BJP Cabinet minister in Assam offers cash to scribes

News reports on corruption in journalism or corrupt journalists usually go viral faster than you can type #paidmedia. Not so much, though, when the news pertains to journalists standing up for professional integrity and refusing to get bribed. Which is perhaps why this story about The Assam Tribune (AT) staff reporter refusing to accept a “cash gift” from a minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led cabinet escaped most of social media’s attention.

The incident did make it as a front-page report on the English daily on April 13. It details how the AT staff reporter was offered “some notes of Rs 2,000” allegedly at the behest of the Assam Forest and Environment Minister, Pramila Rani Brahma. 101 reporters got in touch with him to know the complete story.

The staff reporter stated that he got a telephone call at around 7 pm on Tuesday (April 11) from a person who introduced himself as an ex-journalist and stated that Brahma, who is from the Bodoland People’s Front, wanted to meet him at 10:30 am the next day at her official residence in Dispur.

“He told me the minister had brought some shirts for me. This sounded very weird to me,” said the AT staff reporter, who does not wish to be named. “I told him I had some work the next morning and I will only visit her if there was a press meet or an official programme.”

Five minutes later, he says, he received a call from Brahma. “‘We have a programme tomorrow, you please come and cover it,’ she said. I told her I will be there by 10:30 am and she said, ‘No, please come at 10 am sharp’.”

The long and short of it was the AT reporter was at the minister’s official residence at 10 am. He says he was made to sit in the reception area where two other journalists were already seated. There were no signs of any “official function”.

“This made me angry. In the meantime, I called up my colleague who covers the Forest and Environment ministry and told him to suggest topics on which I could ask questions to the minister. He suggested illegal hill cutting and encroachment on forest lands in Guwahati.”

Just then, says the AT staff reporter, the minister’s PA, Dipak Sarma, walked up to him and offered him a bundle of Rs 2,000 notes, saying the minister was giving it to select journalists as a Bihu gift.

The AT journalist says he refused to accept the gift. “I was shocked. How dare the minister call me to offer me money through her PA. I told Dipak Sarma that not all journalists run after money, certainly not me and my media house. I told him to tell minister Baideu not to do such a thing again,” he states, adding that Dipak Sarma apologised, saying that “it was a gift from the minister” and that he respects the journalist’s decision to reject it.

AT outlined this incident on its front page on the first day of the Assamese New Year, with the headline ‘Minister’s Bihu Gift’.

When 101reporter reached to Dipak Sarma to respond to the entire episode, he said, “I have no clue about the incident, please ask the minister.”

But sources in AT confirmed to 101reporters that one of its editors called Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who promised strict action against any minister who offers cash to journalists.

The newspaper reported this, too: “Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has issued a strict warning to all the Ministers asking them not to offer cash or bribe to any journalist as ‘Bihu or other gifts’. Sonowal took strong exception to one senior Cabinet Minister’s action of offering cash to journalists yesterday as “Bihu gift” and said that he has issued a strict warning to all his Ministerial colleagues not to indulge in such activities. The Chief Minister called up this newspaper this morning to enquire about the incident, which was reported by The Assam Tribune in its today’s paper and immediately called up the Minister concerned.”

When 101reporters reached out to Brahma, she stated that she had offered cash to five journalists, but that it was “fuel money” for journalists to come to her office and not a “Bihu gift”. She did confirm that Chief Minister Sonowal had taken up the matter with her.

“The Chief Minister asked me why I have given cash as a Bihu gift. I explained to him that it was not a Bihu gift. Why would I give money as Bihu gift? I gave fuel money for journalists coming to my residence,” she said.

She added that some people are out to tarnish her image. “I do not know why but some people are angry. Maybe because I have been fighting corruption. This allegation is baseless, somebody is conspiring against me. I’m very hurt.”

Clearly, the incident should serve as a reminder for politicians in particular and the public in general that not all journalists are up for sale.

Update: The piece was updated to reflect that Brahma is from the Bodoland People’s Front.

With inputs from Saurabh Sharma

(Syeda Ambia Zahan is a Guwahati based independent journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)