On 2 November, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, The Polis Project launched a data visualization project called ‘Mapping patterns of violence against journalists in India’ in collaboration with Rasagy Sharma. 

Journalists Ismat Ara, Prabhjit Singh, Alishan Jafri and Zafar Aafaq provided insights and highlighted the dangers of being a journalist in India today. Data artist, Rasagy Sharma spoke about his collaboration with Watch the State and the process of mapping and visualizing the instances of violence.

This mapping project looks at instances of violence against journalists between May 2019, which marks the beginning of the second term of the current government and August 2021. The aim of this project is to document forms of violence against journalists who have been targeted due to their work. The project includes various categories such as the ongoing Farmers’ Protests, the anti-CAA protests, the COVID-19 lockdown, the Delhi Pogrom, a general events map and instances of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Our initial documentation recorded 256 reported instances of violence during this period of which there were 26 reported instances during the Anti-CAA Protests; 46 instances related to COVID-19 reporting and the lockdowns; 19 instances reported during the Delhi pogrom in 2020; 10 during the Farmers’ Protest in 2021; 104 instances of General/other instances of violence; and 51 instances in Jammu and Kashmir.

You can read the findings about how Modi’s India Is “One of the Most Dangerous Countries for Journalists” and how the Police now routinely file criminal charges against journalists, including sedition​ charges, for the ​crime of reporting​ published in The Nation.