Send Kaushik To Columbia University

A Call for Support: Amplifying Impact In South Asia Through Journalism

Hi,

I am Kaushik Raj, an award-winning journalist based in India.

The cost of truth in India is rising. Every time I step out to report, I carry not just my notebook and camera but a growing sense of dread and fear. I’ve been chased by mobs, received threats, my photos have been circulated by local extremist militia on social media platforms calling me a dangerous militant to be lynched.

I have watched colleagues disappear into silence, some censored, some punished, some simply broken. I don’t have any guarantee of safety. I just have a strong belief that I must bear witness and document what is happening in India so that coming generations of Indians can know what the truth really is.

In today’s India, truth-telling feels like trespassing the castle of lies and yet, journalists like me continue, no matter the consequences. In the words of Magsaysay award winner journalist Ravish Kumar, “Some battles are not fought to win or lose. But they are fought simply to tell the world that someone was there on the battlefield.”

The survival of democracy rests as much on your shoulders as it rests on mine. While the journalists who tow the line of the establishment have everything, journalists like me only have people like you who believe in the power of truth. That's why I have turned to you for support when I have got an excellent opportunity to upskill myself.

I am the first one in my family to get admission to the prestigious Ivy League Columbia University. I'm reaching out for your support to further my education and amplify my impact. Please spare two minutes to read my story:

My Journey in Journalism

I have been covering hate crimes against religious minorities in India for more than four years and my stories have led to the arrests of several religious supremacists in India including Yati Narsinghanand and Rambhakt Gopal. I have been published in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Vice News, as well as in several reputed Indian platforms such as Article 14 and The Wire.

My ground reports have raised public awareness on the biases against religious minorities in India’s criminal justice system and have been cited by several researchers, including former judges of the Supreme Court of India. My story on a state government's discriminatory order asking Muslim shopkeepers to display their names in their shops was cited in a petition in the Supreme Court and eventually led to the court scrapping the order.

I have been nominated for awards by Human Rights and Religious Freedom Journalism Awards and Free Press Unlimited, Netherlands for reporting on an event where calls for genocide were given against India’s Muslim minority community.

Why Columbia University?

Columbia University's Data Journalism program is one of the best in the world.

Currently, my work demands a rigorous process of manually tracking a number of extremist pages every week.

The skills that I will learn in the Data Journalism program can empower me to make AI-powered tools that can automatically track hate speech in multiple languages on social media. That would take my reporting skills far beyond what I can do now.

These tools—customized by region and language—would enable human rights groups, journalists, and legal teams to monitor rising hate rhetoric and intervene early to prevent offline violence. This is especially relevant in today’s South Asia, where minorities—Muslims in India, Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, and Hindus in Bangladesh—face increasing threats.

After graduating, I intend to bring together a team of journalists from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to collaboratively build and deploy these tools. The goal is to protect vulnerable communities and restore a measure of safety and accountability to the digital space.

How Will Your Donations Be Used?

Last year, I was offered a $50,000 scholarship from Columbia University. This year, the university increased the award to $100,000—a generous gesture that reaffirms their faith in my potential. However, with the total tuition at $133,269, I still face a $33,269 shortfall.

Living in New York is extremely expensive. As someone who has worked as a freelance journalist for the last four years with an annual income of approximately $5,500, covering the remaining tuition fees and living cost is difficult. Your valuable contributions will be used to cover this amount.

Total tuition fees: $133,269

Scholarship awarded by Columbia University: $100,000

Remaining tuition fees: $33,269

Living cost for 12 months: $16,731

Why Your Support Matters?

As hate crimes against religious minorities escalate in South Asia, it's clear that this intolerance is interconnected and often fuels further violence across borders. For instance, hate incidents against minorities in one country are frequently cited by majoritarian groups in another country to justify similar violence, creating a vicious cycle.

To safeguard vulnerable groups and establish peace in the region, it's essential to tackle this issue collectively. However, mainstream media in South Asia often amplifies the problem instead of solving it. That's why journalists like me must take on a more significant role. But I cannot do this without some specific skills that I will get to learn in the Data Journalism program at Columbia University.

Data journalism skills know no borders. Across the world, democracies are under threat from online hate rhetoric that fuels violence against marginalized communities. In this context, these skills are more crucial than ever. The tools developed through data journalism can be adapted and used by journalists in other countries to monitor hate speech and promote social cohesion, making them a valuable resource for global media.

Your support will enable me to acquire the skills needed to make a meaningful impact, bringing us closer to a just, equal, and peaceful society. Please consider contributing to my education.

Thank you.