Kashmir Times is latest, media in J&K has been ‘gasping for breath’ since Article 370 move

Srinagar: On Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir government’s estate department shut down the Srinagar offices of the Kashmir Times newspaper — the second publication to be evicted in a span of a week after Kashmir News Service, a local media agency.

Both publications had been allotted government quarters at the Press Enclave area in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.

Kashmir Times Editor Anuradha Bhasin alleged that the eviction from the office, where the paper operated for almost 30 years, came without any notice and is part of a crackdown launched by the union territory government since August last year when the special status of the erstwhile J&K state was revoked.

“In 2009 we had sought permission from the estates department to undertake construction, which was allowed but because it was government property the department was supposed to pay for the construction,” Bhasin said.

“Instead, they told us to pay from our pockets and that it will be adjusted in the rent that we are supposed to pay. In fact they owe us money.”

She added that the government did not offer any reason for shutting the office.

Journalists here, however, say the recent sealing of offices of Kashmiri publications is only a fraction of the harassment unleashed on the fraternity since last August.

As many as 18 journalists have been summoned or questioned by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and over a dozen were alleged to have been physically assaulted since August last year, according to data collected by ThePrint.

Two freelance journalists have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in this period and a couple of others have had police cases lodged against them under other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“I have been reporting in Kashmir since 2002 and we have done some bold stories that were critical of authorities. Obviously, harassment of journalists has always been there, but what we are facing since 5 August last year is unprecedented,” said senior journalist Ishfaq Tantray who is also the general secretary of the Kashmir Press Club (KPC).

“There is a pattern to what journalists have been facing since last August. Some have been questioned over their stories. Others have been asked to reveal their sources.”

Among those summoned by the police include senior journalist Naseer Ganai who works for Outlook magazine. Ganai in February this year had written a story about a call for strike given by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). Not only was Ganai questioned but he claimed that during his questioning, his phone was taken by the authorities and thoroughly checked before being handed back.

“The police asked me why I had written a story on the strike call. JKLF used to be covered as a beat by journalists covering politics. It was a news development and naturally for any journalist it had to be covered,” Ganai said.

Sources in the J&K Police, however, told ThePrint that the report furthered the agenda of a banned outfit. The JKLF was banned last year after the Pulwama attack.

“Even if the police logic is taken at face value, what was the need to take away my phone and check it? To what end?” said Ganai, who has nearly two decades of experience in covering Kashmir.

Director General of J&K Police, Dilbag Singh, did not respond to a request for an interview with ThePrint on the issue. He also did not respond to calls or to the queries sent on WhatsApp by ThePrint.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir division) Vijay Kumar did not offer any comments when called on his mobile number. A subsequent email sent on his official email ID Tuesday night, requesting for his comments on allegations of harassment of journalists did not receive a response till the publishing of this report.

The J&K government spokesperson, Rohit Kansal, too did not respond to ThePrint’s queries for comment sent via WhatsApp. (ThePrint)