A day after an FIR was registered against journalist Pawan Jaiswal for his report on students eating roti and salt in a government school in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur, The Editor’s Guild of India have condemned the government. The journalist has also demanded that the case against him be withdrawn.
The editor’s guild said in a statement, “It is a cruel and classic case of shooting the messenger. It is precisely exposes such as these that show how valuable free and fearless journalists are to a democratic society.”
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The statement said that it was “shocking” that instead of taking action, the government decided to file an FIR against the journalist.
The guild urged the government to withdraw the FIR.
A reporter for Hindi newspaper Jansandesh, Jaiswal and the village head representative were booked for criminal conspiracy, obstructing public servant in discharging duty, false evidence and cheating.
Jaiswal, in a video shared on Twitter, thanked for the support he had received. “I have received immense support from the fellow journalists and others... I want the cases against me to be withdrawn,” Jaiswal said.
“If such things keep happening, journalists will be scared to do their work,” he said.
The FIR claimed that the Jaiswal’s video, that went viral, was pre-planned.
Jaiswal had clarified on Monday saying this was not a conspiracy and he had reported on what he saw.
The video of students of Mirzapur’s Siyur Primary School had gone viral earlier last month. This prompted outrage and led to the suspension of two teachers of the school. Under the mid-day meal scheme, students of government schools are supposed to be given pulses, rice, rotis, vegetables, with fruits and milk on certain days to ensure they get necessary nutrition.
The midday meal scheme is designed to provide a minimum of 450 calories per child per day, which should include at least 12 grams of protein too each day. These meals should be served to each child at least 200 days a year.
(with PTI inputs)