‘Forced to leave’ India last year, French journalist Vanessa Dougnac says authorised to resume work for a year
Vanessa Dougnac, who previously worked as a South Asia correspondent in New Delhi, said relevant authorities have granted her a one-year work permit.
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French journalist Vanessa Dougnac, who is married to an Indian national and has written on a range of subjects, including the Maoist insurgency, said in her statement Thursday. (Source: File)French journalist Vanessa Dougnac, who had alleged that the government had “forced” her to leave India in February last year, said Thursday that she has been issued a one-year permit to resume work in the country.
She said in a statement: “The Government of India has authorised me to resume my profession as a foreign correspondent based in New Delhi. A one-year work permit has been granted to me by the relevant authorities.”
Dougnac, who has covered South Asia from New Delhi for French publications including La Croix, Le Point, Le Soir and Le Temps, had said that she had been denied permission to work as a journalist in India in September 2022.
While she was able to stay on in the country because of her Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) issued her a notice in January 2024 accusing her of “malicious” reporting. The agency, which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, sought an explanation for why her OCI status should not be cancelled for alleged violation of rules.
A month later, Dougnac left the country saying she was “being forced to leave by the Government of India”. Dougnac is married to an Indian national and has written on a range of subjects including the Maoist insurgency.
She said in her statement Thursday: “I am very pleased that my professional rights as a journalist to work in India have been reinstated. As always, I have only ever wanted to do my job as a journalist, with integrity and rigour, in a country I love and respect.”
“With my permit suspended however, I had to abandon my position as a regional correspondent in India and South Asia for several publications and everything I had built over twenty-five years in Delhi. Under the threat of serious accusations and the possibility of expulsion, I was forced to leave India suddenly in February 2024.”
At the time of leaving the country, Dougnac had alleged that the FRRO notice said that her articles could “provoke disorder and disturb peace”.
“Leaving is not my choice,” she had said. “I am being forced to leave by the Government of India.”
“Sixteen months ago, the Ministry of Home Affairs denied my right to work as a journalist, providing no reasons nor justifications, and no hearing,” she said in February last year.
France had raised the issue with India during President Emmanuel Macron’s visit in January 2024 for Republic Day celebrations. India had conveyed to the French side that the issue was about “compliance with the rules and regulations of the country”, indicating that it was not related to her journalism.
“The possibility of returning and practicing my profession in India once again is now an immense relief,” Dougnac said Thursday, adding: “I acknowledge and welcome the decision of the Indian authorities and will reflect on my next steps.”
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