French journalist S?bastien Farcis, who has reported from South Asia for over a decade, has claimed he was forced to leave India after the Indian government denied the renewal of his journalist permit. Farcis, who has worked for prestigious outlets such as Radio France Internationale, Radio France, and Liberation, called the decision ?incomprehensible censorship.?
In a statement posted on X, Farcis said, ?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.? He departed India on June 17, following the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) decision to deny his permit renewal on March 7. Despite repeated requests and appeals, Farcis stated that no explanation was provided for the ban.
Farcis, who holds Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status and is married to an Indian woman, expressed his dismay over the abrupt end to his time in India. ?I am deeply attached to India, which has become my second homeland. But with no more work nor income, my family has been pushed out of India without explanation, and uprooted overnight for no apparent reason.?
The journalist emphasized his adherence to Indian regulations for foreign correspondents, including having all necessary visas and accreditations. He mentioned that the MHA had previously permitted him to report from sensitive border areas, making the sudden work ban even more shocking. Farcis was informed of the decision just before the Lok Sabha elections, which he was then prohibited from covering.
This incident marks the second time this year that a French journalist has been compelled to leave India under similar circumstances. In February, Vanessa Dougnac, a South Asia correspondent for 23 years, reported that her OCI card was canceled by the MHA due to her allegedly ?biased negative perception? of India. Farcis highlighted a troubling trend, noting, ?This denial comes in a worrying context of increasing restrictions on the work of foreign journalists: after Vanessa Dougnac, I am the second French journalist in four months having to leave India under these conditions. At least five OCI foreign correspondents have been banned from working as journalists in less than two years.?New Delhi-Based French Journalist Says He Was Forced to Leave India
