Paying a price for free speech

BY TARINI PURI

WIhat happens when the very advocates of freedom of speech are thrown into prison or worse, murdered? In a world that’s becoming increasingly intolerant of the freedom of the press, how safe are journalists?

Salil Tripathi, Chair of PEN n n n s s n s n Committee, was in Sydney recently to s uss us . s n s n mm n n n works on behalf of persecuted writers worldwide. It was established in 1960 in response to increasing attempts to silence voices of dissent by imprisoning writers and journalists.

The London-based writer was in conversation with Australian academic n ffi u nn Schultz about the corporatisation of media, and allowing free and unbiased journalism to thrive in India.

Speaking about the alarming rise of imprisonment of journalists and the impact on freedom of speech all around the world, Tripathi highlighted the murder of Gauri Lankesh, journalist-turned-activist from Bangalore in India, who was shot dead outside her home in September 2017, allegedly by Hindutva extremists for her passionate writings. He stressed on the need to promote alternative media and not-for-profit news entities.

The award-winning journalist-author also expressed regret at the dearth of women in senior editorial roles in the Indian media, besides the general disconnect of the large media houses and journalists with the realities of the n u n. us s n controlled by large corporates, which are usually hand-in-glove with the powers that be, is a real challenge in India. This needs to stop, and one way is to encourage alternative media to prevent the twisting of news and journalism,” Tripathi said.

The mood of the two-hour programme was set by Tripathi who shared with the audience the challenges faced by journalists, writers and even bloggers in m n un s n u n m s nm n threats of physical harm and violence, as well as increasing trolling on social media.

According to statistical record maintained by PEN, globally there were 218 recorded cases of attacks on the freedom of expression in 2017.

The writer also shared his insights into the socio-political environments in countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom, Pakistan, China and even Singapore and Vietnam, where he said journos, writers and poets are constantly stifled. “It’s a very grim picture, unfortunately. Violation of human rights of journalists is being purported by governments themselves in many countries under the guise of national security.”

“Journalists are facing threats of all n s m n s n n m n abuse of anti-terror laws, threats of physical violence, etc., besides many other ingenuous methods being used by governments to stifle the voices of writers and journalists. Ceaseless trolling on social media and threats of sexual violence are used as silencing mechanisms against women journalists, many of whom feel that it’s no longer worth the risk,” Tripathi said.

Continuing reliance on old, Draconian laws in countries like India is simply a way for government after government to stifle

One chair was symbolically kept unoccupied on the stage to mark writers and journalists who couldn’t attend as they are in prison or otherwise stifled voices of rebellion, he pointed out. m n s n 900 cases across the globe each year. It mobilises the wider PEN community to take action through its Rapid Action Network alerts, targeted regional campaigns, and by utilising PEN’s consultative status with the UN to submit UPR country reports.

Tripathi fervently hopes that the current s s s m s . am an optimist, and I am hopeful that journalists would soon regain the liberties they have ceded. I am also sure that the newer generation of journalists will m s n . n n to step out of their comfort zones and write about real issues,” he concluded.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – NSW HEALTH Membership – Local Health District and Specialty Network Boards

The NSW Government is inviting applications from people interested in becoming a member of a Local Health District and Specialty Network Board.

The Boards are responsible for overseeing an effective governance and risk management framework for the district/network, setting strategic directions, ensuring high standards of professional and ethical conduct are maintained, involving providers and the community in decisions that affect them, monitoring service delivery and financial performance against targets and holding the district/network chief executive accountable for their performance.

As part of a mid-term appointment process, vacancies exist for positions on each Local Health District Board and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Board. Individuals should demonstrate the capacity to represent the interest of consumers of health services and the local community served by a district/network, and indicate any affiliations with universities, clinical schools or research centres, as well as skills and experience in one or more of the following areas:

• corporate governance;

• health management/health administration;

• business/financial management/public administration;

• clinical practice/provision of health services to patients;

• expertise, knowledge or experience in relation to Aboriginal health;

• understanding of local community issues;

• understanding of or experience in primary health care.

Those applicants not successful in this round of appointments will be included on the NSW Health Board Register, which provides a pool of interested persons available to fill ad hoc vacancies on Local Health District and Specialty Network Boards.

