Women scribes seek accountability amid rise in attacks on journalists in Telangana

Hyderabad, Aug 26 (IANS) The assault on two women journalists in Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s native village Kondareddypalli in Nagarkurnool district last week is the latest in a series of attacks on scribes reported from the state in recent months. 

Avula Sarita and Vijaya Reddy, who work for Telugu Scribe and Mirror TV, respectively, were reportedly attacked on August 22 when they went to the CM’s native village for a story on farm loan waiver.

They alleged that they were attacked by Congress workers when they were doing a ground report on loan waivers for farmers. 

When the journalists were talking to the farmers to know if their loans were waived, Congress workers reportedly attacked them, used abusive language, took away their phones, and smashed their cameras.

The women also alleged that they were chased up to the police station. They later lodged a complaint naming six Congress workers as accused. The police have registered an FIR and taken up the investigation. 

The journalists have also appealed to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to intervene in the matter and stop such attacks on mediapersons.

While the incident has evoked condemnation from different quarters, the Telangana State Women's Commission has also taken cognisance of it and sought a report from the police.

The Commission's Chairperson Sharada Nerella wrote to the Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police to ensure a fair and speedy investigation into the matter. She also asked the SP to submit a detailed action taken report to the Commission.

Meanwhile, a group of about 50 women journalists in Telangana have issued a statement in support of Avula Sarita and Vijaya Reddy.

“If one were to witness the continual attacks and trolling that women journalists in Telangana face, they would likely ask themselves whether there will be any women journalists left in the state 10 years down the line. 

"The reason for this concern is the kind of online and offline harassment women journalists face. Importantly, if a woman journalist is covering political news, admirers and workers of political parties are targeting them both online and offline,” read the statement.

The statement also refers to the trolling of the two women scribes by the Congress' social media wing which accused them of working for the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as they have been 'associated' with BRS-owned media organisations.

“If their reporting isn’t factual, they can be questioned. If a journalist is vindictive in her coverage, legal measures can be taken. These kinds of attacks have increased with the rise of troll armies from political parties. This shows how vulnerable women journalists are online,” the statement issued by the women scribes added.

It also highlighted past instances where women journalists have been trolled and harassed both online and offline.

The women journalists demanded creation of a support system to address the issues faced by them and to ensure that any fake accounts or party-run accounts that troll women journalists are held accountable, with the police issuing a statement regarding the same.

Last week, BRS working President K. T. Rama Rao also brought the attack on the two women journalists at Kondareddypalli to the notice of DGP Jitender, demanding an apology from the Chief Minister over the incident.

In fact, the attack on the two women journalists was not an isolated incident, as there have been a series of attacks on journalists performing their duties in recent months.

A journalist was manhandled and detained by the police in July when he was reporting on students’ protests at Osmania University. Sai Charan, a Zee Telugu reporter, was assaulted when he was reporting live on the students’ protest demanding postponement of District Selection Committee (DSC) examination for recruitment of teachers.

Police officers dragged the journalist and pushed him into a patrol vehicle. He was taken to the Osmania University police station and was later released. The scribe sustained minor injuries.

Later, a Zee Telugu team met Telangana Media Academy Chairman K. Sreenivas Reddy and the DGP, demanding action against the police officers involved.

Reporters from some other Telugu channels were also prevented from covering the students’ protests.

Also, a cameraperson was prevented from entering the Gandhi Hospital to cover the indefinite hunger strike by student leader Motilal Naik pressing for the demands of unemployed youth.

In February, a journalist was attacked by a group of about 15 people, including two women, in the LB Nagar area of Hyderabad. The scribe, who ran a YouTube channel critical of the Congress government, was physically assaulted when he was returning home from office.