OPINION: Year 2017 which witnessed the killing of 4 journalists, just double from the last year

A journalist takes pen in his hand not just to praise every policy of the government. He has a moral duty to criticise those in power if they are not behaving as per the expectations of those who elected them.

PHOTO: AFP/Representational

New Delhi: With only a few days for the year 2017 to end, one more journalist is killed while doing his duty and this time the case is reported from Haryana's Charkhi Dadri area. Rajesh Sheoran's mutilated body was found under mysterious circumstances in the area. Haryana Police was swift to respond and said it has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged killing of journalist Sheoran and DGP B S Sandhu in a statement said that a murder case has been registered at Dadri city police station. Sandhu informed a three-member SIT, led by DSP Pradeep Kumar, has been formed to probe the case. With this latest killing, the total number of journalists killed in 2017 reached to four; just double compared to the year 2016 in which two journalists were put to death (Karun Misra and Rajdev Ranjan). This is alarming that the number of such cases have increased this year. Journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy. They are those people who put their lives at risk so that suppressed stories come to public light. They are those who air the problems of masses and compel the governments to pay attention towards the neglected issues...issues which are important but are neglected. A journalist is a person who tries to put check on the abusive use of power and the one who bats for people, the suppressed lots. And because of this reason sometimes he "gains" many enemies. It is the duty of administration and government to protect a scribe. A journalist takes pen in his hand not just to praise every policy of the government. He has a moral duty to criticise those in power if they are not behaving as per the expectations of those who elected them. On 5th September 2017, Gauri Lankesh, a journalist-turned-activist from Bangalore, Karnataka, was shot to death by unknown assailants outside her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. Gauri Lankesh worked as an editor in Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly started by her father P. Lankesh. She also ran her own weekly called Gauri Lankesh Patrike. The culprits are still roaming free. On September 20 at Mandai in West Tripura district Santanu Bhowmik was hacked to death. Bhowmik had visited the place to cover a demonstration of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), a political party representing the tribals. Taking note the Tripura High Court on Wednesday ordered the state government to submit the charge sheet and other documents important to the investigation into the killing of Santanu Bhowmik. On 21 November 2017 Sudip Datta Bhaumik (50) was killed. He was a crime reporter with Bengali daily Syandan Patrika and TV channel Vanguard in Tripura. He was shot dead allegedly by a Tripura State Rifles personnel at the headquarters of 2nd battalion in RK Nagar, around 30 km from Agartala. Image courtesy: Facebook If we compare at the world level then definitely India is still safe for this profession. Annual figures published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in 2017: According to annual figures published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in 2017, 65 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide and Syria and Iraq remain among the worst places in the world for journalists. With 12 reporters killed, war-torn Syria remains the most dangerous country, said RSF, followed by Mexico where 11 were assassinated. However, we shouldn't take "inspiration" from these countries. We must not only check these killing but also reverse this because we aren't a rogue state. About the author: Author Anurag Kumar is an Associate Producer in ABP News Network Pvt Ltd and tweets at @AnuragSason Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.