It is with great alarm that the South Asian Women in Media (SAWM, India chapter) notes the unwarranted action of blocking some journalists and news websites from disseminating information over the last few days. The act is a serious subversion of the freedom of the press, especially at a critical time in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, when the citizens of the country deserve credible information on ongoing action. SAWM (India chapter) is shocked at the move and outrightly condemns it.
Journalists are a vital source of informing the public of the decisions made by their government, on their behalf, and the security risks during a conflict. It is the public’s right to remain well-informed at such times, and suppressing the press infringes upon the citizens’ rights, too.
Anuradha Bhasin, who is a senior journalist from Jammu & Kashmir and a member of SAWM, found that her X account was withheld. Similarly, the X accounts of other Kashmir-based journalists and organizations like Muzamil Jaleel and Maktoob Media were withheld. BBC Urdu’s account has also been withheld by X in India.
The official handle of X’s Global Government Affairs said on 8th May that it received “executive orders from the Indian government requiring X to block 8,000 accounts in India,” and in most cases, it was not specified by the government, “which posts from the account have violated India’s local laws. For a significant number of accounts, we did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts.”
Apart from this, news website The Wire has said that “the Government of India has blocked access to thewire.in, across India.” Their statement added that they were informed by Internet Service Providers that the action is as per the order of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the IT Act, 2000.
Earlier, Kashmir-based journalist Hilal Mir was detained, allegedly for his posts on social media regarding the Pahalgam terror attack.
These cases present an unfortunate trend of arbitrary action against the media. Moreover, the opacity regarding the online suppression of information, with the government not having put the orders out in the public domain, adds another layer of concern for the media.
We stand against any move to curtail the freedom of the press. As the fourth pillar of democracy, we take our contribution to India and the world with unwavering responsibility guided by our conscience and commitment. We urge the government to be transparent about its actions and lift the censorship immediately.
Signed,
South Asian Women in Media (SAWM, India chapter)