Members of Communist Party of India (Marxist) stage a protest against the Central Government in Chennai on February 17, 2025, after Tamil media group Vikatan alleged that its website was blocked following the publication of a cartoon on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.
| Photo Credit: PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar
The watchdog of India’s press freedom, Editors Guild of India (EGI), has strongly condemned the block of the Tamil news portal Vikatan.com, calling it an example of government overreach that threatens press freedom in the country. In a move that has sparked widespread outrage among journalists and free speech advocates, on February 15, access to Tamil news portal Vikatan.com was completely blocked without prior notice. The incident occurred soon after the publication of a cartoon depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in shackles.
According to the EGI, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) enforced the ban following a complaint from a political leader. However, what has drawn even sharper criticism from the EGI is the manner in which the restriction was imposed—without due process or a prior hearing for the publication’s parent company, Ananda Vikatan. The portal was shut down before a formal review or justification was provided, raising concerns about arbitrary censorship.
“Cartoons have long been a legitimate means of journalistic expression, and the sudden blocking of the Vikatan website is a brazen instance of overreach by the authorities,” the EGI stated in its press release on February 18.
Due process after the fact
EGI’s concerns were further exacerbated as the authorities initiated a formal review process only after the website was taken down. The Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC), formed under the controversial Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, sent a notice to Vikatan’s publishers, summoning them for a hearing after the ban had already been enforced.
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Legal experts and press freedom advocates argue that this sequence of events is not only unjust but also unconstitutional. The Bombay High Court has already placed a stay on Rule 9(1) and (3) of the IT Rules 2021, which governs the Code of Ethics for digital news publishers, limiting the IDC’s authority in such matters. The EGI emphasised that despite this legal restriction, the government moved forward with blocking Vikatan.com, raising fears of an increasing crackdown on independent journalism.
Democratic traditions at stake
The blocking of the Vikatan websitecomes amid growing global concern over press freedom in India. Organisations such as Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists have flagged increasing restrictions on digital media and the rise in self-censorship among news organisations fearing government retaliation.
“The entire episode smacks of high-handedness and militates against the cherished ideals of a free press,” the EGI said. “Blocking a website without due process is not just an attack on journalism but an attack on India’s democratic traditions that value fair play and transparency.”
Beyond the website’s shutdown, the fallout from this incident has been severe for the cartoonist behind the controversial work. According to the EGI, the artist has been subjected to online harassment, including death threats from trolls. The targeting of individual journalists and satirists is part of a worrying trend where independent voices are being silenced through coordinated social media attacks.
A call for accountability
In its statement, the EGI urged MeitY to lift the ban on the Vikatan website immediately and ensure that future actions related to digital media adhere to constitutional principles of free speech and expression.
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“We call on the government to roll back the blocking order and ensure that such decisions are never guided by political pressures or arbitrary standards,” the statement read.
As concerns over press freedom intensify, this incident has reignited debates over the extent of government control over digital media. Advocates are now calling for urgent reforms to safeguard journalistic independence and uphold India’s commitment to democratic values. Whether or not the government reverses its decision on Vikatan.com, the episode has once again put India’s media policies under a global spotlight.
Source:https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/editors-guild-condemns-vikatan-ban-press-freedom-india/article69242465.ece