To apply, individuals need to complete an expression of interest indicating their skills and experience relevant to the role by Friday 25 May 2018.

For information and to obtain an Expression of Interest form visit: www.health.nsw.gov.au/eoiboards. For further information please call 1800 531 452.

Internet existed during Mahabharata era: Tripura CM u n s um

Deb claimed that Internet and satellite communication existed in the days of .

“Internet and satellite communication had s n s . n (the charioteer of king Dhritarashtra) using the technology gave a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra,” Deb said while inaugurating a two-day workshop on computerisation of Public Distribution System (PDS).

The BJP leader said: “The Europeans and the Americans may claim that it is their invention, but it is actually our technology. Internet and satellite system had existed during the lakhs of year ago.”

“How could Dhritarashtra see through Sanjay’s eyes? There was technology available at that time... Internet was there, satellite communication was there,” the 47-year-old chief minister said confidently and repeatedly.

Commonwealth wants Modi’s commitment to beat malaria n n s n n ns s contracting malaria and an unfortunate break in the “dramatic success” of the last m n s n s commitment at the Commonwealth summit in London to beat the disease is eagerly awaited, say experts.

“India is central to this achievement (eradication of malaria from Commonwealth un s . strategy India is working on to achieve its commitment of eliminating malaria s n u s n ssu n

Commonwealth Heads of Government s n to get political and financial commitments from the head of nations. hear about the financing part of the Indian s m n s . s n n n n n campaign on behalf of the global malaria mmun n s s s Elimination Trust in India.

According to government estimates, it will cost Rs 10,653 crore to eliminate malaria in India by 2030. India has the third largest burden of malaria incidence in the world after Congo and Nigeria. In India, Odisha is the biggest victim of malaria constituting close to 41 per cent of India’s malaria incidence as of 2016, the NGO said in a statement. n

2017, 60 per cent of global malaria deaths in 2016 occurred in eight Commonwealth countries and 90 per cent of the Commonwealth population (2.4 billion or two-third of global population) lives in m un s. m campaign has seen a dramatic success in the last 10-15 years both in India and globally,” s n n s n fall of 60 per cent in global malaria deaths since 2000 saving nearly seven million lives. India has achieved remarkable progress in its fight against malaria as it has reduced its malaria burden by nearly half from two million cases in 2000 to one million cases in 2016, and malaria related deaths have gone down by two-thirds during this period.

However, for the first time in 15 years, progress towards ending the disease s s . s m confirmed cases and deaths are no longer n . un m n people globally in 2016, an increase of five million cases over the previous year. s m n s u nature of malaria, this fight can only go two ways: forwards or backwards. There is no s n n s . u n n edge - continue to battle the disease or risk an acute and deadly resurgence.”

BJP biggest protector of all fraudsters: Congress

The Congress this week demanded Union n n n s un n s n s us m n s n n s sun quit their posts, if appearing as a lawyer for someone was a crime.

The party’s response came after the BJP claimed PNB fraud case accused u s n n of Congress President Rahul Gandhi and that is why H.S. Chandramauli, who represented Choksi in a criminal case in 2015, was given a Congress ticket in Karnataka.

“Some bhakt channels ran that Congress s n u s s and have committed a crime. The lawyer himself has clarified that he has nothing to u s . s m have represented him in a case long time back. But it is not a crime,” said Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill.

He said that if becoming anyone’s lawyer is wrong, then BJP should seek the resignation of Jaitley, whose daughter s s m n s Sushma Swaraj, whose husband and daughter were lawyers for former IPL n sun u n n he was in London.

“But BJP is stooping to that level of questioning who is a lawyer of whom. The BJP brigade is the biggest spokesperson, protector and lawyer of all the absconders and fraudsters of the nation who have taken benefit of BJP’s ‘Udaan Scheme’ for scamsters who have taken away the money,” he added.

SC extends interim relief from arrest to Karti Chidambaram

The Supreme Court has extended, till July 3, the interim protection from arrest to Karti Chidambaram, son of senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, by the ED in the m n un n s . The court extended the interim relief as it adjourned the hearing on the matter.

