22 Years Legal, Now Sealed: Why Hundreds of Rajasthan Journalists Stormed Jaisalmer Streets Against Collector Pratap Singh

Jaisalmer. An unprecedented wave of anger was witnessed among journalists in Jaisalmer on Friday, in protest against what they described as an administrative attack on the fourth pillar of democracy. Hundreds of reporters from across the state gathered and took to the streets, raising loud slogans and demanding the immediate suspension of Jaisalmer Collector Pratap Singh Nathawat.

The state-level protest was organized at the call of the country's oldest journalist organization, IFWJ (Indian Federation of Working Journalists), drawing journalists from various districts of Rajasthan to Jaisalmer. The massive rally commenced from Gandhi Darshan at Hanuman Circle and proceeded to the Superintendent of Police office, where the protesters voiced their intense anger against the Collector.

Addressing the gathering at the protest site, Upendra Singh Rathore, the state president of the IFWJ, alleged that the Collector’s action against his ‘Swad Restaurant’ was entirely born out of malice. He stated that his livelihood was being targeted to suppress the voice of journalists, and attempts were being made to intimidate them through false cases, which the organization would not tolerate at any cost.

State General Secretary Manveer Singh Chundawat issued a warning, asserting that journalists are not afraid. He said that while they would approach the court in this matter, the struggle would continue from the streets to the legislative houses. He added that if needed, they would also stage a siege of the Chief Minister’s residence in Jaipur.

Raising pertinent questions, Vikram Singh Karanot, State Secretary and Jodhpur Division in-charge, pointed out that the ‘Swad Restaurant’ had been operating since 2004, and no administrative officer had found any fault with it in the past 22 years. He argued that if there was a violation of lease conditions, a penalty could have been imposed, but the actions of directly seizing and then demolishing the structure raised many questions.

The demand for the Collector’s dismissal grew louder as office-bearers from various districts joined in the chorus. Speakers emphasized that this matter was not just about one individual but about the freedom of journalism itself.

Concluding the sit-in, hundreds of journalists carried placards in a rally to the Superintendent of Police office. There, they staged a protest by reciting the Hanuman Chalisa and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister.

Key Questions Raised:

Is an administrative action being used as a facade to target journalists?

Why was there sudden strictness regarding a lease that was considered valid for 22 years?

Does this case constitute an attack on the freedom of expression in a democracy?

The protest in Jaisalmer appears to be escalating into a statewide movement. Protesters indicated that if the state government does not immediately suspend Jaisalmer Collector Pratap Singh Nathawat, the movement is bound to spread across the entire state.

On this occasion, hundreds of journalists from Jaisalmer and various other districts of Rajasthan demonstrated their collective representation.