“There is still a lot of hope for democracy in the country. It is the biggest democracy in the world. But there is a room for fascism in democracy. That is what they have exploited."
These were the words of journalist Siddiqque Kappan in an interview with The Quint, a few weeks after he walked out on bail from the Lucknow jail on 3 February.
By then, he had already spent over two years behind bars on charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
He was arrested along with three others -- Athikur Rehman, Alam and Masood -- in Uttar Pradesh in October 2020, while he was on his way to Hathras to cover the gruesome gangrape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl.
"Journalism is a very risky job. Real journalists find it challenging. Easy work is to spread lies of the government," he added in the interview.
Recent data seems to suggest that Kappan is not alone in his tribulations. In 2022 alone, as many as 70 journalists were arrested or detained in India, according to a report by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG).
The big picture? As many as 194 journalists, including seven women journalists, were targeted across India in 2022, according to the same report. In the same year, India ranked 150 in the World Press Freedom Index (released by Reporters Without Borders) -- 8 positions lower compared to its 142nd rank in 2021.
The Quint breaks down the numbers.
Journalists Targeted by 'State Actors'
Out of the 194 journalists targetted across India, 103 were targeted by State actors, the report points out.
According to the report, at least four journalists were summoned for questioning – three by police i.e. Gowhar Geelani and Yash Raj Sharma of Jammu and Kashmir and Wangkhemcha Shamjai of Manipur and Sucheta Dalal of Maharashtra by the Enforcement Directorate in New Delhi.
"At least three journalists i.e. Aakash Hussain, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Rana Ayyub were stopped by the Immigration officials from flying abroad," the report says.
Journalists Targetted by 'Non-State Political Actors and Criminals'
While 103 out of the 194 were targeted by 'state-actors', the report points out that 91 journalists were targeted by 'non state' actors.
Seven journalists were killed by non-state political actors and criminals. One journalist, Subash Kumar Mahto, was killed for his reporting while the rest were killed for personal enmities, road rage and so on, according to the report.
About 41 journalists were targeted by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and the Naxal affected areas, the report says. One journalist identified as Rohit Biswal, a reporter of the daily Dharitri, was killed in an IED blast triggered by alleged Maoists while performing his official work on 5 February.
State-Wise Breakdown of The Numbers
These states were followed by:
Uttar Pradesh (13)
Delhi (12)
West Bengal (11)
Madhya Pradesh and Manipur (6 each)
Assam and Maharashtra (5 each)
Bihar, Karnataka and Punjab (4 each)
Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Meghalaya (3 each)
Arunachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (2 each)
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttarakhand (1 each)
For the full list of the 194 journalists targeted in India in 2022, click here.
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