Amit Prakash Singh says it’s time to re-evaluate the role elected representatives ;The last week of January was very eventful. These events catapulted the deep thought process of citizens of this country. They were forced to re evaluate the role of their elected representatives and the role of media covering the conflict zone.
The ongoing farmers agitation on the borders of Delhi is now more than 70 days old. In the meantime, the leaders of farmers had talked eleven times with the Union agricultural Minister and his officials. But of no avail. Now on both sides there seems lack of trust.
This long agitation ha s bro adly raised three points, the borders of Delhi have been turned into almost international borders, with deep tunnels, pointed iron rods and barbed wire s and concret boulders.. Now it is more difficult for even the local people to move out in. emergency. Then there is the dangerous role of police personnel who are camping around in thousands. There is doubt, whether the Government is ready to repeal the three agricultural bills which farmers do not need. They do need an all-India bill on fixation of minimum support price so that they are no more fleeced to sell their produce on cheaper price. There is no positive sign from the Government till filing this story. And lastly, the role of independent media covering this conflict zone.
It is true that the main Indian media devoted it”s space to cover as some of the Govt., ministers labelling the protest as sponsored by the opposition, or it is pro khalistani, or it is pro Pakistan or, pro-China or there are Naxalites and Maoists in the leadership of agitation. Only the earlier some genuine coverage was on citizen’s media or social media. Later when the Union Agriculture Minister and his officials initiated the dialogue with the farmers then the media thought it better to spare some space from covering the Corona Pandemic and to report the discussion part of the agitating farmers. And it continued till Republic Day. A kisan leader Abhimanyu Kohar said,” We did have 11 meetings in last sixty days, whenever we were called. But it seemed that the minister and his officials are not serious about the meeting. They just laugh it off. They seemed more aleart for their tea and lunch, than any negotiation with the farmer leaders who have been braving cold breeze on the borders in this winter. We have lost more than hundred farmers on Delhi borders who came with us in our support. Is it farmers friendly Government. Even mediapersons do not take us seriously.”
And on January 26, many questions arose. The media personnel were well guarded by the policemen as they were reporting the story from the conflict zone of Delhi. But there was no story about the roadmap given to the farmers”s leaders detailing the way through they had to move in the tractor rally, From nine points they somehow completed their tractor march but two units of kisan agitators reached Red Fort, the Iconic place where they had not to go. As there was no sufficient police, and no guidance, the young farmers reached the Red Fort ramparts. They unfurled their kisan flag and Nishan Sahib on separate long steel pole. Later, Police personnel took over the fort removed the flags, and showed media people the destructon. And it continued on most of the TV Channels to defame kisan agitators. Kisan leader Yogendra Yadav says, that those who did it were not part of their agitation. There was no such programme to go to Red Fort. However it is alleged that it was a conspiracy to defame the movement which remained peaceful till now. The police is silent on the conspiracy theory. But they say that sooner or later the people who are responsible for trespass on Red Fort would be caught as police teams are in search of them.
Another incident took place on I. T. O, Delhi. A large crowd of farmers were at rampage. The police personnel were sufficient, but the farmers were agitated as they had forgotten their way. Most probably they did not know where they have to go. As there were several tractors, and on two tractors, the young drivers were in mood to swing their tractors so, they did drove very fast and almost very dangerously, even some police personnel got injured. One tractor which was driven by Ramreet Singh, a student from Australia got his tractor overturned on DDU Marg and died instantly. However it is alleged that was shot but the police denies and says it is not mentioned in the postmortem report. IndiaTV Amit said that the eyewitness says that he was hit by a bullet. A little later there reached Rajdeep Sardesai, who went into small crowd and saw somebody in tricolor on ground. He enquired about the incident, and he was told that this death is due to bullet injury. It was all on air, on India Today TV. However, on India Today TV, in night programme a spokesperson from the ruling party threatened Rajdeep that legal action is possible against him as he has wrongly reported. And now, it is history. Now Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and six journalists are facing FIRs.
In five states, over their allegedly misleading tweets on violence and death of a protester during the farmers rally. The cases name Rajdeep Sardesai, MrinalPande, ZafarAga, Paresh Nath, Ananth Nath, Vinod K. Josh. Most of them invoke IPC section of sedition, criminal intimidation, promoting enmity, provocation to break public peace, criminal conspiracy, outraging religious feelings,
According to Media Vigil, a social media network says in its report, that as Guardian a British media network quotes Dr. Basil Purdue, a pathologist registered with UKHome Office, who examined the video footage of Post mortem said, ”To me this is one gunshot wound, possiblytwo, unless proved otherwise. ” He added, ”it was extremely implausible that Singh died from an overturned tractor, you cannot get these injuries from a fall. Tractor overturned due to shot, ”.
