Indian State Media Gags Communist Leader on Independence Day

The Communist Party of India, CPI(M) has issued a statement condemning the Indian government-run media networks for refusing to broadcast the Independence Day address by Manik Sarkar, chief minister of the communist-led state of Tripura.

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The networks Doordarshan, DD, and All India Radio, AIR, said that they would not broadcast Sakar's address until it was "reshaped."

Sarkar in his address said that India's yet to achieve economic independence, claiming that nearly 100,000 workers were retrenched in one year and over 200,000 youths were jobless despite having professional degrees.

“India got independence 70 years ago. Indians got political freedom, but they have not got economic independence yet,” he said.

“The main political parties are misguiding the people, especially the youth, for their narrow political interests. Divisions are being created among people in the name of religion and other issues,” Sarkar added.

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CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the state media's actions went against the “cooperative federalism” promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Doordarshan is not the private property of the BJP or the RSS. It's refusal to broadcast Tripura CM’s speech is undemocratic and illegal,” Yechury said in a message on Twitter.

The act of censorship was reminiscent of the “Emergency days,” the CPI(M) statement said, referring to a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in the country suppressing all media.

“In fact, it goes beyond as it seeks to gag the elected chief minister of a state. The center is trampling upon the autonomy of Doordarshan/AIR and Prasar Bharati by such acts of censorship," the CPI(M) general secretary said in another tweet.