Ravish Kumar (1974) is an Indian journalist and media personality. He began his career as a letter translator but later became a reporter who gave voice to the people and restored dignity to Indian journalism. However, his independent reporting increasingly became uncomfortable for Prime Minister Modi. In 2015, he received death threats, and a year later, his TV channel NDTV India faced restrictions imposed by the government. Despite these challenges, he continued his work until 2022, when NDTV, one of the last independent media outlets, was taken over by a government-aligned tycoon.
Laureate Difference Day Honorary Title for Freedom of Expression 2023
Ravish Kumar (1974) is an Indian journalist and media personality who began his career as a letter translator. Later, as a reporter, he gave voice to the people and restored dignity to Indian journalism. However, his independent reporting increasingly became inconvenient for Prime Minister Modi. In 2015, he received death threats, and a year later, his TV channel NDTV India faced government restrictions. He continued his work until 2022, when NDTV, one of the last independent media outlets in India, was taken over by a government-aligned tycoon. Kumar witnessed firsthand how journalism in India lost its democratic role and transformed into a propaganda tool. He now runs a YouTube channel, appearing every evening to promote independent journalism.
In the same year that India celebrated the 75th anniversary of its independence, Ravish Kumar was awarded the Difference Day Honorary Title for Freedom of Expression 2023. The day before the award ceremony, he enjoyed freedom during a May Day parade in Brussels. Nearby, a man held up a sign reading “Free Julian Assange.” According to Kumar, such fights for rights are also fights for freedom of expression—the freedom to speak out against wrongdoing. Yet this freedom is under pressure worldwide. “Institutions fail to protect freedom of expression and those who hold differing opinions. Not only institutions, but also families and social networks increasingly take the law into their own hands in the name of religion, thereby controlling freedom of expression themselves.” As a result, the public space for criticism is shrinking, and expressing an opinion risks political and social exclusion.
Kumar argues that freedom of expression can only thrive in a democracy. Those who manage to sideline democracy will have no need for alternative opinions. A robust media ecosystem is essential for a functioning democracy. Increasingly, however, media have become tools in the hands of the state. A farmer protesting against the government in India is quickly labelled a terrorist, has his bank accounts frozen, and loses his rights.
In India, Prime Minister Modi claims that democracy is not a system but a belief. “Governments are no longer interested in democracy, at least on paper,” Kumar observes. He openly asks who is truly afraid of freedom of expression. His answer: “The person in power who wants to keep all profits for themselves, who wants to maintain inequality. Their goal is simple: to keep the majority of the population at a subsistence level and to make them grateful for it.” Controlling the media ensures that the poor remain poorly informed, widening the gap between knowledge and information. “How can the poor then participate in democracy?”
Journalism in India has thus become exceptionally challenging, with many reporters facing imprisonment. The press has historically played a vital role in shaping democracy and defending freedom of expression. “Today, the press enjoys freedom, but it is freedom that threatens the very democracy, attacks equality, spreads lies and hate, and silences opposition and protest.”
Worldwide, we are witnessing the criminalization of media space. Media outlets are willing to spread hate, and those at the top hold the political reins. “If the media industry were truly committed to democracy and its values, it would ask what it and media tycoons really contribute to democracy.” The line between political parties and journalism has become blurred. “Journalism is no longer a part of democracy but a matter for individuals. Those who once conducted serious investigative journalism are now unemployed, underpaid, or in personal danger. We must stand up for them, support them. This Honorary Title does not belong to me, but to all those journalists who bravely continue their work under increasing risk.”
Sources: Acceptance speech and laudation, Difference Day 2023