A Supreme Court advocate Awani Bansal who visited to the village Dibdiya, District Rampur In U. P. alongwith the reporter Mayank Saksena says according to Post mortem report, Ramreet died due to shock hemorrhage, headinjury. He had six injuries. As per report, there is an injury at chin and a wound on the head. It is possible that a bullet pierced through chin and got away from the head. The report says that some material is still coming out of the wound. Although police denies from firing.
And the ordeal did not stop here. Delhi police claims that it”s four hundred personnel have got injuries, Whereas kisan leaders says that more than two hundred kisan protesters are now missing. Delhi police commissioner justify the international style of security bandobust on the borders of Delhi, as the protesters turn violent and they break the barricades. One anchor_reporter from India Today tv said in his late night coverage from SinGhu Border defended such fortification of Delhi borders. He compared the incidents with the happenings at Capitol Hill in US., and Biden With Modi. This overambitious reporter did not know that around Washington borders such international type of barricading was not done. The NYPD did it best to save its precious monuments and offices so that oath taking ceremony may take place without any hindrance.
However, the police repression against social media activists did not end. It continued. From the Singhu border two young journalists, one Mandeep puniyawas arrested for not having his presscard and other Dhananjay Singh., who was released later. According to Hartosh Singh Bal of Caravan magazine informed that after quite a long time he could know from AlipurP. S, thatpuniya has been booked under various penal code. He has been filed under 186, 332, 353, I. PC. Next morning puniya was sent to judidicial custody for fourteen days. Now he has been freed by Metropolitan Magistrate. Puniya was tracking the “local” people protesting against the assembling of farmers protesters at the border. Swarajya leader Yogendra Yadav had tweeted, Ihave known him to be passionate and committed journalist. Picking up someone like him without any legal basis is another instanceof growing threat to free media.
Against the police repression on journalists was taken seriously by Editors Guild, Indian women press corp, Delhi Union of Journalists and press Club of India. A number of people participated in the protest rally which culminated into a meeting. Most of the senior journalists expressed their astonishment over journalists being charged with sedition and under Unlawful Activities{Prevention} Act. It is indicative of the fact that the country is moving towards undeclared emergency. On In this meeting, Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai said whether you are a journalist active in Kashmir or in Manipur or elsewhere there should be complete unity among us.
The ongoing farmers agitation on the borders of Delhi is now more than 70 days old. In the meantime, the leaders of farmers had talked eleven times with the Union agricultural Minister and his officials. But of no avail. Now on both sides there seems lack of trust.
This long agitation ha s bro adly raised three points, the borders of Delhi have been turned into almost international borders, with deep tunnels, pointed iron rods and barbed wire s and concret boulders.. Now it is more difficult for even the local people to move out in. emergency. Then there is the dangerous role of police personnel who are camping around in thousands. There is doubt, whether the Government is ready to repeal the three agricultural bills which farmers do not need. They do need an all-India bill on fixation of minimum support price so that they are no more fleeced to sell their produce on cheaper price. There is no positive sign from the Government till filing this story. And lastly, the role of independent media covering this conflict zone.
It is true that the main Indian media devoted it”s space to cover as some of the Govt., ministers labelling the protest as sponsored by the opposition, or it is pro khalistani, or it is pro Pakistan or, pro-China or there are Naxalites and Maoists in the leadership of agitation. Only the earlier some genuine coverage was on citizen’s media or social media. Later when the Union Agriculture Minister and his officials initiated the dialogue with the farmers then the media thought it better to spare some space from covering the Corona Pandemic and to report the discussion part of the agitating farmers. And it continued till Republic Day. A kisan leader Abhimanyu Kohar said,” We did have 11 meetings in last sixty days, whenever we were called. But it seemed that the minister and his officials are not serious about the meeting. They just laugh it off. They seemed more aleart for their tea and lunch, than any negotiation with the farmer leaders who have been braving cold breeze on the borders in this winter. We have lost more than hundred farmers on Delhi borders who came with us in our support. Is it farmers friendly Government. Even mediapersons do not take us seriously.”
