As organizations dedicated to fighting for justice, equality, and human rights in India and around the world, we condemn India’s National Investigative Agency and  Delhi police for raiding the offices of Indian media portal Newsclick, as well as the homes of several journalists who contributed to the outlet, and arresting Editor in Chief Prabir Purkayastha on October 3, 2023. We unequivocally condemn this indefensible assault on India’s already-beleaguered press, and call for the immediate release of those who were arrested. In addition, we call on the international community—particularly the United States—to take a strong stance against the Modi government’s ongoing attacks on human rights and press freedom. India claims to be the “world’s largest democracy,” but the Indian government’s raids on independent media outlets, confiscation of phones and laptops, and arrests of journalists simply for criticizing those in power constitute a concerted violation of Indians’ fundamental right to freedom of expression.

These raids constitute  the Modi regime’s politically motivated campaign to silence one of the last news outlets willing to criticize India’s increasingly authoritarian government. This is just the latest example of the extreme measures the Indian government is willing to take in its quest to muzzle dissent and clamp down on press freedom. According to Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index, India currently stands at 161st out of 180 countries—ranking worse than Venezuela and Afghanistan for press freedom, and falling just barely ahead of authoritarian regimes such as Russia, Turkey, and Egypt.  The raids were roundly denounced by the Press Club of India, the Editors Guild of India, and the opposition INDIA Alliance.

We would be remiss not to point out that with these raids, history is repeating itself—Prabir Purkayastha, Newsclick’s Editor in Chief who was arrested Tuesday morning, previously spent time in prison during the Emergency of 1975-1977, when Indira Gandhi’s government suspended civil liberties, censored the press, and imprisoned its opponents en masse in order to consolidate political power. Over the last several years, observers both in India and abroad have warned about how India under Narendra Modi is increasingly being governed as if it were in a state of perpetual “undeclared emergency.” Today’s unconscionable raids are a chilling reminder of why those warnings should not go unheeded.

Signed:

Alliance of South Asians Taking Action

Ambedkar King Study Circle

Americans for Kashmir

Aotearoa Alliance of Progressive Indians

Asian Children’s Education Fellowship

Center for Security, Race and Rights

Dalit Solidarity Forum USA

Emgage Action

EnsaafFoundation 

Friends of India, Texas

GreenFaith

Hindus for Human Rights

Indian American Muslim Council

India Labour Solidarity (UK)

Indian Workers Association GB

International Commission for Dalit Rights

International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India)

Justice For All

The London Story

MPower Change Action Fund

Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)

NAMTA Canada (North American Manipur Tribal Association)

North American South Asian Law Students Association

Pax Christi USA

PRASHANT

SACRED (South Asian American Coalition to Renew Democracy)

Sakhi for South Asian Women

South Asia Solidarity Group

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights