# Free Speech Collective

> In Defence of Free Speech


## Posts

- [Free Speech : The Week That Was (April 5-11, 2026)](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/free-speech-the-week-that-was-april-5-11-2026/): What a packed week for freedom of expression in India! From court proceedings against journalist Rana Ayyub for tweets posted 13 years ago, contempt of court threats against Medianama editor Nikhil Pahwa, Maharashtra legislative Assembly proceedings against stand up comedian Kunal Kamra, threats by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against journalists and the spectre of the draft amendments to the IT rules… The threats to free speech in India have been coming fast and furious, targeting writers, filmmakers, student activists, social media users and influencers and just about anyone who raises even a whiff of dissent. For independent journalists, […]
- [Banning The Voice of Hind Rajab threatens freedom of expression in India and Israel](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/banning-the-voice-of-hind-rajab-threatens-freedom-of-expression-in-india-and-israel/): A statement by filmmakers, journalists, academics and activists from India and Israel condemns the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)’s ban on the film “The Voice of Hind Rajab”. that “continues a worrying pattern of Indian censorship of Palestinian and progressive Israeli voices”. The Statement We are, variously, Israelis, Indians, filmmakers, journalists, academics and activists. We write in support of pluralism, democracy and freedom of expression in India and in Israel—for both Jews and Palestinians. And we condemn the Central Board of Film Certification’s invocation of Indo-Israeli relations to justify its banning of The Voice of Hind Rajab. The ban […]
- [The Limits of Free Speech: Caste, Power, and Campus Democracy](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/the-limits-of-free-speech-caste-power-and-campus-democracy/): The stories of campuses are not only those of repression but also of resistance, says Ruchi K*, examining the current attempts to censor and regulate free expression in university campuses in Delhi. The shocking testimonies of eleven students who were abducted and tortured by the special cell of Delhi police, some of them subjected to sexual violence, illustrates how campus dissent is being policed and criminalised. Coming in the wake of the UGC regulations and protests that followed, it is the most extreme attempt to silence students and shame them into submission. The incident of alleged abduction and custodial torture […]
- [Gurmeet Ram Rahim Acquittal: Impunity Reigns](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/gurmeet-ram-rahim-acquittal-impunity-reigns/): Has impunity got a new lease of life with the acquittal of Gurmeet Ram Rahim of the murder of journalist Ramchandra Chhatrapati? No, say his family and friends, determined to appeal against the judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and continue their unrelenting and marathon 24-year struggle for justice. 
- [Petitions Challenging DPDP Act in SC : Data, The New Wealth; Its Protection, A New Battleground](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/petitions-challenging-dpdp-act-in-sc-data-the-new-wealth-its-protection-a-new-battleground/): As the Supreme Court weighs the Digital Personal Data Protection Act against the right to information, activists warn of a ‘death knell’ for government transparency, says Ritika Jain. New Delhi: The Supreme Court is all set to examine five petitions challenging the constitutionality of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, its rules that were notified in 2025 and crucial amendments to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 necessitated as a direct result of the former. On March 12, the bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi at the Supreme Court […]
- [The Throttling of Free Discussion in Academia: Strong-arm Tactics by ABVP and Cave in by Azim Premji University](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/the-throttling-of-free-discussion-in-academia-strong-arm-tactics-by-abvp-and-cave-in-by-azim-premji-university/): – A Free Speech Collective Commentary The vandalism and violence by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) against a proposed discussion on February 24, 2026, by “Spark”, an informal student reading group of Azim Premji University (APU), Bangalore, are symptomatic of the increasing repression in campuses across the country, where dissent is criminalised and free debate and discussion is shut down. The proposed discussion was on the anniversary of the mass rapes in Kunan Poshpora in 1991. On February 24, around 25 members of the ABVP, the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vandalised the “Kabira” […]
- [Media Bans in South Asia: A stranglehold on Information as Messengers are Silenced](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/media-bans-in-south-asia-a-stranglehold-on-information-as-messengers-are-silenced/): Amid calls to end a media ban between India and Pakistan, journalist and author Meena Menon*, who was summarily asked to leave Islamabad in 2014, reflects on the impact of the media ban on the free flow of information between the two countries.
- [What is the purpose of art and literature if it does not question? ](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/what-is-the-purpose-of-art-and-literature-if-it-does-not-question/): - A first-person account by author and journalist Neeta Kolhatkar  "The last two days have been an eye-opener for me, regarding literary festivals and cancel culture. Nowadays a new trend seems to be, to invite speakers and cancel the event, citing 'unseen and unfortunate circumstances'. This sadly, is a growing precedent across the world as the scale for listening to 'others' is measured subjectively and not based on ethics and values."
- [Statement condemning intimidation and criminalisation of journalists who are engaged in reporting on Kashmir](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/statement-condemning-intimidation-and-criminalisation-of-journalists-who-are-engaged-in-reporting-on-kashmir/): On the occasion of India’s 77th Republic Day, the statement below, endorsed by more than 130 journalists and civil society activists across India, marks the precarious state of media freedom in Kashmir. For some years now, journalists in Jammu and Kashmir have been relentlessly targeted and intimidated. The latest, an attempt to coerce them into signing bonds under the guise of “maintaining peace” has drawn widespread condemnation. Read the Statement (in Hindi and English). Statement in English Journalism is not a Crime: Resist Curbs on Media Reporting on and from Jammu and Kashmir Stop the Silencing, Speak Out We, the […]
- [When Speech Becomes an Act of Terrorism](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/when-speech-becomes-an-act-of-terrorism/):  – By Ritika Jain* Terms like “freedom of speech,” “freedom of expression,” “Article 19” or even a simple “free” do not even find a mention in the Supreme Court’s January 5 judgement in the bail applications for the student and youth activists accused in the 2020 Delhi Riots conspiracy case, even though the entire case rests on one’s right to political dissent – a facet of free speech. A quick search of the 142-page judgement, delivered by a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria, finds these key words missing. Instead, the judgement expanded the contours of terrorism. Further, […]
- [Academics and Citizens Protest Unjust Termination of Prof Lora Santhakumar](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/academics-and-citizens-protest-unjust-termination-of-prof-lora-santhakumar/): In a shocking incident of censorship, the services of Prof Lora Santhakumar, an assistant professor at SRM University’s Career Development Centre (CDC),Chennai, were terminated due to her comments against war, made on her personal social media account, in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. While she was doxxed and subjected to taunts and abuse, her institution, instead of standing by her, suspended her services on May 8, 2025. She was terminated on December 5, 2025, after an enquiry, the proceedings of which were prejudicial to her, held that her comments had brought the institute into disrepute.  More than 160 academics and […]
- [Shhh…Utter the ‘P’ Word At Your Own Peril](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/shhhutter-the-p-word-at-your-own-peril/): Geeta Seshu examines how online space continued to shrink when it came to any mention of the genocide in Gaza Despite the chilling reports and images of the genocide against the people of Palestine, especially in Gaza, any mention of the ‘P’ word continues to evoke  incendiary and regressive reactions from both right wing vigilantes and law enforcing agencies in India. The latest targets – activists Shrishti Khanna and Prashant Pundir – expected to be at the receiving end of a barrage of foul and abusive comments but the doxxing and stalking they were subjected to jeopardised their safety and […]
- [The Wire condemns J&K police intimidation of journalist Jehangir Ali, seizure of phone](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/the-wire-condemns-jk-police-intimidation-of-journalist-jehangir-ali-seizure-of-phone/): Press Statement by The Wire New Delhi, December 18, 2025 On the evening of Wednesday, December 17, 2025, police officers from Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, arrived at the Chrar I Sharief home of senior journalist Jehangir Ali, The Wire’s long-time Jammu and Kashmir correspondent. Without providing a reason, let alone the details of any FIR, case, warrant or court order, the police officers seized his mobile phone. Contrary to directions issued by the Supreme Court to Central agencies and to universally accepted norms aimed at preserving the integrity of seized electronic devices, they did not provide Jehangir Ali the hash […]
- [DPDP weaponises data, finishes off transparency: Anjali Bharadwaj](https://freespeechcollective.in/policies-and-regulations/dpdp-weaponises-data-finishes-off-transparency-anjali-bharadwaj/): A month after the Central Government notified Rules to The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 (scroll to the bottom to read the FSC note for more on the DPDP Act), marking the full functionality of the law, the threat to transparency in governance and citizens’ right to information is now becoming increasingly discernible. The tell-tale straw in the wind is that though all the rules that are to be implemented in a staggered manner, among the first ones to be set in motion is the amendment carried out to The RTI Act. A group of nearly 30 stakeholders […]
