Today , a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Chandrachud extended the interim protection to Muhammad Zubair in one of the cases filed against him. Zubair was arrested for a tweet of 2018 for posting a screenshot of a film. A vindictive state has booked him in multiple cases so justice and freedom remains evasive as he spends more than two weeks in jail. Last week while hearing the bail for Muhammad Zubair, the rejection of his bail plea was announced to the media even before it could be pronounced by the judge in the lower court. Ask me your questions here
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Just bail to Zubair will not be enough. The Supreme Court must walk the talk on civil liberties and press freedom. A resounding message must be sent to those in power who abuse and manipulate institutions to silence, intimidate, punish journalists, critics and marginalised.
A large % of people who voted for the current administration in 2014 argue they did it for the development. Now that it's pretty clear that development was never the agenda and the RSS is ramping up their efforts to establish their "hindu" rashtra, what chances and timeline do you see of India going back to the being a sane nation again?
Dear Akshat. I am an optimist. Never thought I would say this. But the Indian state, the democracy has been damaged to the extent that it is irreversible. We have been hollowed out, we are living in an alternate reality. I do not see any hope for the country because the BJP is here to stay for at least another ten years
I used to be an optimist too and never wanted to leave this country - which is a privilege I enjoy. When I think of it, Civil war looks like the only possible end game. There is no way the RSS/BJP can keep control over a population that's being hounded for a new thing every day . With no jobs, business, etc
As concerned citizens, what can ordinary people do to ensure that such mindless persecution, one criminal case after another, is stopped in its legal tracks?
Dear Aby. Citizens can only raise their voice, come together to file PIL's, resist the fascism at every corner, speak up, support those who are risking everything to speak up
India's ranking in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index has fallen to 150 out of 180 countries, according to the latest report released by Reporters Without Borders. Countries are evaluated on five contextual indicators.
India has dropped nine places to 140 in the list of 179 countries in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index.
My question is why there is no freedom of expression even in this age of global village?
On the one hand, India talks of leading Asia, on the other hand, it is declining every day, especially with the treatment of minorities. How long will the world continue to prioritize business over humanity?
State attacks on freedom of speech are more or less a constant worldwide; defence by civil society would have to be a constant too (Howard Zinn had a nice book on this; I forget the name--you might want to look him up). Here are some thoughts on some of these issues by Noam Chomsky: "Freedom of the press from state control is very high in the United States, much higher than any other place I know. So take, say, England. They recently had a government investigation of the BBC to see whether they’re too critical of the government – the Hutton Report. There was a lot of debate about it, but it was mostly about the content of the report, not about the fact that it took place. I don’t think that in the United States it would have been possible for such an inquiry to take place. The protest would have been too strong. I mean, what right does the government have to investigate whether somebody’s being too critical of it? But in England, it was acceptable. In fact, English libel laws are designed so they sharply constrain freedom of the press. In the British system, if I accuse you of libel, you have to prove that I’m wrong. In the American system, I have to prove that I’m right. That’s a substantial difference, and it has a highly intimidating effect. In fact, it’s been used by big media corporations to put small journals out of business. One journal had claimed to expose something that a big media corporation did, and their reaction was just to threaten them with a libel suit. A big corporation can command legal resources, and so on, that no small journal can possibly deal with, so the journal went out of business. That’s almost impossible in the United States." From "On the Future of Democracy". Noam Chomsky interviewed by John P. Titlow. Dragonfire, June, 2005, https://chomsky.info/200506__/
PS: By the way, the Indian Constitution protected freedom of speech to an extraordinary degree for about 1.5 years after its adoption, before excessive constraints were imposed, setting up the stage for the current situation.
Dear Vaseem. It is time the judiciary takes notice. Asif Sultan, Siddique Kappan and hundreds of other journalists have been incarcerated for cases that should be dismissed in the first hearing
I never saw this coming when the BJP first came to power, in spite of what was done in Gujarat. I did not understand the situation sitting far from home and more importantly do not understand the number of people endorsing them after that at every election. Were they so hungry for change and not Congress that they would vote for the devil? That confounds me the most, it is almost as if I do not understand these people who may be somewhat communal minded but not to the extent to want these guys in power again and again. I do somewhat blame the Congress for their rise by being too far from the ground reality in spite of having some really good people in leadership such as Man Mohan Singh. What also surprises me is their weakness that they get rattled by one fact checker! That should give us some courage.
