Many newspapers in Kashmir are not being published, and a few are printing restricted editions carrying only government announcements. Last month, Kashmir Times executive editor AnuradhaBhasin filed a plea in the Supreme Court alleging that media persons were not being permitted to travel in the state, with the government’s restrictions hampering media freedom and functioning.

Some of the journalists at the protest had tied gags across their mouths, and were carrying signs that read ‘Journalism Is Not A Crime’, ‘We Are Journalists NOT Mouthpieces’, and ‘End the Communication Blockade’.

A Kashmir Press Club spokesperson told the Telegraph last week that the organisation had sent several reminders to the government for restoring Internet and mobile phone connections to newspaper offices, journalists and the club. “But an inordinate delay in restoring the communications confirms the misgivings that the government does not intend to provide an enabling atmosphere for the media to operate in the Valley,” the spokesman said.

“Journalists are handicapped and unable to get confirmation about the ground situation because of the communications blockade. The restrictions are totally unwarranted and unreasonable, aimed at gagging the Kashmir press,” the spokesman said.

There have been allegations of journalists being roughed up and harassed by security forces. Reports have emerged of journalists detained or arrested – including Irfan Malik, a reporter for the Greater Kashmir and HaziqQadri, a correspondent for the news website Brut India. A report of these arrests is available here.

In August the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a hard hitting statement on media freedom in Kashmir. “Severing all communications links is already an astounding violation of press freedom. Detaining journalists as Kashmir approaches nearly two weeks of this blackout is one more form of intimidation and obstruction of the media,” said CPJ Senior Asia Research Associate AliyaIftikhar, in New York. “India should respect its constitution and democracy, and uphold the essential value of press freedom in Kashmir and elsewhere.”

Today at the protest, the journalists reportedly free access to internet and communication. Some bare bone access through the government set up media centre, where long queues and lack of privacy are proving to be challenging, is presently available.

The post Let Journalists do their Job: Kashmiri Press Protests Valley Siege appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The post News Behind the Barbed Wire – Voices From Behind Kashmir’s Information Blockade appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: Danish Ismail/Reuters

The report is based on the findings of a two-member team comprising Laxmi Murthy and Geeta Seshu who visited the region between August 30 and September 3. They interacted with and observed several journalists, correspondents and editors of newspapers and news-sites in Srinagar and South Kashmir, members of the local administration and citizens.
 
The report states, “As journalists continue to face severe restrictions in all the processes of news-gathering, verification and dissemination, the free flow of information has been blocked, leaving in its wake a troubled silence that bodes ill for freedom of expression and media freedom.”
 
It further says, “In the absence of reportage from the ground, the government’s influence of the narrative of normalcy is near total. Its official proclamations of the creation of a ‘Naya Kashmir’ have become vociferous. In contrast, there is a deafening silence and invisibilisation of voices from Kashmir expressing alienation, anger and disillusionment at perceived breach of trust. The government’s control of communication processes is intrinsically undemocratic and harmful, as it privileges the voices of authority and weakens those who speak truth to power.”
 
Key findings of the report are as follows:
 
• Surveillance, informal ‘investigations’ and harassment of journalists who publish reports considered adverse to the government or security force
• Blockade of verifiable information from the ground
• Restrictions on mobility in select areas including hospitals
• Controls on facilities available for print publication
• Three journalists reporting for international and credible national media who have been allotted government quarters, received verbal directions to vacate
• Restrictions despite no official curfew, no official notification for the shutdown
• Landlines are working only in certain areas but not in the press enclave, which houses most of the newspaper offices
• The inability to respond to playbacks and queries from editors on email and phone, especially regarding fact-checks, has meant that stories cannot be carried in the national media
• A clear ‘unofficial’ directive regarding what is permissible content.
• Absence of the editorial voice in major newspapers in Kashmir; instead, editorials on ‘soft’ subjects such as vitamin consumption
• Lack of safety for women journalists

In a press statement, NWMI and FSC said, “Our examination revealed a grim and despairing picture of the media in Kashmir, fighting for survival against the most incredible of odds, as it works in the shadow of security forces in one of the most highly militarised zones of the world and a myriad government controls.” The statement further says, “he communication blockade and the ban on the Internet has caused unimaginable and inhuman problems for all citizens. But it has also sounded the death-knell for the media.”
The organisations behind the report now demand that the government undertake the following measures to “demonstrate a commitment to freedom of expression,” adding “Anything less will only be hollow pronouncements and proclamations.”
Immediately lift the internet shutdown and enable high speed internet connectivity.
 

• Restore all landlines and mobile telephones with priority to journalists and media houses.
   
• Lift restriction on movement to journalists to enable on-the-ground reporting and verification of authentic news.
   
• Desist from monitoring and surveillance of journalists and immediately cease intimidatory tactics such as summons to police stations, threat of arrest and detention, and the lodging of false cases etc.
   
• Create a level playing field for all local, national and international media so as to ensure equal access to official sources and information.
   
• Set up a transparent and accountable mechanism for disbursal of government advertising.
   
• Ensure an enabling environment for the safety and dignity of working journalists, a robust and viable media that can guarantee just wages and other protections for working journalists, thus enabling the full exercise of the right to Freedom of Expression.

The entire report may be read here:

The post NWMI-FCS Report paints a “grim and despairing” picture of media in Kashmir appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Anuradha Bhasin, the executive editor of Kashmir Times, filed simultaneously from Srinagar and Jammu, has moved the Supreme Court against the media gag in the former state following the unprecendented clampdown since August 4.

