The recent spate of defamation suits, sedition charges, and regulatory actions against journalists and media organisations should alarm every citizen who values democracy, regardless of political affiliation.
A free press is not a luxury that democracies can afford to compromise on during difficult times. It is precisely during such times that independent journalism matters most. The role of the press as a watchdog is enshrined not as a privilege granted by the state, but as a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution.
The pattern is unmistakable: investigative reporters who expose inconvenient truths face legal harassment, independent outlets are subjected to tax raids, and digital news platforms are pressured into self-censorship through vaguely worded IT rules.
None of this serves the public interest. A society that silences its journalists does not become more harmonious; it merely becomes less informed about the problems that fester beneath the surface.
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