NDTV's Ravish Kumar On Facing Death Threats For His Reporting

  • 3:39
  • Published On: May 25, 2018
Cinema View
Embed
For award-winning journalism, for exposing the truth, for standing up for the idea of India, NDTV's Ravish Kumar gets death threats. His family threatened with violence. At a time when the debate around intolerance and the threat to free speech is peaking, a special look at what journalists must risk to do their jobs everyday.

Here is the transcript of the video:

Vishnu Som: When did the death threats start coming?

Ravish Kumar: This incident took place between April 25-26, I had not been going to office. Suddenly, I started getting thousands of calls on my phone. When I used to block one number, I got calls from another and the kind of language used by all of them was derogatory. All of them seemed to have been inspired by a peculiar kind of ideology and they were so motivated by it that they were openly making such poisonous and daring statements and death threats. I couldn't record all the calls because I have an iPhone. Once we set up everything, you could see how that Bajrang Dal person was talking. They were talking as if they would just hit you, they kept abusing for 15-20 minutes. Vishnu, I used to think that I should not pay attention to these things. I don't and I don't care but it is important for the audience to know that this is an organized thing and there is no doubt in that. There is a news channel called Kashish News in Patna, an employee named Mr Santosh had investigated the concept there. He found out that over 80 Hindu organisations, cow protection organizations, Sanatan organisations had recently come up. Some of the members have been made into district incharges. These people are not anonymous trolls. We have to understand that these people have been given certain positions in different districts and you can't ignore this. The way they are talking, they can gather anywhere as a mob around you.

Vishnu Som: And they sent you WhatsApp messages identifying themselves

Ravish Kumar: Knowing this can be used as a legal proof, they are sending these kinds of videos. Where are they getting the courage from? This never used to happen earlier. We have done stories earlier too and we will do them in the future, we will do them after today and today night as well. The minsters who are doing push-ups, will tell them what happens when you do push-ups and not work.

Vishnu Som: What has the police told you... you filed an FIR. Is it possible for the police to track all these people?

Ravish Kumar: First when I had gone to the police, they did not do anything. This time they were receptive and said they would assess the incident. They turned my complaint into an FIR and told me that they would do a security assessment. But my security is not as important as the fact that the by-product that has developed from the political culture is still not being taken seriously.

They are thinking it's an individual issue but it's been instigating violence, creating mobs in various cities, beating people up. The female journalist would know better what is happening with her. The males have not been spared from their clutches. They all have funding; they all have weapons and ammunitions. They are playing a dual role. They take out processions carrying swords during Ram Navami and they also call you and say such things. How have I, in anyway, done anything to Hinduism.

Vishnu Som: Vikas Singh, come in at this stage. The threats he faces are not 1 or 2, there are literally hundreds of threats.

Ravish Kumar: Thousands...

Vishnu Som: There are thousands of threats over a period of years in fact.

Ravish Kumar: For the past ten days Vishnu, if you get calls 24 hours a day even after blocking. When you cannot even type a message...this is a new scale of launching attacks, that you take someone's number and keep calling them at 2 o'clock in the night, at quarter to 4 in the night.

Related Videos

Ravish Kumar On NDTV Opting Out Of BARC Amid Questions Over Ratings System
March 07, 2022 0:49
Kamal Khan: A Tribute By Ravish Kumar
January 14, 2022 16:40
Watch: Prime Time With Ravish Kumar - The Year When India Gasped For Oxygen
December 25, 2021 31:00
Video Of Ravish Kumar At Farmers' Site Is Viral: 19 Lakh Views And Counting
December 12, 2021 11:23
Vinod Dua, Always Tough, Forever Graceful: Ravish Kumar's Tribute
December 04, 2021 4:32
Twitter Vs Politicians: Is Big Tech Censoring Conversation?
August 13, 2021 47:44
Ethical Concerns About Social Networking Sites
August 13, 2021 22:11
Big Tech Holds Politicians Accountable Or Is It Overreach?
August 13, 2021 4:29
Top News Of The Day - Twitter Interfering In Our Political Process: Rahul Gandhi
August 13, 2021 19:12
Should Social Media Have Freedom To Censor?
August 12, 2021 12:25
As Assam, Mizoram Battled For Hours, What Were PM Modi, Amit Shah Doing?
July 27, 2021 31:15
Prime Time With Ravish Kumar: How PM Modi's Speeches Contradict BJP Population Narrative
July 13, 2021 32:40
  • The Biggest Stories Of November 21, 2024
    November 22, 2024 19:42

