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Rana Ayyub

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Rana Ayyub
Rana Ayyub in 2017
Born (1984-05-01) 1 May 1984 (age 40)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Alma materSophia College
Occupations
  • Journalist
  • Writer
RelativesAbdul Haq Azmi[1]

Rana Ayyub is an Indian journalist and opinion columnist with The Washington Post.[2] She is author of the investigative book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up.[3][4][5]

Background and family

Rana Ayyub was born in Mumbai, India. Her father Mohammad Ayyub Waqif,[6] was a writer with Blitz, a Mumbai-based magazine, and a member of the progressive writers movement.[7]

She contracted polio at the age of five, leaving her left hand and right leg immobile, and eventually recovered from the disease.[8] When Mumbai witnessed riots in 1992–93, Ayyub's father was warned by a Sikh friend that local men were coming after his daughters. Rana, nine at the time, fled with her sister to stay with the Sikh friend's relatives for three months before reuniting with their family in Deonar, a Muslim-majority suburb, which is where she largely grew up.[9] Ayyub is a practising Muslim.[10]

She graduated in English literature from Sophia College, Mumbai.[9]

Career

Investigative journalist at Tehelka

Ayyub worked for Tehelka (lit. "commotion/uproar"), a Delhi-based investigative and political news magazine. By her own account, a report by her was instrumental in sending Amit Shah, a close associate of Narendra Modi, to jail for several months in 2010.[11][12]

At Tehelka, Ayyub worked as an investigative journalist and her big assignment was to carry out the sting operation upon which her book Gujarat Files was based. At the end of the sting operation, the management of Tehelka refused to publish any story written by Rana or based on the data collected by her. Ayyub continued to work with Tehelka for several months more. In November 2013, her boss Tarun Tejpal, the editor-in-chief and major shareholder of Tehelka, was accused of sexual harassment by one of his journalist subordinates. Ayyub resigned from Tehelka in protest against the organisation's handling of the charge against Tejpal.[13] She now works independently.[14][15][16]

Opinions writer at The Washington Post

In September 2019, Washington Post nominated Ayyub as Contributing Global Opinions Writer with the paper.[17] In 2021, on the BBC show HARDtalk, Ayyub explained that she is in a position to express critical views about the government because she writes of international media, given that Indian media publications are censoring their journalists.[18]

In October 2020, HarperCollins India published an open letter written by Ayyub, to protest the controversial appointment of Actor Gajendra Chauhan as the Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), as part of the book Inquilab: A Decade of Protest which contains speeches, lectures and letters said to "capture the most important events and issues of the past ten years."[19][20][21]

Notable work

The Gujarat sting operation

As an investigative journalist working with Tehelka, Rana Ayyub took up a project to conduct a prolonged sting operation aimed at snaring politicians and government officials of Gujarat and get them to reveal any potential cover-ups regarding the Gujarat riots of 2002. Rana Posing as Maithili Tyagi, a filmmaker from the American Film Institute, and set about befriending her intended targets. She spent around ten months in disguise, and got paid a regular monthly salary from Tehelka during this period. However, at the end of the exercise, the management of Tehelka felt that the recordings which she had made over the months did not provide any new or sensational information, that the data gathered by her was of inadequate quality, and that they could not publish any story on the basis of the new data.[5][22]

The book

Main article: Gujarat Files

In her book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up, Ayyub documented the verbatim transcripts of recordings, made using a concealed recording device, of many bureaucrats and police officers of Gujarat. The recordings were made in the course of an undercover investigation to reveal the views of bureaucrats and police officers on the post-2002 Gujarat riots and Police encounter killings. Ayyub had been posing as 'Maithili Tyagi', a student of the American Film Institute, having an ideological affinity for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's beliefs, to enable her to make the recordings.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]

