If India Is the Mother of Democracy, I Am Her Stepson
If India Is the Mother of Democracy, I Am Her Stepson
The Paris-based international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that defends freedom of journalists has urged the Indian government to save me from threats and persecution.
By Rakesh Raman
The prime minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi claims that India is the mother of democracy. Shockingly, however, this mother is giving me a stepmotherly treatment.
As a journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation, I run various environment protection, human rights protection, education awareness, and anti-corruption campaigns, and publish digital magazines and research reports on different subjects.
But perhaps the government does not like my work, as my news sites are repeatedly blocked and my social media reach has been completely restricted.
The criminals about whom I am reporting as a journalist are sending multiple threats including death threats to me. These threats include false police complaints against me, fabricated cases in courts to terrorize me, threats of physical harm to me, repeated expulsion cases at government departments to get me expelled from my home, multiple legal notices to intimidate me, demolition of my house, and slanderous attacks on my social as well as professional status.
The Paris-based international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that defends freedom of journalists has urged the Indian government to save me from threats and persecution. Christophe Deloire, Secretary-General of RSF, has written letters to the Indian government ministers, asking them to take action against the culprits.
In an article written on its website, RSF explains that I have received multiple threats for my reporting. Although the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India had issued notice to the Commissioner of Delhi Police in my case so that I could work and move freely, the police did not take any action to protect me from threats. And the culprits have not been caught, although they have been identified.
Apparently, the external outfits are also being influenced. In March 2023, for example, my editing rights as an editor on Wikipedia were restricted under the pretext of copyright violations when I started adding content to Wikipedia about the alleged financial frauds of Adani Group companies.
A few days ago, when I tried to create the Twitter account for my RMN News Service, Twitter immediately suspended my account without giving any reason. At that time, I had hardly posted a couple of innocuous tweets.
Strangely, I have also been experiencing for the past few years when the number of my Twitter followers on @rrthakur reaches 250, the number of followers starts decreasing. I believe the content I share on Twitter is of very high quality, but my reach is being curtailed surreptitiously.
If that was not enough, digital publishing platform Issuu arbitrarily blocked my critical publications on its site without informing me. As a result, I had to stop publishing on Issuu.
Now, I am trying to publish my news stories and digital magazines on another platform, Patreon. But I anticipate that soon Patreon will also start blocking my content.
While I am not deterred and will continue my editorial, human rights, and anti-corruption activities, I urge you to support me in my endeavour so that the “Mother of Democracy” is protected from the onslaught of criminals.
Contact
Rakesh Raman
Editor, RMN News Service [ Website ]
Founder, RMN Foundation [ Website ]
463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4
Dwarka, Phase I, New Delhi 110 078, India
WhatsApp / Mobile: 9810319059 | Contact by Email
