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

Tue Aug 26 17:42:32 IST 2008

> What in any case is wrong with "banning" a Media channel
> (print or audio or video or internet) if it is really serving "inflammatory" fare?

If such bans are also implemented on the likes of Dainik Jagran in
Jammu, I'd feel slightly better. Though I'd feel very good if there
was no censorship was applied at all and the press club was to review
and investigate who's being inflammatory and who's printing lies and
propoganda.

best

shivam

On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 4:33 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> What in any case is wrong with "banning" a Media channel (print or audio or video or internet) if it is really serving "inflammatory" fare?
>
> Whether it is a 'Local' or 'National', Media is expected to act in a responsible manner and not abuse the "Freedoms" it has. This is irrespective of whether such 'inflammatory' coverage/promotion is done in support of "Separatists" or extremists of any religious or any ideological persuasion.
>
> "Banning" should be a last resort. One would expect a self-regulatory mechanism for Media to be in place that would be the first one to intervene to use persuasion, warning, penalties before there was any need at all for the Executive to step in to "ban"
>
> Kshmendra
>
>
> --- On Tue, 8/26/08, Khurram Parvez <khurramparvez at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> From: Khurram Parvez <khurramparvez at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Statement on Censorship and Violence against Press in Kashmir: Reporters Without Borders
> To: "Sarai" <reader-list at sarai.net>, "S. Jabbar" <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com>
> Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 3:27 PM
>
>
> 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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