The Hindu’s N. Ram On The Threat To Free Speech

Veteran journalist and chairman of The Hindu Group spoke to Brut India about the rising threat to freedom of the press in India.

Transcript

00:00Free speech has come under tremendous pressure, primarily because of the BJP government, and

00:16some parivar, but also in some states, not all, including from some non-BJP chief ministers

00:56Suddenly free speech has come under pressure and attack also, and this is reflected in

01:25India's very poor place in the global free speech indices and freedom of the press indices.

01:33India ranks very low when it comes to freedom of the press.

01:37I hope the right issues will figure in the election campaign and people will vote on

01:42that basis.

01:43You have an authoritarian government in Delhi and a communal government, which has a very

01:52divisive agenda.

01:53I think livelihood issues are likely to be at the top of the list.

01:58Unemployment, the agrarian crisis and other livelihood issues affecting the working people.

02:07But you also have the Rafale issue and corruption issues, affecting the image of a government

02:16which claimed to be clean when it came to power.

02:22And they will try to control the narrative through jingoism and chauvinism, war mongering

02:30and so on.

02:31I hope people will see through that and defeat that agenda.