Reporters Without Orders Ep 179: Dalit child’s ‘rape’ and demonisation of Muslim converts

This week, host Ayush Tiwari is joined by Newslaundry’s Nidhi Suresh and Akanksha Kumar.

Nidhi discusses her report on the alleged rape and murder of a Dalit child in Delhi Cantt area, reconstructing the timeline and narrating what the victim’s mother told her. Nidhi says the media mustn’t overlook the fact that this is also a case of caste violence.

Akanksha discusses her report on the alleged “mass conversion racket” that the Uttar Pradesh police claim to have busted early this year. She talks about how the case of Umar Gautam and Jahangir Kasmi, two of the Muslim men arrested in the case, is equal parts political stunt and equal parts media witchhunting.

Akanksha points out how the constitutional right of religious conversion has been demonised and how she tried to tackle it in her report. She recalls her conversations with a few people who changed their religion and how they are angry with the media for scrutinising their personal decisions and even vilifying them.

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have.

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