Goutam, another victim of impunity culture

As many as 13 journalists have been killed in the southwestern region of the country and yet not a single case has been resolved and culprits brought to justice. Add to this the occasional doses of journalist bashing by some ministers and MPs, and you have an ideal fuel to the fire of reprisals against journalists who dare report facts out of professional obligations.

It looks as though there is a pattern to the relatively high number of journalist killings. But it seems the vulnerability of journalists to violence and vengeful action is increasing with a downslide in law and order marked by rise in terrorism and bombings.

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Goutam's killing is yet another wake-up call for the administration to gear up the investigations into all the killings that have taken place so far. As in most other cases, the perpetrators of Goutam's murder must be tracked down and punished along with those who called the shots from behind.

For quite sometime, there have been both silent and open hostilities from some familiar people in high places towards the journalist community. On several occasions, working journalists have suffered humiliation and harassment both at the hands of law-enforcing agencies and certain powerful people. This has created an environment, which is neither conducive to nor desirable for the growth of healthy journalism and news dissemination in a democratic country.

Government must ensure the security of journalists and help them carry out their professional duties without any fear for their lives. For, in the ultimate analysis, the government stands to benefit from good journalism as much as the people do.

Our condolences and sympathies to the bereaved family and relatives of Goutam Das.