Speakers at a Jan Hastakshep event draw attention to a series of legislative, administrative, and extra-legal measures aimed at silencing dissent and criminalising journalism
NEW DELHI — Leading intellectuals, journalists, academics, and civil rights activists have raised alarm over what they described as an “orchestrated assault” on press freedom, civil liberties, and freedom of expression under the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.
At a recent public meeting, under the aegis of the civil rights organisation Jan Hastakshep, at the Press Club of India here recently, speakers drew attention to a series of legislative, administrative, and extra-legal measures aimed at silencing dissent, criminalising journalism, and cultivating an atmosphere of fear and submission.
The meeting was held under the title “Throttling Press Freedom and the Attack on Freedom of Expression to Enslave Society.”
Veteran journalist Saeed Naqvi, JNU academic Prof Rakesh Batabyal, RTI activist and co-founder of Satark Nagrik Sangathan Anjali Bhardwaj, and award-winning investigative journalist from The Reporters’ Collective Nitin Sethi were among the speakers. The event was introduced by senior journalist Anil Dubey, with proceedings conducted by Jan Hastakshep convener Dr Vikas Bajpai.
Speakers highlighted a growing list of attacks on free speech and independent media. Among the recent flashpoints were the banning (and subsequent unbanning through court intervention) of The Wire and YouTube channel 4PM, the arrest of Ashoka University faculty Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad for a mild social media post, and the assault and casteist abuse of four journalists in Bhind, Madhya Pradesh, after they exposed police extortion networks.
“These are not isolated events,” said Saeed Naqvi. “This is a pattern — a design — to intimidate, isolate, and eliminate independent journalism and dissenting voices.” He warned that with the demise of international checks and balances post-Cold War, Indian media has descended into a parody of itself, copying the West’s propaganda playbook but in more dangerous, communal forms.
Prof Batabyal of JNU spoke of the systemic corrosion of journalistic ethics and editorial independence, with state-favoured “Godi Media” turning into propaganda outlets that glorify sectarian politics while branding critics as anti-national.
A major concern voiced at the meeting was the passage of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) in 2023, with rules formulated in 2025. Speakers warned that the law, framed under the pretext of data privacy, could be weaponised to suppress whistleblowing and restrict journalistic access to public-interest data.
RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj drew attention to what she termed a state-led campaign for a “Data Mukt Bharat.” “When citizens don’t have access to information, they can’t speak truth to power. The right to expression becomes meaningless,” she said.
She cited how the government has delayed the national census by five years, rendering the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) sampling models ineffective and allowing propaganda to replace evidence-based governance. “NITI Aayog now claims only 5% of Indians are poor. This fantasy is enabled by data suppression,” Bhardwaj pointed out.
She also flagged amendments to Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, which now allow denial of information under vague claims of privacy. “Bridges collapse, funds vanish, and nobody knows who was responsible. PM CARES Fund remains outside RTI. This is systemic opacity,” she said, adding that the DPDP Act would make it almost impossible to report corruption without facing legal action.
Criminalising Dissent
The meeting also condemned the repeated misuse of draconian legislations like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Sedition Law, and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to arrest journalists, activists, and opposition leaders. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), speakers alleged, is being misused to hound political opponents and independent institutions.
The arrest of Prof Mahmudabad over a mild post expressing concern about the treatment of Muslims in India was widely cited as emblematic of the government’s hypersensitivity to criticism and its readiness to jail even those with measured, constitutionally protected opinions.
Rise of the ‘Godi Media’
Panellists were unanimous in condemning the rise of pro-government media, colloquially known as “Godi Media.” These channels, they argued, have abandoned journalism in favour of open propaganda, indulging in hate speech, manufacturing communal narratives, and even celebrating violence in the name of nationalism.
“There is a clear contrast,” said Prof Batabyal. “While rational and accountable voices are marginalised, media outlets promoting bigotry enjoy protection, patronage, and platforms. This inversion of the media’s role is dangerous for democracy.”
During the recent military tensions with Pakistan, speakers said, Indian TV channels crossed all ethical lines, turning a sensitive geopolitical crisis into a jingoistic spectacle. “This makes not just the Indian media but the country itself a laughingstock globally,” one participant remarked.
Investigative Journalism Under Threat
In a powerful closing address, investigative journalist Nitin Sethi offered both a critique and a call to courage. He recounted how The Reporters’ Collective exposed the government’s illegal 2021 order denying nutrition benefits under the ICDS scheme to children and mothers without Aadhaar numbers, in violation of a 2018 Supreme Court ruling.
“The government didn’t respond to our detailed queries. But once the story was out, they called it fake news through the Press Information Bureau,” he said. “That’s the tactic: don’t engage, then discredit.”
Yet, Sethi found hope in the work of young journalists willing to risk their careers and safety to pursue uncomfortable truths. “There are still 30- to 35-year-olds doing outstanding investigative work. The government fears this – our ability to report, to expose, to inform. That fear is our leverage,” he said. “Bad times require more courage, not less.”
Call to Defend Democratic Freedoms
A resolution passed at the end of the meeting termed the current regime’s actions as part of a “neo-fascist trajectory” and called on civil society to resist state-sponsored censorship.
The resolution read:
“We reaffirm that freedom of thought and expression is not a privilege but a foundational necessity for a just and vibrant democracy. Journalism, academia, literature, and artistic expression must function independently as pillars of democratic life.”
It demanded the repeal of the Digital Data Protection Act and other repressive laws, an end to police intimidation and legal harassment of journalists, and solidarity with all voices persecuted for exercising constitutional rights.
“Freedom of expression shall not be sacrificed at the altar of authoritarianism,” it concluded. “The people’s right to speak, question, and resist shall prevail.”
The organisers stressed that only by cultivating a robust democratic culture — through institutions, public awareness, and civil courage — can India’s democratic ethos be defended in these challenging times.
