RSF Urges Indian Govt to Save Delhi Journalist from Death Threats

RSF Urges Indian Govt to Save Delhi Journalist from Death Threats

Since the callous Indian authorities have ignored my complaints, RSF has urged them to formally register my complaint, investigate this case, and immediately prosecute those who have threatened or insulted me.

By Rakesh Raman

As I have been facing constant threats including death threats from people who dislike my editorial work, a Paris-based international organization RSF that defends freedom of journalists has urged the Indian government to save me from threats and persecution.

Christophe Deloire, Secretary-General of Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has written letters to Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Law and Justice Minister; Amit Shah, Union Home Minister; and others, asking them to take action against the culprits.

In an article written on its site on Wednesday (September 25), RSF explains that in recent months I have received multiple threats for my investigative reporting that fails to toe the line set by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a party notorious for the online praise it receives from its troll army.

“The complicit silence from the Indian authorities and BJP’s leaders about the threats by BJP supporters against journalists is a shocking and growing phenomenon in India,” RSF said in its article.

COMPLAINTS TO AUTHORITIES

I have filed three complaints in the months of August and September addressed to Amulya Patnaik, Delhi Police Commissioner; Anil Baijal, Lt. Governor (LG) of Delhi; and other authorities with the request to register my complaints and take action against those who have been threatening me. But my complaints fell on deaf ears.

I said in my complaint that since I maintain the highest ethical and editorial standards in my work, millions of readers from all across the world appreciate my work. While most people like the quality of my editorial work, some of the readers express their displeasure on my articles. Now, their simple criticism has exploded to the level of threats to me, as they are not ready to accept the truth depicted in my articles.

With photographic evidence, I said in my complaint that I am receiving open threats – including death threats – and constant persecution from some readers who not only hate my articles, but they also hate me to the extent of killing me on a street.

They also abuse my deceased parents and link me with a particular Indian political party that they hate. I want to state categorically that I am an independent journalist and do not belong to any political party, I stated in my complaint.

I added that my editorial objectivity and aversion to the stinking political system in India can be assessed from the fact that I have not voted in any Indian election during the past more than 2 decades. And I strongly believe that all political parties of India are full of crooks who are hell-bent to further destroy the country which exists merely as an underdeveloped piece of land on the face of the earth.

ATTACK ON PRESS FREEDOM

I write what I observe. Obviously, it is truth and all truth. Still, some politically influenced people and the authorities want to suppress my truthful voice. In November 2018, the government had blocked my news site. I had to struggle to get it restored.

In order to thwart my editorial efforts as a journalist, people from the crime world are repeatedly trying to intimidate me with various threats that include false police complaints against me, threats of physical harm to me, expulsion notices to throw me out of my house, flurry of legal notices that attack my editorial work, and slanderous attacks on my social as well as professional status.

Since I have been working alone without any organizational support, I do not have the resources to protect myself in a court of law. Therefore, I have been trying to urge the authorities to follow the law and save me from repeated threats.

However, from my own experience and observation, I have realized that India has become an unruly, lawless state where criminals are openly committing crimes and victims have no remedial administrative forum where they could be heard.

Since the callous Indian authorities have ignored my complaints, RSF has urged them to formally register my complaint, investigate this case, and immediately prosecute those who have threatened or insulted me.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications on different subjects.

About Rakesh Raman

Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The Financial Express (a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group).

Nowadays, for the past about 8 years, he has been running his own global news services on different subjects. He also has formed a free Education and Career Counselling Center for deserving children at a poor J.J. Colony in Dwarka, New Delhi under his NGO – RMN Foundation.

He runs an exclusive community-driven anti-corruption social service “Clean House” to help the suffering residents of Delhi raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice in housing societies where millions of people live. He also has formed an environment protection group called Green Group in Delhi.

He creates and distributes a number of digital publications that cover areas such as technology, law, environment, education, politics, corruption and transparency. He also publishes Real Voter digital magazine that focuses on politics and governance in India.

Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.

Contact

Rakesh Raman
463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4
Dwarka, Phase I, New Delhi 110 078, INDIA
You may please contact me on my email.