Melanie P. Kumar
The search warrant against journalist Tongam Rina over her coverage of the happenings in Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, brings to mind the phrase, “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
The phrase was first found in use in ancient Greek plays and was a particular favourite with William Shakespeare to reveal the inconsistencies in his characters.
In recent times, the phrase has altered in its meaning in the sense that the media is often blamed and held responsible when conveying a viewpoint that is contrary to a popular cause, person, organisation or government. Going after the messenger may be an emotional response by one section but it is certainly not conducive to knowing the reality.
In India where serious news coverage has taken a backseat, Tongam Rina, Deputy Editor of the Arunachal Times, has to be commended for covering the protests at Siang Valley where the state government’s proposal to construct the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), a proposed 12,500-megawatt hydropower project, has been opposed to for years by the people of that region.
The recent decision to conduct a pre-feasibility study on the construction has set off alarm bells in the Adi tribe that populates this area. This tribe considers the river as Ane Siang or Mother Siang. They draw sustenance from this river and many of their cultural practices are linked with it. Apart from this, there is the grave threat of displacement and loss of livelihood for the Adis. The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum estimates that 27 villages alongside the river and across the upper Siang districts will be in danger.
Violence erupted during the anti-dam protests on October 23 and warrants were issued against four people among whom journalist Rina has also been named.
The fact of being a woman could also have angered the powers that be in a state where patriarchy reigns. Media bodies, starting with the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists, have rightfully questioned the warrant against a journalist, without showing proof. They termed it “a serious threat to press freedom” and expressed concern over the likely misuse of investigative powers, as a means of intimidating journalists, reporting on contentious public issues.
Media bodies have asked that the police and state government clarify the specific grounds for Rina’s inclusion and ensure an urgent review and corrective action, if the inclusion is unjustified.
To her credit, Rina is unfazed and has said that the threat wouldn’t stop her from writing or activism. It is brave on her part but she is certainly not the first woman journalist to face a threat.
Indian women journalists have invariably been the soft targets dealing with extreme threats, online abuse and legal cases, when they have done investigative reporting. It’s not that men journalists are spared but the pushback is always disproportionate when women writers are concerned, with the attacks always bordering on the personal. Doxxing, rape, death threats and well-orchestrated smear campaigns are regularly employed with the idea of intimidation.
Nothing is out of bounds in these efforts at vilification, including judgements on whom they choose to date and marry.
At an earlier Jaipur Literature Festival, it was a shock to hear the first-hand experiences of prominent journalists like Rana Ayyub (who did an undercover on the 2002 Gujarat Files) and Faye D’Souza (erstwhile anchor of Mirror Now) speak of the level of the attacks and how very demoralising and demeaning they can be.
Independent investigative writer and author, Neha Dixit, deals with several hundred abusive messages online, not to mention ongoing criminal defamation lawsuits and break-in attempts at her residence, all with the sole intent of halting her writing.
Senior Journalist and Editor K.K. Shahina, was among the earliest women journalists to be held under the draconian UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) for questioning the police’s evidence in a high-profile case involving a political leader. Shahina had to face years of state-backed legal harassment, online vilification and constant surveillance.
Shahina’s fearless voice has garnered her many awards, but what seems noteworthy is the one that she declined, the Kerala State Journalism Award. Despite being the first print and television journalist to be named, she refused it on a matter of principle, namely the alleged atrocities committed by the then Kerala government against journalists M. K. Ramdas of Asianet and P. K. Prakash of Madhyamam.
Of course the most tragic story is that of Gauri Lankesh who paid the ultimate prize for her fearless reportage in the weekly Kannada tabloid, Gauri Lankesh Patrike. Her ruthless murder by extremist gunmen has become a watershed case on how the messenger can be shot at and silenced forever.
Image: By SerTanmay – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76787779