Dispute with Tehelka

Tarun Tejpal and Shoma Chaudhury have disputed Ayyub's claim that her story on fake encounters in Gujarat, which was the result of an eight-month long undercover investigation, was dropped by them. According to Tejpal, Ayyub's story was "incomplete".[31] According to Chaudhury, Ayyub's story "did not meet the necessary editorial standards."[31] Ayyub has responded to Tejpal and Chaudhury's assertions by noting that:

I must say I am not the only one to complain about dropped stories in Tehelka, the list is fairly big… Shoma Choudhury and Tarun Tejpal of Tehelka cited editorial decisions and gaps. The book is a bestseller and is getting rave reviews for its content. Let the reader be the judge.[31][26]

Reception

Historian Ramachandra Guha had called Ayyub's Gujarat Files "a brave book."[32] Jyoti Malhotra has noted that many journalists have privately applauded Ayyub's courage in authoring Gujarat Files.[33] Priya Ramani has commented: "The abuses from the paid foot soldiers on Twitter bounce off her spiral curls smoothly."[34] Reflecting on the procedure used by Ayyub in composing Gujarat Files, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay has observed: "Going undercover and interviewing many who had been in the thick of gruesome extra-constitutional operations required bravado and this must be appreciated."[28]

Ayyub's investigation of the alleged Gujarat fake encounters has been listed by Outlook magazine as one of the twenty greatest magazine stories of all time across the world.[35] In 2018, Ayyub was awarded the "most Resilient Global journalist" by Dutch non-profit Free Press Unlimited for resisting attempts to stifle her work.[36][37]

In the Haren Pandya murder case, the Supreme Court of India dismissed Rana Ayyub's book, stating that "it is based upon surmises, conjectures, and suppositions and has no evidentiary value."[38][39][40] Ayyub termed the court's comments "puzzling", stating that the CBI had used her work as evidence in other related cases, and noting that no officer or bureaucrat had denied her claims or taken her to court.[41]

Reporting from Kashmir

In 2019, Ayyub accompanied Dexter Filkins from The New Yorker on a trip to Kashmir to report on the violence by the government towards the Kashmiri population following the revocation of the special status of Kashmir by the Modi-led Indian government.[9] Their report of torture inflicted on the Kashmiri population, including minors, sharply contrasted with official accounts from the Indian state and state media, which portrayed the region as calm. Prior to their report, the Indian government’s claims could not be verified due to a full communication blackout and a de facto curfew imposed in Kashmir.[42]

Controversies

Judicial harassment

In February 2022, Ayyub received scrutiny after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) locked assets worth over ₹1.77 crore of hers.[43][44] This was done in relation to a money laundering case filed against her, for allegedly embezzling funds she acquired from the public in the name of charity. ED stated that Ayyub had transferred those funds to other accounts for personal spendings.[45][44][46]

The money laundering charges against Ayyub have been described as sham charges by international observers.[47] According to commentators, the money laundering allegations are part of a broader campaign by the Indian authorities aimed at intimidating Ayyub and silencing her criticism of Modi's government.[48]

FIR was filed against Rana Ayyub in Dharwad due to her alleged comments against anti-hijab protestors as Hindu terrorists.[49][50]

In 2022, UN experts have called on the Indian government to stop the judicial harassment against Ayyub, that included twice freezing Ayyub's bank account. The experts labelled the accusations related to the funds raised by Ayyub for pandemic relief work as "the bogus allegations [that] can be traced back to a far-right social media group."[51]

