For over a decade, we have discussed the ethics of mainstream journalism in India. As we close 2022, I want to park some thoughts here, grey, and complicated, and I certainly don't have a well-rounded opinion on them. 1. We know there is a corporate-corporate political nexus in media organisations. Stories are killed, censored, slanted, and fabricated.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, former wrestler, a school teacher turned socialist political leader, three times Chief Minister of UP passes away.

Excerpts from my 2015 profile of his son and political heir, Akhilesh Yadav for Caravan magazine (1/n) 'THE CHAMBAL RIVER, which begins in the northern Vindhyas, empties into the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh. In the Mahabharat, the Chambal is called the Charmanyavati: a river formed by the blood of the thousands of animals sacrificed by the Aryan king Rantideva. 2/n

The majority of upper caste, middle class Indian is not just ignorant…

They are anti-poor, quickly taken in by success stories of bullies.
1/n There is a pretense of scruples when there are none. They construct a narrative of being well behaved, hard working but are stingy with kindness. That child is less because dark or has a lesser package or got a lesser percentage in school.
2/n

#BadMediaPracticeAlert 😵‍💫
1. Last evening, I got a call from a Mirror Now reporter (you know who you are. Not naming you to give you a chance). She asked me about a conference I was to participate in. She asked me why my name is missing. I said I am no longer a part of it.
1/n 2. She asked me if I was being trolled. I said yes, me and my family like its been happening for many years. But there is more and I don't want to comment.
3. She asked me if I had formally withdrawn. I asked, "Is this conversation 'on the record'?"
4. She said, yes.
2/n

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The attack on the Muslim bangle seller in Indore on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan is a reminder of how syncretism has been demonized in New India. 1/n ‘Bisati walas’, a common term for street hawkers, have been under attack for a few years.Many places of worships including temple in India are known for their syncretic culture. 2/n

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This week, UP CM Yogi Adityanath unveiled a new population policy that aims to bring population growth to 2.1%. Such moves in the past have always penalised the marginalised and will do the same this time. (1/n) According to a report by Centre for Health & Social Justice, “In 2002, in Lakhimpur Kheri, 5 Dalit farm labourers, aged 18 to 32 years, were taken to a hospital by their upper caste landlord on the pretext of being inoculated against malaria, given injections & knocked out." 2/n

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Journalists who faced criminal cases & physical violence for reporting in Uttar Pradesh in the last year and a half. Remember these names and the things that what they were reporting on.

1. Ravindra Saxena for reporting mismanagement at quarantine centre in Sitapur
1/n 2. Vijay Vineet & Manish Mishra for reporting on hunger & starvation in the Musahar community in Varanasi.
3. Omar Rashid for reporting on anti-CAA protests in Lucknow.
4. Pawan Jaiswal for reporting on how students are given salt-roti as mid day meal in Mirzapur.

Four years since we published 'Operation BabyLift/Operation BethiUthao', an in-depth investigation on how three RSS affiliated organizations trafficked 31 Adivasi girls from 5 districts of Assam. This 3-month-long investigation traced how the Sangh Parivar outfits took away these girls from the parents on the pretext of providing them free education and sent them to Punjab and Gujarat.

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Just wanted to park it here that after 13 years of journalism and over a dozen international and Indian awards for my work, I still don't have a press card or any 'proof' that I am a journalist.

I have been working as an independent journalist for the last seven years. Most of my reporting does not involve high profile people and tall buildings and so I have mostly managed without a press card.

But in Covid19 times, when there are restrictions & attacks on media has increased multifold, it is impossible to report from the ground without one.

Close to 40 injured in the #delhiviolence at LNJP hospital under @ArvindKejriwal led Delhi govt. Some faced acid attacks, head injuries, eye injuries. One bleeding since 2am. Timely treatment not available. Relatives stopped from seeking help from journalists/activists. Most from Mustafabad. Disappointing attitude from the doctors, staff, supervisors. In denial. Not even acknowledging that there are riot victims at the hospital. Standard bureaucratic responses. Everything that @AamAadmiParty campaign against during elections. #DelhiViolence

Thread: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (#NCPCR)'s concern that children at the anti-#CAAprotest in Delhi "may suffer from mental trauma" not just reflects its hypocrisy but also how politically compromised Indian institutions are. (1/n) While it finds children's demand for a fair India, in the company of their parents, a source of worry, it conveniently promotes trafficking of children by #RSS for ideological indoctrination. (2/n)

Groups of people abusing the protestors outside the #JNU main gate. Streets lights, inside and outside campus switched off. Police arrives in riot gear. Standing in the middle of the protesting crowds. #JNUViolence

Last week, #Modi govt told the Supreme Court that women don’t have absolute right to terminate pregnancy. I spoke to several urban, rural single women in 2013 & find out how common #abortions are. A moralistic lens pushes women to endanger their lives.

fountainink.in/reportage/the-… In India, a woman dies every two hours because she’s had an unsafe abortion, according to Ipas. I found out that lack of responsibility and sensitisation of the male partner was one of the main reasons for women to be clandestine about their situation and take the unsafe route.

Since January, nine places owe me money for my work. This includes public universities and media organizations. Both, temples of learning. More than not getting paid, my disappointment emanates from the radio silence to the email, text, phone reminders. #FreelancersInIndia And trust me, it is very humiliating to keep sending reminders for petty amounts. When you talk about press freedom, do give a thought to the self respect and integrity of the journalists you are engaging for work. #IndependentJournalists

When I came to Delhi as a 17 yr old college student, inspired by Amitav Ghosh's Shadow Lines, would take a Blue Line Mudrika bus, for Rs 10 to take a round of the city. Blue line coz it had radio. Cheap travel is providing life skills to young women. #FreeMetroForWomen With a shoe string budget, my choices were either to attend college, pay for the PG accommodation and food or explore the city. Although, unlike my male friends, who could travel to the nooks and crannies with a similar budget. #FreeMetroForWomen

Year of merits & mentions. I won a mention for Best Investigative Feature Writing in the 23rd @HRPressAwards this year for my piece 'A Chronicle of A Crime Fiction that is Adityanath's Encounter Raj' published by @thewire_in
humanrightspressawards.org/23rd-human-rig… In Jan this year, OHCHR took notice of the 14 cases in the story and wrote that 'We are extremely concerned about the pattern of events: individuals allegedly being abducted or arrested before their killing, & their bodies bearing injuries indicative of torture.' @HRPressAwards

In a patriarchal society, women are taught self doubt, silence, to put up with shit. To assume that they will be able to say no to 1st sexual overture by a colleague/senior at work is unfair. Some cant afford to quit the job. (1/n) #Metoo They put up with stalking, unwanted attention, nasty sexist behaviour for years on end knowing that not many will believe them when they complain. It is not a level playing field. Wish it was but apart from work hierarchies, there r gender hierarchies to conquer too. #MeToo (2/n)