The dastardly ambush of a Congress party convoy by Maoists in Chhattisgarh on May 25, in which 28 people including the founder of the Salwa Judum movement Mahendra Karma perished, led to the by-now ritual witchhunt of human rights activists on television—and their ostracism by newspapers. On one level, in a Pavlovian sort of way,…
Tag Archives: Naxals
How police are gagging media on Naxals
What are the occupational hazards of interviewing a Naxal leader in India today? Two notices under four Acts. Rahul Belagali, a reporter of the mass-circulation Kannada daily Praja Vani, met a leader of the communist party of India (Maoist), at an “undisclosed” location last year. His paper subsequently printed the interview. Gauri Lankesh writes in…
There’s a new ism in town, and it’s Arnab-ism
The Indian government’s “Operation Green Hunt” to track down Maoists—described by prime minister Manmohan Singh as the “gravest internal threat facing India”—is the flavour of the season in newspapers, magazines, and on TV stations. In reporting from the ground; publishing long essays; interviewing key players in studios; debating the whys and the wherefores of various…
BBC journalists secure abducted cop’s release
It’s one of journalism’s oldest questions: should journalists in the line of duty play a part in unfolding news events? Should they be the eyes and ears of their audience at all times, as expected of their profession, regardless of the situation? Or, are there occasions when exceptions can be made like, say, a life…
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