The decision of the Jammu and Kashmir administration to seal the Srinagar office from Kashmir Times it has provoked strong reactions in the media fraternity of the Valley and the political parties.
“The Department of Farms closed the Kashmir Times office without due process of cancellation and eviction, in the same way that I was evicted from a flat in Jammu, where my belongings, including valuables, were turned over to a “new assignee”. Vendetta for speaking! Due process was not followed. How grumpy! said his editor Anuradha Bhasin.
Ms Bhasin, who filed a petition with the Supreme Court about the media gag last year, has been at the forefront of the fight against the internet ban at J&K and for press freedom after the abrogation of the status J&K special on August 5 of last year.
According to the Kashmir Times administration, nothing in writing was provided to the publication.
“The Department of Farms did not give any reason for the government’s action. His employees, who went to the newspaper office to shut it down, told the employees to move. When the management asked for the warrants, the officials from the Department of Farms said they had no warrants and asked them to approach the superior officers, ”management said.
This comes just days after employees of a news service, “Kashmir News Service”, were asked to leave a building “without warning”.
Statement from journalists
Journalists from the Valley have condemned the action. “In solidarity with Ms Bhasin, a group of journalists has offered their professional services free of charge. There are renewed attempts by state agencies to speed up Kashmir Times, a respected newspaper in the Jammu and Kashmir regions with a rich history of independent journalism practice.
A group of 12 Valley journalists wrote in a joint statement: “In light of these government-sponsored intimidation attempts to silence an independent newspaper, we express our solidarity and support to their editors and our colleagues there.”
The National Conference (NC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) have also condemned the measure.
“This explains why some of our ‘esteemed’ publications have decided to become government spokespersons, printing only government press brochures. The price of independent reporting is being evicted without due process, ”tweeted North Carolina Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
PDP Chairman Mehbboba Mufti said that Ms Bhasin was one of the few local newspaper editors at J&K “who faced the illegal and disruptive actions of the Indian government in the state.”
“Closing their office in Srinagar is something out of BJP’s vendetta playbook to settle scores with those who dare to disagree,” he said.
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