Journalists collective condemn the role of ultra nationalist media in terror framing Sharjeel Imam

Journalists and media students associated with the collective ‘Journalists for Freedom’ condemned the role of ultra nationalist media in terror framing JNU PhD scholar Sharjeel Imam over his speech, where he raised concerns over NRC implemented Assam. The Journalists for Freedom emphasized the need to listen to what Sharjeel says rather than getting carried away by the propaganda ultra nationalist tv channels like Republic TV. The collective in their statement condemned the witch hunting of students leaders, activists those who are in the forefront of anti-CAA movements by charging colonial laws like UAPA and sedition and termed it an attempt to curb the entire movement.
Read the full statement here,
The role of ultranationalist media in terror framing Sharjeel Imam
Sharjeel Imam is a JNU PhD scholar from Bihar. Few days back he is charged with sedition and UAPA in four BJP ruling states; Assam, Manipur, Uttarpradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Delhi for a speech he made in Aligarh Muslim University on December 13. It is the students collective which Sharjeel is part of, Muslim Students of JNU that initiated campaigns and sensitisation in Shaheen Bagh and organized people in protest. In the targeted speech, Sharjeel calls for chakka jam, a method of protest by blocking the roads all over the country. He asks to exert pressure on the government by making use of this protest method. But from the speech, his reference about blockading the road to Asam is picked up by the media and been made viral in different nationalist social media groups and tv channels. Thus, Sharjeel was presented as a separatist. Before this, Republic TV had published a hidden camera operation where Sharjeel speaks about how Shaheen Bagh protest began. The hate campaign against Sharjeel was started off by Republic tv. The framing of Sharjeel Imam is an end result of Republic tv’s hate campaign.
Sharjeel repeatedly insists on his responsibility as a Muslim scholar to be resistant and sensitising the people. He questions the political betrayals Indian Muslims had been going through during British colonial rule and after the British rule, he questions Hindutva patronage of all major national parties. So, for them, him being charged with sedition and UAPA is something which is needed.
Home minister Amit Shah had said that he will eradicate Shaheen Bagh entirely. This targeting on Sharjeel Imam and Shaheen Bagh clearly indicates the state’s attitude towards the anti-CAA movement, this must be understood and addressed by the media as such.
After three days of being charged with sedition and UAPA Sharjeel surrendered at Delhi police in Bihar. But the ultranationalist media reported it as he was arrested. This is the result of anti-Muslim, racial propoganda being practiced by these Hindu Brahmin news editors, which must be questioned and condemned.
By using colonial laws like UAPA and sedition, the government’s move is to destroy the anti-citizenship amendment act uprisings, protests and its decisive turns.
Charging sections like 153A for a speech he made in December at AMU Dr.Kafeel Khan too is arrested in a similar way. He could be seen to request the Maharashtra government to not to take him to Uttarpradesh in a video shot during the arrest. When the ultranationalist media telecast only the version of the state by terrorising people’s uprisings to suppress them, we the collective of journalists and media students condemn, reject and resist this hindutva patronage. Those who stand for citizenship and protection of civil rights must raise their voice for Sharjeel Imam.
Journalists for Freedom, 30/1/2020
Mrudula Bhavani
Najiya O
Prashanth Subrahmanyan
UM Mukthar
KA Salim
August Sebastian
SA Ajims
Faiz Babu
Renoir
Aslah Vadakara
Ijas Ul Haque
Shaheen Abdulla
Haroon
Haneen
Arundas
Shahid Ashfaque
Treasa Fernandez
Shibin Sha
Aliya Farzana
Sajil
Premlal
Unnikrishnan Nair S
Midhun Pankaj
Thomas Alias K
Alfiya T.M
Harihara Sharma
Sidharth Bhattathiri
Shakir
Sreenath A
Eldos Wilson
Ajith S Kumar
Sreejith K
Athul SR
Roshan