In a move that smacks of an attempt to smother press freedom, the Indian government has banned journalists of the Danish public broadcaster from coming to India for making documentaries.
The Indian embassy in Denmark has been told to reject the visa applications of journalists working for Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) and others who may be connected with it.
This week the embassy denied visas to a freelance journalist couple who had earlier produced a documentary on India for the state-run corporation
Journalist unions in Denmark have protested against the move saying it was an assault on the freedom of press. They want Danish authorities to take up the matter with the Indian government.
Chairman of the National Danish Union of Journalists, Mogens Blicher Bjerrregaard, said: 'The Danish government must explain to Indian authorities that this is not how press freedom works.'
Danish media quoted a DR spokesperson as saying: 'I don't know all the details. We are working with the foreign
The Indian ambassador in Denmark, Ashok Kumar Attri, did not respond to e-mail queries from Mail Today on the issue.
Sources in the ministry of external affairs (MEA), however, clarified that the informal ban applied only to the state broadcaster and not all Danish journalists.
MEA officials explained the ground for imposing the ban thus: 'The stated purpose when DR journalists applied for a visa the last time was to make a documentary, but they ended up producing a reality show based on India. The series depicted all sorts of things, including life in our slums.'
The series, titled Blood, Sweat and T-shirts, focused on poor working-conditions in India's textile industry.
'There has been a breach of trust in the past. That's why they have been denied visas,' government sources said.
'We have liberal rules, but if someone brazenly violates visa conditions, we can't be expected to keep quiet.'
The latest instance that has caused an uproar in Danish press circles relates to award-winning documentary maker Tom Heinemann and his cameraperson-wife Lotte la Cour, who were denied visas on January 31.
The couple say they had applied for a tourist visa and had no plans to do any professional work.
'We are six people here in Denmark, who are paying for the education of four children in India. We were supposed to meet families who are our friends. We had also planned a visit to Goa to meet other friends,' Heinemann told Mail Today from Copenhagen
Heinemann's passport has been stamped 'VAF', which he says means 'Visa Application Failed'. But Indian officials clarified that it stands for 'Visa Applied For' just to ensure that the person does not make a fresh application at any other Indian mission.
'The VAF stamp on our passports is like a label of Cain - a stamp saying "Visa Application Failed", which means there are several other countries that I will never be able to go to. It's like being labelled a terrorist. I am not a terrorist. I am just a journalist who wants to do his job,' an upset Heinemann said.
The documentary maker first ran into trouble with Indian authorities after his 2005 documentary A Killer Bargain, which showed how Danish and Swedish corporations were selling in India, pesticides banned in Europe and which had led to problems such as cancer in rural areas.
Heinemann has been denied the visa, even though he apologised to the Indian government for making the documentary while in the country on a tourist visa.
'This is not only a big problem for me and my camerawoman, but a general assault on the freedom of expression. Every journalist should protest against this,' the filmmaker said.
'The Indian authorities claim that India is the world's biggest democracy. When they can exclude prominent journalists, even groups of journalists such as my colleagues at DR, it is against the basic tenets of democracy
HISTORY IS PROOF: OCCASIONS SINCE INDEPENDENCE WHEN INDIA HAS BETRAYED ITS INTOLERANCE
At the recent Kolkata Book Fair, the release of Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreens (pictured) book Nirbason - the seventh part of her autobiography series - was stalled after threats of violence from fundamentalists.
In January, the Indian government sanctioned the prosecution of websites accused of displaying objectionable content; Delhi HC warned social-networking giants of a China-like ban if they didnt filter content.
Salman Rushdies (pictured) scheduled appearance - as well as his video address - at Januarys Jaipur Lit Fest was cancelled after protests from a certain section of Muslims over his book The Satanic Verses. In 1988, India became the first nation to ban the book.
In 1962, India banned the novel, Nine Hours To Rama - a fictional account of the last day of Gandhis life - by historian Stanley
Wolpert. It was banned because it exposed the poor security provided.
Read more:
Incredibly intolerant India: Controversial Danish filmmaker denied entry visa - even though he only wants to vacation here | Mail Online
