NEW DELHI: The Association of India Magazines (AIM) has expressed deep concern over the arbitrary blocking of the website vikatan.com, published by Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) on February 15, 2025.
The move followed a complaint filed the same day by Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) regarding a political cartoon published in Vikatan Plus. AIM highlighted that the immediate action taken without prior notice or a formal order is highly troubling and indicative of a potential infringement on press freedom.
According to Ananda Vikatan’s statement, the blocking was enforced without any opportunity for the publisher to respond or defend their editorial stance. The political cartoon in question, a form of satire long embedded in journalistic tradition, was the primary subject of the complaint.
Adding to the pressure, officials from the Press Bureau of India reportedly visited Vikatan’s registered office on the same day to inquire about the magazine’s format. It was clarified that Vikatan Plus is an exclusively digital publication.
Ironically, after the site—boasting nearly 90 lakh monthly users—was blocked, the publishers received a formal notice from MIB on February 16, 2025, summoning them to an Inter-Departmental Committee meeting under the IT Rules 2021, scheduled for February 17, 2025. The meeting aims to deliberate on the content and its potential grounds for blocking.
This sequence of events has sparked debate about journalistic freedom and the balance between government oversight and editorial independence. AIM has called for greater transparency and adherence to due process in handling such cases to safeguard press freedom in India.
