[Reader-list] CRPF attacks journalists in Srinagar

[radhikarajen at vsnl.net]

Shivam,

 now that you are with spins in Kasmir, you may not miss the big drama unfolding in the national capital, have you seen the behaviour of "journalists" at the media briefings held by the leaders of political parties. ? It was virtual wrestling match to keep their mikes, their camera positions in good catchy vantage view point, even pushing and shoving their fellow journalists, very honourable behaviors indeed.! 

  And as to seeking answers, it was all shouting at the same time, all questions similar, nothing new issue also
but crave to be the first to catch the sound byte  for their channels.?

  Regards.
----- Original Message -----
From: Shivam Vij शिवम् विज् <mail at shivamvij.com>
Date: Monday, July 7, 2008 9:10 pm
Subject: [Reader-list] CRPF attacks journalists in Srinagar
To: sarai list <reader-list at sarai.net>, zestmedia at yahoogroups.com

> 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.
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