Page 9 - 31DEC2019E-4

MEDIA

s the year 2019 Journo-murder zone because of relentless
is approaching violence engineered by
the end, Indian armed militants, the region
sub-continent index improves (except Tripura) has avoided
A sets to improve any incident of journalist’s
its journo-murder index Indian sub-continent witnesses 12 casualties this murder for many years.
with 12 casualties this year. Tripura reported the
International media rights year, while 49 journalists are murdered around murder of altogether five
body reveals that 49 jour- the world, reports nava thakuria media persons in 2013 and
nalists have been murdered 2017, whereas Assam and
for their journalistic works Manipur witnessed the last
around the world, which is killing of media persons in
also lower than last year (95 2012. Till the recent time,
casualties). India’s share has the region was a breed-
gone down from six (in 2018) ing ground for insurgents
to two journo-killings (2019) fighting against New Delhi
till date, whereas Bangla- with demands for self-rule
desh, Tibet (under China), to sovereignty. Manipur and
Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Assam were once severely
Maldives and Bhutan have affected by the militancy,
not reported any incident of where over 30 separatist
scribe-murders this year. armed outfits went on with
Pakistan and Afghanistan disruptive activities includ-
top the list of scribe’s mur- ing extortion, kidnapping,
ders as both the countries and killings.
lost five journalists each to For Indian working
assailants. India reported journalists, the year 2017
killings of two journalists for is recognized as a deadli-
journalistic causes. As usual Chakresh Jain faced the fate Basheer from Kerala, Anand est year as 12 scribes (Hari
Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka because of their works as Narayan and Nityanand Prakash, Brajesh Kumar
along with Myanmar, Mal- journalists. However, four Pandey from Maharash- Singh, Shyam Sharma, Kam-
dives and Bangladesh have other cases are yet to be tra. Sharma was allegedly lesh Jain, Surender Singh
not reported any incident of confirmed that they were murdered on 10 October Rana, Gauri Lankesh, Shan-
journo-murder till the mid- targeted for media activities. by his neighbours. Basheer tanu Bhowmik, KJ Singh,
dle of December ’19. lost his life as a running Rajesh Mishra, Sudip Datta
Pakistan reported the oung reporter vehicle, driven by a senior Bhaumik, Naveen Gupta and
murders of Zafar Ab- Satyanarayana, who government officer, mowed Rajesh Sheoran) were either
bas, Mirza Waseem Baig, Y worked for Telugu down him on 3 August. A murdered or killed in suspi-
Muhammad Bilal Khan, daily ‘Andhra Jyothy’, was news channel contributor cious situations.
Ali Sher Rajpar and Malik hacked to death by miscre- (Narayan) was murdered In 2016, India witnessed
Amanullah Khan in 2019 ants at Annavaram village on 4 June by miscreants and the targeted killings of six
for journalistic activities. of East Godavari district a magazine editor Pan- scribes, where as the previ-
Similarly, Afghanistan lost on the night of 15 October. dey was killed in another ous year the country lost
Jabid Noori, Nader Shah Sa- Local scribes reported that incident. five journalists to assailants.
hebzadeh, Sultan Moham- Satyanarayana was targeted India lost six journalists A satisfactory statistics on
mad Khairkhah, Shafiq Aria in an earlier occasion too (Navin Nischal, Vijay Singh, journo-murder index was
and Rahimullah Rahmani to and he informed it to the Sandeep Sharma, Syed observed in 2014, when the
assailants in the year. local police. Jain, a freelance Shujaat Bukhari, Achyuta country reported only two
India as a whole lost six journalist died of severe N Sahu and Chandan incidents of journo-mur-
scribes in 2019, but only two burning on 19 June as he was Tiwari) to assailants in 2018, ders. But year 2013 emerged
murders are understood as put to burn by assailants in whereas the trouble-torn a dangerous year for scribes
being related to journalism Shahgarh locality. northeastern region of the with 11 casualties includ-
related activities. Andhra Others who were killed country has once again ing three media employees
Pradesh-based journalist K this year include Radhey- evaded murder of any jour- from Tripura.
Satyanarayana and Madhya shyam Sharma from Uttar nalist in two years. Often
Pradesh-based journalist Pradesh, K Muhammed described as a disturbed LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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