Several media watchdogs have condemned the Indian government’s decision to ban a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and have criticised the use of emergency powers to prevent clips from being accessed or shared online in India.
BBC Documentary is highlighting massacre of Muslims in Gujarat that happened with active connivance of local administration – backed by RSS/ BJP.
The administration was directed by Modi to allow Hindus to vent out their unjustified anger against Muslims, sequel to train in Godhra on 27 Feb 2023. Students’ Union of Jawaharlal Nehru University while researching to decision of Students’ union of JNU to screen documentary “India: The Modi Question”, at a cafeteria, varsity administration being under pressure threatened strict disciplinary action against students’ union office bearers.
Later varsity administration cut off power supply to block BBC documentary screening. NUSU President Aishe Ghosh alleged that Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (student’s body allied with BJP) pelted stones during the screening on mobile phones, and a police complaint has been filed.
Human Rights Watch says, India’s blocking of BBC documentary reflects broader crackdown. Blocking act is just the latest attempt to prevent criticism of PM Modi’s government. In fact, truth repels us. Be it the 1984 anti-Sikh violence or the 1989 anti-Muslims violence in Bhagalpur, or Nellie or Mumbai, India did not try to find out what was at the root of mass killings.
Amit Shah, Union Home Minister glorifying violence by saying – Gujarat violence was arranged to “teach a lesson” to Muslims. By saying this rather he is takings responsibilities for it. ‘The Guardian’ states, the decision to block the documentary comes amid an increasingly challenging environment for media and freedom of the press, with critical journalists and media subjected to state and judicial harassment.
Last year, India slipped eight places in the press freedom index to 150 out of 180 countries, its worst position on record. Lt Gen (r) Zamirudin Shah, a senior military general of Indian army in his memories ‘The Sarkari Mussalman’ writes: “Troops were made to wait for a critical length of time as the Gujarat authorities failed to use them for an entire day suggesting that violence was being intentionally condoned”.
Indian Oppositions Parties’ Reaction:
- Mahua Moitra MP All India Trinamool Congress: Strongly dissented against the government’s move, alleging that the Modi government is “insecure”.
- Derek O’ Brien MP All India Trinamool Congress: My tweet with the link to the documentary had been removed, alleged that the blockade was “censorship” of free voices.
- Thomas Issac, leader Communist Party of India: Banning the video on social media only reveals how much 2002 is still haunting Modi.
- Jairam Ramesh India National Congress and former Union Minister: PM and his drum beaters asserts that the new BBC documentary on him is slanderous. Censorship has been imposed on media.
The International Press Institute (IPI) expressed its “alarm” regarding authorities invoking emergency laws to block the documentary, saying that the country’s 2021 IT Rules allow the government “expansive and unchecked powers” to control and censor online content and news outlets.
“The Modi government is clearly abusing emergency powers under the IT Rules to punish or restrict any and all criticism of its policies,” said Amy Brouillette, the IPI Director of Advocacy.
“We urge private platforms to continue to push back against the Modi government’s overly broad and unjustified censorship demands,” she continued. “Online platforms must ensure that their compliance with such demands does not aid the government’s ongoing campaign to silence critics, journalists, and activists in India.”
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