The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has expressed concern over what it described as the government’s growing intolerance towards media questioning, citing recent confrontations involving Indian officials and journalists in Norway and the Netherlands during prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s visit to the two European countries.
In a strongly worded statement, the Guild said the ‘embarrassing stand-offs’ between Indian government officials and journalists from the two countries were triggered after the prime minister declined to take questions from local media following press briefings.
The Editors Guild noted that Norway and the Netherlands rank first and second, respectively, in the World Press Freedom Index, while India stands at 157 out of 180 countries.
Referring to reports of sharp exchanges between Indian officials and European journalists, the Guild said that although there may be ‘manifest cultural differences’ and varying historical perspectives, journalists in democracies have a legitimate right to ask questions of those in power.
"It is a regrettable fact that prime minister Narendra Modi has not addressed a single open press conference during his more than a decade in power," the Guild said.
The organisation further alleged that intolerance towards questioning is increasingly visible across different levels of government, both at the Centre and in the states.
"The same intolerance to being questioned is increasingly being manifested at all levels of government, both at the central and state levels. Media restrictions hurt our economy and our society," the statement said.
The Guild also raised concerns over India’s position in international press freedom rankings, saying the country’s ‘abysmal position’ reflected an increasingly constrained environment for the media.
"One may differ about methodology or implicit bias in such rankings, but India’s abysmal position in various press freedom rankings is a matter of grave concern and reflective of an increasingly constrained space for the media to effectively discharge its role in a democracy," it said.
Calling upon the government to respect the role of journalists in a democracy, the Guild urged authorities not to view the media as hostile for asking difficult questions.
"The EGI calls on the government to refrain from treating the media as an adversary merely for doing what it is supposed to do — hold those in power accountable," the statement added.
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