hen I think of Arundhati Roy, her Booker-winning novel, The God of Small Things comes late to mind. What come to mind first are her incisive essays that began appearing in the 1990s when I was a student: her piece on India’s nuclear explosions, The End of Imagination; her piece on Narmada Bachao Aandolan, The Greater Common Good; her piece on genocide and state-backed repressions, Listening to Grasshoppers, among them.

They informed an entire generation activists and created a clear, incisive vision of alternatives not just for India but for the entire world undergoing rapid transitions around that time. The Cold War had ended neo-liberalism sounded triumphant. Soon that triumph would come crashing down.

Another image comes to mind by association: Roy coming to our university and addressing a hall overflowing with students, asking them to join her in Narmada valley; Roy walking as a part of an anti-nuclear weapons rally in Delhi; Roy refusing to appear before the Supreme Court on the contempt charge, choosing instead to spend a night in prison; Roy addressing a rally of students late in the night protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act imposed and enacted by the current government; and just a week ago, Roy sitting prominently at a protest meeting of journalists carrying a placard with a slogan - Free the Press - around her neck.

Obviously, the two images go together. They complement her persona of a writer-activist; one, not at the expense of the other.

One has to see the latest actions against Roy in that context but also in the context of what’s happening to India right now. The recent decision by the Delhi’s lieutenant governor to prosecute Roy and others on a 13-year-old case, permitting her to be tried under sedition charges, raises significant concerns about the state of freedom of expression and press freedom in India.

This decision reflects a larger pattern of erosion of civil liberties and freedom of the press in the country, with a particular focus on recent developments, such as the Newsclick incident and the harassment and detention of numerous journalists as well as the arrest of two of them under anti-terror charges. To appreciate the gravity of this situation, it is essential to delve into the details of the case against Roy; the broad context in which this is happening; and India’s current performance (sic) in terms of press freedom.

The first information report against Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain had accused them of disrupting social harmony and of acting in ‘public mischief,’ but more seriously of sedition. This came from a complaint filed on October 28, 2010, by one Sushil Pandit against Roy, Hussain and two men who have since died (Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Syed Abdul Rahman Geelani).

In her speech then at a Press Conference on Kashmir, she had criticised the Indian government’s handling of the Kashmir conflict. Her statements were critical of the state’s policies but did not incite violence or hatred. Despite this, the authorities have chosen to revive this case over a decade later and charge her with sedition, (using a law which is under temporary suspension by the Supreme Court), a move that is seen as a blatant attempt to stifle dissent and silence a prominent voice among scores of others.

In recent years, India has witnessed a series of incidents where journalists have faced harassment, physical violence and legal action for their reporting. The case of Newsclick, an independent media outlet, is particularly alarming. The government’s Enforcement Directorate carried out raids on the organisation’s premises, alleging financial irregularities. Many experts and observers saw this as an attempt to suppress critical reporting and intimidate independent media.

The arrest of journalists under anti-terror charges sends a chilling message to the entire community. It not only curtails their ability to report fearlessly but also erodes the public’s right to information, which is essential for a functioning democracy.

India’s record on press freedom has been deteriorating in recent years. Organisations like Reporters Without Borders have increasingly ranked India lower on their World Press Freedom Index. The increasing intimidation and violence against journalists, coupled with regulatory measures that grant the government more control over media content, have raised serious concerns about the state of journalism in the country.

The targeting of independent media, the harassment of journalists and the revival of criminal cases against activists and writers are indicative of a broader collapse of civil liberties in India. The government’s growing control over mainstream media outlets, both print and television, has left only a handful of independent voices. These voices are now being systematically targeted at a time when India is on the cusp of general elections.

Roy’s case is typical of the broad assault on civil liberties, including the freedom of the press, in India and beyond. Less-known journalists are known to have spent up to two years in prison under terror charges without bail simply because they were trying to do their duty. Universities, including some private ones, in India right now are under disarray. Academics are being sacked due to their supposedly anti-government academic papers.

As the government tightens its grip on media and dissenting voices, it is clear that the democratic fabric of the nation is being torn. The targeting of Arundhati Roy is an alarming indicator of the lengths to which those in power are willing to go to silence criticism and dissent.

The decision to prosecute Arundhati Roy and others under sedition charges is deeply troubling and emblematic of the wide erosion of civil liberties and press freedom in India.

While some Western liberal governments are applauding the Indian prime minister for the so called geo-strategic reasons, the global community must pay attention to these developments and support efforts to uphold the universal human rights of the freedom of expression and the right to information in India. The case against Arundhati Roy is not just about one individual; it is about the collective right to speak the truth to power, without the fear of reprisal.

The writer has been in the development sector for more than a decade. He currently works with an international non-governmental organisation based in Delhi. He may be reached at: avinashcold@gmail.com