India: CFWIJ condemns the hateful video against prominent Indian journalists
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February 25, 2021— A threatening and hateful video was posted on a YouTube channel on February 11, asking for the hanging of some notable journalists in India. The video was viewed by almost half a million people before it was taken down for violating YouTube’s policy on hate speech. The video accused journalists critical of government policies of having vested interests and financial incentives. The claims in the video were unsubstantiated, yet it was endorsed by many right-wing politicians. CFWIJ condemns the pervasive threats to press freedom in India and asks the regulatory authorities to curb such attacks and hold the perpetrators accountable.
The video posted by an account named The String accused renowned journalists, including female columnist Rana Ayyub, independent journalist Faye D’Souza, acclaimed host and head of the MOJO Story, Barkha Dutt, and the senior editor of The Wire, Afra Khanum Sherwani. The video made allegations about a supposed money trail between the journalists and their involvement in an anti-India conspiracy surrounding the ongoing farmer's protests. YouTube deleted the viral video as it violated the website’s community standards, but the damage was already done.
Prominent right-wing politicians shared and endorsed the claims of the video. They later questioned how YouTube could take down the video, ignoring the dangers associated with demanding the execution of five journalists. The video was posted soon after the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi. Disha was arrested on charges of collaborating with an online toolkit to amplify the farmers' protests. The journalists targeted in the video were listed in that same toolkit.
The MOJO Story owner, Barkha Dutt, commented on how startling it was to see the government arrest a 22-year-old climate activist over a conspiracy theory while the perpetrators demanding the execution of journalists go unpunished. Barkha is already facing police intimidation and has suffered intense online trolling campaigns in the past. Since the farmers’ protests erupted across India, press freedom in the country is under increased pressure.
Rana Ayyub also endured online trolling for her views on the government’s poor handling of the farmers' protests. The journalist was subjected to rape and death threats in the past for her critical coverage of Kashmir. Rana lodged a complaint against the Twitter handles responsible for threatening her, but the police closed the investigation. Police informed her that despite their efforts, the culprits could not be found.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands India’s press regulation and cybercrime authorities to apprehend the criminals behind the threatening and hateful video against the journalists. Authorities must consider journalists’ safety a top priority to uphold freedom of the press in the country. We urge the Indian government to respect press freedom and curb the threats that target critical voices.
