Draconian laws, including laws on sedition and UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, have been increasingly used against media persons to silence them, eminent journalist Siddharth Varadarajan has said.
Addressing the panel session on ‘Wither Indian Journalism’ at the International Literature Festival of Kerala (ILFK) here on Friday, Mr. Varadarajan said UAPA has been slapped against 100-odd journalists, including Malayalee journalist Siddiq Kappan, in the last four years.
“State machinery is always ready to suppress the freedom of expression. Journalists have been increasingly booked for the stories they field. They face action for criticising the governments or for reporting communal violence. Even though those who instigate communal violence go free, the journalist who cover it may get booked, ” he said . The government is also using spywares against journalists, he added.
“Greater the truth, greater the liability. Speaking the truth has become very dangerous,” said senior journalist Sasikumar. “People who make a hate speech go free, while those who report it will be caught responsible for communal clashes.”
“Big corporates have been deciding the headlines, what should be discussed in the prime time and what should be the news angle,” noted journalist Vinod. K. Jose. The deterioration of the media in India should be seen along with the deterioration of democracy, he added.
The small and alternative media need to get equipped for facing challenges, including legal hurdles, noted senior journalist Venkitesh Ramakrishnan.
“I have one line of a poem by Pablo Neruda to recite for those who ask me to write about the beautiful nature of Manipur. ‘Come and see the blood in the streets,” said Manipuri poet Robin Ngangom at the ILFK.
“Corruption, violence and terrorism across the border prevails in my land. My childhood was amidst the conflicts. My friends took weapons to make women widows. Obduracy of government officials and marginalisation of the poor are a reality in my State,” he said.
Poets in Manipur should write about the reality. But many turned insane due to fear. They take solace in absurd things, he said.
Panel discussions on ‘Indian Modernities’, ‘World of poetry’, ‘Kerala history: Silence and gaps, ‘Poetry from other languages’ and ‘Conversation on Literature and activism’ were the other main sessions on Friday.
