NEW DELHI ,May 5, 2022: The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a government body in the United States has said that monitors international religious freedom, has expressed serious concern about India’s dwindling press freedom situation. USCIRF on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, has said that it stands with journalists who are facing persecution and violence on account of their religion and cited the case of incarcerated journalist Siddique Kappan.
The US panel has specifically mentioned India in its tweet and said that it stands with the journalists who have been targeted by the Modi government for reporting violence against Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Sikhs and Adivasis. They are being targeted and jailed, said the panel.
The panel has also mentioned some names of Indian journalists and cases related to them, including those of Kappan and Kishore Ram. Journalist Kappan was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police when he was on his way to Hathras to cover the rape and murder of a Dalit woman in October 2019.
Journalist Kappan and three others from Campus Front of India were detained by the Mathura police under ‘preventive power’ under Section 151 of the CrPC on account of the apprehension of an offence. All four were produced before the Executive Magistrate on October 6, 2020 and the court sent them to 14 days police custody. On October 7, the police registered the first FIR in the fake case.
It is to be noted that USCIRF, a few days ago, recommended the Biden administration to list India as countries of particular concern regarding religious freedom status.
India’s position in the matter of press freedom has been described as worrying.
The US Commission tweeted: “Siddiq Kappan is a Muslim journalist and is known for reporting on religious issues. Kappan was arrested on his way to Hathras in UP where he was going for reporting the rape of a Dalit girl.
The Commission further wrote, “In February 2022, Kishore Ram, a Dalit journalist who raised his voice for the marginalised communities in the society, was arrested for raising the issue of caste during an interview with a Dalit family whose members were raped and murdered.”
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated every year on 3 May. This time India has slipped eight places to 150 in the index of press freedom.
In the latest report released by ‘Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF), India has slipped from 142nd place to 150th place in terms of freedom of press.
The commission said that in the year 2021, the situation of religious freedom inside India has been seriously jolted.
The Commission also noted that the Government of India propagated many such policies, that promote a Hindu nationalist agenda, which negatively affected Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits and other religious minorities.
The report also referred to the use of UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and criticised anti-conversion laws introduced in several states of India.