---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: geeta seshu <[email protected]> Date: 4 May 2010 15:24 Subject: Fwd: msg from geeta seshu, mumbai - release of the first quarterly report of the Free Speech Hub
apologies for cross-posting! *The first quarterly report of the Free Speech Hub was released on May 2, on the eve of World Press Freedom Day, observed globally on May 3. Here's an abridged version:* ** *Between the Bullet, the Baton and the Gavel* Freedom of speech and expression in India is balanced precariously between the ever-present threat of direct, physical attacks from both security forces and social vigilante groups on the one hand, and the reassurance of protection from higher judicial authorities on the other but the scales seem tipped in favour of the former. In the first-ever exhaustive tracking of threats to free speech in the country, The Free Speech Hub has recorded, since January 2010, at least *11*instances of attacks on journalists and * one* on a media house; *eight* instances of bans, restrictions or regulation of media; *seven *instances of the censorship of books, films and television channels and at least* nine* complaints and protests by social and political groups against articles, films, plays or even comments and opinions voiced by prominent citizens. In the first quarter of this year, well-known artist M F Husain decided to give up his Indian citizenship, prominent writers like Paul Zachariah and Arundhati Roy were attacked for their views, the former being physically assaulted, two persons lost their lives as they protested the publication of an article on the *burqa*, actor Shahrukh Khan was the unexpected upholder of free speech when he refused to apologise to the Shiv Sena for his utterances, and two political activists were charged with sedition for their writings. Most of these incidents made headlines and took up hours of airtime on television channels. Away from public scrutiny was the impunity with which security forces across the country used the baton and even their bullets to rein in what they perceive as recalcitrant media. The repeated targeting of the media and the lack of accountability by those who do so, time after time, bodes ill for freedom of speech and expression. Nothing demonstrates this more than the savage beating up of Gowhar Bhat, a journalist of Greater Kashmir by security forces in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 26, barely a week before the global observance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3. Bhat was covering a demonstration of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). His protestations that he was a journalist cut no ice with the security forces that beat him more severely when he tried to read the nameplate of a police officer in order to identify him. Vigilante gangs, owing allegiance to social and political groups, have protested any perceived threat to their world-view by attacking writers, theatre performances, media houses, posters and even mobile companies! Whereas, in some instances, they were sufficiently reined in by strong responses from state governments, the tendency of the state to look the other way in other instances, only gave these groups a field day. These attacks, both by security forces and social and political groups, attains significance in the backdrop of the continuing attempts of the State to restrict, regulate, debar or monitor a range of expression – whether it is television coverage of bomb blast attacks and other conflicts, curbs on advertisements or the introduction of laws, schemes and mechanisms that have the potential to compromise privacy and increase routine surveillance without any stated safeguards. There are some bright spots, however, in the state of freedom of speech and expression in India. One is the response of the judiciary towards SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) suits and complaints against the exercise of free speech. While the Supreme Court has decried the harassment meted out to artist M F Husain and dismissed all but three cases against him, it has also dismissed complaints against actress Khushboo for airing her opinion on pre-marital sex and come out strongly against hate speech. * The Free Speech Tracker has been monitoring attacks and threats to freedom of speech and expression in India since January 2010. For the complete list, please click here<http://www.thehoot.org/web/freetracker/freetracker.php>or log onto: http://www.thehoot.org/web/freetracker/freetracker.php For further information, visit The Free Speech Hub<http://www.thehoot.org/web/freetracker/indexfree.php> . * -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
