French journalist Sebastien Farcis has alleged that he was forced to leave India after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) refused to renew his journalist permit, ending his 13-year journey as a correspondent in the country. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Farcis expressed his bewilderment, stating, “After 13 years working as a correspondent in India, the authorities have denied me a permit to work as a journalist. I have thus been forced to leave the country.”
Farcis detailed the situation in a statement, stating that on June 17th, he was compelled to leave India, a country he had called home for over a decade, where he worked as a South Asia correspondent for esteemed media outlets such as Radio France Internationale, Radio France, Liberation, and the Swiss and Belgian public radios. He explained that on March 7th, the MHA denied the renewal of his journalist permit without providing any explanation for the work ban, despite his repeated formal requests to the ministry. This, he described as an “incomprehensible censorship.”
Sebastien emphasized that he had diligently fulfilled all necessary visa and accreditation requirements during his years in India. He stated, “I have respected the regulations imposed in India for foreign journalists and never worked in restricted or protected areas without a permit. On several occasions, the MHA even granted me permits to report from border areas.”
The abrupt work ban arrived as a shock, particularly as it came on the eve of the Indian general elections, the largest democratic elections globally. This timing, Farcis believes, further underscores the censorship aspect, as he was prohibited from covering this significant event.
The situation extended beyond Farcis himself, as his family was also forced out of India “without explanation,” leaving them “uprooted overnight.” Despite being married to an Indian woman and holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status, their ties to India were severed without a clear reason. Farcis expressed his deep attachment to India, stating, “I am married to an Indian woman, and I have the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status. I am therefore deeply attached to India, which has become my second homeland.”
Farcis’s case isn’t isolated, as he is the second French journalist forced to leave India under similar circumstances in the past four months. A worrying trend has emerged in the past two years, with five OCI foreign correspondents facing bans on working as journalists in India. These incidents raise serious concerns about press freedom in India, with implications for foreign journalists and their ability to report freely on the country’s affairs.
