DIGIPUB News India Foundation and the Editors Guild of India have condemned the suspected murder of Chhattisgarh-based independent journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, whose body was found in a septic tank on Friday, January 3 in Bijapur district.
Chandrakar ran a YouTube channel called Bastar Junction, which focused on issues in Bastar, such as the long-drawn conflict and the lives of the Adivasi community. According to media reports, he had recently investigated a private contractor for alleged corruption in a road construction project and disappeared on January 1. Chandrakar’s body was later found on the contractor's property.
In a statement, DIGIPUB called on the Chhattisgarh state government to investigate the matter quickly and fairly. The organisation highlighted the increasing threats to journalists in India, and said that India's ranking on the press freedom index has declined rapidly in recent years.
“Threats to the safety and security of journalists are not just posed by retaliatory action by the State, which has taken centre stage in the past ten years, but also by criminal elements, different kinds of mafia groups, and local politicians. The public and the larger media community rarely consider the well-being of journalists reporting on vital public issues in small cities and remote towns at significant risk to themselves and their families. This needs to change,” the statement added.
The Editors Guild echoed these concerns, calling the death a "matter of grave concern" and demanded that authorities "spare no efforts in investigating the case speedily and bringing the guilty to book." They emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety of journalists, especially those working in smaller towns and rural areas, stating that a "free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy."
“A free press that is allowed to work without fear is important for any democracy. While the Editors Guild grieves Mr Chandrakar's death, it hopes that his passing under unnatural circumstances will serve as a wake-up call and prompt better measures for journalists' protection. The country must not let Mr Chandrakar's death go entirely in vain,” read the statement by the Editors Guild.
Condemning the suspected murder, Chennai Press Club said it supports the initiative of Press Club of India to hold condolence meetings and protest meetings next week over the incident. “Although Chhattisgarh Police have detained three individuals in connection with this heinous crime, the Chennai Press Club demands that the Chhattisgarh state government and the Union Government take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of journalists across the country. Freedom of the press is vital to democracy, and acts of violence against journalists must not be tolerated,” a statement read.