The top court extended till April 17 (Tuesday) the Delhi High Court’s interim n n m n Directorate (ED) not to take any coercive n ns m . u n us s us . . n n us . . n u n n m m while transferring to itself the cases pending before the Delhi High Court relating to adjudication of ED’s power to arrest an accused under Section 19 of the Prevention n un n .

It embarked on examining the issue as it noted that several high courts in the country have given conflicting views on its interpretation.

MP press ramps up note printing

m s un n s s s in the country, the Dewas-based Bank Note Press accelerated printing of currency notes to meet the demand.

From Tuesday, work started in three shifts which was earlier done in two shifts, according to an informed source. The press here prints Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 denomination notes. s s n n m n s s s s s num s m s n day on Tuesday and long queues at those that still had cash.

Aadhaar data not an atom bomb, remove fear: UIDAI to SC

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has told the Supreme Court that the collection of biometric and demographic information under Aadhaar was not an atomic bomb as it sought to dismiss the hyper phobia the unique identity card’s critics have created around it.

“Collection of information under Aadhaar is not an atomic bomb. Please remove the fear and phobia created by the petitioners (opposing it). There is no question of leaking or sharing of information,” the UIDAI told a five-judge constitution bench us s .

But stressing the point, senior counsel Rakesh Dwivedi appearing for the UIDAI told the bench, also comprising Justice A.K. us . . n us . . Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan that the UIDAI has matching technology and not analysing technology which he described as learning algorithms.

Justice Chandrachud said: “The apprehension of the sharing of data is not symptomatic but real. The data available can us n u n ns. s n s n s n . m can survive where data is used to influence the electoral outcome...”

Having adverted to the apprehensions, Justice Chandrachud asked Dwivedi: “You must think of what are the nature of safeguards that can be introduced.” n n reality” because of your limitations, Justice Chandrachud said, since “we are going n u u generations.”

“How the requesting entities will use the data is a matter of concern,” said Justice Chandrachud pointing out to data being used for election, an apparent reference to the leak of data of a social media site during the US Presidential election.

The court said this as Dwivedi said that they have some limitation of technological knowledge coupled with a little bit of exaggeration and lamented the “Hyperbole being created by the petitioner”.

He said the information being collected under Aadhaar is not genetic information or genetic data but for simple identification and authentication.

Describing Aadhaar as a simple device for identification and authentication, Dwivedi s n n s . n surreptitiously obtained by any one. A lot of thought has gone into making the design and architecture of Aadhaar.”

Telling the court that there are forces working against Aadhaar and that search engine Google and smart card companies do not want it, Dwivedi tried to make light of the plea for an interim order citing authentication failure in six crore cases. m s . n ss do it we can’t win the trust of the people,” Dwivedi said pointing to challenges being thrown at the implementation of Aadhaar. s u s n n platform to private entities,” Justice Chandrachud asked as Dwivedi told the bench that the entire funding of the project is from the consolidate fund of India.

Dwivedi said in all major fields like aviation, defence, infrastructure there was public-private partnership, assuring the court that all the private entities were under their control and are “bound by law”.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including by former Karnataka High Court Judge K.S. Puttuswamy, s s n n m n s s n n n n social activists Aruna Roy, Nikhil De, Nachiket Udupa and others challenging the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar scheme on the touchstone of the fundamental right to privacy.

Goa BJP says CM responding well to treatment, slams media m n n s n

Parrikar was responding well to treatment abroad, the state BJP slammed the media for its repeated questions on his health.

BJP legislator and the party’s Goa unit Spokesperson Nilesh Cabral rejected the Congress demand for regular bulletins on the health of Parrikar, under treatment in the US for advanced pancreatic cancer. n s s n everybody knows it. He is being treated and is showing good recovery. And when he is fit to travel, as per the medical advice, he will fly back from the US,” Cabral said.

Parrikar was moved to a medical facility in New York last month, a few weeks after he was first hospitalised on February 15, when he experienced stomach pain.

Parrikar, who was hospitalised in Goa and um s n n ffi nearly two months. n u ns medical professionals on the severity of Parrikar’s ailment, informal updates from n s s ffi m n n s su n m m n s .

