Mangaluru
It is well known that freedom of speech and expression was crushed during the Emergency for two years, starting from 1975, however, little did we know that it is being silenced at present every now and then, with an excuse of national interest, said Sindhu Manjesh, journalist and former Lecturer at the University of Maine.
Sindhu was delivering a lecture on the topic, News Media in India, A Health Report, with a special focus on prognosis, during the special lecture organised by PP Gomathi Memorial Education Trust, in association with the department of journalism at University College, Hampankatta.
She spoke about the thoughts and observations she made during her journey as a journalist in India. During the Emergency period, freedom of speech was curtailed. Everyone is aware of it. However, not many are aware that it is being eroded every day in smaller ways in India. For example, the internet was shut down in the Kashmir valley and recently in Manipur for many days. When asked about it, it comes with an excuse that it is done in the national interest, she said. Further speaking about press freedom in India, she said that India stood at the 161st place out of 180 in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index. In 2022, the rank was 150. This index shows how there is a significant decline in press freedom in the country, she said. She asked citizens to fact-check any news received on social media. Check for authenticity and demand credibility, she said.
