Justice Katju's opinion on raid on News Click
 |
| Justice Katju's opinion on raid on News Click |
What is all this hullabaloo about?
By Justice Markandey Katju
A great hue and cry has been raised over the recent crackdown by the Indian Enforcement Directorate on many journalists in Delhi and Mumbai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNa5yPFt8l0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGX5dw0c7a0&pp=ygUJbmV3c2NsaWNr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8OA9TsvRGk&t=1490s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhoFh9LQ0xw&pp=ygUJbmV3c2NsaWNr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MhjWKrIW4A
https://thewire.in/media/delhi-police-conducts-early-morning-raids-at-houses-of-journalists-satirists
The Press Club of India, the Editors Guild, the 28 party opposition alliance INDIA, and others have alleged that it is an attack on freedom of the media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFWNGjwwIhM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPBhYNn7aM0
But what is the truth?
In August this year, The New York Times published an article alleging that the website NewsClick, an organisation founded in 2009, is funded by US billionaire Neville Roy Singham for pushing Chinese propaganda. It is well known that Mr Singhum has close ties with the Chinese government, and the journalists against whom the Indian authorities took action were alleged to be associated with Newsclick, and thus possibly receiving Chinese funds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGX5dw0c7a0&t=27s&pp=ygUJbmV3c2NsaWNr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Eaj9FjzVY&pp=ygUJbmV3c2NsaWNr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEr4Xh7HffU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Iat3gKxQFo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytckMXsxjE4&pp=ygUJbmV3c2NsaWNr
So what is all the furore about?
I am a supporter of media freedom, but I am very suspicious of publications and portals which are foreign funded. What is the real purpose and design of such foreigners who fund such publications and websites? Surely no one would invest a lot of money for benign objectives.
Newsclick had a huge staff headed by Prabir Purukayasha, who has been arrested. Where was all this money to pay these people coming from?
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/newsclick-raids-editor-in-chief-and-founder-prabir-purkayastha-arrested-11696345235385.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IijMpvYK-_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tbYgyVpJ_M
I support independent journalists, even if they criticise the government.
But should journalists who allegedly get foreign funds not even be investigated? If the allegations against them are true, such persons are in my opinion not even journalists but hirelings of foreign powers. Should such alleged hirelings not even be investigated just because they have been critical of the government?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24WGgQ4KaY0&pp=ygUnZ292ZXJubWVudCBzdGF0ZW1lbnQgb24gbmV3c2NsaWNrIHJhaWRz
I too have been critical of many of the things which the Indian government has done. But that does not justify everything which these anti-government 'journalists' do. Freedom of the media does not mean abuse of media freedom, and peddling Chinese propagabnda
In my opinion one must not jump the gun but should wait for the investigation to be completed.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. These are his personal views.)
 |
| News Click |
