New Delhi: “I have been to jail twice. The first time was during the Emergency and the second time was last year in October,” recounted Prabir Purkayastha, founder of Newsclick, addressing a swarm of journalists at the Press Club of India on Thursday (May 30). On this sweltering Delhi evening, he and retired Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Lokur held a discussion on ‘Freedom of Expression in Today’s India’.
Purkayastha, who faces a court hearing today, was arrested in October last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), an anti-terror law, with state agencies claiming that his organisation received “Chinese funding” and wanted to “defame India”. Newsclick has called these charges “absurd”. Following a Supreme Court intervention that declared his arrest “invalid”, he was released on May 15 after spending seven months in jail.
The event commenced at 5 pm, with Purkayastha and Justice Lokur delving into the declining standards of journalism in India and increasing state control over the media. Justice Lokur highlighted the government’s intrusion into both mainstream and digital media, including platforms like Twitter and YouTube. He discussed the financial pressures faced by media owners who criticise the government, noting that the withdrawal of government advertisements significantly impacts their revenue.
Justice Lokur highlighted the increasing pressures on journalists, noting that they are not only facing direct state oppression but also experiencing the confiscation of essential professional equipment, such as cell phones and laptops. Furthermore, individuals associated with these journalists are also subjected to such state actions, which he said was a serious threat to their right to privacy.
He also addressed the constitutional right to remain silent, explaining that individuals have the right to refuse to answer police questions. “The police might tell the court that the accused is not cooperating, therefore bail should not be granted. But that, in my mind, is a clear violation of the fundamental right to stay silent.” Justice Lokur urged journalists to remember and uphold this right.
Justice Lokur underscored the vital role of dissent in a democracy, urging citizens to unite in defence of their rights. Expressing faith in the public, Purkayastha said, “Democracy does not survive only because of courts and the press. It survives only because people believe in it,” he affirmed, highlighting that the people of India know how to “discipline” their leaders. He also encouraged journalists to use various platforms to empower the public with the “acumen” to effect change in the leadership.
The event also featured remarks from other notable speakers, including Press Club of India president and moderator Gautam Lahiri, T.K. Raj Laxmi, S.K. Pandey and Abhinandan Sekhri. The gathering concluded with a vote of thanks from the PCI’s secretary general, calling for the collective resolve to safeguard press freedom in India.
Sanchita Bakshi is an intern at The Wire.