It is very easy to lose hope when looking at current state of Indian judiciary. The very core appears to be rotten and its spine is bent to will to serve petty agenda's of a right wing ruling party. Kudos to the very few bravehearts and their mighty ink, who fight to right the wrongs.
Just want to ask if you can suggest any financial investigative journalist in India who is investigating wealth transfer away from public sector.
To be honest, by looking at the way things are unfolding, and by the way the voices are being suppressed, the thought of it giving me chills and depressed at same time. What are your thoughts and suggestions for the sane people out there who are trying to voice out on the atrocities, hate and standing against the misuse of institutions?
Dear Vijay. I hear you. As a journalist who is battling this everyday for the past ten years, I can assure you that the best of us have wanted to give up. But this is what the fascists want. They want to exhaust us, drive us to the point of disillusionment, cynicism. But I keep quoting Faiz to myself and my friends 'Lambi hai gham ki shaam, par shaam hi toh hai'
They know this case will not last long so they slapped some more to put him behind bars what baffled me is that SC didn’t even considered the witch hunt being done.
Currently india is having discussion over blasphemy. Zubair was Targeted by the sanghis because his tweet was allegedly blasphemous. The similar argument was given about Nupur Sharma, that her statment was blasphemous. Do you think, blasphemy is something someone should be prosecuted for?
For some communities, blasphemy is way of resistance, eg- LGBTQ community, Dalits, etc. Communities which are oppressed by religions.
In an ideal world there should be no space for blasphemy laws because it leads to an open field for hurt sentiments where arbitrary actions can be taken against those who are alleged to be hurting religious sentiments. As much as i respect an individuals right to freedom, i will never advocate for any hate speech that is meant to provoke or incite communal passion
It is a tricky terrain. Each one of us must refrain from disrespecting fundamentals of others faith, mocking deities of other faith. Question we must, but in the confines of civility and dignity
Thousands of hindu girls are being killed by muslim boy in the name of religion. I understand your compulsion to deny it - do you have a heart for those female?
I wonder if Zubair was arrested for a tweet of 2018 for posting a screenshot of film but They weren't any filed FIR against Muhammad Zubair nor was he arrested when Modi was always in power at same time like today. Paradoxically, Zubair is arrested for his old tweet of 2018, not 2022. Do you think Zubair was arrested for criticised Nurpur Sharma, not tweet of 2018.
Siddique Kappan is emblematic of all that is rotten with the Indian state. I can say that personally i have spoken for him at every international platform, interview. The United States department for religious freedom has also spoken for him. But this is very little. The mainstream needs to be relentless in its campaign for justice for him
Well, the arrest of Zubair is supposed to be a warning to all other journalists. If he can be arrested for an innocuous tweet with no relief, the executive and the judiciary offer no hope. It has had a chilling effect. We are being asked to 'tone down' our tweets , many reputed publications and journalists have begun self censoring
Taking your questions here. Please keep this civil
Just bail to Zubair will not be enough. The Supreme Court must walk the talk on civil liberties and press freedom. A resounding message must be sent to those in power who abuse and manipulate institutions to silence, intimidate, punish journalists, critics and marginalised.
Thank you everyone, it is a wrap for the day. Thank you for your incisive questions and thoughtful observations
A large % of people who voted for the current administration in 2014 argue they did it for the development. Now that it's pretty clear that development was never the agenda and the RSS is ramping up their efforts to establish their "hindu" rashtra, what chances and timeline do you see of India going back to the being a sane nation again?
Dear Akshat. I am an optimist. Never thought I would say this. But the Indian state, the democracy has been damaged to the extent that it is irreversible. We have been hollowed out, we are living in an alternate reality. I do not see any hope for the country because the BJP is here to stay for at least another ten years
I used to be an optimist too and never wanted to leave this country - which is a privilege I enjoy. When I think of it, Civil war looks like the only possible end game. There is no way the RSS/BJP can keep control over a population that's being hounded for a new thing every day . With no jobs, business, etc
Also, somehow 10 years sounds optimistic too :)
As concerned citizens, what can ordinary people do to ensure that such mindless persecution, one criminal case after another, is stopped in its legal tracks?
