New Delhi: The Press Club of India and rights groups have voiced alarm about the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's directive to The Caravan magazine to remove a story about civilian deaths in Jammu and Kashmir, reportedly while in Army custody.
On Wednesday, the Press Club of India stated that the government's measures against The Caravan "gravely infringe on Freedom of Press, which has seen a serious slide in the past few years." According to the journalists' group, India's press freedom ranking of 161 out of 180 countries is "a testimony of this fact, and no amount of 'rejection' by the government can alter this truth", the Scroll.in reported.
The magazine withdrew the February 1 article "Screams from the Army Post" from its website on Tuesday, hours after the ministry gave the directive under Section 69 of the Information Technology Act. The story reported on the alleged killings of three civilians and mistreatment of several others in Army custody in Jammu and Kashmir on December 22.
Section 69 of the Act authorises the Centre to issue content-blocking orders to online intermediaries if the content is regarded as a danger to national security, sovereignty, or public order.
The publication has, however, stated that it will appeal the ministry's directive.
On December 22, three people were found dead in Poonch, near the scene of a suspected militant attack the day before, which killed four soldiers.
The civilians were among those purportedly detained by the Army for questioning regarding the attack.
On January 22, a first information report in connection with the deaths of three civilians and injuries to others was filed at Poonch's Surankote police station under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder).
A 29-second video alleging to show soldiers stripping the three men and throwing red chilli powder on them was published on social media, prompting the filing of the case.
The Jammu and Kashmir government acknowledged the killings in a social media post but did not explain how they happened.
The Army has convened a Court of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances behind the civilians' deaths.
The attack on an Army convoy on December 21 killed four soldiers: Naik Birender Singh, Naik Karan Kumar, Rifleman Gautam Kumar, and Rifleman Chandan Kumar.
On December 27, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with the families of the three victims and promised them justice.
On Wednesday, the Press Club of India requested the government to revoke the takedown order.
“The Caravan reported on an important story and the people of the country have the right to know,” the Press Club said in a statement.
The organisation also said that it supports the statement by the magazine’s Executive Editor Hartosh Singh Bal: “This is a fundamental challenge to our right to report the truth, the citizens right to know the truth. It cannot and will not go uncontested.”
Amnesty India, a human rights organisation, stated that instead of conducting an independent inquiry into the claims of human rights violations revealed by The Caravan, the Indian government censored the magazine.
“Highlighting rights abuses by Indian authorities is not a threat to the nation,” Amnesty India said in a social media post on Tuesday. “The government of India must stop misusing laws to censor journalists and crackdown on dissent in the country.”
The Internet Freedom Foundation said that it was “deeply perturbed by the arbitrary and opaque actions being taken that disproportionately impact one’s right to free speech and right to practice one’s profession”. “We have also filed an RTI [right to information application] seeking answers to these questions,” the digital rights organisation said in a social media post on Wednesday.