And on January 26, many questions arose. The media personnel were well guarded by the policemen as they were reporting the story from the conflict zone of Delhi. But there was no story about the roadmap given to the farmers”s leaders detailing the way through they had to move in the tractor rally, From nine points they somehow completed their tractor march but two units of kisan agitators reached Red Fort, the Iconic place where they had not to go. As there was no sufficient police, and no guidance, the young farmers reached the Red Fort ramparts. They unfurled their kisan flag and Nishan Sahib on separate long steel pole. Later, Police personnel took over the fort removed the flags, and showed media people the destructon. And it continued on most of the TV Channels to defame kisan agitators. Kisan leader Yogendra Yadav says, that those who did it were not part of their agitation. There was no such programme to go to Red Fort. However it is alleged that it was a conspiracy to defame the movement which remained peaceful till now. The police is silent on the conspiracy theory. But they say that sooner or later the people who are responsible for trespass on Red Fort would be caught as police teams are in search of them.
Another incident took place on I. T. O, Delhi. A large crowd of farmers were at rampage. The police personnel were sufficient, but the farmers were agitated as they had forgotten their way. Most probably they did not know where they have to go. As there were several tractors, and on two tractors, the young drivers were in mood to swing their tractors so, they did drove very fast and almost very dangerously, even some police personnel got injured. One tractor which was driven by Ramreet Singh, a student from Australia got his tractor overturned on DDU Marg and died instantly. However it is alleged that was shot but the police denies and says it is not mentioned in the postmortem report. IndiaTV Amit said that the eyewitness says that he was hit by a bullet. A little later there reached Rajdeep Sardesai, who went into small crowd and saw somebody in tricolor on ground. He enquired about the incident, and he was told that this death is due to bullet injury. It was all on air, on India Today TV. However, on India Today TV, in night programme a spokesperson from the ruling party threatened Rajdeep that legal action is possible against him as he has wrongly reported. And now, it is history. Now Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and six journalists are facing FIRs.
In five states, over their allegedly misleading tweets on violence and death of a protester during the farmers rally. The cases name Rajdeep Sardesai, MrinalPande, ZafarAga, Paresh Nath, Ananth Nath, Vinod K. Josh. Most of them invoke IPC section of sedition, criminal intimidation, promoting enmity, provocation to break public peace, criminal conspiracy, outraging religious feelings,
According to Media Vigil, a social media network says in its report, that as Guardian a British media network quotes Dr. Basil Purdue, a pathologist registered with UKHome Office, who examined the video footage of Post mortem said, ”To me this is one gunshot wound, possiblytwo, unless proved otherwise. ” He added, ”it was extremely implausible that Singh died from an overturned tractor, you cannot get these injuries from a fall. Tractor overturned due to shot, ”.
A Supreme Court advocate Awani Bansal who visited to the village Dibdiya, District Rampur In U. P. alongwith the reporter Mayank Saksena says according to Post mortem report, Ramreet died due to shock hemorrhage, headinjury. He had six injuries. As per report, there is an injury at chin and a wound on the head. It is possible that a bullet pierced through chin and got away from the head. The report says that some material is still coming out of the wound. Although police denies from firing.
And the ordeal did not stop here. Delhi police claims that it”s four hundred personnel have got injuries, Whereas kisan leaders says that more than two hundred kisan protesters are now missing. Delhi police commissioner justify the international style of security bandobust on the borders of Delhi, as the protesters turn violent and they break the barricades. One anchor_reporter from India Today tv said in his late night coverage from SinGhu Border defended such fortification of Delhi borders. He compared the incidents with the happenings at Capitol Hill in US., and Biden With Modi. This overambitious reporter did not know that around Washington borders such international type of barricading was not done. The NYPD did it best to save its precious monuments and offices so that oath taking ceremony may take place without any hindrance.
However, the police repression against social media activists did not end. It continued. From the Singhu border two young journalists, one Mandeep puniyawas arrested for not having his presscard and other Dhananjay Singh., who was released later. According to Hartosh Singh Bal of Caravan magazine informed that after quite a long time he could know from AlipurP. S, thatpuniya has been booked under various penal code. He has been filed under 186, 332, 353, I. PC. Next morning puniya was sent to judidicial custody for fourteen days. Now he has been freed by Metropolitan Magistrate. Puniya was tracking the “local” people protesting against the assembling of farmers protesters at the border. Swarajya leader Yogendra Yadav had tweeted, Ihave known him to be passionate and committed journalist. Picking up someone like him without any legal basis is another instanceof growing threat to free media.
Against the police repression on journalists was taken seriously by Editors Guild, Indian women press corp, Delhi Union of Journalists and press Club of India. A number of people participated in the protest rally which culminated into a meeting. Most of the senior journalists expressed their astonishment over journalists being charged with sedition and under Unlawful Activities{Prevention} Act. It is indicative of the fact that the country is moving towards undeclared emergency. On In this meeting, Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai said whether you are a journalist active in Kashmir or in Manipur or elsewhere there should be complete unity among us.
Amit Prakash Singh is a Senior Journalist based in New Delhi. Views expressed are his own