- [Factually correct report cannot be termed defamatory](https://freespeechcollective.in/lawfare/defamation-cases-against-journalists/factually-correct-report-cannot-be-termed-defamatory/): The Delhi High Court has quashed the defamation case against journalist Nilanjana Bhowmick and maintained that factually correct statements cannot be termed defamatory. The journalist, then bureau chief of Time magazine, had published an article entitled ““Accountability of India’s Nonprofits under Scrutiny,” on 14.12.2010. The complainant, Ravi Nair, who is the head of human rights NGO the South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre (SAHRDC), took objection to a passage in the report wherein it was stated that India’s federal investigation agency is currently looking into money-laundering and fund-misappropriation charges against one of the country’s most prominent human-rights activists Ravi Nair. Nair and his […]
- [Silenced Valley](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/silenced-valley/): The November 10 bomb blast in Delhi’s Red Fort area spawned a media blitz focusing on Kashmir, as headlines in ‘national” media screamed “terror doctors”; closely followed by the raid on the office of the Kashmir Times in Jammu. But for the media in the Valley, facing surveillance by District Information Officers, ground realities rarely come to the fore, says Urvashi Sarkar*. Freedom of expression in Kashmir was always fraught with uncertainty. Journalists, especially those who live and work in Kashmir, now exercise even greater caution in writing and reporting, sticking to topics that would not invite scrutiny. Public criticism […]
- [SIA Raids: Another Attempt to Silence Us, a ‘Kashmir Times’ statement](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/sia-raids-another-attempt-to-silence-us-a-kashmir-times-statement/): SIA Raids: Another Attempt to Silence Us ‘Kashmir Times’ statement following reported raids by State Investigative Agency (SIA) on its office (Reprinted from Kashmir Times.) The reported raids on our office, the baseless accusations of activities “inimical to the state,” and the coordinated crackdown on the Kashmir Times are yet another attempt to silence us. We have received no official intimation or statement to confirm the official actions. Our office, where the media reports suggest the raids took place, was shut since the last four years and out of operation. The bizarre allegations against us are baseless. Criticising the government […]
- [The PUCL Condemns the J&K Order of surveillance of working journalists and the denial of press freedom](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/the-pucl-condemns-the-jk-order-of-surveillance-of-working-journalists-and-the-denial-of-press-freedom/): PEOPLE’S UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES Founder: Jayaprakash Narayan; Founding President: V M Tarkunde Press Note The PUCL Condemns the J&K Order of surveillance of working journalists and the denial of press freedom Demands that the Administration instill faith in the media and promote a free press, fundamental to a democracy 14 November 2025 People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), India, deplores the recent attempt by the Jammu and Kashmir government and its District Information Officers (DIOs) to surveil working journalists, restrict access to freelance journalists and seek private information like their salary statements and academic qualifications under the guise of […]
- [Wanted: A Responsible Media in Bihar](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/wanted-a-responsible-media-in-bihar/): On the eve of the polling for the assembly elections in Bihar, veteran journalist Kiran Shaheen* reflects on her four-decade long journey of reporting on Bihar. Election time again in Bihar! And every election reminds us of innumerable incidents of booth-capturing, murders and the role of the media played in sync with the powers that be. We are also reminded of the brave journalists who tried their best to be on the side of facts and paid the price. There is a long list of journalists subjected to torture, arrest, and even paying with their lives, either during the elections […]
- [Criminalisation of politics in Bihar](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/criminalisation-of-politics-in-bihar/): *C P Jha examines its roots for this special report. The criminalisation of politics in Bihar started almost immediately after it was carved out from Bengal presidency in the British Raj of India. The Bengal presidency was divided twice on religious lines between 1905 and 1915. After Bihar became a separate state with 31 districts, the criminalisation of politics steadily increased. The rule of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav’s government witnessed protection to notorious criminals like Mohammad Shahabuddin of Sivan district, accused in the killing of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students’ union leader Chandrashekar Prasad in March […]
- [When a spontaneous gathering of students is criminalised - A report of the TISS students' meeting to commemorate Prof GN Saibaba](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/when-a-spontaneous-gathering-of-students-is-criminalised-a-report-of-the-tiss-students-meeting-to-commemorate-prof-gn-saibaba/): The price of political engagement and learning today* Recording the sequence of events and observations on the current events unfolding in TISS, Mumbai, from students’ perspective What is the price of political engagement and learning in a higher educational institute in India? It seems that young people who seek to read, talk to each other and understand any issue slapped with FIRs before they can fully make up their minds on what stance to take. On Sunday, 12 October 2025, students at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai gathered to read a few poems written by Professor GN Saibaba […]
- [CPJ calls for credible investigation into death of Indian journalist Rajeev Pratap](https://freespeechcollective.in/killings/killings-of-journalists/cpj-calls-for-credible-investigation-into-death-of-indian-journalist-rajeev-pratap/): Indian authorities must conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the death of journalist Rajeev Pratap, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday. “Authorities in Uttarakhand state should not discount any possible causes of Rajeev Pratap’s death, including his family’s serious allegation that he was targeted for his journalism,” said Kunāl Majumder, CPJ’s India representative. “The initial police conclusion that he died because of a car crash must not preclude a rigorous examination of the threats made against him. Those who threaten journalists must be held accountable.” On September 28, the body of Pratap, who ran the YouTube news […]
- [Brutal Attack on Environmental Activist in Goa](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-others/brutal-attack-on-environmental-activist-in-goa/): Strong protests by environmental groups but is the government listening, asks Avertino Miranda The brutal assault on tribal leader and social activist, Rama Kankonkar, on September 18 has shocked and angered environmental groups in Goa. The attack triggered massive protests throughout Goa. Kankonkar is a staunch critic of the BJP government’s anti-environment development model and has spoken out against corruption in the government. On September 18, Kankonkar and a friend, journalist and fellow activist Soiru Velip, had gone to a restaurant for lunch at Caranzalem, near Panjim. When they were leaving the restaurant, Kankonkar was attacked with knives, rods and […]
- [Apprehension of safety not unreasonable, says Bombay HC,  allows transfer of defamation case by radical hindutva group Sanatan Sanstha](https://freespeechcollective.in/lawfare/apprehension-of-safety-not-unreasonable-says-bombay-hc-allows-transfer-of-defamation-case-by-radical-hindutva-group-sanatan-sanstha/): The Bombay High Court granted the transfer of the hearing in a defamation case hearing in a trial court located in proximity with the headquarters of the radical hindutva organisation, the Sanathan Sanstha from Ponda in Goa to Kolhapur in Maharashtra, stating that the apprehensions of safety of Dr Hamid Dhabolkar, journalists Nikhil Wagle and Alka Dhupkar was “reasonable and genuine”. Justice N J Jamadar, in an order delivered on Sept 3, 2025, just two days before the eighth anniversary of the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, said : “If the matter was to be looked at from the solitary […]
- [Nepal’s Gen-Z launches protest on 8 September 2025 as Nepal government blocks several social media platforms](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/nepals-gen-z-launches-protest-on-8-september-2025-as-nepal-government-blocks-several-social-media-platforms/): [Update on the 8 September 2025 protest action called by Gen Z in Nepal here.] On Thursday, 4 September 2025, Nepal government blocked 26 social media platforms for failing to register with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT). The ban includes platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Discord, Reddit, YouTube, among many others. The following apps are banned as per the directive (see image at the end in Nepali). In August 2025, popular messaging service Telegram was banned. It remains banned but is currently under review as the company has submitted documents to begin the registration process. […]
- [Why did Gauri Lankesh die? A review of Rollo Romig’s book on Gauri Lankesh](https://freespeechcollective.in/killings/killings-of-journalists/why-did-gauri-lankesh-die-a-review-of-rollo-romigs-book-on-gauri-lankesh/): Eight years ago, at about 7.45 pm on September 5, 2017, senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike was shot dead at point blank range as she was entering her home in Bengaluru. An outspoken critic of right-wing extremism, she minced no words in her writings or speeches. Gauri knew the risks of confronting majoritarian politics but refused to stay silent. She had received several death threats over the years. Her killing, which bore remarkable similarity to the murders of three other secular rationalist intellectuals* seemed to be a part of a pattern in the brutal elimination of dissenting voices. […]
