Attacks on journalists in Delhi & Bengaluru reprehensible, action must be taken, says Editors Guild

The Editors Guild said the freedom of the media to discharge its responsibilities without fear or harassment is an indispensable attribute of a functioning democracy.

File photo of activists campaigning against repression of free speech rights | PTI

New Delhi: The Editors Guild of India Thursday condemned the attacks on journalists in Delhi and Bengaluru, noting that the incidents showed a “dangerous trend” where people can assault and harass journalists “with impunity in the presence of an indifferent police”.

The statement referred to the attacks on three journalists of The Caravan in northeast Delhi and the four journalists belonging to India Today, The News Minute and Suvarna News 24X7 who were reportedly attacked by Bengaluru Police.

Read the full statement here:

The Editors Guild of India has unequivocally condemned recent attacks on journalists while they were on duty.

Three journalists working with The Caravan were allegedly assaulted while they were in northeast Delhi’s North Ghonda neighbourhood on 11 August to report on a complainant in the recent communal violence case in the Capital. They also say they were subjected to communal slurs, threatened with murder and sexually harassed.

On the same day in Bengaluru, as many as four journalists belonging to India Today, The News Minute and Suvarna News 24X7 were reportedly attacked by the city police. These journalists at that time were on duty, reporting on the vandalism and police shooting in the wake of a mob violence in the city.

Both attacks are reprehensible. The freedom of the media to discharge its responsibilities without fear or harassment is an important and indispensable attribute of a functioning democracy. The case of assault on journalists working with The Caravan shows a dangerous trend where communally inspired people can assault and harass journalists with impunity in the presence of an indifferent police. The Bengaluru incident also highlights the failure of the law enforcement agencies in maintaining an environment where the media can function freely and without fear.

The Editors Guild of India demands that the police authorities in Delhi and Bengaluru take cognizance of both the cases and quickly take necessary steps to initiate action against the guilty.