In her petition, Bhasin has sought directions from the Apex Court of India to “ensure that the state creates an enabling environment for journalists and all other media personnel” in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir so that they can practise their profession. The writ petition filed on Saturday, also asks for relaxation of the “debilitating restrictions imposed through the complete shutdown on internet and telecommunication services, and severe curbs on the movement of photo journalists and reporters”.

The petition may be read here:

Bhasin said that such restrictions were curbing the rights of journalists under the provisions of Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution of India and the right to know the conditions of residents of Kashmir Valley.

“The absolute and complete internet and telecommunication shutdown, severe restrictions on mobility and sweeping curtailment on information sharing in the Kashmir valley, at a time when significant political and constitutional changes are being undertaken in Delhi to the status of J&K, is fuelling anxiety, panic, alarm, insecurity and fear among the residents of the Kashmir,” she said.

She states that the petition has been filed as information blackout set in motion is a direct and grave violation of the right of the people to know about the decisions that directly impact their lives and their future. Also, for the reason that the media cannot report on the aforesaid developments, and neither can the opinions of the residents of Kashmir be reported about.

The Central government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) abrogated Article 370, the only Constitutional provision that links Kashmir to India on August 5, Monday, 2019. The decision was taken in a secretive manner, while the Parliament session was on, without any consultation with the state assembly that had been dissolved in June, 2018. Since then, without any explanation, the state has been under President’s rule.

“The petitioner has not been able to print and publish the Kashmir edition of Kashmir Times as the complete and absolute restrictions on all communication services and movement has resulted in the imposition of blockade on media activities, including reporting and publishing on the situation in Kashmir,” said Bhasin in a press release issued on the matter.

Before this bill was brought in the Parliament, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was brought to a state of a complete shutdown, fear and panic. More than seven million Kashmiri people were incarcerated in their homes since August 4 as a Curfew was enforced, news media shut down, telephone line, cellular, internet, basic service were suspended. Reporters who travelled from Srinagar to Delhi, highlighted that neither the local media nor outside press was able to report from the area in view of a strict curfew and blockade of essential services. The communication blockade and strict restrictions on movement of journalists resulted in a virtual blackout, and media reporting and publishing is grievously impacted.

She also sought directions from the court to the Jammu and Kashmir government to relax restrictions on the free movement of journalists. to allow journalists to practice their profession and exercise their right to report freely on the situation prevailing in J&K after clampdown on entire state on August 4, 2019

Bhasin is represented in the Supreme Court by senior lawyers Vrinda Grover, Soutik Banerjee and Ratna Appnender and was filed through Sumika Hazarika, advocate on record.

Related Articles
Government’s Decision on Jammu and Kashmir: A Long Leap into Unconstitutionality
Why do we protest? Mumbai citizens speak on the lockdown in Kashmir, Article 370
How the abrogation of Article 370 has unleashed the great Indian misogynistic troll
 

The post Lift the Media Gag in J & K, Editor, Greater Kashmir petitions SC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The post Bombay HC quashes and sets aside Media Gag Order in Sohrabuddin Case appeared first on SabrangIndia.

She was at a rally peacefully protesting with several others about the mysterious disappearance of her son. They were demanding that the police and the central government need to do much more to trace Najeeb.

The rally was disbanded by the police. There is enough of evidence (viral on social media) to show how Fatima was dragged, manhandled and detained by the police. Several other protestors (including students) were also detained.

This is not the first incident happening this past week. Some opposition political leaders who were protesting the death of a retired soldier were also arrested and were made to stop their protests. The son of the soldier who had gone to meet these leaders was beaten up by the police.

The popular TV channel NDTV India, will be taken off the air on November 9 for 24 hours because of the inconvenient questions they asked and their coverage of the Pathankot terror attack that took place on January 2 this year. Another channel from Assam has been given the same treatment. For several months now, there has been a virtual black-out on the media (mainly electronic and social) from Kashmir.

The BJP, the main ruling party, has gone to town about the “surgical strikes” on Pakistan. This is rather unfortunate. Anyone questioning the veracity of these ‘surgical strikes’ or asking for more information is termed ‘anti-national’ or ‘unpatriotic’. Pakistan certainly does not have a favourable track record either on human rights or on the freedom of its citizens. However, there are well-meaning citizens in both countries who would like the avenues of dialogue to be kept open and to continue Indo-Pak bonding on meaningful fronts. This is also frowned upon.

India has upped its military spending. Precious foreign reserves are squandered on what is conveniently referred to as ‘upgrading’ the military. Countries who need to sell from their stockpiles, find India an easy customer. The budgets for essentials like education, health, agriculture, employment generation, poverty alleviation programmes have been drastically cut. This does not augur well for ‘development’ meant to be inclusive and holistic.

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) are pushed to the wall. Organisations which take a stand for truth and justice and for the Constitutional rights of the oppressed are denied the possibility of receiving foreign aid. Right-wing fascists with full support from the ruling class, lynch you or beat you because of what you believe in, eat, dress, write, see etc. Crony capitalism is on the rise.

It has never been so bad in India! Opposition, students and liberal media are suppressed; Rights and Freedoms are curtailed; dissent is quashed! Today it is not merely the writing on the wall: the dismantling of democracy has begun!

(Fr Cedric Prakash sj is a human rights activist. He is currently based in Lebanon, engaged with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the Middle East on advocacy and communications. Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com)         
 

The post How Those Sworn to Defend Democracy Are Busy Dismantling it, Blow by Blow appeared first on SabrangIndia.