New Delhi, 5 March 2024: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) joins its affiliate, the J&K Media Guild in expressing serious concern over the rearrest of Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan by Srinagar police on Thursday, 48 hours after he had been released from an Uttar Pradesh prison. Sultan had been languishing in jail for over five years and his rearrest smacks of concerted harassment by the authorities who are also making a mockery of the judicial system. The Union demands he be released immediately.
New Delhi, 8 March 2024: The Indian Journalists Union joins the International Federation of Journalists in standing with the women journalists in Gaza and on this International Women’s Day demands their safety and the end of the war atrocities, including any form of gender-based violence against women. The IJU also urged its state affiliates across the country to stand in solidarity with women journalists in Gaza and provide them with food, warm clothes, press equipment and women’s specific needs, and donate to the IFJ safety fund using communication “PJS-Women”.
New Delhi, 24 January 2024: Expressing concern over the notice issued by Ministry of Home Affairs to a French journalist Vanessa Dougnac alleging ‘violations of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) rule and guidelines’ and that the card could be revoked, the Indian Journalists Union urges the government to ensure justice and fair play and not indulge in strong accusations listed in the notice such as “malicious” reporting that creates a “negative perception” of India, inciting disorder, not taking permission for travelling to restricted areas and doing reporting on neighbouring countries. These, said the Union, smack of an act of vindictiveness, harassment and intimidation of the journalist and attack on press freedom.
New Delhi/Guwahati, 7 January 2024: The Indian Journalists Union joins its affiliate, the Journalists Union of Assam in condemning the intimidation and ‘assault’ on Deepankar Medhi, Chief Reporter of news channel NB News, on Friday by Nagaon District Commissioner Narendra Kumar Shah. Both the IJU and JUA demand a thorough inquiry be conducted into the incident and strict action be taken against the culprits.
New Delhi, 24 October 2023: The Indian Journalists Union deplores the cancellation of a media award to Kashmiri journalist Safina Nabi last week, by Pune-based Maharashtra Institute of Technology-World Peace University (MIT-WPU), on grounds that some of her “published opinions and views…have the potential to be viewed as contentious and not in alignment with the foreign policy of the Indian Government”. Denying Nabi the award is yet another reminder of how journalists in Kashmir are being denied due recognition of their work, in most difficult circumstances and in this case the reason cited by the University itself suggests political pressure, though it chooses to deny it.
New Delhi/Imphal 13 October 2023: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) joins its affiliate the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) in strongly condemned the conduct of the combined troops of 20 Jat Regiment and 5/4 GR preventing media persons from covering an incident of attack on Sabungkhok Khunou Village. The unions demand that security forces allow the media to carry out its duties without obstruction, vital to any democratic society.
New Delhi, 3 October 2023: The Indian Journalists Union expresses grave concern over the police raids at homes of several journalists and writers associated with news and current affairs website Newsclick early hours this morning in Delhi, following investigation related to alleged ‘terror links’ and under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The IJU additionally is worried that the seizure of laptops and mobile phones of journalists without due process puts their sources of information, which at all costs must be protected at great risk.
New Delhi, 28 September 2023: Observing the International Day for Universal Access to Information, the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) urges both the Centre and State governments to ensure that the fourth estate is allowed to carry out its responsibilities and keep the citizens well informed through unhindered access to information. The IJU has over the past years unfortunately observed that governments are increasingly using one pretext or the other to clamp down on this critical right to information and laws are being enacted to clampdown on independent media.
New Delhi, 14 September 2023: The Indian Journalists Union condemns the arrest of a correspondent of Anandabazar Patrika, Debmalya Bagchi in West Bengal’s Kharagpur on September 6, on charges of ‘assaulting his neighbour, a Dalit woman’. However, journalists in the State suspect that the arrest is linked to his recent articles highlighting hooch traders, including the neighbour, operating from Sanjol residential area.
