How Modi went to war with the BBC

BBC India's problems can be traced back to a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: Arun Chandrabose/AFP < p>When BBC reporters in Delhi learned that the broadcaster was about to release a documentary criticizing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they immediately braced themselves for a backlash.

“Why should the BBC do this?” one employee reportedly asked. «We will face the consequences.»

The fears turned out to be well founded. The Modi government moved quickly to block a documentary that focused on the treatment of Muslims under his rule and warned of a slide into authoritarianism.

Just weeks later, tax authorities raided the BBC's Delhi offices , citing concerns about accounting practices and compliance with foreign media ownership laws.

BBC office building in New Delhi raided after a television station aired a critical documentary. Photo: Sajjad Hussain/AFP

A year later, the British broadcaster took the unprecedented step of restructuring its India operations, spinning off a separate production company from its news functions to comply with increasingly stringent regulations.

The overhaul has worrying implications for the largest overseas broadcaster, many observers say. BBC News Bureau.

There are consequences beyond the BBC post as well. Far from being an isolated incident, observers say the crackdown is just the latest violation of press freedom in an increasingly authoritarian state.

India begins six weeks of elections on Friday, with Modi hoping to win a third term in power. If that happens, many fear Modi's war with the BBC could be just the beginning of a wider crackdown on the media.

“Indian journalism is currently shrouded in growing darkness, with increasingly bizarre accusations being made. journalists are even called terrorists,” says Karan Thapar, a veteran Indian journalist.

“Major news channels are suppressing criticism from opposition parties when it comes to Modi and his government. This situation is simply surreal and if the Modi regime achieves re-election, the prospects for journalism in India will be even bleaker.”

The BBC's problems in India can be traced back to a documentary that aired on BBC Two in January last year .

The two-part series, India: The Modi Question, examines allegations that Modi's pursuit of Hindu nationalist policies has led to increased marginalization and widespread violence against Muslims in the country.

The film focuses on the allegations. that Modi was involved in religious violence that led to the deaths of more than 1,000 people in 2002 when he was chief minister of Gujarat.

A UK government report featured in the documentary said the violence bore «all the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing.» Modi was denied a US visa in 2005 for “serious violations of religious freedom”, although he has traveled to the country since then.

Modi was cleared of complicity in violence in 2012, but the allegations have dogged it still is. since then.

The BBC documentary, which draws heavily on archival footage, offers little new material for those who follow Indian politics closely.

But in portraying Modi's controversial rise and conclusions, the message that India is slipping into authoritarianism has angered the long-serving prime minister.

Modi's government introduced emergency laws to prevent the documentary from being broadcast in India, and ordered Twitter and YouTube to remove links and posts about the film, calling it a «propaganda piece» created with a «colonial mindset.»

A BBC documentary documents Narendra Modi's controversial rise to power. Photo: Saurabh Das/AP That hasn't stopped many Indians from using VPNs to get around the ban. There were reports of students crowding around smartphones to watch the programme.

On the morning of 11 February, less than a month after the film aired, tax officials raided the BBC's offices in New Delhi.

In the raids, which the government euphemistically called a «survey», officials searched the computers and cloned mobile phones of some senior staff.

The review focused on tax issues and whether the BBC was complying. with a law capping foreign ownership in media companies at 26%.

One Indian journalist who subsequently left the BBC called the move «bullying.»

«They were generally not happy with the BBC's material… They thought the BBC was serving the interests of Western media in India,” the source claims.

«When the documentary came out they decided to teach the BBC a little lesson: you're crossing a red line, so we can do more to hurt you.»

p>Sources said the investigation revolves around agreements that the commercial arm BBC Mumbai has struck deals with tech giants Facebook and YouTube to channel revenue generated in India back to London.

A BBC spokesman declined to comment but said the broadcaster was co-operating with authorities and took its tax obligations very seriously.

However, the timing of the raids meant that many observers saw them as evidence of the very authoritarianism that tried to expose the BBC documentary.

Celia Mercier, South Asia director for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said the raids had «all the hallmarks of reprisals», adding: «The timing clearly raises questions.»

Observers warn that Modi Increasingly, tax authorities are using tax authorities as a means of suppressing dissent not only from journalists, but also from charities and other non-governmental organizations.