Dear Aby. Citizens can only raise their voice, come together to file PIL's, resist the fascism at every corner, speak up, support those who are risking everything to speak up
India's ranking in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index has fallen to 150 out of 180 countries, according to the latest report released by Reporters Without Borders. Countries are evaluated on five contextual indicators.
India has dropped nine places to 140 in the list of 179 countries in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index.
My question is why there is no freedom of expression even in this age of global village?
On the one hand, India talks of leading Asia, on the other hand, it is declining every day, especially with the treatment of minorities. How long will the world continue to prioritize business over humanity?
State attacks on freedom of speech are more or less a constant worldwide; defence by civil society would have to be a constant too (Howard Zinn had a nice book on this; I forget the name--you might want to look him up). Here are some thoughts on some of these issues by Noam Chomsky: "Freedom of the press from state control is very high in the United States, much higher than any other place I know. So take, say, England. They recently had a government investigation of the BBC to see whether they’re too critical of the government – the Hutton Report. There was a lot of debate about it, but it was mostly about the content of the report, not about the fact that it took place. I don’t think that in the United States it would have been possible for such an inquiry to take place. The protest would have been too strong. I mean, what right does the government have to investigate whether somebody’s being too critical of it? But in England, it was acceptable. In fact, English libel laws are designed so they sharply constrain freedom of the press. In the British system, if I accuse you of libel, you have to prove that I’m wrong. In the American system, I have to prove that I’m right. That’s a substantial difference, and it has a highly intimidating effect. In fact, it’s been used by big media corporations to put small journals out of business. One journal had claimed to expose something that a big media corporation did, and their reaction was just to threaten them with a libel suit. A big corporation can command legal resources, and so on, that no small journal can possibly deal with, so the journal went out of business. That’s almost impossible in the United States." From "On the Future of Democracy". Noam Chomsky interviewed by John P. Titlow. Dragonfire, June, 2005, https://chomsky.info/200506__/
PS: By the way, the Indian Constitution protected freedom of speech to an extraordinary degree for about 1.5 years after its adoption, before excessive constraints were imposed, setting up the stage for the current situation.
How innocent journalists can avoid this non sense torture?
Dear Vaseem. It is time the judiciary takes notice. Asif Sultan, Siddique Kappan and hundreds of other journalists have been incarcerated for cases that should be dismissed in the first hearing
Another two journalist shot in UP today. Every day a piece in me dies.
Its platform and conversation like this that keeps us alive and hopeful.
Alt news got funding from Syria and Qatar ie terrorist supporting countries. Alt news MUST be investigated
What you think that muslims should also make organisation like RSS ?
The main problem of India is the weak opposition. Everyone is minding their own business due to fear of ED action.
Indian Judiciary has become a joke on the country.
I never saw this coming when the BJP first came to power, in spite of what was done in Gujarat. I did not understand the situation sitting far from home and more importantly do not understand the number of people endorsing them after that at every election. Were they so hungry for change and not Congress that they would vote for the devil? That confounds me the most, it is almost as if I do not understand these people who may be somewhat communal minded but not to the extent to want these guys in power again and again. I do somewhat blame the Congress for their rise by being too far from the ground reality in spite of having some really good people in leadership such as Man Mohan Singh. What also surprises me is their weakness that they get rattled by one fact checker! That should give us some courage.
It is very easy to lose hope when looking at current state of Indian judiciary. The very core appears to be rotten and its spine is bent to will to serve petty agenda's of a right wing ruling party. Kudos to the very few bravehearts and their mighty ink, who fight to right the wrongs.
Just want to ask if you can suggest any financial investigative journalist in India who is investigating wealth transfer away from public sector.
This is the price of busting fake news and speaking truth, Zubair is getting
And Satya Mewa Jayathe??
