The Daily
BSERVER An IIJNM Publication
Friday, 7 April, 2017
Journos welcome Maharashtra Bill drafted for their protection The Daily Observer Team @observethis16 The Maharashtra cabinet has embarked on a landmark bill to ensure the safety of working journalists and public servants in light of increasing reports of criminal attacks on journalists. After tabling the draft Journalists Protection Act bill on Thursday, the Maharashtra government discussed and cleared the proposed legislation during cabinet proceedings on Friday. “This is a good step towards protecting journalists,” S M Deshmukh, president of Patrakar Halla Virodhi Kruti Samiti (Committee against attacks on journalists), said. The Journalists Protection Bill would amend sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code by increasing the jail term for the offences to five years from the present term of three years. The bill also plans to make attacks on journalists, who are seen as public servants, non-bailable. Cabinet discussion on the bill comes only a day after Aparna Kalra, 45, a freelance journalist, was brutally beaten with metal objects by unknown assailants. She is recovering from her injuries at the Fortis Hospital in Delhi. Robbery has been ruled out by the police. While the motive of the crime has still not been identified, journalists throughout the country have decried the attack as an attack on press freedom. Sudhir Suryawanshi, a Navi
Mumbai-based political journal- Protection Draft Bill. I hope it’ll ist, was thrashed by who he thinks protect us from criminal-minded were “political goons” on March 30 people,” he added. at Khargar, MumThe U.S.-based bai where he had Committee to gone with a friend Protect Journalfor some personal ists reports that 40 work. Five suspects journalists have have been arrested been killed in Inby the police. dia since 1992. Half of the jour“There hasn’t nalists attacked been any progress reported on politiin my case. They cal issues. have arrested five There has not suspects but the been a single main culprit is still conviction in on the loose. I think any of those they were politi-Himanshu Kakkar, cases, which has cal goons,” SuryAsst. Editor Outlook prompted press awanshi told The Business freedom organiDaily Observer. “I zations around the am hopeful about world to list India the new Journalists
“I am not sure
whether this bill would do any good because the problem does not lie with the law, it lies with the police
”
Special court to handle child abuse cases from June Ayushee Chaudhary ayushee.c@iijnm.org A special children’s court will be set up inside the premises of Bengaluru’s city civil court complex, Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri, chairman of the Karnataka High Court Juvenile justice Committee said. “The special court should begin functioning post the mid-summer break in June”, he added. The initiative has been taken in light of a rise in the number of child abuse cases in Bengaluru. The court room will be decorated in a way so
that children who were victimised can find themselves at ease and in comfort while attending court proceedings. Karnataka comes fourth among all states in registering such cases, according to the Crime in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau in August 2016. In 2015, some 1,073 cases were registered in the state under POCSO Act while Bengaluru recorded 273 cases. In 2016, 280 POCSO cases were reported in Bengaluru. In February this year, Karnataka became the seventh state in the country, and only the second
in South India, to have a court set up specifically to deal with issues concerning children. Last year, Telangana became the first south-Indian state to have children friendly courts, following Goa and Delhi. “The room will have a separate entry for the victim so the child may avoid facing the accused. The environment of this room would not be anything like the regular courtroom with a high bench; instead the child will be sitting closely to the judge, in an open room ambience,” Kushi Kushalappa, head, Policy and Community Integration.
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among the worst for impunity for attackers of journalists. Statistics showing crimes committed against journalists suggest a decline in press freedom in India. It may be mentioned that, that the Journalists protection bill is being tabled a month before UNESCO hosts World Press Freedom Day on May 3 in Jakarta. The theme of the event is the protection of journalists and the fight against impunity for attackers and murderers of journalists. A spokesperson from the Rural Media Network in Pakistan said, “Terrorism, religious extremism, sectarian violence and alarming security situation are main problems for journalists.” “There is no comprehensive system to act when a rural journalist is attacked, kidnapped or tortured. No
one aware is aware of any hot line. Rural journalists have no contact with the journalist bodies active in big cities,” he added. Himanshu Kakkar, assistant editor, Outlook Business, Delhi, said the bill may not change the scenario much. “I am not sure whether this bill would do any good because the problem does not lie with the law, it lies with the police,” he said. “Our ruling party is extremely totalitarian and views journalists as enemies of power and then tags them as anti-national and seculars. Vernacular journalists are the most affected because those cases are not covered by anyone in the media,” Kakkar said. World Press Freedom Day 3 May 2017 en.unesco.org/wpfd
WORLD HEALTH DAY SPECIAL In the light of World Health Day, page 3 of our newspaper has a special coverage. There is a story based on World Health Organization’s (WHO) this year’s theme- Depression and then there is a story which concerns all the residents of Bengaluru right now- Swine Flu. We hope this edition gets you up to date on the health issues which affects the world at large. And as the saying goes, “Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live in.” THE SHIFTING NEEDS Karnataka might be declared a drought hit zone in upcoming months. Researchers have already started finding solutions to the problem. We have a story on the future of Karnataka’s agricultural economy. How are people of the state planning to cope up with these changing climatic conditions? What are the alternatives? Why are farmers unaware? Read the full story on page 4.