“The government does not have data on how many journalists were murdered or attacked since 2014 as the National Crime Records Bureau does not compile data divided by professions. However, the government is in the process of collating this information.”
This was minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore‘s bland, bureaucratic reply in the Lok Sabha on December 20.
But the NCRB certainly used to compile such data before modern Indian civilisation was inaugurated on WhatsApp in 2014.
The data website India Spend reported in September 2017 that as per NCRB figures from 2013 to 2015, there were 142 incidents in which journalists had been “grievously hurt”.
Indeed, India Spend reports that Rathore’s colleague in government, Hansraj Ahir told the Rajya Sabha in July 2017 that 73 people had been arrested for the 142 attacks.
Since the I&B minister does not know or won’t tell: 50 journalists have been confirmed killed in the line of work since 1992, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
So, why has NCRB stopped collating this information by profession? Because it reflects poorly on the state of the media under the BJP-led Narendra Modi government?
Nice tactic.
Stop counting joblessness, so unemployment vanishes. Stop counting attacks on journalists, so media freedom increases?
Screenshots: courtesy Indian Express
IJR 