- [Banning Books: A Part of the Pattern of Erasing Kashmir, say experts](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/banning-books-a-part-of-the-pattern-of-erasing-kashmir-say-experts/): From disappearing Instrument of Accession to book ban, Kashmiris struggle to find a language to preserve memory Republished with permission from Kashmir Times The stage is set, and the carpets rolled. On August 2, 2025, on the banks of world-famous Dal Lake, thousands of readers and book enthusiasts, especially young Kashmiris, are excited about the nine-day books festival. Three days later, bookstores in Kashmir, however, had uniformed visitors, for the second time this year, looking for the 25 titles that the government of J&K on August 5 ordered a ban and forfeiture of as the book festival happened. Earlier, in […]
- [PUCL Response to the banning and forfeiture of 25 books by J&K Government](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/pucl-response-to-the-banning-and-forfeiture-of-25-books-by-jk-government/): A comprehensive statement from the civil liberties organisation on the ban of 25 books by the Jammu and Kashmir government. Republished with permission  Aug 12, 2025 Withdraw the forfeiture notification on 25 books on Jammu and Kashmir Repeal Section 152 of the BNS which is the colonial sedition law in a decolonial avatar! The omnibus forfeiture of 25 books in Kashmir is an arbitrary and brute exercise of power which violates the Constitution. The PUCL is outraged at the decision by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to forfeit 25 books in an omnibus order under Section 98 of the BNSS, […]
- [J & K Govt. Book Ban: What do the Thought Police Fear?](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-publications/j-k-govt-book-ban-what-do-the-thought-police-fear/): By Geeta Seshu The Jammu and Kashmir (J & K) government’s ban on 25 books on Kashmir by both Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri academics, researchers and journalists on the specious grounds that they promote terrorism and endanger national integrity, among other charges, may have been expressly designed to inject further fear in the Valley. But the ban only exposes the institutionalised distrust of a thinking public. The notification issued by the Union Territory’s Home Department on August 5, 2025 was unprecedented and sweeping in more ways than one. It included scholarly and rigorously  researched books by a range of academics and […]
- [No space to breathe: Shrinking press freedom in Jammu & Kashmir](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/no-space-to-breathe-shrinking-press-freedom-in-jammu-kashmir/): An FSC commentary on the state of the media, on the 6th anniversary of the abrogation of Art 370. Six years after the abrogation of Art 370 and the resumption of an elected government, albeit for a union territory, the situation of the media in Jammu and Kashmir (J & K) continues to remain grim. Journalists continue to face censorship, detentions and show cause notices, their passports remain suspended or revoked, there is selective and discriminatory disbursal of advertising for newspapers under the media policy while a watchful administration reporting directly to New Delhi keeps journalists on the edge. There […]
- [Attack on Pune Journalist Sneha Barve: A Month on, Prime Accused still not arrested](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-journalists/attack-on-pune-journalist-sneha-barve-a-month-on-prime-accused-still-not-arrested/): Pune Journalist Sneha Barve Attack: A Month on, Prime Accused Still Not Arrested It is a month since journalist Sneha Barve was brutally attacked by Pandurang Morde, a local businessman with a criminal record, in Nighotwadi village in Manchar, Pune district, but police are yet to arrest him. The investigating officer in the case, Sunil Badjugar, told FSC that Morde could not be arrested as he had fractured his leg. It is unclear how he sustained a fracture after beating up the journalist and the villagers. Badgujar said that police took Morde to a government hospital for a check up […]
- [Fresh threats to Pune Journalist Sneha Barve](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-journalists/sneha-barve-braving-continuing-threats/): Three weeks after the heinous attack on her, journalist Sneha Barve, resumed duty in her office on July 24, 2025. She was greeted by this threat: “Next time, we’ll finish this matter off for good.” The words, uttered within her earshot by Prashant Morde, son of the prime accused Pandurang Morde, who had beaten her unconscious with a wooden rod on July 4, 2025, are a chilling indication of the near-total impunity that shrouds the attack on her. Pandurang Morde, the prime accused, is yet to be arrested. But that is just one part of the horror of the attack, […]
- [The Emergency’s methodologies of control that continue to haunt the media today](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-news-media/the-emergencys-methodologies-of-control-that-continue-to-haunt-the-media-today/): Framing the Media: Government Policies, Law and Freedom of the Press in India* by Pamela Philipose** Two excerpts, with permission, for the Free Speech Collective From the Preface ……as I walked into the main hall that accommodated its editorial operations, there was an unusual, even uneasy, silence in the air as people went about their tasks with eyes cast down. The hustle and bustle that I had come to associate with that cavernous newsroom was for some reason missing. I asked a colleague what was happening. She replied in hushed tones, ‘Emergency has been declared.’ Emergency, what’s that? Nothing I […]
- [दिवसाढवळ्या झालेल्या भीषण हल्ल्यात पत्रकार स्नेहा बर्वे बेशुद्ध होईपर्यंत मारहाण](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-journalists/divsadvlya-jhalelya-bhishan-hallyat-patrkar-sneha-barve-beshuddh-hoi-paryant-marhan/): [सूचना: हिंसक लेख, चित्रे, आणि व्हिडिओ यामध्ये समाविष्ट आहे.] ४ जुलै २०२५ रोजी, पुणे जिल्ह्यातील एका गावाजवळ नदीपात्रातील बेकायदेशीर बांधकाम कामावर वार्तांकन करत असताना, पत्रकार स्नेहा बर्वे यांना दिवसाढवळ्या झालेल्या भीषण हल्ल्यात लाकडी काठीने मारहाण करण्यात आली, ज्यात त्या बेशुद्ध पडल्या. आजपर्यंत, या प्रकरणातील मुख्य आरोपी, राजकीय संबंध असलेला स्थानिक व्यावसायिक पांडुरंग सखाराम मोर्डे याला अटक करण्यात आलेली नाही. या हल्ल्याचा थरारक व्हिडिओ बर्वे यांच्या बोलण्याने सुरू होतो. ‘समर्थ भारत’ वृत्तपत्राच्या आणि ‘एसबीपी यूट्यूब चॅनेल‘च्या संस्थापक-संपादिका बर्वे, महाराष्ट्रातील पुणे जिल्ह्यातील मंचरजवळील निगोटवाडी गावात नदीपात्रातील बेकायदेशीर बांधकाम कामाबद्दल व्हिडिओमध्ये बोलत होत्या. अचानक मोर्डेने लाकडी काठी वेगाने उगारली आणि मदतीसाठी ओरडत असतानाही […]
- [Pune journalist Sneha Barve brutally attacked and beaten till she was unconscious](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-journalists/pune-journalist-sneha-barve-brutally-attacked-and-beaten-till-she-was-unconscious/): [Content advisory: includes images and text about violence.] In a heinous attack in broad daylight, journalist Sneha Barve was beaten with a wooden rod till she became unconscious while she was reporting on illegal construction activity in a riverbed in a town near Pune on July 4, 2025. Till date, the main accused, Pandurang Sakharam Morde, a local businessperson with political connections, is yet to be arrested. The video of the chilling attack began with Barve, founder-editor of Samarth Bharat newspaper and SBP YouTube channel, speaking on video about illegal construction activity on a riverbed in Nigothwadi village near Manchar […]
- [Blocking “fake” news or stifling free speech?](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/blocking-fake-news-or-stifling-free-speech/): – What does the Government of Karnataka’s proposed Mis-information and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025 really spell for creativity and satire asks Sarita Ramamoorthy, The Karnataka government’s Mis-information and Fake News (Prohibition) Bill, 2025 aims to counter “fake news” and “misinformation” but experts worry that the bill can invite censorship and government overreach. The Bill is scheduled to be tabled in the upcoming Assembly session. Free Speech Collective invited PenPencilDraw, well known for their sharp satire to draw their take on this. PenPencilDraw had published their first cartoon in 2020 and has since become loved and known for their satire […]
- [Citing national security, MEITy rejects RTI applications on blocking social media accounts](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/citing-national-security-meity-rejects-rti-applications-on-blocking-social-media-accounts/): Predictably, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITy) came up with the excuse of national security to reject requests for information on the blocking of social media accounts and digital news platforms during Operation Sindoor. In response to RTI applications filed by Venkatesh Nayak, the Director of the New Delhi-based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, MEITy said that it could not provide information on the blocking of 8000 social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and news websites, including The Wire and Maktoob Media. The X account of prominent journalists like Anuradha Bhasin and Muzamil Jaleel, Kashmiri news organisations like […]
- [The CBFC stamp of film censorship: Infantilising the public](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-the-arts/the-cbfc-stamp-of-film-censorship-infantilising-the-public/): The CBFC stamp of film censorship: Infantilising the public Despite a firmly established judicial convention of trusting the “wisdom of the street”, administrative processes are turning towards infantilisation, says Sukumar Murlidharan, discussing the manner in which the CBFC has pandered to politics and the mob in ‘Janaki versus State of Kerala’. It was a court-room drama etched in celluloid, soon transformed into real-life farce. Advance publicity for Janaki versus State of Kerala suggested a plot involving a female victim and male saviour: a well-worn template for Kerala’s fading superstar Suresh Gopi to try and regain some of his aura. In […]