Awards and recognition

  • In October 2011, Rana Ayyub received the Sanskriti award for excellence in journalism.[52]
  • The 'Citation of Excellence' was conferred to Rana Ayyub in the 2017 edition of the Global Shining Light Award for her undercover investigation revealing state's top officials’ complicity during the 2002 Gujarat Riots.[53]
  • Actress Richa Chadda claimed to have been inspired by Rana Ayyub, who is also her friend, in 2016 film Chalk n Duster, where she plays a journalist.[54]
  • In 2018, Ayyub was awarded the Most Resilient Journalist Award by Free Press Unlimited for continuing her work "despite being harassed both online and offline and receiving death threats."[36]
  • In 2019, Ayyub has been listed as one of ten global journalists who face maximum threats to their lives by the Time magazine.[55]
  • In February 2020, Ayyub was awarded with McGill Medal for journalistic courage at University of Georgia's Grady College.[56]
  • Ayyub is the 2020 Voices of Courage and Conscience Awardee from the Muslim Public Affairs Council of America.[57]
  • In 2021, Ayyub received the Excellence in International Journalism and Human Rights Award by Texas Tech University College of Media and Communication.[58]
  • In 2021, Ayyub was awarded the Overseas Press Club Award for best commentary on international news for her op-eds in The Washington Post.[59]
  • On 28 June 2022, Ayyub was awarded the International John Aubuchon Award by the National Press Club.[60]
  • On 23 October 2024, Ayyub was awarded Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) International Press Freedom Award.[61]

Threats

Online violence against Ayyub is primarily driven by Twitter users aligned with Hindu nationalism and the ruling BJP. An International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) report found that Twitter has failed to address the abuse against her while withholding some of her tweets at the demand of the Indian Government.[62] As per ICFJ's analysis, Ayyub receives abuse within 14 seconds of posting a tweet.

In 2018, Rana was at the receiving end of multiple death and rape threats on twitter. Her personal details were made public and a deepfake pornographic video was released.[63][64][65][66] In April 2018 she filed a complaint with Delhi Police, who subsequently decided to close the case in August 2020 saying that "despite efforts the culprits could not be identified yet."[67]

Several United Nations Special Rapporteurs, associated with the Human Rights Council have intervened in her case three times, warned of the "serious risk" to her life, and called on the authorities in India to "act urgently to protect" her from death threats following an online hate campaign.[68][62] The US State department's 2020 Human Rights Report specifically mentions the online trolling and death threats faced by Ayyub.[69][70] In its report documenting online attacks against journalists around the world, the international non-profit Reporters Without Borders discussed the hate speech unleashed against Ayyub and called on the government and Delhi police to protect her.[71][72]

In 2022, members of the Neo Nazi inspired alt right groups had created Bulli Bai, an app for fake online auction of Muslim women in India with intention to denigrate and harass the minorities. Ayyub and several prominent women journalists in India were targeted. They were also targeted with thousands of hate messages by the secret app Tek Fog allegedly used by the BJP supporters. The app was used to spread right wing propaganda online.[73]

