[Reader-list] CRPF attacks journalists in Srinagar

[Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्]

In any other state capital, such an attack on journalists would have
made headline news in the Delhi media. For Srinagar, silence.

o o o o

Media persons thrashed
Div Com, IGP Promise Action


Greater kashmir
GK NEWS NETWORK
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=6_7_2008&ItemID=27&cat=1


Srinagar, July 5: Journalists on Saturday strongly condemned the use
of brute force on them time and again by police and troops of Central
Reserve Police Force to prevent them from discharging their
professional duties.
About 100 media men including photojournalists and videographers
lashed out at police and troops. "Beating of photojournalists and
videographers by police has become a routine for the past two months,"
said a journalist, adding that such actions were "highly condemnable."

A case in point is when the CRPF troopers deployed near Nigin Club
harassed two Greater Kashmir staffers, on their way home after the
days work, last night. At about 11 p.m. the staffers were stopped by
the troops and asked to board down their vehicle. They frisked the
vehicle bearing registration No MH 04 AH 8817 and showered all sorts
of questions like what they were doing and where there were going "so
late."

Even after the staffers disclosed their identity, the troopers
responded with "What if you are from the Press?"
When the staffers told them to contact their own PRO, the troopers
made light of their own superior, saying, "Who is he, he must be
sleeping with…" Detaining the staffers for half an hour more,
unnecessarily, the troopers finally allowed them to proceed. Concerned
over the growing incidents of harassment, a meeting was called today
after six journalists were beaten by police and CRPF troops at Soura
while covering the protests which erupted after fire broke out at the
Jenab Sahib Shrine. The meeting urged the authorities to call an
immediate halt to such incidents and restrain their personnel.

After the meeting, the divisional commissioner, Mehboob Iqbal, and the
inspector-general of police, S M Sahai, visited the Press Enclave this
evening to ascertain the facts. "We'll take up the matter with the
CRPF and police officials and see where the problem lies," Sahai
assured the journalists.

Mehboob Iqbal said: "We'll hold a meeting of the CRPF and police
officials and also invite journalists to sort out the matter once for
all."

Meanwhile, Kashmir Press, the premier body of newspaper editors in
Kashmir, on Saturday condemned the attack on media persons by CRPF at
Jenab Sahib Soura.
In a statement, President of the Association, Ghulam Hassan Kaloo,
condemned the CRPF action on media persons and demanded a probe into
the incident.

"The association demands action as well as probe into the thrashing of
media persons by CRPF and IG CRPF should take cognizance of the
incidents where journalists are being targeted by his men," he said.
Repeated attempts by Greater Kashmir to contact the inspector-general,
CRPF, and his PRO failed.