UK plans Media Freedom Coalition to address attacks on journalists

As one of the key outcomes of the recent Global Conference for Media Freedom in London, the UK government has announced a new Media Freedom Coalition to address attacks on journalists around the world.

The coalition, devised by UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland as co-hosts of the conference held last month, will comprise governments around the world who sign up to a pledge that commits them to speak out and take action together when media freedom is at risk.

"The fact that over 100 countries were represented at the Global Conference for Media Freedom, with over 1,500 delegates from all regions of the world, demonstrates the global resonance of this issue," said Hunt, in reference to the new coalition which will take shape over the course of the year.

"By shining a light on attacks against journalists, the new coalition will aim to change political calculations and increase the costs to those who abuse media freedom, he said.

From India, Vinod K Jose, Executive Editor of 'The Caravan', was one of the speakers in the Conference. In the panel titled 'Religion and the Media; Telling the Untold Story,' Jose made a presentation on the increased instances of mob lynchings and targeted violence in India.

"India's Constitution promises secular values and freedom of religion is a fundamental right in India But there are violations in the nature of targeted killings on Muslims and Christians," said Jose, as he played videos of attacks on religious minorities which hit the headlines in recent weeks and months.

Going further back to trace the tensions between majority and minority religious groups in India, he spoke of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots during what he described as the "height of the Congress Party rule".

"Over 2,700 Sikhs were killed. Workers of the Congress Party and also members of the RSS, the Hindu right-wing group, had played a role in the killings What we arrive at from various studies is that these attacks are not spontaneous. There is a systematic plan to it. They are not organic but orchestrated, he said.

Jose's presentation highlighted the declining global rank of India on important parameters such as press freedom.

However, his presentation had attracted a rebuttal from Prasar Bharati chairman, A Surya Prakash, sitting back in the audience urging the gathering not to believe all aspects of Jose's presentation. "All of us take strong exception to this presentation on India," he said.

Prakash also accused Jose of portraying India in a bad light. A previous PTI story reported Prakash's attack on Jose, and quoted the Prasar Bharati chairman describing Jose's presentation as "anti-India."