Raising concerns on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s “slave” remarks on journalists in a rally in Maharashtra, Mumbai Press Club emphasised that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha should prioritize tangible measures to address the challenges faced by journalists, rather than just making statements.
The club advised Rahul Gandhi to redirect his critique toward the media owners and the structural issues within the industry.
In a press statement, the Mumbai Press Club also highlighted that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is rightly criticised for avoiding open press conferences, Rahul Gandhi’s recurrent mockery and derision of journalists also deserve rebuke.
“At an election rally in Amaravati, Maharashtra, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, made sweeping remarks about working journalists, accusing them of being beholden to the ruling regime and labelling them as ‘slaves of their owners.’ While cloaked in concern for the plight of journalists, his comments carried a tone of condescension that warrants closer scrutiny,” the Club said.
It asked the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition if has he ever reflected on the root causes of the challenges faced by working journalists in India and the state of journalism as a whole.
“The precarious conditions of journalists today stem largely from rampant contractualisation, driven in part by the neoliberal policies introduced by the Congress-led government in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Until then, journalists had fought for and secured significant rights, including unionization and better working conditions. Contractualisation, however, allowed monopoly media houses to sack journalists at will, weakening unions and leaving journalists vulnerable,” the Mumbai Press Club said.
“If Rahul Gandhi truly wishes to address the plight of journalists, perhaps he should redirect his critique toward the media owners and the structural issues within the industry,” the Mumbai Press Club said.
It also asserted that the ever-present threat of dismissal, combined with an oversupply of unemployed and underemployed journalists, makes it unrealistic to expect working journalists to rebel against the system at great personal risk.
“While we acknowledge the immense challenges posed by the current government’s authoritarian tendencies toward the media, it is equally concerning to witness Gandhi’s repeated targeting of journalists. His rhetoric raises legitimate concerns about how his party might approach the press if it were to return to power. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is rightly criticised for avoiding open press conferences, Mr Gandhi’s recurrent mockery and derision of journalists also deserve rebuke,” it added.
The Club continued to stress that the Mumbai Press Club has consistently stood against the violation of journalists’ rights, whether by ruling parties, media owners, or other forces.
“We, therefore, view the high-handed approach of the Leader of the Opposition toward working journalists as a matter of serious concern. Constructive dialogue and accountability, not dismissive remarks, are what the media–and democracy–deserve,” it said.