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Defenders of press freedom on Friday (November 8th) protested the revocation by New Delhi of the migration status of a British journalist of Indian origin, author of a resounding critical article by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Son of a famous Indian journalist and a senior Pakistani politician, whose murder in 2011 for defending a Christian had made great noise, Aatish Taseer had drawn the ire of the Indian government in May with the release of an article on the cover of the American magazine Time.
The text on Narendra Modi portrayed him as the " divisor-in-chief " of the South Asian giant and was published during the Indian legislative elections, which triumphantly re-elected the Hindu nationalist. " To attack the migratory status of a journalist after the publication of a critical article shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party is intolerant of criticism and freedom of the press, " he said. said Steven Butler, Asia manager of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The status of "Overseas Citizens of India"
Following press reports on Thursday, Indian authorities confirmed that they had revoked Aatish Taseer's 38-year-old Indian citizenship overseas. Denying any connection with Time's article, they claim " he has hidden the fact that his late father was of Pakistani origin " and is therefore not eligible.
Since India does not recognize dual nationality, many people of Indian origin, or Indians who have taken the nationality of another country, have the status of "Overseas Citizens of India" (OCI), which allows them to enter, live and work in India without a visa.
On blacklist
This decision leaves some uncertainty as to whether the journalist living in New York today will be able to return to India one day: " They put me on a blacklist. I can not come as ordinary citizens in India anymore. My grandmother is 90 years old and lives in India and it is possible that I will never see her again, "he told the BBC.
The origins of Aatish Taseer, who was raised by his lone mother in India, are well known to the public and had never previously posed a problem to his status as an OIC, he said. He is the son of Salman Taseer, the governor of Pakistan's Punjab who was killed in 2011 for defending Christian Asia Bibi , an assassination that had a worldwide impact. The journalist's complicated relationship with his father, whom he did not meet for the first time until he was 21, is even the subject of one of his books.
(with AFP)