Script and Producer: Tridip K Mandal
Animation and Video Editor: Puneet Bhatia
Electoral bonds in India were meant to be anonymous, so that ordinary citizens could donate to the political parties of their choice. The central government had said that the names of political donors would not be known, so they could not be tracked back.
But, The Quint brought the Truth to you – electoral bonds have hidden alphanumeric numbers printed on them, visible only under ultraviolet light. This can allow the government to link the donors to political parties, which is clearly undemocratic.
In 2020, the National Register of Citizens – or NRC – was just a government proposal, which, along with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act – or CAA – was being opposed by lakhs of Indians. A valid fear was that Indian citizens would be identified as ‘foreigners’ and detained, or even deported, on basis of their religion. This fear was soon realised, as The Quint brought the Truth to you – pictures and videos from the ground, proving that in 2020 itself, ‘foreigner detention camps’ were being built in Assam, much before the NRC. Clearly undemocratic.
In October 2021, unknown to the people of Karnataka, the state government chose to spy on its 11.5 lakh Christian citizens. The state Intelligence Wing issued instructions to police in all districts to collect information on legal and ‘illegal’ churches running in the state, their locations, details of their pastors, and parish members. In the absence of any law-and-order crisis, such blatant spying on its citizens was unheard of in India’s democracy. Again, the Truth, uncovered by The Quint.
Over the last seven years, all of us at The Quint, along with you, our readers, have been driven by the truth. We have reported on hundreds of stories – from politics to gender, from climate change to casteism, from communal violence to human rights, and from every part of India.
But it has not been easy. Reporters have, at times, put their lives at risk. Often these stories and projects have taken time, have involved extensive travel and other related costs. We also have had to deal with legal hurdles, placed by those who stand to lose by our pursuit of the truth.
But it has all been worth it. Because the truth is all that matters. And our relationship with you, the reader, is built on this foundation of truth.
As The Quint turns seven, we need your continued support to bring you stories that matter. You can become a Q-Insider – and help us in our endeavour.
We thank you for supporting us so far in this journey. Because the truth is worth it!
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