Brutal attack on Bastar Journalist Kamal Shukla

Journalist Kamal Shukla was brutally attacked in Kanker, Chattisgarh today, by goons allegedly of the ruling Congress-I. He said the attack was prompted by those opposed to his reports on illegal sand-mining and other irregularities in the area. Shukla had rushed to the aid of another journalist Satish Yadav, who had been attacked earlier, when he was dragged out and beaten.

The attackers who dragged him out of the police station are clearly visible in a video but police are yet to register an FIR (update: the FIR was regitered later), much less arrest them. Indeed, as Kamal Shukla said (see his video testimony), he thought he would get some protection inside the police station but the police were unresponsive and told him to file his complaint and leave.

At that point, he was dragged out and beaten:

The shocking attack took place in broad daylight, as these videos by journalist Tameshwar Sinha bear testimony:

(all videos shot by journalist Tameshwar Sinha)

Journalist Satish Yadav also spoke to the media about the attack on him:

Journalists in Chhatisgarh have protested the attack and demanded that the Bhupesh Baghel government take immediate action against the assailants.

प्रदेश के #वरिष्ठपत्रकारकमल_शुक्ला पर सत्ताधारी दल के गुंडों का जानलेवा हमला।

#कांग्रेसकीसरकारमेंसरेआमलोकतंत्रकाहोरहाचीरहरण। #पुलिसतमाशबीनबनीरहीऔरकांग्रेसीगुंडेप्रदेशकेवरिष्ठपत्रकारकमलशुक्लाकोसरेबाज़ारपीटते_रहे।

आज सुबह कांकेर के एक स्थानीय पत्रकार के साथ कुछ पार्षदों ने घर से लेकर थाने तक मारपीट किया। प्रेस क्लब कांकेर के करीब 50 से अधिक पत्रकार इस गुंडागर्दी का विरोध दर्ज कराने कोतवाली पहुंचे ही थे कि, 300 से अधिक पार्षद, कांकेर के गुंडे बदमाश कोतवाली के बाहर जमा हो गए। इसी दौरान विधायक प्रतिनिधि गफ़्फ़ार मेमन और कांकेर का फर्जी नेता गणेश तिवारी ने सरेबाज़ार वरिष्ठ पत्रकार कमल शुक्ला से न केवल गालीगलौच किया बल्कि बुरी तरह से मारपीट भी किया। राज्य सरकार एक ओर जहां प्रदेश में पत्रकार सुरक्षा कानून लागू करने की बात करती है दूसरी तरफ सरकार के इशारों पर चलने वाले गुंडे-बदमाश पत्रकारों पर जानलेवा हमला करने पे आमादा हो गए हैं। सरकार के गुंडों ने आज उस पत्रकार पर हमला किया है जो हमेशा पत्रकारों के हितों की रक्षा के लिए पूरे सिस्टम से अकेले ही लड़ते रहे।
मुख्यमंत्री भूपेश बघेल जी मामला बेहद गंभीर और संवेदनशील है। तत्काल इन गुंडों पर कार्रवाई कीजियेगा। वरना प्रदेश भर के हम पत्रकार उग्र आंदोलन करने को मजबूर हो जाएंगे।

The Bastar-based journalist Kamal Shukla is no stranger to attacks. While he has been writing and speaking out against irregularities in the area and atrocities against journalists for several years, he has faced multiple attacks and cases lodged against him.

In 2012, he was attacked for writing on deforestation by members of the the then ruling party, the BJP. He took up the cause of journalists Prabhat Singh and Deepak Jaiswal, led a padayatra in 2014 on the attacks on journalists in the region, started a forum to protect journalists in 2015 and also worked on the formulation of a law to protect journalists. In 2018, a case of sedition was lodged against him.

Now, it is learnt that police have provided some protection for him. An FIR was also registered subsequently against four persons.