Srinagar, Jan 11, TEN Network | Five months after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the continuing internet suspension in the Kashmir valley has throttled the media, senior scribes believe.
In September the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) and the Free Speech Collective (FSC) released a report on the curbs on press freedom in Kashmir and held similar views.
A statement issued by the groups read: “In this, the latest and most intense phase in the ongoing conflict on Kashmir, the government of India has pulled out all the stops – political, legislative, militaristic and punitive. No other democratic government has imposed a communication blockade of this scale and proportion in Kashmir.”
“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,” they said.
The team observed a high degree of surveillance, informal ‘investigations’ and even arrest of journalists who publish reports considered adverse to the government or security forces; controls on the facilities available for print publication; government advertising to select publications; restrictions on mobility in select areas including hospitals and the most crippling communications shutdown of all time. Significantly, there is no official curfew, no official notification for the shutdown.”
Senior scribes believe the situation has not changed much even though the postpaid mobiles and landlines have started working.
It is generally believed that 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.
The communication blockade and the ban on the Internet has caused unimaginable and inhuman problems for all citizens, said a teacher from Anantnag. According to him, the suspension of the vital service has affected almost all the aspects of life in Kashmir.
The blockade has triggered repeated protests by the journalistic fraternity but nothing has moved, an office bearer of the Press Club said. “We recently organised a seminar titled `Internet curfew” and the speakers severely criticized the government for curbing press freedom. However, nothing has come out to this day,” he said.
He said the newspapers owners committed a blunder by publishing the newspapers on the August 8 , three days after the curbs were put in place on August 5 following revocation of Article 35 A and amendment of Article 370. “Had we resisted, the situation would have been different today,” he added. (BK)
