AIKS condemns the attack on media – The attack on media is a punishment for the media’s support of farmers’ struggle

The All-Indian Kisan Sabha strongly condemns the fascistic assault on NewsClick and other independent media organizations that are critical of the Narendra Modi-led BJP  regime. The onslaught against NewsClick reached a new low on October 3rd when the  Special Cell of the Delhi Police raided the houses of several journalists and technicians and confiscated their electronic gadgets including laptops and mobile phones. In a  shocking move, Delhi Police sealed the office of NewsClick and arrested NewsClick’s founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha, and HR head Amit Chakravarty under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).  46 people including 9 women were questioned on October 3rd. This action comes after the Enforcement Directorate raid months earlier had not deterred NewsClick from reporting the truth. The present move to clampdown using UAPA is a sinister attempt to paint NewsClick as ‘anti-national’ working at the behest of China to divert attention from the government’s failures. The NewsClick responded with a statement, asserting that the allegations leveled against them by certain political actors and segments of the media are baseless and lack factual or legal foundation.

The hounding of NewsClick based on false allegations is part of a larger design by the Modi regime to eliminate all forms of dissent. It is a blatant attack on press freedom. It is to be noted that the arrested and detained journalists were asked several questions on their coverage of the Delhi Farmers’ and anti-CAA-NRC struggles. When the ‘Godi media’ was busy authoring sycophantic eulogies on the corporate communal nexus that is ruling India, progressive establishments like NewsClick took pains to uncover the tales of corporate exploitation and horrendous crimes of Hindutva vigilante groups.  NewsClick’s coverage of the historic Farmers’ Struggle and other policy issues related to working people, killings of dairy farmers in the name of Gauraksha by Hindutva extremists, Sangh Parivar’s role in the Delhi riots, etc., are fitting testimonials to their journalistic integrity and commitment to the masses. This authoritarian attack on journalists by the fascistic regime will be resisted by the people of India. AIKS calls upon the peasants and all sections of working people to extend solidarity to the journalists and media organizations in their struggle against the fascistic Modi regime. AIKS appeals to the Indian peasantry, which has a legendary history of defeating the Modi regime, to intensify their struggles and align with democratic forces to fight this undeclared emergency. AIKS reminds the Modi regime that attempts to stifle pro-farmer voices in the media will be resisted with all strength.