There is an urgent need to enact a law for the protection of journalists, Congress MP Rajeev Gowda said on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha claiming that India had become one of the most dangerous countries to be a journalist.
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He said the law must be drafted on the basis of the 2015 report of the Press Council of India that found that 80 journalists had been killed since 1990. He was speaking during the Zero Hour, when the members are allowed to raise issues of public importance.
Journalism in the time of an outbreak
Mr. Gowda said India last year ranked 13 in the Global Impunity Index by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which features countries with the worst record. The Reporters without Borders has listed India at 140 of the 180 countries on its World Press Freedom Index.
Urging the government to ensure freedom of press stays alive, Mr. Gowda said, “We have all heard of tragic cases of murders of journalists. Threats, intimidation and violence against journalists are also major problems. How long will we let this continue? In the absence of legal protection and mechanisms to create a safe environment for journalists and media persons, the public domain and discourse suffer the most.”
