Jyotirmoy Dey, Editor, Special Investigation, Mid-Day, was not the first journalist to be shot dead this year in India. Umesh Rajput from the Hindi daily, Nai Duniya, was killed near Raipur in Chhattisgarh on January 23, and earlier on December 20, 2010 Sushil Pathak of Dainik Bhaskar in Bilaspur. In 2011 alone, there have been 14 instances of attacks on journalists according to a report from ‘The Free Speech Hub' of thehoot.org. On May 19, Dey's colleague Tarakant Dwivedi was arrested under the Official Secrets Act by the Government Railway Police (GRP) for an article written over a year ago in another newspaper on the poor storage conditions of hi-tech weapons bought after the 26/11 attack. However, the gunning down of Dey in broad daylight by four unidentified men has rattled a media inured to gangland killings. The police believe it was ‘the work of professionals,' presumably hired guns connected to the underworld. But the big question is who was behind the killing and so far no one has been arrested. Journalists and media-houses have been attacked with impunity and since the 1990s cases have dragged on forever without any convictions. Coming to Mr. Dwivedi's aid after his arrest, Dey had met Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil and called attention to a rather sensitive Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) report on the mafia-police nexus. The incident underscores the need for some kind of special protection for journalists covering the mafia and conducting investigations on their own. Dey had reported on diesel adulteration in a big way and on alleged links between the mafia and the police.
The Maharashtra government has been promising a law that makes attacks on journalists a non-bailable offence. That may not be the solution. It is crucial to implement existing laws and make sure the guilty are punished. Dey was no stranger to threats and took them head on. His death last Saturday comes soon after a gruesome murder of four men, turning the spotlight back on the pathetic law enforcement in Mumbai. The underworld in the city now is complemented by a powerful builders' lobby, which allegedly has a measure of political and official patronage. Dey's murder can have a chilling effect on the media and to ensure that journalists truly have space and freedom of expression, the government needs to be much more attentive to crime, the factors behind it, and its links, if any, with sections of the official establishment. The state should conduct a transparent and speedy investigation into Dey's murder and, belying its dismal track record, demonstrate that at least now it means business.
Keywords: Journalist killing, J. Dey, media freedom, Jyotirmoy Dey
Well balanced editorial! The attacks on Journalists can be caused by many factors in any country including medieval nature of political and economic system, eroding respect for journalists in general public because of some rogue nature reporting by a few media or just general declining value system among readers and media audience or just general decline in respect for difference of opinion. Important issue of the times.
Is it so difficult to nab the culprit of Dey's murder. Is it not a dilly dallying tactics of the Govt or covering up? If we look back oil mafias, Sand mafias and Telgi's stamp paper scam what in general people found? Govt is fooling the public and the public is getting fooled. People have two options either to raise voice, roll your shoulders or be a mute spectator.
If Dey had met with the Home Minister, Mr. Patil, calling attention to a rather sensitive Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) report on the mafia-police nexus, there should have been immediate action taken. Yet none was taken. There has to be a thorough investigation done by CBI, particularly as to why the Police and the State have been inept in handling such brazen underworld Mumbai gangs relating to oil and sandalwood. Otherwise, there will be no protection for journalists involved in special investigative reports.
Actually, the media can be used as a critical tool of cleaning up messes in the system. Somehow, the more coverage an issue gets, the better it is addressed by the authorities. So, can I suggest that a section be set up in most major media outlets to specifically follow key select issues and keep on following them until closure? If media is to hold authority accountable, how about a permanent system of pursuance rather than one and isolated coverage of just one or two incidents? Just a thought. If you follow issues in isolation, accountability cannot be expected for the long run, if you think about it.
The Fourth Estate has been proclaimed as the Pillar of democracy.But freedom of press in India that is Bharath, seems to be only on 'paper'. Both Print media and e-media are vocally advocating freedom of press while it is nobody's secret that they are governed or monitored by remote controls. It is very rare that some one like Mr. Dey come forward to bring to light the dark realities in life despite threats to life. Many of the so called investigating journalists are more for publicity than for the real concern for the 'truth'.
Truly said,Corruption is in every nook and corner of India.TO unveil this only some scrupulous people associated with media are involved.Albeit they are few but they are the eyes of our nation.So,Government esp. States should atleast certify their securities so those meticulous persons can work in an open space.
We were shocked to hear the killing of a journalist in Pakistan some days ago. We are no inferior to Pakistan in silencing the journalists. It is a shameful day. It is a blot on the canvas of Indian democracy. There a saying those who are with sword will be peril by it. But is proven that those who are with the pen will be gunned down.
When law enforcment agencies are weak and involved with the criminals; no law, how stringent it is, can work the way it is supposed to. When laws are strictly enforced by the agencies, such ghastly criminal acts will be highly deterred; but alas, we frequently hear the stories of involvement of such agencies into the acts. Root cause of such problems is corruption which is pervaded so deeply at every corner of the system, it's high time that something was done. Strong leadership, willing to wipe out corruption at every level is solution to this. I know it's easier said than done, but something must be done now. Ripple created by Anna and Ramdev, must turn into a giant wave to bring about transformations in this country.