- [The Second Silencing of Jaswant Singh Khalra](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/the-second-silencing-of-jaswant-singh-khalra/): Why is the truth about human rights violations in Punjab being suppressed yet again asks Laxmi Murthy. September 6, 2025 will mark 30 years since the abduction of Jaswant Singh Khalra, renowned human rights activist who meticulously documented and exposed extra-judicial killings, police “encounters,” and illegal cremations during the Sikh insurgency in Punjab between 1984-95. Khalra, a bank officer in Amritsar became politicized after seeing a pattern in abductions and killing of local youth by the Punjab police in fake “encounters,” starting from his village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. As he methodically investigated disappearances and illegal secret cremations […]
- [Vantara case against Himal Southasian dismissed by Delhi High Court](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/vantara-case-against-himal-southasian-dismissed-by-delhi-high-court/): The Delhi High Court on 19 May 2025 dismissed a contempt of court case filed by Vantara against Himal Southasian. Vantara, a wildlife project led by the Reliance Corporation, had accused Himal of disobeying a judicial order to remove an investigative story. The court ruled that no such order existed, and hence the issue of contempt did not arise. The case filed by Vantara was dismissed, thus marking a significant victory for press freedom. The editors at Himal Southasian released a statement on the legal case. Read the full statement below (republished with permission from Himal Southasian). You can also […]
- [A statement by the Faculty Association of Ashoka on the arrest of Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/a-statement-by-the-faculty-association-of-ashoka-on-the-arrest-of-professor-ali-khan-mahmudabad/): The Faculty Association of Ashoka University strongly condemns the arrest of Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science, on 18 May 2025, on groundless and untenable charges. We condemn the calculated harassment to which Professor Mahmudabad has been subjected: after being arrested early in the morning from his home in New Delhi, he was taken to Sonipat, not allowed access to necessary medication, and driven around for hours without any communication about his whereabouts. The Faculty Association stands in full support of our colleague: an invaluable member of the university community, a beloved […]
- [Ashok Univ Prof refutes allegation that his statement on Op Sindoor was misogynistic](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/ashok-univ-prof-refutes-allegation-that-his-statement-on-op-sindoor-was-misogynistic/): – By Geeta Seshu The Haryana State Women’s Commission issued a summons to Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad for two of his social media posts, alleging that he made statements that allegedly “disparaged women officers in the Indian Armed Forces and promoted communal disharmony”. Prof Mahmudabad has contested the allegations and said they constitute “a new form of censorship and harassment, which invents issues where there are none.” Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad is an associate professor and the head of the Department of Political Science at Ashoka University. He is a historian and a well-known writer, columnist and poet. […]
- [DPRO Assaults Journalist in Nalanda, Bihar. Journalists Condemn Behaviour and Demand Action](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/dpro-assaults-journalist-in-nalanda-bihar-journalists-condemn-behaviour-and-demand-action/): The Bihar journalists’ community strongly condemns the rude and intimidating behaviour of District Public Relations Officer (DPRO), Gupteshwar Kumar. In a recent incident, he assaulted Pramod Kumar, reporter of Dainik Bhaskar, a prominent Hindi newspaper, because he was angry at the latter’s coverage of the administrative failures in organising the Khelo India Youth games 2025. The Khelo India Youth Games 2025 are being organized at the Rajgir Sports Complex from May 4th to May 15th. All journalists have been issued ID cards by Khelo India Youth Games for news coverage. These ID cards are the sole means of entry for […]
- [बिहार के पत्रकारों की नालंदा के निरंकुश जनसंपर्क पदाधिकारी पर कार्रवाई की मांग](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/bihar-ke-patrakoron-ki-maang/): बिहार के नालंदा जिला, जो मुख्‍यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार का भी गृह जिला है, में एक निरंकुश और अभद्र जिला जनसंपर्क पदाधिकारी (डीपीआरओ) गुप्‍तेश्‍वर कुमार के तानाशाही रवैए से जिले और पूरे बिहार के पत्रकारों में बेहद आक्रोश है। वे लगातार पत्रकारों के खबर संकलन के कार्य में बाधा देते हैं और उन्हें जेल भेजने की सरेआम धमकी देते हैं। सरकारी आयोजनों का उनके मन मुताबिक कवरेज नहीं करने पर पत्रकारों से अभद्र भाषा में बात करते हैं। हाल ही में एक प्रमुख समाचार पत्र के पत्रकार के साथ हाथापाई तक की। जो सीधे-सीधे प्रेस की स्‍वतंत्रता पर कुठाराघात है। लोकतंत्र […]
- [How Santosh is silenced twice—in reel and real](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-the-arts/how-santosh-is-silenced-twice-in-reel-and-real/): The film, directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, has travelled the globe, earning accolades and acclaim from festivals like Cannes to the Oscars. However, when it aimed to return to its homeland and reach the audience it is based upon, it faced a setback. Santosh was banned because the creators refused to comply with the Central Board of Film Certification's demands for edits that would cut out vital scenes.
- [Pahalgam terror attack: NWMI demands that criminal charges against political commentators be dropped](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/pahalgam-terror-attack-nwmi-demands-that-criminal-charges-against-political-commentators-be-dropped/): (Reprinted with permission from Pahalgam terror attack: NWMI demands that criminal charges against political commentators be dropped – NWM India)  The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) condemns the levelling of absurd and draconian charges of subversive activities against popular satirists and political commentators Neha Singh Rathore and Madri Kakoti (who goes by the name Dr Medusa) and the complaint filed against Shamita Yadav (who goes by the name The ranting gola), merely because they asked pertinent questions on the administrative and intelligence failures in the tragic Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025. The government backlash has not spared […]
- [Silencing Journalist Rupesh Kumar - 1000 Days of Incarceration](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/silencing-journalist-rupesh-kumar-1000-days-of-incarceration/): On 11 April 2025, on the 1000th day of the incarceration of Jharkhand based freelance journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, more than a hundred journalists, academics, social workers, students and other citizens sent an open letter to the Chief Justice of India seeking his release. Rupesh Kumar Singh’s wife and also a writer, Ipsa Shatakshi, told FSC that Rupesh had made a mark as a journalist covering issues affecting adivasis in Jharkhand, including the impact of mining on the environment, the displacement of adivasis due to infrastructure projects and encounter deaths in the […]
- ["Par yaad rehti bas tareekh"- Gulfisha Fatima : A Saga of Arrest and Re-arrest](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/par-yaad-rehti-bas-tareekh-gulfisha-fatima-a-saga-of-arrest-and-re-arrest/): A moving poem by student activist Gulfisha Fatima is the focus of a campaign by citizens groups on the fifth anniversary of her incarceration. A special FSC report recaps the cases lodged against her and her attempt to keep up with her poetry and focus on teaching co-inmates in jail. On April 9, 2020, Gulfisha Fatima was arrested (FIR 48/20) in connection with a case related to a protest that took place against the divisive and discriminatory CAA-NPR-NRC. Two days later, on April 11, 2020), she was arrested in another case (FIR 59/20) under the draconian UAPA for being allegedly […]
- [Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) objects to the proposed Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024.](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/brihanmumbai-union-of-journalists-buj-objects-to-the-proposed-maharashtra-special-public-security-bill-2024/): The Brihanmumbai Union of Journalists (BUJ) registered their strong objections to the proposed Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024. citing concerns that the bill will impact press freedom. The proposed Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, was introduced in the State Assembly on December 18, 2024. The union has cited several concerns over the bill’s impact on civil liberties, freedom of speech, and journalists’ rights. They argue that the bill seeks to target citizens who speak out and question the government and will severely hamper journalists in the pursuit of their work. They demand its withdrawal, arguing the bill’s provisions […]
- [Statement by Democratic Teachers' Initiative (DTI) against the show cause notice served to Dr. Kaustuv Banerjee by AUD admin](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/statement-by-democratic-teachers-initiative-dti-against-the-show-cause-notice-served-to-dr-kaustuv-banerjee-by-aud-admin/): There is now at least a decade long history of the stifling of dissent at Universities in India.Teachers and students alike have borne the brunt of increasingly hostile administrations, which believe in resorting to strong-arm measures at the slightest hint of criticism, or questioning from the primary stakeholders. In the most recent iteration of this deplorable state of affairs, the Registrar’s office of Ambedkar University Delhi(AUD) has issued a show cause notice on the 28th of March to Dr. Kaustav Banerjee, Associate Professor at the School of Global Affairs, for allegedly inciting unrest among the students and for ‘spoiling the […]
- [PUCL condemns the targeting of comedian Kunal Kamra and the vandalism by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) at The Habitat, Mumbai!](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/pucl-condemns-the-targeting-of-comedian-kunal-kamra-and-thevandalism-by-shiv-sena-shinde-faction-at-the-habitat-mumbai/): Statement issued by PUCL National and PUCL Maharashtra State unit.26TH MARCH, 2025 PUCL condemns the targeting of comedian Kunal Kamra and the vandalism by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) at The Habitat, Mumbai! The PUCL condemns the targeting of comedian Kunal Kamra, for a virtual show titled ‘Naya Bharat’(meaning New India) which was recorded at the Habitat studio, Mumbai on 23rd March, 2025 and which went viral on social media subsequently. His show was a satire on the state of governance in India, political leaders and how they have failed the people of this country. He presented this satire through a […]
