesh Trivedi also asked that whether the Press Council of India (PCI) has “conducted any study to find out the reasons for the deteriorating press freedom index”.

“PCI in this regard has been communicating with the South Asian Office of the organization several times to learn about their methodology to arrive at the ranking and had expressed its willingness to share how Press Council of India is working to preserve the freedom of press,” said Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The ministry in its reply also stated that it had raised this issue at UNESCO conference in Jakarta in the year 2017. “However, PCI has at UNESCO conference in Jakarta Indonesia in May, 2017 stated that the RWB report does not present all sides of the matter and most importantly when India does have an autonomous body for the protection and preservation of freedom of press, then at least Reporters Without Borders should have consulted such an organisation as part of good research.”