[Reader-list] Kashmir: One-sided coverage

[Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्]

NEWS BLACKOUT HITS SRINAGAR

* Not one of over 40 English and Urdu newspapers has reached stands
for seven days
* CPJ calls on Indian authorities to protect journalists, lift
restrictions on media workers in J&K

By Iftikhar Gilani (Daily Times, August 31, 2008)

NEW DELHI: Not a single of more than 40 English and Urdu daily
newspapers could reach stands for the seventh consecutive day in
Srinagar on Saturday, while local cable operators have switched off
all TV channels after being told to stop airing current affairs
programmes.

Internet, Indian official TV Doordarshan and the radio are the only
means of information in the city. Several media groups including the
Editors Guild of India, Delhi Union of Journalists and international
organisations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP),
have expressed concern at curbs on the press. But media fraternity in
Srinagar has expressed surprise at the silence of various South Asian
groups propounding media freedom.

To matters worse, police detained 15 journalists and beat them
mercilessly. Bilal Ahmed of Sahahra TV is recuperating in hospital
suffering from a rib fracture. As distribution channels have also been
affected by the most severe curfew in Kashmir history, no Indian
national newspaper or magazine could hit the stands either. This has
resulted in a complete media blackout in Srinagar.

Srinagar-based Greater Kashmir newspaper's General Manager Abdul
Rashid Mukhdoomi says despite assurances from the authorities security
forces are not permitting distribution. He said authorities had
provided five curfew passes to each newspaper. "I have 150 employees
and they (security forces) don't even honour the curfew passes," he
said. Mukhdoomi's technical staff and distributors were severely
beaten by security forces. "The curbs are unprecedented. Our network
was never affected even during the height of militancy when bullets
were raining on Srinagar streets," he recalled. Though Kashmir Times
continued publishing its edition from Jammu, it had no means to
distribute the newspaper. In the communally charged atmosphere,
traders in Jammu have asked for an end to issuing advertisements to
the newspaper, which a took stand against the Jammu Hindu agitation.

"Due to lack of advertisement backing, hostile atmosphere and a host
of factors, we may also be forced to suspend publication in the coming
days," says Prabodh Jamwal, editor of Kashmir Times. Rising Kashmir
writes that this was the first time in the past 15 years that a
complete blockade of information had been enforced with authorities
having banned news broadcasts from local cable-supported TV channels
and SMS through mobile phones.

Local cable TV channels — Sen, J&K, Mauj Kashmir, TV 9, Take 1 and
Wadi have been asked to restrict to entertainment and stop airing
current affairs programmes. Retaliating against the curbs, cable
operators took all Indian channels off air.

Representatives of Indian national news channels were already under
tremendous pressure as agitators accused them of reporting too little
from Kashmir. A cameraman was beaten so ruthlessly that he had to be
hospitalised. "We are sending whatever we shoot and whatever we feel
is news worthy but at the end of the day it is the headquarters in
Delhi who decides," said a journalist representing a prominent Indian
channel.

The government says there are no restrictions on the media.

CPJ: Separately, a CPJ press release on Saturday called on Indian
authorities to protect journalists and lift restrictions on media
workers in the "curfew-bound" Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

"The situation for the news media in Kashmir is dire," said CPJ
Executive Director Joel Simon. "We call on the Indian authorities to
immediately allow broadcasters to return to air and to ensure that
journalists can move about freely. It is vital that news gets out
during such a chaotic time in the region."

o o o o

MEDIA SILENCED

Srinagar, August 30: The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA)
has been exposed on the issue of censorship and restriction on media
in Kashmir as it has adopted criminal silence over the recent
developments in Kashmir.

The organization which claims to be the champion of cause of press
freedom in South Asia has not issued a single statement condemning
unprecedented restriction on media in Kashmir during past one week. At
least 20 journalists were attacked by the para military Central
Reserve Police Force while performing their professional duties, all
the newspapers have been off the stands for past six days as
unprecedented restrictions have prevented their publication. A number
of journalists have been harassed and residence of a prominent
journalist was raided.

Even as the Editor's Guild of India, Delhi Union of Journalists,
International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Sans Frontiers and
Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern over this situation
and urged the government to put an end to repressive measures SAFMA's
criminal silence has made its credentials further doubtful. Its
website www.southasianmedia.net is also silent over the happenings for
the past six days and has been giving publicity to trivial issues.

Srinagar based journalists are enraged over the attitude of SAFMA
which owes its existence to the tension between India and Pakistan for
which the root cause is Kashmir. "They have been exploiting the
tension in the region and making their own fortunes for the past
several years" said a senior journalist adding that it has been
harping on Kashmir issue which gave it an opening to become the so
called champions of freedom of press in Kashmir. It is high time that
these arm chair champions of press freedom are exposed and condemned
for their attitude which is only aimed at appeasing the governments,
said another journalist. "This time they are clearly siding with the
Government of India and approving the repressive measures through this
criminal silence" he added.

[Rising Kashmir]