References

  1. ^ Muhammad Ayyub Waqif. Yaad-e-Ayyam (in Urdu) (2017 ed.). Tehreer-e-Nau Publications. p. 41.
  2. ^ "India's Supreme Court endorses right-wing vision relegating Muslims to second-class citizens". The Washington Post (newspaper). 11 November 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  3. ^ Mukhopadhyay, Nilanjan (25 June 2016). "Gujarat Files: Rana Ayyub and stinging truths". Business Standard India. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  4. ^ Ayyub, Rana (25 May 2016). "A Lone Soldier In The Field: An Excerpt From Rana Ayyub's "Gujarat Files: Anatomy Of A Cover Up"". The Caravan. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  5. ^ a b Vijayan, Suchitra (4 June 2016). "An unfinished book". The Hindu.
  6. ^ @RanaAyyub (27 November 2019). "A moment of immense joy and pride. Just discovered a list of my fathers books, digitised and sequenced on the @Rekhta website. Goosebumps" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 October 2020 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ David Remnick (2 December 2019). "Rana Ayyub on India's Crackdown on Muslims". The New Yorker (Podcast). Publisher. Event occurs at 8:57. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  8. ^ Gambade, Emilie (2018). "Unbreakable: The Rana Ayyub Story". Magzter. Marie Claire South Africa. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Filkins, Dexter (2 December 2019). "Blood and Soil in Narendra Modi's India". The New Yorker. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Opinion: I Am A Practicing Muslim. My Concerns Right Now For India Are..." NDTV.com. 4 June 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  11. ^ PTI (25 July 2010). "Modi aide Amit Shah arrested, jailed in Sohrabuddin case". India Today. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  12. ^ Shah Khan, Saba (27 August 2019). "Investigative Journalist Pays the Price for Expose in India". VOA. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Tehelka scandal: Senior editor Rana Ayyub quits in protest". Firstpost.com website. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Rana Ayyub – Author". NDTV. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
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  17. ^ "The Washington Post names Rana Ayyub Contributing Global Opinions Writer". Washington Post. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  18. ^ Stephen Sackur (26 November 2021). "HARDtalk Rana Ayyub: Abuse, intimidation and legal threats". BBC Sounds (Podcast). BBC. Event occurs at 15:16. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  19. ^ Ayyub, Rana (14 July 2015). "Opinion: Open Letter to Gajendra Chauhan from a Former Film Student". NDTV. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  20. ^ Agrawal, Aarushi (18 October 2020). "Books of the week: From Romila Thapar's Voices of Dissent to The Best Stories of Dhumketu, our picks". Firstpost. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  21. ^ Inquilab: A Decade of Protest. India: Harper Collins. 20 October 2020. ISBN 978-93-5357-970-8.
  22. ^ "Gujarat Files". www.goodreads.com.
  23. ^ Ayyub, Rana (25 May 2016). "How Rana Ayyub had to become Maithili Tyagi for her investigations in Gujarat". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
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  27. ^ "Book review: Gujarat Files". Mint. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
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  29. ^ "Gujarat Files: Sting claims political pressure in Gujarat riots". Indian Express. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  30. ^ "What the Silence Over Rana Ayyub's 'Gujarat Files' Tells Us". The Wire. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
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  36. ^ a b "Free Press Awards 2018: The winners". freepressunlimited.org. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
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  39. ^ "SC rejects NGO's plea for further probe in Haren Pandya case". www.dnaindia.com. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  40. ^ "SC rejects NGO's plea for further probe in Haren Pandya case, slaps Rs 50K fine". www.outlookindia.com. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  41. ^ Ayyub, Rana (11 July 2019). "An appeal to the SC to examine the Gujarat Files tapes as evidence". The Caravan. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  42. ^ Christiane Amanpour (10 December 2019). Dexter Filkins & Rana Ayyub Discuss the Situation in Kashmir. PBS. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
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  44. ^ a b PTI (11 February 2022). "Enforcement Directorate seizes deposits, journalist cries vendetta". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
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  49. ^ Rakesh, K. M (5 March 2022). "Karnataka: Journalist Rana Ayyub booked over 'Hindu terrorists'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  50. ^ "FIR against journalist Rana Ayyub in Dharwad". The Hindu. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
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  59. ^ "The Flora Lewis Award 2021". OPC of America. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  60. ^ Club, National Press. "National Press Club Names Indian Journalist Rana Ayyub 2022 Aubuchon International Honoree". PR Newswire (Press release). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  61. ^ Takagi, Andy (23 October 2024). "This journalist has faced physical threats and been sued by the Indian government. Here's why her work matters so much to her 2024". Toronto Star. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  62. ^ a b Posetti, Julie; Zaffar, Hanan; Shabbir, Nabeelah; Bontcheva, Kalina; Maynard, Diana; Pandya, Mugdha (14 February 2023). "Rana Ayyub: Targeted online violence at the intersection of misogyny and Islamophobia" (PDF). International Center for Journalists. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
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  67. ^ Sharma, Betwa (7 August 2020). "Delhi Police To Close Case On Violent Abuse And Threats Against Rana Ayyub". HuffPost India. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  68. ^ "OHCHR | UN experts call on India to protect journalist Rana Ayyub from online hate campaign". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
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  73. ^ "These Muslim Women Were Fetishized for Their Faith and 'Auctioned' Online". www.vice.com. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

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