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Is Indian Leftist Portal NewsClick Peddling Chinese Propaganda? NYT Investigation Reveals

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The New York Times on 5 August 2023 released a report exposing a vast financial network connecting Chicago to Shanghai. This network allegedly makes use of American nonprofits as a means to promote Chinese propaganda on a global scale.

Source: NYT

The report names a “charismatic American millionaire” Neville Roy Singham who is renowned for his support of far-left causes as a socialist benefactor.

The New York Times asserts that it has traced hundreds of millions of dollars to various groups associated with Singham. These groups reportedly blend progressive advocacy with Chinese government narratives, operating across different locations from Massachusetts to Manhattan, even extending to a political party in South Africa and news organisations in India and Brazil.

The report states that “But Mr. Singham, 69, himself sits in Shanghai, where one outlet in his network is co-producing a YouTube show financed in part by the city’s propaganda department. Two others are working with a Chinese university to “spread China’s voice to the world.” And last month, Mr. Singham joined a Communist Party workshop about promoting the party internationally.” 

According to The New York Times article, while Singham claims that he does not operate under the direction of the Chinese government, there appears to be a blurry line between him and the propaganda apparatus. Notably, he shares office space with a company whose objective is to inform foreigners about “the remarkable achievements of China on the global stage.”

In New Delhi, corporate documents indicate that Mr. Singham’s network provided financial backing to a news website called NewsClick. The website’s coverage reportedly incorporated Chinese government talking points, with one video stating that “China’s history continues to inspire the working classes.”

ED Raids On NewsClick In 2021

On 9 February 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at the residence of Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick. ED sources revealed that NewsClick had received ₹10 crores through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from an American company. 

Interestingly, Prabir Purkayastha claimed to have no knowledge of the reason behind the American company’s transfer of money to his company’s account, and he could not provide any evidence of work done for that specific company.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that another US-based company had provided ₹20 crores to NewsClick, labeling it as ‘Export Remittance.’ This transfer was made in response to NewsClick’s content uploaded on a platform called People’s Dispatch.

According to sources, it was revealed that Purkayastha had received ₹1.5 crore rupees under the pretext of maintenance. Surprisingly, he had employed an electrician with only a ninth-grade education to handle the maintenance tasks at his office. The concerning part was that this transaction lacked any documentation, making it challenging for him to provide a valid explanation to the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

In July 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) made public that their inquiry into the money laundering case related to ‘NewsClick’ had unveiled that the media outlet’s promoters had received around ₹38 crores from entities potentially associated with the Communist Party of China.

As indicated by an officer participating in the money laundering investigation, it came to light that ‘NewsClick’ had been involved in financial dealings with Neville Roy Singham, a businessman with Sri Lankan-Cuban origins. Singham allegedly channeled a total of ₹38 crore to PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd from overseas sources spanning the years 2018 to 2021.

The officials, while tracking the money flow of the media outlet, stated that Singham is connected to the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The Communist Connection In India

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the funds channeled to NewsClick were allegedly directed to Gautam Navlakha, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as an urban naxal, and also to a member associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). 

Founder Editor of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, and the journalist Ravi Nair have been consistently critical of the Rafale deal and other strategic economic and defense initiatives of India. Their continuous attacks on these developments have apparently sparked concern and irked China.

Ravi Nair was also recently in the news for doing a hitjob on Adani for his article on AdaniWatch, an Australian NGO. 

How Indian “Journalists” Reacted to ED Raids On NewsClick

Ravish Kumar, a former employee of NDTV, raised objections and expressed concern during the ED raids, calling them as an “assault on press freedom.”

Others who supported Abhisar Sharma, known for his rabid Modi hatred and known for peddling fake news, and NewsClick, included Sayema, Ajit Anjum, Sakshi, and Kapri. 

So also usual leftist supporters like Rana Ayyub, Ram Guha, Swara Bhaskar, and Subhashini Ali voiced their support for NewsClick. 

The Editors Guild, along with “notable” figures like Shekhar Gupta, Sagarika Ghose, and Arfa Khanum Sherwani, defended NewsClick when ED raids happened.

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