We Need Protection for Journalists, says Indian Union of Journalists

The Karnataka State Journalists Union, an affiliated Union of the New Delhi-based Indian Journalists Union (IJU) convened a seminar on 1st October, 2017  in memory of  recently murdered journalist, Gauri Lankesh at the Gandhi Bhavan premises in Bengaluru.

Speaking on the occasion, Senior journalist and member of the Press Council of India and the IJU, Mr. K Amarnath, spoke of the targeting of women journalists as ‘soft targets’ of those esposing intolerance of others’ views. He said the freedom of expression by the Press needed legal protection in the current climate of intimidation of presspersons. The IJU, he said, had taken the need for a law for protection of journalists to the government as long as a decade ago, but the matter was still pending. “We will continue afresh”, he stated.

Senior journalist Agni Shridhar, spoke of the increasing impunity of the ‘hindutva brigade’ as he termed it, of attacking those that did not conform to its ideology of hate and intolerance and targeting of minority communities. He also said that sections of the media helped in spreading the mindset. “Why should a Muslim, an Indian citizen with full rights as the rest, have to prove his nationality by being asked to say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ to a TV reporter? he asked. 

IJU Secretary General Devulapalli Amar spoke  about growing impatience against journalists in India. This is not first time that journalist killed. Number of journalists killed in the past he said. If this trend continues Democracy will not survive he lamented. He demanded to increase the speed of the investigation of Gouri Murder Case and arrest the murderers.

Ms. Jyothi A., State President National Federation of Indian Women, while reiterating that women were easy targets of attacks against freedom of speech and expression, lamented that the current cultural intolerance was affecting children too. “ How do you answer a child in class four when he asks you, after seeing news on TV screens, why Gauri Lankesh was murdered”, she lamented.

KSJU President P. Bhaskar Reddy, General Secretary Janaki Mohan and Members participated in the seminar.