'Soon May the Justice Come': Song for Press Freedom as Journos Fight Court Cases

Here’s our press freedom song, inspired by the popular sea ballad, ’The Wellerman.'

(Image courtesy: The Quint)

Cameraperson: Ribhu Chatterjee and Shiv Maurya

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Alt News co-founder Mohammad Zubair was granted interim bail in all cases against him on Wednesday, 20 July. But the cases against him still stand, and he has to still move the Delhi High Court for quashing of the several FIRs against him.

In any case, real justice is miles away as press freedom still appears to be under threat.

The top court did, however, uphold the importance of press freedom, as they responded to Uttar Pradesh government counsel AAG Garima Prashad's request to ban Zubair from tweeting further, saying:

“Telling a journalist to not write is like telling a lawyer to not argue.”

Earlier this year, Reporters without Borders ranked India 150 out of 180 nations in the world press freedom index. But the central government rejected the ranking, saying “the government does not subscribe to this.”

Here’s our press freedom song, inspired by the popular sea ballad, ’The Wellerman.'

There once was a journalist and he did tweet

Flagged all the hate spewed on TV

And he was booked, arrested and so

O blow, my bully boys, blow

Soon may the justice come

And cases quashed, or bail be done

Syn-di-cate, say prosecution

But that ain't what facts show

He used the word ‘hatemongers,’ sure

But you must remember who he used it for

Hate-speech accused and furthermore

The police have booked them so

Soon may the justice come

And cases quashed, or bail be done

Syn-di-cate, say prosecution

But that ain't what facts show

Da da da da da da

Da da da da, da da da da da da

Da da da da da da

Da da da da da da

In 2018, he did tweet

A joke with a scene from an old movie

One that was from 1983

But they came after him once more

Soon may the justice come

And cases quashed, or bail be done

295A, say prosecution

But that ain’t what facts show

From New Delhi to Jammu-Kashmir

Journalists booked for conspiracy

They're nabbed for national security

Feels like someone's settling scores

Soon may the justice come

And press be freed, shackles undone

Article 19 of the Constitution

Is fundamental, you know

Da da da da da da

Da da da da, da da da da da da

Da da da da da da

Da da da da da da