'A delicate balance': On press freedom, foreign correspondence during India's historic election
Salimah Shivji shares what she's learned working in Mumbai, and about the making of new podcast on PM Modi
The biggest election in human history is underway in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the highest-rated political leader in the world, faces re-election amid deep religious divisions in the country. Many revere Modi as 'a God' — others fear for their safety under his government.
In the new podcast Modi's India: Understood, Mumbai-based journalist Salimah Shivji investigates what led up to this pivotal moment and looks at what it will mean for India — and the world — if Modi wins again.
Shivji, longtime reporter, opened CBC's India Bureau in Mumbai in 2020. Since then, she's been covering the region in this "endlessly fascinating" chapter of her career. CBC Podcasts spoke with Shivji about making Modi's India: Understood and being in India during such a historic event.
Can you share any memorable moments or encounters you've had while covering Modi and the election campaign?
I really love speaking to people at polling stations across India. There's such a dedication to performing that civic duty and I find the enthusiasm around voting really inspiring. One booth in northern Uttar Pradesh was packed, despite the sweltering 40 degree heat, and this lovely woman in a blue-flowered headscarf was so keen to speak with me in Hindi, to hold up her finger and show me the ink that confirmed she had voted, and to talk about India's democracy.
Another moment that stuck with me was in Varanasi, India's holiest city, where I was speaking to people about a legal battle over a Mughal-era mosque that Hindu nationalists want to tear down. I spoke with a longtime activist and member of the rightwing nationalist group, the RSS, which is a paramilitary organization that works to spread the idea of Hindu supremacy in India.
He pulled a brick out of his bag and showed it to me with pride – a brick that he had taken from the site of another centuries-old mosque that he helped destroy. He was part of the mob that tore down the place of worship in the 1990s. It was an illegal demolition that sparked deadly communal riots. The mosque was on land that Hindus believe is the birthplace of one of their deities, Ram.
Another lighter memory of that time in Varanasi is our team riding on the back of motorbikes through the chaotic jumble of streets in the old town to get to our interviews, often balancing a microphone, a camera tripod and other equipment. Multi-tasking, if you will.
And those are just a couple of moments that stick in my mind from this election campaign. Honestly, every story here is an adventure that teaches you something.
LISTEN | Salimah Shivji explores how Modi has reshaped India on The Current
How do you navigate the complexities of reporting on Indian politics and culture?
It's always a delicate balance here in India, as in many other countries around the world, since a lot of the stories that I cover are contentious, with many layers. They require nuance and, often, historical context.
And India is incredibly diverse, with so many regional differences and beautiful idiosyncrasies. The issues in a small town in Tamil Nadu can be worlds away from those in a farming village in Punjab.
As a correspondent, you always have to listen intently and treat with care the stories that people choose to share with you.
Why is this an important story for Canadian audiences and beyond?
Quite simply, India matters... It's a force on the global stage, and will only gain more prominence as its economy and political clout grows further over the next few years. So, it's really important for those in Canada and around the world to know what is happening here: this is a country that's very proud of its title as the world's largest democracy, which has a government in place that critics say has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies. Press freedom has been restricted and the space for open dialogue and dissent has shrunk. And sometimes the changes in India are under the radar — and subtle enough — for global leaders to look the other way.
How are you feeling following the news that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's South Asia correspondent Avani Dias said she was effectively pushed out of India because of her coverage, and that the government made it "too difficult" to do her job?
The situation that my fellow South Asia correspondent, Avani from ABC, had to deal with is symptomatic of some of the pressure foreign journalists face in this country… Whether it's not receiving a journalist visa extension on time, or whether it's getting comments on your coverage if officials believe it's too critical. But it's also important to note that Indian journalists from the few remaining independent outlets in the country face a lot more scrutiny.
The latest index, released by Reporters without Borders, has India at 159th out of 180 countries for freedom of the press, a ranking that the non-profit calls "unworthy of a democracy".
What do you hope listeners take away from this series?
It's really a window into a world, showing what's happening on the ground here in India under a very powerful leader who's already made a profound mark on this country. And what a possible third term for Narendra Modi could mean for India — and the rest of the world.