Responding to criticism by the Congress over Parrikar’s decision to appoint a threen s mm un s n s absence, the BJP leader drew similarities between Goa and Tamil Nadu which were, he claimed, governed by committees of ministers in the absence of the Chief n s .

“A similar thing has happened in Tamil u n u s n n s s have been admitted to hospitals in India and abroad. Similar committees were formed and that state has functioned well,” Cabral said.

Delhiites may soon get money for unscheduled power cuts

Citizens would be compensated for unscheduled power cuts lasting longer than one hour if a policy approved by the Delhi government gets a green signal from Lt. Governor Anil Baijal. n s n the policy to provide compensation to users in case of “unscheduled power cuts by the private power distribution companies” and it was later sent to the Lt. Governor for approval.

“According to this new policy, in the case of an unscheduled power cut, the discoms (power distribution companies) will have to restore the electricity within one hour, and failure to do so shall result in a penalty of Rs 50 per hour per consumer for the first two hours and Rs 100 per hour per consumer u s n ffi s m n s .

The compensation would be provided to consumers in their monthly electricity bills.

“The Delhi government is confident that the LG will concur with the policy and endorse this pro-consumer step, which will become a model for other governments across the country to follow.”

In case of a power cut, a consumer has to file a “no current” complaint u m n m application or website and along with their name, Consumer Account (CA) number and mobile number.

The power distribution company would then attend to the complaint and send a confirmation message to the consumer with power restoration date and time.

The respective compensation amount would be then credited to the CA number automatically and a message would be sent to the consumer. This amount would be then adjusted in the consumer’s monthly electricity bill.

Samsung most trusted brand in India, Patanjali tops FMCG

Samsung is the most trusted brand in India followed by Sony and LG, the TRAs Brand Trust Report 2018 said this week. Patanjali topped among the fast moving capital goods m n s.

“Samsung leads the list second year in a row to become India’s most trusted brand. Sony and LG follow to retain pole positions as India’s second and third most trusted brands,” the report said. n m n n s n n rankings, according to the report. The report also said that Tata rose a position higher and was ranked fourth among the brands while Apple slipped one position to the fifth position.

Honda topped in the auto sector, while lost a postion in the overall list to rank seventh this year. Google ranked 18th this year improving from the 40th rank it held in 2017, it said. Public sector State Bank of India was 21st in the list of most trusted brands in the country, but the most trusted in banking and financial service institutions. The study covered 2,488 consumerinfluencers across 16 cities in India, it said.

Unnao rape case: Sengar’s brother, associates sent to 4 days CBI custody

A special CBI court sent, to four days police custody, the five arrested accused in the Unnao minor rape case including prime us u n n s u n ffi s s . ffi s u s n four day police custody of five arrested accused including Atul Sengar, Bauaa, Vineet, Sonu and Shalu earlier arrested in the case.” n n ffi s n n ffi s

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has brought the five arrested accused in the Unnao rape case to its Lucknow branch for further questioning.

Bangarmau legislator’s brother was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on April 10, while his associates were arrested on April 9, after the victim’s father - whom they had brutally thrashed while in police custody - died.

The CBI action came in the wake of the four cases it registered in the rape case following a request to the Central government from the Uttar Pradesh government.

In the first FIR, the CBI named Sengar and Shashi Singh, a woman who allegedly took the rape victim to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader’s house. The CBI had arrested n u s n n n Saturday. A court has sent him to the sevenday CBI custody.

The second FIR is against four of Sengar’s accomplices -- Vineet, Baua, Shailu and Sonu -- on charges of rioting, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt.

The third one is a cross FIR filed by Atul Sengar, who claimed that he was attacked by the victim’s father. The CBI registered the fourth case against Shashi Singh’s son u m n n ffi s . s s n basis of a SIT preliminary report. He was sent to seven days CBI custody by a court. His aide, Shashi Singh, who is accused of taking the victim to the lawmaker, was also arrested last week and sent to four days police custody.

The victim tried to set herself ablaze u s n s n s residence on April 8, claiming inaction in the rape case that took place in 2017.

Later the same day, her father was picked up by the police and allegedly roughed up by Atul Sengar and his aides, following which he died.

Ians