In October, independent news site NewsClick was raided over allegations it received illicit funding from China. Two senior staffers were briefly jailed in what Mercier calls “one of the most egregious attacks on press freedom.”

“There appears to be a desire to suppress dissent, muzzle independent media and suppress critical voices. «, she adds.

Oxfam was also the target of so-called «surveys» and Amnesty was forced to cease operations in India in 2020 after the government froze its bank accounts.

The Indian government has denied the allegations. using these agencies as weapons to suppress dissent.

The BBC's problems are not limited to tax issues. The broadcaster was forced this week to spin off an independent production company amid allegations it violated Indian media ownership laws.

The collective news service, headed by four former BBC India journalists, will provide news and other programs back to the BBC under a service contract — the first time such an arrangement has been made by the British public broadcaster.

The BBC has applied for taking just under a 26% stake in the business under the country's foreign investment laws.

The remaining 90 BBC staff will continue to work directly for the broadcaster's newsgathering network. operations on television, radio and the Internet in English.

Publicly, the BBC is optimistic. Lilian Landor, outgoing senior controller of international services at BBC News, said the agreement «ensures the continuation of the independent, international and impartial journalism for which the BBC News brand is known in India and around the world.»

But journalists In some places they doubt the new company and its independence.

One reporter, who was among about 30 staff who left the BBC or were sacked rather than join Collective Newsroom, said he feared a culture of «self-censorship» within the organization.

«We pulled out of the program “A collective newsroom” because we joined the BBC and it’s not the BBC anymore,” says the journalist. “We don’t want to trust this organization that has just emerged.”

Another BBC journalist who joined the new venture was less critical: “We don't see any major differences in the editorial area. The way we have worked is the way we continue to do it.”

However, the source expressed concerns about the future and potential career progression as “we are no longer part of the BBC.”

India's Income Tax Department raided the BBC's New Delhi office in February 2023. Photo: Altaf Qadri/AP

A BBC insider said the Collective Newsroom would still have to adhere to the corporation's editorial standards, adding that dealing with regulatory issues meant it could «focus on journalism without the distractions of compliance issues.»

A spokesperson for Collective Newsroom said the new organization will not be censored, adding: “Collective Newsroom is home to India's most authoritative, creative and bold journalism. Because we rely on facts and listen to diverse voices across the country, the strength of our journalism and robust editorial offerings will allow us to stand out in the market.”

The restructuring comes amid broader concerns about the health of Indian media under Modi.

India last year dropped to 161st place out of 180 countries in the RSF World Press Freedom Index, its worst position ever, and down from 133rd place in 2016.

p>RSF has warned that India is using terrorism laws to silence journalists in Jammu. and Kashmir, although there are reports that foreign correspondents are increasingly being denied permits and visas. At least 40 journalists have been detained since 2019.

Reporters in the country say crackdowns on the press have been going on for several years but have recently become more brazen. Newspapers are said to be reluctant to criticize the Modi regime for fear of cutting off advertising funding.

A staffer from the collective news department said, “Most mainstream media channels and newspapers have become mouthpieces of the ruling government.< /p>

“Those who do not toe the line of the ruling government have been kicked out of the mainstream media and they have launched their digital platforms to do real journalism, but not everyone can afford it.”

“Those who do not toe the line ruling government have been kicked out of the mainstream media and they have opened up their digital platforms to do real journalism, but not everyone can afford it.”

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Thapar adds: “Under Modi, Indian journalism has changed significantly. Journalists are much more concerned about the consequences of what they write, so they often self-censor.

“Editors are very aware of the consequences of criticizing the government and often either avoid it or encourage it. down.

“Newspaper owners are concerned about the impact on their other businesses, so they rely on their editors to make sure the government is not offended.”

This is a decline in press freedom. is of particular concern in the run-up to the Indian elections. Opinion polling shows Modi, 73, is well placed to win, matching India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's three-term record.

Any victory for Modi risks being undermined by declining press freedom. and concerns about growing authoritarianism.

“In terms of press freedom, it now appears to be more of a facade hiding an authoritarian drift,” says Mercier.

The Indian Embassy contacted us for receiving comments.