Dalai Lama hails courage of Nobel Peace Prize-winning scribes Maria Ressa & Dmitry Muratov

The Dalai Lama on Saturday, October 9, hailed both journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for winning Nobel Prize and standing against the dictatorial rule in their countries amid challenges. On October 8, a Swizterland based foundation, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to defend freedom of expression. 

Further expressing happiness over two journalists winning the award, the Dalai Lama said he was happy to learn that this year's prize had been given to the two journalists for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression and freedom of the press in the Philippines and Russia. He added that by giving the award to the journalists, the Nobel Committee has honoured all the journalists across the world, who risk their lives by standing up for this ideal under challenging conditions.

Stating that he admires the courage of both the journalist, the spiritual leader said, "Journalists have a key role to play in promoting human values and a sense of social and religious harmony."

He added, "Freedom of expression and freedom of the press is crucial to our being able to promote harmony and friendship between nations, disarmament and a more peaceful world order."

Nobel Peace Prize 2021

Maria Ressa exposes abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines by using freedom of expression. She co-founded a digital media company for investigative journalism, Rappler,  in 2012, which she still heads. As a journalist and the Rappler’s CEO, Ressa has always been fearless in standing by the right to express and speak without barriers or restrictions. Rappler has majorly focused on the Duterte regime’s controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign. 

While for several decades, Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov has defended freedom of speech in Russia amid challenging conditions. He was one of the founders of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta in 1993. He then worked as the newspaper's editor-in-chief for a total of 24 years. As of today, Novaja Gazeta is the most independent newspaper in Russia with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power.

(With PTI input)

(Image: AP)