By Ranjona Banerji
The latest attack by the Mighty Establishment is against the news site, Newsclick.in. The news site has long been a thorn in the side of a dispensation which tolerates no dissent.
Early on Tuesday morning, the Delhi Police raided the homes of several journalists associated with Newsclick.in. They seized phones, laptops and other devices. The intent, ostensibly, is to investigate the allegations made in a New York Times expose in August this year that Newsclick received funding from American tycoon, Neville Roy Singham. The article accused Singham of using his money to spread “Chinese propaganda”.
https://scroll.in/latest/1056959/delhi-police-raids-homes-of-journalists-in-probe-into-funding-of-newsclick-reports
The Delhi Police however have booked journalists, satirists, columnists and associates of Newsclick under the UAPA, which is an act connected to terrorist activities. This is one more clear assault on any sections of the media which dare to question the Modi government, the BJP and the RSS. Or indeed, speak up for a free and fair democracy in India.
https://thewire.in/media/delhi-police-conducts-early-morning-raids-at-houses-of-journalists-satirists
Singham has not been booked by any US agency. But the Indian government has used an investigation by a newspaper that it normally hates to accuse journalists of being terrorists. This is a ploy which it has used time and again. And we have no state agencies left, not even the judiciary, which stops a tyrannical fascist mindset from controlling and containing our fundamental rights.
Newsclick is presented as a “traitor” by supporters of the BJP government at the Centre. “Traitor” in what way is not exactly clear. Chinese investment in India is not banned. In fact, it is encouraged.
This article is from July 2023:
https://www.livemint.com/economy/open-to-chinese-investment-despite-clashes-says-rajeev-chandrasekhar-bjp-govt-narendra-modilacgalwantiktok-11690360457868.html
China has invested in large Indian companies like the Adani Group and the Jindal Group. Various Chinese brands like Oppo and Vivo flourish. And this is direct investment from China. But there is no suggestion of treason here.
https://www.investindia.gov.in/country/china
But an Indian news site which gets an investment from an American businessman who supports China and operates freely in the US, is accused by India of being a traitor? The mind boggles.
Nor has any evidence been provided that Newsclick pushes any Chinese propaganda.
What it does consistently do is report on those parts of Indian life which the Modi-dependent media does not want to venture into: suffering, protests, job losses, failures of government schemes and so on. Or rather, that essential part of journalism which was the expected norm until the BJP won power at the Centre in 2014.
There was amongst the general public and in sections of the Modi-defending media glee at the New York Times report about Singham and Newsclick. The same NYT however is excoriated when it criticizes India and the Modi government is anyway. Quite simply, this is how a free media operates. It works to show truth to power, to uncover any oddities and expose what it thinks is questionable.
So too with Singham and Newsclick. The question for India however is: what sort of democracy are we? How does an investigation into the Chinese leanings of an American businessman lead to application of an Act meant for terrorists on Indian journalists?
The answer of course is that we have long ceased being a functioning democracy. And the more the members of the public and our captive media cheer these sorts of fascist actions, the closer we get to the end of democracy of any sort.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.