Editor,
Recently, independent journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was brutally murdered and dumped in a septic tank for exposing corruption in a road construction project in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. However, violence against journalists is not an isolated case. Previously, Salman Ali Khan, a reporter from the TV channel Dastak News, was killed by unidentified men in Rajgar district of Madhya Pradesh.
Freedom of the press is the cornerstone of any democracy. If journalists’ reports are no longer free, democratic and objective, the government and the public will be blinded. The government must recognise the seriousness of this situation and take immediate measures to protect journalists, especially those who report corruption and crime.
The government should create a safe, independent and non-interfering working environment for journalists. Take appropriate measures to prevent violence, threats and attacks against journalists and journalists, and ensure that those responsible for crimes against journalists, professional news workers and related personnel are punished by law.
Aarna Gupta