 I was completely shocked by the news yesterday about raids by the enforcement directorate at the offices and homes of journalists and editors of NewsClick. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that it is one of the few media platforms in this country today that does not hesitate in speaking truth to power. I've been deeply disturbed like so many others in our fraternity to see these raids on NewsClick. Now, no one is above the law, certainly not the media. And it seems too much of a coincidence that these raids come at a time when the government is increasingly cracking down on media outlets and even individual journalists for reporting on stories like the farm protests in a manner which makes the government uncomfortable. NewsClick has over a few years built great credibility in its coverage of a range of issues that are of concern to every Indian from science and technology to people's struggles. That institution is not built in a day. It takes great effort and huge talent to nurse such a media platform which provides meaning and insights through its daily efforts. I think that you are targeted not generally for the kind of journalism you do and particularly for the kind of journalism you've done around the farmer's struggle which has been outstanding and has been its own reward with the number of 40 million hits on YouTube in a month. It's just phenomenal. You have declined and I'm proud of you. You have declined to be stenographers to power which is what I see across the extremely cash-rich, powerful or supposedly powerful media. At a time when media outlets owned by the richest man in this country slavishly tore the government's line and others think that journalism is about reporting tweets or the inconvenience faced by the middle class when either workers or farmers or Muslims or Dalits protest, NewsClick is perhaps the only platform that consistently tells us the stories that really matter. One of the posts, tweets and letters of solidarity was one from a photographer who had this to say, inside the NewsClick office are some of my photos of laborers and farmers. This is a media outlet that decorates its walls with the pictures of everyday people. Yes, that is NewsClick and I hope it can soon put its present troubles behind it and carry on doing what it does best. Condemnation seems to me too weak a word to apply to the events of the last 40 hours. A shameless attempt on the intimidation of the journalists and journalism of NewsClick is still unfolding around us. Simply trying to crack down on the press and trying to stifle the raising of uncomfortable questions is not going to make the pressing problems of this country go away. You know Bertolt Brecht was once asked, will there be singing in the dark times? And he said there will be singing of the dark times. Will there be journalism in the dark times? There already is. There already is and there will be journalism of the dark times as well. A pretty outstanding journalism and NewsClick is and will remain a very important element of that journalism of the dark times, the journalism of dissent. I am glad however to see that a number of media organizations including editors, gills and so on and the press club have come out in support and in solidarity with NewsClick. NewsClick is very very different and unique and a breath of fresh air and it epitomizes in my opinion the highest standards in journalism. Because of all of this I think if this ongoing attack on NewsClick is meant to scare them into submission it is a grave miscalculation on the part of whoever thought this came up. I know the team at NewsClick they are made of much stronger stuff and I am confident that they will only emerge stronger and more resolved from this episode. I stand in complete solidarity with the entire team at NewsClick.