- [The Assam Women Journalists’ Forum condemns the detention and subsequent arrest of journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/the-assam-women-journalists-forum-condemns-the-detention-and-subsequent-arrest-of-journalist-dilwar-hussain-mozumder/):  Assam Women Journalists’ ForumEquality, Empowerment, Excellence Press Release26.03.2025 The Assam Women Journalists’ Forum condemns the detention and subsequent arrest of journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder and demands his immediate release. The detention of Dilwar Hussain Mozumder, chief reporter for The CrossCurrent, on March 25, 2025, has sparked significant concern among journalist communities, including the Assam Women Journalists’ Forum. Mozumder was detained by the Panbazar police after he attempted to question the managing director of the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank during a protest by the youth wing of a political party against allegations of a multi-crore recruitment scam linked to the bank. […]
- [Do students have a right to protest, on or off campus? ](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/do-students-have-a-right-to-protest-on-or-off-campus/): The Bombay High Court order upholding the suspension of TISS scholar KS Ramadas raises important questions about the extent of free speech allowed to students.  The Bombay High Court order upholding the two-year suspension of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) scholar KS Ramadas, despite UGC guidelines that do allow the right to free expression, is a highly regrettable judicial sanction to the penal action of educational institutions to scrub out all dissent not just on campus but even by its students outside the campus.  In an order delivered on March 12, 2025, Justices MM Sathye and AS Chandurkar also […]
- [Civil Society objections to the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024 ](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/civil-society-objections-to-the-maharashtra-special-public-security-bill-2024/): 79 civil society organisations have jointly written to Mr Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the Chairperson of the Joint Select Committee on Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024 (“the Bill”) to register their strong objections and misgivings over the proposed law. The organisations have stated that they are deeply concerned about the implications of the Bill for civil liberties in the state, in particular the rights of the citizens to freedom of speech and expression, association and assembly, the right to protest peacefully and the right to privacy. (Please scroll below for the letter, issued in English and Marathi, for the full list […]
- [IAFN Statement of Solidarity with Students of Jamia Millia Islamia](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/iafn-statement-of-solidarity-with-students-of-jamia-millia-islamia/): INDIA ACADEMIC FREEDOM NETWORK (IAFN) STATEMENT IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PROTESTING STUDENTS OF JAMIA AND AGAINST SURVEILLANCE, REPRESSION AND SUSPENSIONS India Academic Freedom Network (IAFN) stands in solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Delhi in their protest against authoritarian measures on campus. We condemn the actions of the administration aimed at curbing student dissent, including forcefully detaining students at dawn and leaking their personal information. This not only violates their democratic rights but is also a violation of academic freedom. The administration issued a show cause notice against four PhD students—Saurabh, Jyoti, Niranjan, and Fuzail—for organising a […]
- [THOUGHT FACTORY: THE DEATH OF THE STORYTELLER](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/thought-factory-the-death-of-the-storyteller/): by Vinta Nanda (First published on The Daily Eye, 16 February 2025. Republished with permission.) As censorship tightens and expression is choked, storytellers face an existential crisis. With creativity shackled by morality and control, is the death of storytelling inevitable in a world that fears free thought, asks Vinta Nanda. The death of storytelling looms as censorship, moral policing, and media control stifle creative expression. In India, where abusive language is common yet free speech is selectively silenced, comedians and writers struggle against rigid narratives. The Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina controversy highlights the hypocrisy—while entertainment is censored, violence and sensationalism flourish. […]
- [On Indian Newspaper Day, media trade unions and journalists' organisations protest proposed labour codes](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/newspaper-day-in-defence-of-fair-working-conditions-and-labour-practices/): National Alliance of Journalists (Regd.)DELHI UNION OF JOURNALISTS (Regd.)Flat No.29, Central Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi-1Phone: 23413459, Email: duj.delhi@gmail.com 28 January 2025 PRESS RELEASE Newspaper Day: In Defence of Fair Working Conditions And Labour PracticesOn January 29, Indian Newspaper Day, leading media trade unions and other journalists’ organisations warn against the proposed Labour Codes that will demolish the Working Journalists Acts and our basic rights. We, the undersigned journalist organizations, demand fair working conditions and decent wages.  The Indian media and the print media in particular have come a long way since 1780 when Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, (eponymously named after Augustus […]
- [Bill aimed at regulating social media could deal a blow to free speech in Nepal](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/bill-aimed-at-regulating-social-media-could-deal-a-blow-to-free-speech-in-nepal/): While sweeping provisions with hefty fines and jail terms are hugely problematic, the drafting of the document without broader consultation is equally troubling.  – By Sanjeev Satgainya On January 30, as Nepal marked Martyrs’ Day to honor those who sacrificed their lives for democracy, a debate raged over the government’s latest move that could potentially stifle free speech—the very cornerstone of democracy they fought for. A bill registered by the government in the upper house of the federal parliament to regulate the use and operation of social media in Nepal contains some sweeping provisions, including fines of up to Rs. 1.5 million […]
- ["Bring Kapil Sibal or Prashant Bhushan, We Won't Let Him Out": Wife Recalls Police Taunt as SC Denies Journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh's Bail](https://freespeechcollective.in/lawfare/national-security-cases-against-journalists/bring-kapil-sibal-or-prashant-bhushan-we-wont-let-him-out-wife-recalls-police-taunt-as-sc-denies-journalist-rupesh-kumar-singhs-bail/): Police officers’ 2022 warning haunts journalist’s wife Ipsa as Supreme Court rejects bail plea in Maoist case (Reprinted with permission from www.themooknayak.com) Ramgarh/Jharkhand – The Supreme Court on January 27 closed another door to freedom for journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, declining to overturn the Jharkhand High Court’s bail rejection. The apex court’s terse statement – “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order” – left standing the High Court’s December 6, 2023 decision. This decision has deeply disappointed and worried Rupesh’s 39-year-old wife, Ipsa Shatakshi. Speaking to The Mooknayak, she said, “Rupesh has been in jail for 2.5 years. I hadn’t lost hope, but […]
- [सुप्रीम कोर्ट से पत्रकार रूपेश कुमार सिंह की जमानत याचिका खारिज: पत्नी ईप्सा बोलीं—'पुलिसवालों ने कहा था चाहे कपिल सिब्बल को लाओ या प्रशांत भूषण, बाहर नहीं आने देंगे'](https://freespeechcollective.in/lawfare/national-security-cases-against-journalists/supreme-court-se-patrakar-rupesh-kumar-singh-ki-zamanat-yachika-kharij/): ईप्सा रूपेश की रिहाई को लेकर आशंकित है और उन्हें निकट भविष्य में अपने पति के घर लौटने की आस नहीं है. (Reprinted with permission from www.themooknayak.com) रामगढ़/झारखण्ड– सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने जनपक्षीय पत्रकार रूपेश कुमार सिंह की जमानत याचिका को खारिज कर दिया है। 27 जनवरी को हुई सुनवाई में शीर्ष अदालत ने झारखण्ड हाई कोर्ट द्वारा 6 दिसंबर 2023 के फैसले को बरकरार रखते हुए कहा, “हम अपील किए गए आदेश में हस्तक्षेप करने के इच्छुक नहीं हैं।” इस निर्णय से रूपेश की पत्नी 39 वर्षीया ईप्सा शताक्षी बेहद निराश और चिंतित हैं। उन्होंने द मूकनायक से बातचीत में कहा, “रूपेश […]
- [Human Rights Day, Dec 10, 2024: Stand In Solidarity with Nadeem Khan and Mohammed Zubair](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/human-rights-day-dec-10-2024-stand-in-solidarity-with-nadeem-khan-and-mohammed-zubair/): On Human Rights Day on Dec 10, civil society organisations have called for a nation-wide campaign to protest the FIR against journalist and AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair and another FIR against human rights activist Nadeem Khan. A statement said that these “relentless attacks on human rights will have a chilling effect on the right to free speech.” The statement said further that it was “evident that this is yet another concerted attack on leaders from the Muslim community and the entire community for standing up to an authoritarian regime.” Uttar Pradesh police had filed the FIR against Zubair for calling […]
- [RSS activists object to statement of solidarity to Palestine, force cancellation of Udapur Film Festival](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-protests-and-meetings/rss-activists-object-to-statement-of-solidarity-to-palestine-force-cancellation-of-udapur-film-festival/): In a shocking instance of blatant muscle and might, activists of the right wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, forced the cancellation of the peacefully and legally organised Udaipur Film Festival on November 16, the second day of the grassroots film festival. Here is a statement from the organisers: The Show Must Go On – The 9th Udaipur Film Festival Forcefully Halted due to its Palestinian Solidarity On the second day of the 9th Udaipur Film Festival, due to pressure and terrorizing of RSS activists, the RNT medical college administration forcefully stopped […]
