[Reader-list] Statement on Censorship and Violence against Press in Kashmir: Reporters Without Borders

[S. Jabbar]

Am I? I don¹t think so. And I am not equating anything. Please don¹t put
words into my mouth. I¹m saying quite clearly that the statement seems
incomplete and that all forms of censorship are condemnable.  Do you have a
problem with that, Khurram?


On 8/26/08 3:27 PM, "Khurram Parvez" <khurramparvez at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Sonia,
> 
> You seem to be legitimizing the ban on the local news channels in Kashmir.
> Also, how can one equate the role of the Indian state and the agitated people
> on the streets?
> 
> Khurram
> 
> --- On Tue, 8/26/08, S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
>> From: S. Jabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Statement on Censorship and Violence against Press
>> in Kashmir: Reporters Without Borders
>> To: "Shuddhabrata Sengupta" <shuddha at sarai.net>, "Sarai"
>> <reader-list at sarai.net>
>> Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 2:29 AM
>> 
>> Terrible, but this statement is again incomplete.  No mention has been made
>> of the concerted attacks on journalists because they happen to have been
>> working for 'Indian' channels about 10 days ago.
>> 
>> An NDTV reporter had his personal vehicle damaged by an irate mob of young
>> men.  When he tried to reason with them they said his reporting
>>  did not
>> match the 'news reports' of private cable-wallahs.  There is a small
>> cottage
>> industry in the Valley where private cable operators run their own news
>> channels. They are not accountable to anyone.  The reports are often
>> unedited, highly inflammatory accounts of the day's happenings.
>> 
>> Three days ago a Srinagar newspaper distributor was threatened against
>> distributing a Jammu-based newspaper.  The journalist who works for the
>> paper, a Kashmiri Muslim was also threatened.  He has had to ask for
>> security for himself and his family.  His newspaper has told him to stop
>> writing until things calm down.  When I last spoke to him, the man had shut
>> his office and was staying home.
>> 
>> Censorship comes in all forms. Please be aware of the less dramatic but no
>> less virulent ones that also need to be soundly condemned.
>> 
>> On 8/25/08 11:46 PM, "Shuddhabrata Sengupta"
>> <shuddha at sarai.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> >
>>  
>> Statement on Censorship and Violence against Press in Kashmir
>> Reporters
>>> > Without Borders
>> http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=28297
>> 25 August
>>> > 2008
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Reporters Without Borders calls on the Indian authorities to put an
>>> > 
>> immediate stop to the censorship and violence against the media in
>> Kashmir
>>> > that has been prompted by a wave of protests against Indian
>> rule. At least
>>> > 13 journalists were beaten by police yesterday in
>> Srinagar, local TV
>>> > stations are being censored and a curfew is making
>> it hard for newspapers to
>>> > bring out their issues.
>> 
>> "This latest crisis in Indian Kashmir must not be
>>> > used as a pretext
>> for subjecting the press to more violence and
>>> > obstruction," Reporters
>> Without Borders said. "Journalists must have all the
>>> > guarantees they
>> need, including permanent passes, to be able to work
>>  freely
>>> > despite  
>> the curfew. We also call on the police authorities to investigate
>>> > the  
>> violence by certain elements that have led to injuries in the ranks
>> of
>>> > the press. If no sanctions are adopted, the door will be left open
>> for more
>>> > abuses. Finally, we call for an end to the censorship of
>> local TV stations,
>>> > which is a clear violation of the right of
>> Kashmiris to be informed."
>> 
>> At
>>> > least 13 journalists were beaten by members of the Central Reserve
>> Police
>>> > Force in Srinagar as they tried to get to their offices
>> yesterday despite
>>> > the curfew introduced earlier in the day. The
>> journalists had passes issued
>>> > on 11 August but the police members
>> said they were no long valid.
>> 
>> The
>>> > injured journalists included Bilal Bhat, the Sahara Samay TV
>> station's
>>> > bureau chief in Srinagar, who had several ribs broken, and
>>  
>> his cameraman,
>>> > Muzaffar. Ajaz Ahmad of News X, Jehangir Aziz of ETV's
>> Urdu service and Amin
>>> > War of The Tribune newspaper were also injured.
>> 
>> The curfew prevented the
>>> > publication of regional newspapers today,
>> including the daily Greater
>>> > Kashmir, which posted this message on its
>> website: "Due to unavoidable
>>> > circumstances, the print edition of
>> Greater Kashmir will not be on the
>>> > stands on 25 August. We regret the
>> inconvenience to our readers. This was
>>> > the first time in the past
>> decade that GK staffers could not reach the
>>> > office due to restrictions."
>> 
>> An Indian newspaper's correspondent in Srinagar
>>> > told Reporters
>> Without Borders: "I had to go through 20 checkpoints to get
>>> > to my  
>> office and each time I was subjected to the same humiliation and the
>>> > 
>> same questions about my work as a journalist."
>> 
>> The
>>  authorities yesterday
>>> > asked local TV stations not to broadcast
>> reports liable to "excite" the
>>> > population until further order. TV
>> executives and editors were summoned and
>>> > told it would be preferable
>> if they suspended news programmes and just
>>> > broadcast entertainment.
>> The government claimed that reports broadcast by
>>> > certain stations
>> violated the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act
>>> > 1995.
>> 
>> It was on the basis of this law that a Srinagar judge yesterday
>>> > 
>> finally ordered the TV stations to suppress their news programmes and
>> just
>>> > carry entertainment.
>> 
>> Groups of journalists responded by staging street
>>> > demonstrations
>> against the violence and censorship. "Let the press work"
>>> > said the  
>> placard brandished by one Srinagar reporter.
>> 
>> Indian troops
>>> > patrolling the streets of Srinagar and other cities in
>> the region
>>  today used
>>> > megaphones to call on the population to stay at
>> home. Demonstrations planned
>>> > by Kashmiri political parties have been
>> banned. Several demonstrators were
>>> > shot dead for violating the curfew.
>> 
>> 
>> Shuddhabrata Sengupta
>> The Sarai
>>> > Programme at CSDS
>> Raqs Media
>>> > Collective
>> shuddha at sarai.net
>> www.sarai.net
>> www.raqsmediacollective.net
>> 
>> 
>> _____
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