Now an acid attack
A journalist and his family have acid thrown on them because of his reports on gutka smuggling. He was threatened twice before the actual attack.
GEETA SESHU asks what we are doing about ensuring the safety of journalists
You can look at the shocking acid attack on Dinesh Chaudhary in Parbhani district in Maharashtra in two ways : that safety is so low down the priority of journalists that they make no effort to secure themselves, or, that attackers are getting bolder and more brazen, secure in the knowledge that they can get away with...literally...murder!
Last year, there were five killing of journalists, including the brutal killing of Madhya Pradesh journalist Chandrika Rai, and his entire family. There were 38 attacks on journalists, including the shooting of Arunachal Times editor Thongam Rina.
In this instance, it appeared that Chaudhary was threatened twice in the fortnight before the attack on him at his residence in Tilak Nagar in Purna town.11.30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. According to the Solapur Tarun Bharat editor Narayan Karanjkar, where Chaudhary worked, the two assailants even came to his residence after his news-report on gutka smuggling was published in the Solapur Tarun Bharat.
However, he failed to inform the police or even his own newspaper, rued Karanjkar, who said he would have ensured the safety of his colleague had he known of the threats.
Chaudhary's wife, Aruna, and daughter, Rashmi, who were standing behind him, also suffered the acid attack. The three have been admitted to Yashoda Hospital in Nanded and their condition is reportedly serious, but stable. It appeared from his information that the two were not targets of the attack but happened to come in the way, Karanjkar said.
The two assailants were taken into custody by police but the gutka 'don' and local Congress-I leader Syed Ali, is still absconding, Karanjkar said. Journalists from the districts will hold a demonstration before the Parbhani district collector on Saturday to demand better protection.
Chaudhary, 40, was working in the newspaper for the last three years and was its representative from Purna town. He published an article on the gutka smuggling from border states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and reportedly tipped off police of a huge consignment that was due to arrive in Purna. Police had seized the consignment but Chaudhary received threats for his reports.
Would Chaudhary have escaped the attack if he had informed the police about the threats to him? Or did he shrug off the threats instead of taking them seriously?
That's part of the if's and but's that dog the lives of all of us, but it is clear that much stronger steps need to be taken to ensure the safety of journalists at work. Generally, if a journalist was working on a sensitive story or was aware that there would be some reprisal, it is necessary to involve seniors at the work-place in protecting the journalist. Is this done?
And what of the steps the law-enforcing agencies must do when they do receive reports of threats? Do they ignore them, like the police did in the case of Umesh Rajput, a journalist from Chhattisgarh who was threatened for breaking a story on a medical negligence which led to the death of an adivasi woman. Rajput filed an FIR with local police, but was shot dead on January 23, 2011, barely nine days later.
Let's see what the law does in the attack on Chaudhary? Will they, for starters, launch a hunt for the local Congress-I leader Syed Ali, who is blithely 'absconding' till date?