- [Judge orders FIR Against MLA for Assault on Journalist Sandip Mahajan](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-journalists/judge-orders-fir-against-mla-for-assault-on-journalist-sandip-mahajan/): Justice Sharad R Pawar of the District and Sessions Court, Jalgaon has ordered police to file an First Information Report (FIR) against Pachora MLA Kishor Appa Patil and his associates for the brutal assault of journalist Sandip Mahajan in broad daylight on Aug 9, 2023. Mahajan, editor of a newspaper and Youtube channel “Dhyeya News”, has been struggling to get an FIR registered against the powerful MLA (of the Shinde Sena) for more than a year. Police had only filed a non-cognisable offence despite clear video evidence of the assault. The powerful MLA, who belongs to the Shinde Shiv Sena […]
- [Impunity Marks Journalist Sandip Mahajan’s Struggle for Justice](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-journalists/impunity-marks-journalist-sandip-mahajans-struggle-for-justice/): By Geeta Seshu When journalist Sandip Mahajan was mercilessly beaten up by alleged supporters of Pachora MLA Kishor Appa Patil (Eknath Shinde Shiv Sena) on Aug 9, 2023, he never imagined that it would be an uphill task to get justice. But his struggle even to get a First Information Report (FIR) registered exemplifies the fragile state of free speech in Maharashtra. Despite clear videographic evidence of the assault that went viral, Mahajan has, so far, only got a slip of paper from the police in Pachora in Jalgaon district of North Maharashtra that a non-cognisable offence was registered. “Everyone […]
- [Haryana polls, Parole for Gurmeet Ram Rahim and appeal in his Conviction for Murder of Journalist Ram Chandra Chhattrapati](https://freespeechcollective.in/killings/killings-of-journalists/haryana-polls-parole-for-gurmeet-ram-rahim-and-appeal-in-his-conviction-for-murder-of-journalist-ram-chandra-chhattrapati/): Barely four days before Haryana goes to the polls on Oct 5, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda religious order convicted of rape of devotees and the murder of journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrrapati, was granted a 20-day parole. Leave alone the polls, what impact will it have on the pending appeals on the conviction ? The last time Ram Rahim was granted parole was between January 19 and March 10 this year. His paroles and furloughs have coincided with elections to the assembly or local bodies in Haryana and Punjab. The local Congress party has expressed […]
- [PUCL condemns detention of Sonam Wangchuk and Ladhaki Padayatris](https://freespeechcollective.in/arrests/arrests-of-other-citizens/pucl-condemns-detention-of-sonam-wangchuk-and-ladhaki-padayatris/): People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) condemns the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and about 150 Ladakhi Padyatris by the Delhi police and the arbitrary imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS by the Delhi Police Commissioner. PUCL demands that the Ladakhi Padyatris be released immediately and be allowed to continue their democratic and peaceful ‘Delhi Chalo Padyatra’ towards Rajghat, for raising their legitimate demands for environmental protections and constitutional safeguards in the Ladakh region. PUCL calls upon the Delhi Police Commissioner to revoke the prohibitory order under Section 163 BNSS imposing ban on the constitutionally guaranteed right […]
- [DUJ Condemns Attacks on Journalists, Layoffs, UP Media Policy](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/duj-condemns-attacks-on-journalists-layoffs-up-media-policy/): The Delhi Union of Journalists has issued a statement on the increasing attacks on journalists in Uttarakhand, Kolkata and Delhi, the mass layoffs in India Today and the UP government’s new media policy to pay influencers close to the government and punish those posting social media posts. Here is the statement, in full: DUJ Condemns Life Threatening Attack on Uttarakhand Journo THE Delhi Union of Journalists, in a statement issued on September 2, has condemned the life threatening attack on Uttarakhand based journalist Yogesh Dhimri, whose small digital channel Aanwala News has been in the forefront of exposes about the […]
- [Delhi HC Contempt Notice Against Wikimedia Foundation](https://freespeechcollective.in/internet-control/delhi-hc-contempt-notice-against-wikimedia-foundation/): The Delhi High Court’s contempt notice against Wikipedia started off as a hearing on a face off between the news agency Asian News International (ANI) and Wikipedia but is fast sliding into a freedom of speech issue for the online encyclopedia. The dispute over the allegedly defamatory content posted about the powerful news agency began with its demand to take down the content and disclose the identity of editors who wrote allegedly defamatory sentences in the Wikipedia page on it. Internet freedom organisations like the Software Freedom Law Centre, India, have expressed concern over the defamation suit against the Wikimedia […]
- [Civil Society appeal to Kerala CM for action on Hema Committee report](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/civil-society-appeal-to-kerala-cm-for-action-on-hema-committee-report/): “There is an urgent need for the Government of Kerala to draft a policy and/or law/s that will address the multiple issues identified by the Hema Committee and the related representations made by WCC over the years, ” said an appeal to the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by prominent members of civil society. The signatories include writers Arundhati Roy, KR Meera, Sarah Joseph and K Satchitanandan, lawyers Indira Jaising, Vrinda Grover, actors Aparna Sen, Prakash Raj, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhaskar, musicians T M Krishna and Chinmayi Sripada, academics Nivedita Menon and Ira Bhaskar and social and political activists and […]
- [French police have arrested the founder of Telegram. What happens next could change the course of big tech](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/french-police-have-arrested-the-founder-of-telegram-what-happens-next-could-change-the-course-of-big-tech/): by Timothy Koskie* (Republished from The Conversation )** When Pavel Durov arrived in France on his private jet last Saturday, he was greeted by police who promptly arrested him. As the founder of the direct messaging platform Telegram, he was accused of facilitating the widespread crimes committed on it. The following day, a French judge extended Durov’s initial period of detention, allowing police to detain him for up to 96 hours. Telegram has rejected the allegations against Durov. In a statement, the company said: It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of […]
- [Journalist threatened for covering Badlapur alleged sexual abuse case](https://freespeechcollective.in/threats/threats-to-journalists/journalist-threatened-for-covering-badlapur-alleged-sexual-abuse-case/): “Why are you reporting so much on this rape case? You are behaving as if you have been raped,” said Waman Mhatre, the former Mayor of Badlapur, to Mohini Jadhav, a journalist with the Marathi daily Sakal. Mhatre accosted her while she was on her way to cover protests over the alleged sexual abuse of two minors in a local school. Badlapur, a city in Thane district of Maharashtra, has been in the eye of a storm after news broke out of the molestation of two nursery students on Aug 12. Police reportedly delayed registering a first information report (FIR) […]
- [ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಹಲ್ಲೆ , ಕಾಡ್ಗಿಚ್ಚಿನಂತ ಹರಡುತ್ತಿರುವ  ವಿಡಿಯೋಗಳು : ನಿರಂತರ ಕಿರುಕುಳದ ನಿಲುಗಡೆಯ ದಾರಿ](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/laingika-halle-kaadgichchinante-haraduttiruva-videogalu-nirantara-kirukulada-nilugadeya-daari/): Note: The article “Prajwal Revanna Case, Sexual Violence & Leaked Videos : Tackling the Continuing Arc of Abuse” by technologist Rohini Lakshané, gathered widespread attention as it dealt with the pernicious issue of viral videos of abusive sexual content and how to curb its harm. Free Speech Collective is grateful to Vikas MK and Arun L for this translation into Kannada. A translation of the article has been published in Prajavani, the Kannada newspaper of the Deccan Herald group.). ಮಾಜಿ ಶಾಸಕ ಪ್ರಜ್ವಲ್ ರೇವಣ್ಣ ಹಲವಾರು ಮಹಿಳೆಯರ ಮೇಲೆ ಲೈಂಗಿಕ ಕಿರುಕುಳ ಎಸಗಿರುವ ಆರೋಪದ ಮೇಲೆ ಸೆರೆಮನೆ ಸೇರಿದ್ದಾರೆ.  ಈ ಆರೋಪಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದ  ಸಾವಿರಾರು ವಿಡಿಯೋಗಳು ಇಂಟರ್ನೆಟ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ […]
- [যৌন নিগ্রহ, ফাঁস হওয়া ভিডিও: ধারাবাহিক নির্যাতনের বিরোধিতা](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/jouno-nigroho-phas-howa-video-dharabahik-nirjatoner-birodhita/): Note: The article “Prajwal Revanna Case, Sexual Violence & Leaked Videos : Tackling the Continuing Arc of Abuse” by technologist Rohini Lakshané*, gathered widespread attention as it dealt with the pernicious issue of viral videos of abusive sexual content and how to curb its harm. Free Speech Collective is grateful to Joy Bhattacherjee** for this translation). একাধিক মহিলার দ্বারা দায়ের করা ধর্ষণ এবং যৌন নিপীড়নের মামলায় অভিযুক্ত প্রাক্তন সাংসদ প্রজ্বল রেভান্না এখন জেলে। কিন্তু সেই নিপীড়নের হাজার হাজার ভিডিও এখনও অবাধে উপলব্ধ। প্রযুক্তিবিদ রোহিণী লক্ষণে* ব্যাখ্যা করলেন, অপমানজনক বিষয়বস্তুর অবাধ প্রচলন কী ভাবে কমানো যায়। অনুবাদক: জয় ভট্টাচার্য কিছু সংবাদ […]
- [Samvidhan Hatya Divas: Theft of Peoples' Memory of a Declared Emergency](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/samvidhan-hatya-divas-theft-of-peoples-memory-of-a-declared-emergency/): (Editorial, PUCL Bulletin, Aug 01, 2024. Reprinted with permission) Erasure of Evidence of an Undeclared Emergency  The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting                                                                                                        – Milan Kundera On 12th June, 2024,  the Government of India came out with a gazette notification, in which it declared  25th June as “Samvidhan Hatya Divas” (literally translated as Constitution Murder Day) to ‘pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of emergency, and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power in […]
