India ranked 133 out of 180 nations in the latest press freedom index, which an international watchdog released on Wednesday. The international watchdog accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being indifferent towards threats against minorities and media.
Based on reports in the Economic Times, the defaming assessment by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders also portrayed a rather sad picture of the world media freedom on the whole by stating that it had suffered a ‘deep and disturbing decline’ due to pressure from governments, ideologies and private sector interests.
The report observed that Indian journalists and bloggers are attacked and ‘anathematised by various religious groups that are quick to take offence’, referring to the growing right wing extremism in the country.
‘At the same time, it is hard for journalists to cover regions such as Kashmir that are regarded as sensitive by the government’, it added.
The report also alleged that ‘Modi seems indifferent to these threats and problems, and there is no mechanism for protecting journalists.
Instead, in a desire to increase control of media coverage, Modi envisages opening a journalism university run by former propaganda ministry officials’.
The report also added that the situation was ‘worsening in India’ although ‘its media are dynamic and much more capable of playing the role of democracy’s watchdog than the media in most other countries in last third of the index’.
The index measures media pluralism, independence, legal framework and the safety of journalists in 180 countries, based on questionnaires filled by experts as well as quantitative data on abuses and acts of violence perpetrated against reporters.
