Journalism 101 in Bastar: “I am not supposed to write the truth”

The Editors’ Guild of India sent a fact-finding team to Chhattisgarh to assess just how dangerous the state is for journalists. The Guild’s general secretary Prakash Dubey and executive committee member Vinod Verma spent two days in Jagdalpur, Bastar and Raipur, speaking to journalists, the chief minister and bureaucrats. One alarming aspect of the report is the contradiction in the views of journalists and the local administration. Take a look.

Journalists said

“All of them [journalists] complained about their phone calls being tapped by the administration, and being kept under undeclared surveillance.” Even journalists who share a cordial relationship with the present administration are convinced that their conversations are being recorded.

Government said

Principal Secretary (Home) BVK Sumbramiam said, “I have to sanction every single request for surveillance and I can say this with authority that no govt. department has been authorized to tap phone calls of any of the journalists.”

Journalists said

Travelling to the conflict zone has become dangerous because of both the Maoists as well the police, which is why journalists stick to press releases issued by both. The President of Divisional Journalists Association of Bastar, S. Karimuddin said, “I have not visited any place outside Jagdalpur for the last six years, simply because I am not supposed to write the truth and if one cannot write what one sees then there is no point going out to gather information.”

Government said

“The collector of Jagdalpur, Amit Kataria, told the fact finding team that the whole of Bastar is now open for everyone, including journalists.”

Journalists said

The government eyes journalists with great suspicion. Lalit Surjan, chief editor of the Deshbandhu group of publications said journalists cannot avoid meeting Maoists while reporting in Bastar and the government is not prepared to give them even the benefit of the doubt. “The government should respect democratic rights and should give benefit of doubt to the journalists,” he said.

Government said

“The Chief Minister said that he is aware of most of the incidents and he is concerned about it. He said that his government is in favour of free and fair media. He informed the fact finding team that … he had called a meeting of top officials and some editors and formed a monitoring committee which will be consulted for any cases related to the media and journalists.”

Journalists said

Police are quick to judge journalists and rather than ensuring their security, try to intimidate them. BBC Hindi’s Alok Putul was doing a story on a Naxal surrender and pursued Bastar IG SRP Kalluri and SP Narayan Das for quotes for his article. Kalluri eventually replied to Putul’s messages with, “Your reporting is highly prejudiced and biased. There is no point in wasting my time in journalists like you. I have a nationalist and patriotic section of media with and press which staunchly supports me. I would rather spend time with them. Thanks.” Das sent a similar message. After this, two locals advised Putul to leave because “people” were looking for him.

Government said

“The Jagdalpur collector, Amit Kataria when asked about this by the team, laughed and then said, ‘There was some communication gap between Alok Putul and IG, nothing else.’”

Journalists said

The present administration dubs any reporting done in tribal areas as undermining the government’s efforts to defeat the insurgents. Writing about the wretched conditions in which people live in, in some parts of Chhattisgarh, is seen as a provocation and held as evidence of the journalist being pro-Maoist. MaliniSubramaniam of Scroll told the fact finding team, “Despite my limitations, I have been travelling to remote areas, meeting local people and writing about them. That is something the police don’t want any journalist to do.”

Government said

While dismissing Scroll as “not even mainstream media”, officials did admit to knowing Subramaniam as a journalist.

“The govt. officials admit that they are not happy with Malini’s writing because ‘it is always one sided and sympathises with the Maoists.’  The Collector of Jagdalpur, Amit Kataria told the FFT–‘Even her questions in the press conferences used to be pro Maoist.’”

With journalists and officials disagreeing so completely, what emerges is just how little we know of the ground reality in Chhattisgarh. It’s difficult to take the government’s statements at face value because they’re contradicted by the experiences of those journalists who have been targeted, harassed and even arrested for reporting from conflict zones and tribal areas.  Even those who are known to favour the government feel intimidated and don’t trust the official line that no media person is under surveillance. Under the circumstances, the chief minister’s idea of a “monitoring committee” for cases involving members of the press is arguably more unsettling than it is reassuring.

Most of the time, being a member of the press is considered an immunity of sorts, especially when the journalist is associated with a well-known media outlet. Being a journalist can mean being in a position of power — because of the stories you know, or the trust you inspire, or the organisation that backs you. When this relatively privileged set feels insecure and threatened, imagine what life is like for the average citizen or an Adivasi in Chhattisgarh.