    The Biggest Stories Of November 21, 2024

  • Donald Trump | US President-Elect Trump Picks TV Stars To Join His Cabinet And Run White House
    November 21, 2024 3:12

    Donald Trump | US President-Elect Trump Picks TV Stars To Join His Cabinet And Run White House

  • PM Talks About 'Chutney Connection' Between India, Guyana In Address
    November 21, 2024 1:05

    PM Talks About 'Chutney Connection' Between India, Guyana In Address

  • Video: Gurugram Man Pulls Gun On Boy, 12, Over Fight With Son During Football
    November 21, 2024 0:39

    Video: Gurugram Man Pulls Gun On Boy, 12, Over Fight With Son During Football

  • How Crucial Is India's Role In The Russia-Ukraine War | India Global Special Broadcast
    November 21, 2024 11:50

    How Crucial Is India's Role In The Russia-Ukraine War | India Global Special Broadcast

  • Russia-Ukraine War: 1,000 Days On | India Global Special Broadcast | NDTV World
    November 21, 2024 22:25

    Russia-Ukraine War: 1,000 Days On | India Global Special Broadcast | NDTV World

  • Russia And NATO At Loggerheads | India Global Special Broadcast
    November 21, 2024 2:55

    Russia And NATO At Loggerheads | India Global Special Broadcast

  • Russia-Ukraine War 1000 Days On, Where Do Things Stand? | India Global Special Broadcast
    November 21, 2024 4:41

    Russia-Ukraine War 1000 Days On, Where Do Things Stand? | India Global Special Broadcast

  • Breaking The Browser: Will Splitting Google End Monopoly?
    November 21, 2024 10:42

    Breaking The Browser: Will Splitting Google End Monopoly?

  • AAP Gears Up For Delhi Polls With 1st List Of Candidates
    November 21, 2024 14:05

    AAP Gears Up For Delhi Polls With 1st List Of Candidates

  • Who Will Win Maharashtra Crown? Axis My India's Exit Poll Prediction
    November 21, 2024 14:58

    Who Will Win Maharashtra Crown? Axis My India's Exit Poll Prediction

  • 'Russia In A Stronger Position Than Ukraine': Top US Political Scientist On NDTV
    November 21, 2024 7:50

    'Russia In A Stronger Position Than Ukraine': Top US Political Scientist On NDTV

  • 6 Of 11 Candidates Are Defectors In AAP's 1st List For Delhi Polls
    November 21, 2024 3:17

    6 Of 11 Candidates Are Defectors In AAP's 1st List For Delhi Polls

  • Chief Minister's Bungalow Face-Off Ahead Of Delhi Polls
    November 21, 2024 3:33

    Chief Minister's Bungalow Face-Off Ahead Of Delhi Polls

  • 30 Telangana Students Fell Ill, Then Allegedly Given Food With Worms At Hospital
    November 21, 2024 1:44

    30 Telangana Students Fell Ill, Then Allegedly Given Food With Worms At Hospital

  • IFF 2024 Goa | Randeep Hooda’s Directorial Debut Opens Indian Panorama at IFFI Day 2
    November 21, 2024 2:00

    IFF 2024 Goa | Randeep Hooda’s Directorial Debut Opens Indian Panorama at IFFI Day 2

  • India China Relations | 'India China Working To Avoid Situation Like Galwan': Former Foreign Secy
    November 21, 2024 9:11

    India China Relations | 'India China Working To Avoid Situation Like Galwan': Former Foreign Secy

  • 'Kanguva' Flop: Online Reviewers Negative Campaign To Blame?
    November 21, 2024 17:49

    'Kanguva' Flop: Online Reviewers Negative Campaign To Blame?

  • Congress vs BJP As Karnataka Hikes Some Services In Government Hospitals
    November 21, 2024 3:10

    Congress vs BJP As Karnataka Hikes Some Services In Government Hospitals

  • No Law And Order Issue In State: DMK After Lawyer Hacked With Sickle In Tamil Nadu
    November 21, 2024 3:22

    No Law And Order Issue In State: DMK After Lawyer Hacked With Sickle In Tamil Nadu

  • Maharashtra High Voter Turnout: What Does It Mean?
    November 21, 2024 24:22

    Maharashtra High Voter Turnout: What Does It Mean?