Journalist Union of Uttarakhand Expresses Concern Over Harassment of Journalists

Dehradun: The state executive committee meeting of the Journalist Union of Uttarakhand discussed in detail the problems being faced by journalists and expressed serious concern over alleged incidents of assault, harassment, threats and detention of journalists for asking questions in different parts of the country.

The meeting, held at a restaurant in Dehradun on Monday, also decided to hold elections for the Dehradun district executive committee on September 24.

Addressing the meeting, state president of the union Uma Shankar Praveen Mehta said that journalists play an important role in a democracy by bringing the voice of the people before the authorities and society. He said it was essential to provide journalists with a safe environment where they could work independently and fearlessly.

Mehta expressed concern over the alleged assault on women journalists in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, saying that targeting journalists while they are performing their professional duties is a serious matter and raises questions about freedom of expression and the democratic system.

State general secretary Girish Pant referred to several recent incidents involving journalists. He said that in Delhi, journalists Nafisa Khan and Shaheen Khan allegedly faced physical assault while in police custody. The meeting also discussed the registration of a case against Pooja Mathur, a journalist involved in ground reporting in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Girish Pant said that a journalist’s responsibility is to reach the spot, understand the situation and present the facts before the public. If journalists engaged in ground reporting are subjected to cases and harassment for asking questions, independent journalism will inevitably be affected.

He also raised concern over the alleged harassment of woman journalist Divya Srivastava in Lucknow in connection with asking questions.

Union office-bearers said that complaints of attacks, threats and harassment of journalists are emerging from different parts of the country. They said that if such incidents are not effectively prevented, they could have a direct impact on independent journalism and the democratic process.

Taking the matter seriously, the meeting unanimously decided that letters would be sent to the President of India, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) regarding the alleged incidents involving journalists. Through these letters, the union will demand necessary steps to ensure the safety of journalists, protect their constitutional rights and provide them with an environment conducive to independent reporting.

The meeting also discussed the union’s upcoming organisational activities. It was decided that a souvenir would be published in October, while a national-level conference would be organised in November. The members also agreed to send a delegation from Uttarakhand to represent the state at the proposed national conference of women journalists in Hyderabad.

The meeting also observed a two-minute silence and expressed condolences over the sudden demise of Girja Shankar Joshi, Information Officer and Assistant Director posted in Nainital district. The members prayed for peace to the departed soul and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family.

Those present at the meeting included state treasurer Lalita Baluni, Sanjeev Pant, S.P. Uniyal, Dwijendra Bahuguna, Virendra Dutt Gairola, Anil Verma, Adhir Mukherjee, Devendra Prasad Chamoli, Girish Tiwari, Zahid Ali, Veniram Uniyal, Abhinav Nayak, Sumit Dabral, C.R. Bhatt, Dharmendra Bhatt, Jyoti Bhatt, Ashok Sharma, Mohammad Khalid, Mohammad Shahnazar, Afroz Khan, Viresh Rohila, Kishan Singh Gusain and Ashutosh Uniyal, besides other office-bearers and members of the union.