Freedom of Press

Mudasir Hussain

Article 19 1(a) of the Indian constitution provides right to freedom of speech and expression to every citizen of the country with out any discrimination. This article also permits press to broadcast or publish any such material that is in public interest and people have right to receive right kind of information or to express themselves in writing. But here crop up the question,is kashmiri media enjoying any sort of freedom under this right?.This is an issue that puts thousands of question in front of us and things like freedom of speech, press freedom, here all are at the end of day look like textbook phrases
The recent turmoil in the valley has uncovered the mindset of India towards the Kashmir issue and kashmiris’. Media gag, censorship, stick down of local cable television channels, harassment of working journalists, physical attacks upon them and threat calls to them has undoubtedly revealed that how much freedom kashmiri media and journalists are enjoying. We have hundreds of such examples where we saw journalists are consciously crushed and killed –like Javid Ahmad Mir a camera man with one of the local channel was shot to death by CRPF men at Bagh-e-Mehtab on 12th of august 2008. But all you can do is hush them not convert them. “Those who want the government to regulate the matter of the mind and spirit are like men who are so afraid of being murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassination”.
The official and unofficial ban on local cable channels, muscle power used by the security agencies to suspend their broadcasts and to air only entertainment programes make no sagacity to us. Is they violated cable television regulation act? Do they show too much sex,rape cases and sensationalized issues? Do their reports of crimes heighten the fears of citizens? The reason is obvious and palpable that they don t’ want people to be informed about protests and their pitiless rule and thus people are kept aside from their right to take delivery of accurate and proper information. But the additional they try to masquerade the fact, the more it will stimulate the masses, as “a beautiful wine needs no bushes”.
Newspapers in Srinagar too were not spared by this cruel wave and they failed to print for few consecutive days on the account of relentless restriction on the movement of journalists and other media employees. The three main English dailies from Srinagar – Greater Kashmir, Etalaat and Rising Kashmir – posted notices on their websites regretting their failure to publish for two days because staff was unable to travel to their workplaces. The Srinagar based English daily, Rising Kashmir, was too warned by the authorities not to publish certain kinds of reports and the Jammu offices of another English-language daily, Greater Kashmir, were attacked by mobs. Police personnel on August 9 seized all copies of an Urdu-language daily, Etalaat, allegedly for carrying the report of a village being razed by a mob in the Jammu region of the state. The hacking of Kashmir observers’ website which offer inclusive detail about Kashmir conflict is another vicious attempt to curb the freedom of press.The Urdu language press also has been paralyzed.
It is revealed that journalists in Srinagar are not permitted to splash the areas where they can expose the matter of fact to the masses and security forces are determinedly disregarding media accreditation cards and curfew passes, in some instances snatching and destroying them. In most of the cases, armed CRPF personnel were reportedly heard remarking that they had orders to prevent journalists in particular from proceeding to their workplaces. Dozens of photo-journaliststs,reporters,sub-editors,camera mans,editors were ruthlessly beaten by armed forces while they were covering recent agitation.
Most of the journalists which were assaulted and gulped by security agencies while covering their beat,some of them include Raashid Wani of Sahara Samaye ,he spent three days in hospital, Javaid Ahmad Mir- Killed by a bullet from security forces, Photojournalist, Amman Farooq, of Greater Kashmir was beaten up and his arm broken by CRPF, , AFP photographer Touseef Mustafa was sent back because CRPF personals asked for the curfew pass for his camera and lens, Manoj Koul of ETV was also thrashed near Zero Bridge, Mir Ehsan, correspondent Indian Express was too threatened at tehsil road baramulla, Umar Ganaie, a photojournalist of daily Kashmir Monitor, was thrashed by a Superintendent of Kashmir Police in SMHS hospital, Greater Kashmir staff came under assault when Zahoor Ahmad, Mohd. Iqbal, Ghulam Mohammad were stopped early morning at Rambagh and beaten up by CRPF men while they were carrying copies for distribution, The Correspondent of Hindu in Kashmir, Shujaat Bukhari's home at Rawalpora, Srinagar was searched, , The news editor of Daily Etalaat, Ishfaq Tantray was stopped near Radio Kashmir in Srinagar and beaten up, Police cops confiscated all the newspaper supply - Greater Kashmir, Etalaat, Raising Kashmir, Kashmir Uzam etc - meant for north Kashmir at Narbal,. The cops also destroyed the camera of Etlaats’ photographer’ Raja sajad.
If we have quick look at the past few years we will came to know that violence against journalist’s world wide is mounting day by day. Kidnappers in Iraq, political assassins in Beirut,killing of journalists in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Srilanka has actually made journalists to think hundred times prior to enter in an area.Near about 50 journalists were killed during year 2005-06.A total of 60 journalists have been killed on duity in Iraq from the beginning of U.S-led invasion.
The dilemma of journalistic community in kashmir too is tremendously increasing day by day and it became difficult for all those persons associated with this field to practice the worlds’ best profession. In the name of PSA(public safety act)hundreds of media persons were booked and trampled since from the past few years and the process was also maintained during recent agitation in spite of the fact that there has been no definite mention about media in this act. On the other hand regionalism of media has also added to the medias’ existing problem and big gust to the IFJ(international federation of journalists).Here national media acted as biased and international as ignorant. Most of the stories in national media appeared concocted stories to favor the statement when it wasn’t actually happening.Like trucks laden with fruits and vegetables are reaching the valley.There have been stories that school students are now not facing any problems. Shops, offices, schools, business establishments have all been if at all functioning, then were functioning at an irregular fashion. Many houses were burnt down in the region; the news went unreported by most news channels and newspapers. This is why so-called national media fail to make any impact here. We are not ignorant, we knew all arcane and obscurity.

Hope the world’s best business and prime mover of society takes up the best shape. I being a media student really feels ashamed that fourth pillar of the society is being misused by those sitting on the top. let us construct this profession to perform its righteous job with commitment and consistency. let us not wipe out this profession by harassing and assaulting working journalists for the mere intention of making people unaware about the current scenario.

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