Journalist act as an eye to the public. They bring forward the incidents/truths happening around the world. Some journos goes so deep into their work that work starts posing threat to their life. This is the irony of the situation. Instead of getting rewarded for their work, they get the penalty of doing that work. The nexus between politicians and goons is an open secret. Everyone knows this fact. No honest human being can ever dare to enter politics. It is the business of the goons. And whosoever tries to defame or bring this fact in open, he will get the same treatment as Mr.Dey received. The time has come to open our eyes and bring some bright minded people in politics. Why can't and IITian or an IIM student pursue think of pursuing a business we called politics? When will we understand our responsibility and think rightly ? When.
Yet again a whistle blower is targeted for uncovering the truth. Lack of will of system to bring the culprit to book, is reinforcing them to commit such misdeeds again and again.Ineffectiveness in enforcement of law has created a form of anarchy. An investigation by an independent body and speedy trial of the culprit can only diminish the motives of mafia and break the mafia police politician nexus.
Here in this country,if the journalist fears for writing something, then our constitutional laws and democracy everything would just remain as a subject which every school child should learn in order to clear his exams.Such is the present situation in our country,truly pathetic. The thing is that the people not only fear mafia,they even fear to talk something against the politicians.These things continue and our freedom of speech ceases to live as long as we have uneducated politicians.
Senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey was a great journalist . We should not forgot the thing that, the place where he murdered was not any ordinary area but the Powai . It's the corporate area ,where you will find corporate offices of many international companies. If my country's journalist is not safe in such high profile area, then it's really difficult to imagine about the safety of journalist , who is taking coverage of naxal affected area.
For proper functioning of the democracy, it is essential that media plays is role without fear and with independence. I am an ordinary citizen of this country who has been a regular reader and listener to the leading newspaper and news channels. The story of murder of leading journalist J.Dey has put a question in my mind "Will the media continue working without bias and fear after this gruesome incident?" I guess not with fear of life clouding their judgment. If we want our democracy to be strong and media to be its pillar of support we should have a movement similar to the anti-corruption movement. So I strongly urge all the mediaperson to launch a movement in order to get all the perpetrators of crime brought to the dock and ensure that special rules and regulations are made for protection of journalists and esp. crime reporters.
It is rather sad that a brave reporter of a daily lost his life in a cruel way. What is surprising is the timing of the incident. it is said that he has been reporting on the crime scene for over 2 decades and suddenly he has been targeted and done to death. The Editorial talks about builders' mafia in hand with underworld. There are reports that oil mafia was behind this.The newspaper should investigate about this oil mafia, which is being heard for the first time, in public atleast. It leads us to the question whether the media should keep the name and identity of such reporters under wrap.
Implementing new laws is just a hoax by the government to procrastinate its action permissible within the present law.There is no sense making new laws when government is unable to implement and hence nobody will adhere to it. The only solution in the current scenario where the law broker and protector seems to have created a nexus which no one can break is the need of an independent body to check, some thing like the lokpal bill is proposing.May god give peace to Mr.Dey and courage to his family.
It is shocking to note that a journalist had been shot dead in Mumbai in broad daylight in a busy locality. It is more shocking to be reminded by the media that so far 27 journalists have been killed in the recent past and that in none of the cases the killers had been punished. This will show the level of efficacy of the governments and the police machinery. It may be adventurous and easier for the central government police at New Delhi to swoop on the sleeping satyagrahis at Ram Lila Maidan and for the Prime Minister to say that it was unfortunate but inevitable. But it is quite another to manage an efficient and effective police departments. UPA government will have to answer this latter issue to the satisfaction of the people as this issue concerns not only the state governments but the central government as well. The least the Parliament should do when it reassembles for the monsoon session is to call attention of the House for a motion, debate and put the government on the mat and ask for political accountability for the unsolved murder cases of 27 journalists so far. It is hoped that the newspaper editors will take this up more energetically as the question of morale of the young mediamen and women is vitally involved. Media should also publish the details of these 27 cases ofjournalists who have been killed and their killers have not been punished yet.
Media is an indispensable pillar of democracy. Efforts at maiming this organ are deplorable. State has to go beyond promising and do something. Nevertheless, the sad story of our great democracy is that despite knowing who the culprits are, nailing them is a mammoth task, thanks to the strong patronage that they enjoy.
Journalists are more vulnerable to gangsters than the common man but I'm not sure if 'special' laws and provisions would actually work.Criminals will not stop acting because of a change in laws.They act on the confidence that they will get away with it no matter what the law.The real reason is the deep rooted law and order problem every state in this country faces. Politicians,criminals and business- the lines between these 3 sections of society have blurred.Until this nexus is broken,law and order issues will never be solved. Until then,journalists and whistle blowers must remain vigilant.
Well written. Hypothetically, if I accept a bribe I spend bulk of my time finding ways to spend the ill gotten money, covering its track, then some times regretting that my integrity got compromised. Thus, there is little time to stay upright on the job. Corruption simply eats in to our vitals, and need to be taken by its horns and ruthlessly eradicated. One simply salutes these brave journos. May Dey's soul rest in eternal peace!
Implementing new rules will be the only statement given by politicians when any complicated situation arrives. Already 2 days were over after the murder of dey, but still there was no clue who had done it. Govt. had said that these types of crimes will be treated as non bailable offence, how far that is useful? when a journalist gets a life threat just take action immediately other wise no reporter will be daring to explore the trut.
Please Email the Editor