To be honest, by looking at the way things are unfolding, and by the way the voices are being suppressed, the thought of it giving me chills and depressed at same time. What are your thoughts and suggestions for the sane people out there who are trying to voice out on the atrocities, hate and standing against the misuse of institutions?
Dear Vijay. I hear you. As a journalist who is battling this everyday for the past ten years, I can assure you that the best of us have wanted to give up. But this is what the fascists want. They want to exhaust us, drive us to the point of disillusionment, cynicism. But I keep quoting Faiz to myself and my friends 'Lambi hai gham ki shaam, par shaam hi toh hai'
Kudos to you. I always wonder how you could do all this despite being on their radar? Thank you for the fearless service you are doing.
They know this case will not last long so they slapped some more to put him behind bars what baffled me is that SC didn’t even considered the witch hunt being done.
I shall refrain from commenting on this just yet., Let us wait for a few more days
Mam, what is the best democratic way to protest against this?
Use your social media., use every non violent means to express your solidarity for those who are wronged (in accordance with the constitution )
Currently india is having discussion over blasphemy. Zubair was Targeted by the sanghis because his tweet was allegedly blasphemous. The similar argument was given about Nupur Sharma, that her statment was blasphemous. Do you think, blasphemy is something someone should be prosecuted for?
For some communities, blasphemy is way of resistance, eg- LGBTQ community, Dalits, etc. Communities which are oppressed by religions.
In an ideal world there should be no space for blasphemy laws because it leads to an open field for hurt sentiments where arbitrary actions can be taken against those who are alleged to be hurting religious sentiments. As much as i respect an individuals right to freedom, i will never advocate for any hate speech that is meant to provoke or incite communal passion
Completely agree! But blasphemy is not always necessarily hate speech.
Don't you think?
It is a tricky terrain. Each one of us must refrain from disrespecting fundamentals of others faith, mocking deities of other faith. Question we must, but in the confines of civility and dignity
Thousands of hindu girls are being killed by muslim boy in the name of religion. I understand your compulsion to deny it - do you have a heart for those female?
Dear Zaheer, could you please share a credible source for this and i shall happily reply.
https://theprint.in/world/mutilated-body-of-hindu-woman-found-in-pakistans-sindh-province/1289068/
https://www.firstpost.com/india/bihar-muslim-man-chops-off-hindu-womans-breasts-hands-legs-ears-gouges-eyes-in-middle-of-busy-market-11753531.html
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pakistan-hindu-girl-killing-man-suspected-of-killing-hindu-girl-in-pakistan-arrested-2837948
https://www.firstpost.com/india/lucknow-muslim-boy-throws-hindu-girlfriend-off-4th-floor-to-her-death-as-she-refused-nikah-conversion-to-islam-11638431.html
आखिर सच को सच और झूठ को झूठ दिखाने बाले को
जेल क्यों
ye naya hindustaan hai
I wonder if Zubair was arrested for a tweet of 2018 for posting a screenshot of film but They weren't any filed FIR against Muhammad Zubair nor was he arrested when Modi was always in power at same time like today. Paradoxically, Zubair is arrested for his old tweet of 2018, not 2022. Do you think Zubair was arrested for criticised Nurpur Sharma, not tweet of 2018.
The answer is visible for everyone to see. Do I really need to answer this one and state the obvious ?
Ohh.. if It is for your safety, no need to answer to my question.
Our government don't want questions against him
Siddique Kappan is still in jail. Why the Intl community is still silent! Can't anything be done? Feeling very helpless.
Siddique Kappan is emblematic of all that is rotten with the Indian state. I can say that personally i have spoken for him at every international platform, interview. The United States department for religious freedom has also spoken for him. But this is very little. The mainstream needs to be relentless in its campaign for justice for him
Any suggestion of what we can do from our individual level without being targeted? Thanks in advance.
How it would impact the amazing work he is doing and the fierce fight he was putting against hate and fake news, if and when he gets released?
Well, the arrest of Zubair is supposed to be a warning to all other journalists. If he can be arrested for an innocuous tweet with no relief, the executive and the judiciary offer no hope. It has had a chilling effect. We are being asked to 'tone down' our tweets , many reputed publications and journalists have begun self censoring