- [Delhi HC order in Dhanya Rajendran case: of Redtagging and Malicious Propaganda Channels](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/delhi-hc-order-in-dhanya-rajendran-case-of-redtagging-and-malicious-propaganda-channels/): Delhi High Court orders Take Down of ‘False and Malicious’ Reports The Delhi High Court, in an ad interim injunction, has ordered that nine false, malicious and defamatory URLs of reports and posts on television channels Karma News and Jana TV and newspaper Janambhumi, be removed by July 25, 2024. A commentary by FSC. For over a decade now, vicious and baseless attacks by right-wing media organisations against independent media seek to censor and silence independent voices of dissent. They drown out facts and reason by the sheer weight of their deliberate misinformation. Coming from one section of the media […]
- [The first FIRs Against Journalists Under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-social-media/the-first-firs-against-journalists-under-the-bharatiya-nyay-sanhita/): The FIRs lodged against freelance journalists Zakir Ali Tyagi and Wasim Akram Tyagi for tweeting  that a scrap seller, Firoze Qureshi, was a victim of mob lynching, have confirmed fears of the new criminal laws being misused to curb free speech. They also underscore the lacunae in the new provisions on mob lynching. On July 1, 2024, the Union government enforced the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860, (along with the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), which replaced The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which replaced The Code of […]
- [Excerpt from Behind the Pixels: Social Silencing and Isolation of Indian Muslims in the Online Public](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/excerpt-from-behind-the-pixels-social-silencing-and-isolation-of-indian-muslims-in-the-online-public/): Bebaak Collective’s report, Behind the Pixels: Social Silencing and Isolation of Indian Muslims in the Online Public, report throws light on the nature and prevalence of digital hate and violence against women. It documents and understands the ways in which Indian Muslims, particularly Muslim women, are being subjected to constant humiliation and forced into isolation from public and political affairs. Published in May 2024, the report draws the connection between online and offline lives and worlds, where data does not remain mere information but is embodied, and people are harmed materially. Through the lived realities of Muslim women, the report […]
- [Prajwal Revanna Case, Sexual Violence & Leaked Videos : Tackling the Continuing Arc of Abuse ](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/prajwal-revanna-case-sexual-violence-leaked-videos-tackling-the-continuing-arc-of-abuse/): Former Member of Parliament Prajwal Revanna is in jail, accused of rape and sexual assault by multiple women, but thousands of videos of the alleged assaults are freely available. Technologist Rohini Lakshané* explains how the free circulation of abusive content can be reduced. ‘Pen drive case’, as some news outlets are calling it, is a reference to the almost 3,000 videos that surfaced in April on the internet showing the alleged sexual assault, rape and sexual abuse of several women by Prajwal Revanna, the erstwhile Member of Parliament from Hassan in Karnataka. The name is an identifier of the mode […]
- [The Tyranny of the Consulting Editor](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/the-tyranny-of-the-consulting-editor/): How people with limited journalistic understanding are ruling television newsrooms. By Kajal Iyer* In the past, which now seems rather distant, a ‘consulting editor’ in a newspaper or a television channel referred to someone who had years of experience or a specific expertise but he or she had a variety of pursuits and did not want to be bound by a company contract. The ‘consulting’ bit was key and not the editor. For the past decade or so, at least in television media, this definition no longer holds.  So, who are the ‘consulting’ editors you see these days on channels. […]
- [TISS suspends Dalit scholar for alleged “anti national” activities](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-academia/tiss-suspends-dalit-scholar-for-alleged-anti-national-activities/): The prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has taken its censorship of student activities onto a new level: it has suspended and debarred student leader Ramadas Prini Sivanandan for participating in protests against the BJP’s policies! Ramadas, a Dalit PhD scholar and first-generation learner, is a member of the central executive committee of Student Federation of India (SFI), the umbrella body of the PSF. A number of student associations across India have condemned the suspension and demanded it be revoked. (Scroll down to read the press note of the United Students of India). TISS has been at loggerheads with […]
- [No place for Rani Chennamma in Uttar Pradesh!](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-protests-and-meetings/no-place-for-rani-chennamma-in-uttar-pradesh/): “I Too Am Rani Chennamma”, a national campaign to commemorate 200 years of the courageous rani of Kittur in present day Karnataka, was disallowed by Uttar Pradesh police on the specious claim that it violated the model code of conduct! The programme, which included a poster exhibition of stories of women who fought against the British, was to take place on March 17 in Prayagraj and had been held successfully in at least ten places before the clampdown by UP police. The organisers said they were informed late evening the day before by the police that they will not allow […]
- [Entire Murty Classical Library editorial board dismissed!](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-academia/murty-classical-library-editorial-board-dismissed/): In a shocking development, the entire editorial board of the Murty Classical Library of India series has been dismissed! The chair of the Oversight Board Prof Parimal Patil of Harvard University dismissed the editorial board “without cause, explanation of documentation”, says a statement by well known scholars and academics Prof Whitney Cox of the University of Chicago, Prof Maria Heim of Amherst College, Prof Rajiv Kinra of Northwestern University, Prof Francesca Orsini of SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London and Prof Archana Venkatesan of University of California. Read the statement: The decision has plunged the work […]
- [Is there is a place for bans in a democracy?](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/is-there-is-a-place-for-bans-in-a-democracy/): By Manish Modi Do bans have a place in a democracy? Especially in a secular democratic republic like India? Bans only provide a stage for macho posturing and blatant bullying, which in any case happens frequently enough on its own. Why give the bullies another excuse? Good governance means taking care of law and order and making sure that the entire populace has access to clean, potable and plentiful water, enough food, sufficient clothing and appropriate shelter, providing free education and healthcare, and low cost public transport across the nation. And yes, taking care of the internal and external security […]
- [Field Notes: ‘Aap bhaag sakti hai na? You can run, right?’](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-news-media/field-notes-aap-bhaag-sakti-hai-na-you-can-run-right/): “That reporting now needs prior permission, and is guided by district authorities is a worrying measure of our democracy. ” Sabah Gurmat’s account of government attempts to restrict access and control narratives of violence and administrative failure in Haldwani is disturbing. Republished from Article 14 with permission. “We’ll figure something out. But please sports shoes pehenkar aana, notebook-bag vaghera bilkul mat laaiyega. Aur aap bhaag sakti hai na?” Please wear sports shoes, do not carry your notebook and bag. You can run, right? That was a local source in the southeastern Uttarakhand city of Haldwani, trying, over a late-night phone call, to ensure […]
- ["Leaving is not my choice" - Vanessa Dougnoc, French Journalist forced to leave India](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/leaving-is-not-my-choice-vanessa-dougnoc-french-journalist-forced-to-leave-india/): “Please find below my statement. I am writing these words in tears. Today, I am leaving India, the country where I came 25 years ago as a student, and where I have worked for 23 years as a journalist. The place where I married, raised my son, and which I call my home. Leaving is not my choice. I am being forced to leave by the Government of India. Sixteen months ago, the Ministry of Home Affairs denied my right to work as a journalist, providing no reasons nor justifications, and no hearing. Since then, the Ministry has not once […]
- [All round condemnation of attack on Nikhil Wagle and others by BJP workers](https://freespeechcollective.in/attacks/attacks-on-journalists/all-round-condemnation-of-attack-on-nikhil-wagle-and-others-by-bjp-workers/): Civil society has roundly condemned the BJP attack on senior journalist Nikhil Wagle, lawyer Aseem Sarode and activist Vishwambhar Choudhary in Pune yesterday. The three were proceeding towards the venue of a public meeting called by the Nirbhay Bano group organised by Rashtra Seva Dal in the Singhad Road in Pune city when their vehicle was attacked by a mob at Khandoji Baba Chowk in Pune. The car’s windscreen was smashed and ink and black paint was thrown on it. In videos of the attack, voices can be heard shouting and urging others to drag Wagle out of the vehicle […]
- [Lalit Kala Kendra(Gurukul) alumni condemn  violence and intimidation](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-the-arts/lalit-kala-kendragurukul-alumni-condemn-violence-and-intimidation/): On Feb 2, 2024, students of Pune University’s Lalit Kala Kendra were subjected to attacks and harassment by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Bharatiya Jan Yuva Morcha (BJYM) when they were making an examination presentation of a play of a Ram Leela rehearsal. Acting on a complaint by ABVP member, Harshvardhan Harpude, Pune police arrested Pravin Bhole, head of the Lalit Kala Kendra department along with students Bhavesh Patil, Jay Pednekar, Prathamesh Sawant, Rishikesh Dalvi and Yash Chikhle. They were charged under section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for hurting religious sentiments. They […]
- [Unique protest at IIT Bombay on cancellation of linguist scholar Ganesh Devy's lecture.](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-academia/unique-protest-at-iit-bombay-on-cancellation-of-linguist-scholar-ganesh-devys-lecture/): Students and faculty from IIT Bombay held a unique protest of the abrupt cancellation of the lecture by linguist scholar Ganesh Devy on Thursday. Here is an account by Shyama Iyer. They read out extracts from his book outside the venue of the meeting. The institute canceled the talk, on ‘The crisis within: On Knowledge and Education in India’, part of the Institute series, due to “unforeseen circumstances,” as per their communication to the organisers. This is not the first time that the Institute has canceled an event for unexplained reasons. A lecture entitled ‘Israel-Palestine: The Historical Context’ by Professor […]
- [GoI alleges “malicious” reporting, threatens to cancel French journalist's OCI card](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-news-media/goi-alleges-malicious-reporting-threatens-to-cancel-french-journalists-oci-card/): The Indian government’s over-sensitivity towards adverse global media coverage just found another target: a French journalist with an OCI card! In a surprising move, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Indian government issued a notice to French journalist Vanessa Dougnac to cancel her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, citing “malicious” and “biassed” reporting. Dougnac has denied all allegations (scroll down to read her statement). The Indian government is readying for the Republic Day celebrations on Jan 26, for which French President Emmanuel Macron is slated to be chief guest. Married to an Indian citizen and residing in India […]
- [Shyam Meera Singh allowed to upload video on Gurmeet Ram Rahim, with a disclaimer](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-social-media/shyam-meera-singh-allowed-to-upload-video-on-gurmeet-ram-rahim-with-a-disclaimer/): In a partial victory for journalist Shyam Meera Singh, Justice Jasmeet Singh of the Delhi High Court, in a hearing on Jan 10, 2024, ordered the removal of the video from all social media platforms within 24 hours but permitted him to upload a fresh video with a disclaimer stating that the ‘offending’ portions and quotes are from judgments and the book. Accordingly, a fresh video with the same content as before was uploaded on Youtube with a disclaimer: According to a report on the hearing, the judge said: “What he is saying is that he is quoting a judgment, […]
- [A Convict and The Journalist : Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s case against Shyam Meera Singh:](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-news-media/a-convict-and-the-journalist-gurmeet-ram-rahims-case-against-shyam-meera-singh/): On Thursday, Jan 4, 2024, journalist Shyam Meera Singh faces a court in Delhi to decide whether his Youtube programme “How Gurmeet Ram Rahim fooled his Bhakts?” should be taken down, pending hearing of a civil defamation case filed by the chief of the religious order, the Dera Sacha Sauda. The case comes up before Justice Jasmeet Singh. On Dec 30, 2023, Shyam Meera Singh acquiesced to the suggestion of the vacation judge of the Delhi High Court to delete tweets posted in relation to the case. However, he said he would not delete or take down the video as […]
- [What's left of the Right to Information?](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/whats-left-of-the-right-to-information/): With unabated attacks on users, activists fear the Right to Information (RTI) is more constricted than ever before, its ambit systematically whittled down by laws and policies, says Ashutosh M Shukla. For the empowering RTI Act which celebrated its adulthood this year, the reality is starkly different from the enfranchisement one achieves on turning 18. This year is marked by extremely damaging and regressive amendments, even as vacant posts of information commissioners, adverse court orders and non-implementation of “positive” ones from the few transparency-oriented information commissioners. As per information collated by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), in this year alone, there […]
- [Parliament coverage reduced to coverage of political jibes](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/parliament-coverage-reduced-to-coverage-of-political-jibes/): With literally no serious debate and a deafening silence on important issues, why is media coverage so dismal, asks Kajal Iyer. This past week, three important new criminal laws sailed through the Lok Sabha with nary a concern. A few days before, an attack took place in the Parliament and opposition leaders were suspended for demanding a statement on the status of the investigation. While the ruckus and suspension commanded some public interest but more importantly, the three criminal laws are going to impact every citizen for the next many years. Yet, the coverage on these has been dismal. Television […]
- [Kerala's Review Bombing : "In Which Anna Gives It Those Ones"!](https://freespeechcollective.in/internet-control/keralas-review-bombing-in-which-anna-gives-it-those-ones/): Film associations and certain filmmakers in Kerala are seeking regulation of online film reviews, fearing that unfavourable comments will adversely affect the box office. The Kerala High Court, responding to two petitions seeking guidelines for online film critics and vloggers, has issued notice to the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Central Board of Film Certification. Update: In its most recent update dated 14 March, 2024, the Kerala High Court has introduced specific guidelines aimed at regulating social media influencers involved in film reviewing. These guidelines include a provision for a 48-hour embargo period between the release of a […]
- [YouTube restores Media Star World Channel after  DUJ appeal](https://freespeechcollective.in/statements/youtube-restores-media-star-world-channel-after-duj-appeal/): Media Star World, a popular news channel on Youtube, was abruptly terminated on Monday morning (27 November 2023) by YouTube without any warning message. Following an appeal (see press release below) by the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), YouTube restored the channel on 28 November 2023. The channel’s editor-in-chief, Mohd. Ahmad Kazmi, found that the channel was repeatedly hacked last week. The channel’s team changed the passwords and restored it but the termination and finally, the abrupt withdrawal without notice came as a rude shock. In a statement thanking all those who supported him, Kazmi said, ” हम हमेशा की […]
- [How The New Censors Muzzle A Million People!](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/how-the-new-censors-muzzle-a-million-people/): Prabir Purkayastha, founder editor of the news portal, ‘Newsclick’, was arrested on Oct 4, 2023, under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, along with the Human Resources head of the company, Amit Chakrabarty, after Delhi police raided more than 30 journalists in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The raids and the arrest followed the publication of a New York Times report alleging that the news portal had received funding to publish Chinese propaganda. The 75 year old Purkayastha, who had been arrested in 1975 during the Emergency, is an engineer, activist for pro people science and technology and is […]
- [15 Journalists Charged Under UAPA in India, Seven Behind Bars*](https://freespeechcollective.in/arrests/arrests-of-journalists/16-journalists-charged-under-uapa-in-india-seven-behind-bars/): Only two journalists freed of UAPA charges, one with an acquittal and the other, a discharge. The number of journalists charged under draconian laws is an indication of the perilous state of free speech in India. From 2010 till date, we have 15 journalists and two media managerial executives charged under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 ( UAPA ) in the country (See below for full list*). When UAPA is used against journalists who seek to investigate and report on a range of issues, it seeks to criminalise their legitimate work and stigmatise them as “terrorists” as well as […]
- [Bail for Journalist Fahad Shah; Sajjad Gul PSA quashed!](https://freespeechcollective.in/arrests/arrests-of-journalists/bail-for-journalist-fahad-shah-sajjad-gul-psa-quashed/): Finally, some justice for journalists Sajjad Gul and Fahad Shah, both in jail from January 16 and February 4, 2022 respectively. While bail was granted to “The Kashmirwalla” Editor Fahad Shah, charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA),1967, for an article published by his news portal eleven years ago, Gul’s detention order under the Public Safety Act (PSA), was summarily quashed. In their order granting bail to Shah, a division bench of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court comprising Justice Anil Sreedharan and Justice Mohan Lal, said that ““The existence of prima facie evidence against the accused […]
- [BAIL, AT LAST, BUT UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS?](https://freespeechcollective.in/commentaries/bail-at-last-but-under-what-conditions/): The unjustified bail conditions imposed on human rights activist Vernon Gonsalves and lawyer Arun Ferreira in the Bhima Koregaon case strikes at their right to privacy and further curtails their liberty. An analysis on the implications of the bail conditions from the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR)* In a significant judgement on 28 July 2023, the Supreme Court of India granted bail to Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, two of the accused in the infamous ‘Bhima Koregaon’ or ‘Elgar Parishad’ case in which sixteen human rights defenders, one of whom passed away in custody, have been arrested since June […]
- [Kashmir Walla site blocked, days before Editor Fahad Shah's bail hearing](https://freespeechcollective.in/censorship/censorship-of-news-media/kashmir-walla-site-blocked-days-before-editor-fahad-shahs-bail-hearing/): Even as the bail application of Kashmir Walla editor Fahad Shah comes up before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on August 25, the news portal’s website has been blocked and all its social media platforms have also gone blank. In a statement, Kashmir Walla’s team of journalists said that: On Saturday, August 19, 2023, we woke up to another deadly blow of finding access to our website and social media accounts blocked. When we contacted our server provider on Saturday morning to ask why thekashmirwalla.com was inaccessible, they informed us that our website has been blocked in India by […]

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