Kashmir Press Club, which has been closed, provides a sense of security to journalists
The efforts of more than three generations of journalists in Kashmir in 2018 made today’s government realize the importance of having a press club here – a sign of a vibrant society and, above all, an ideal country in any other part.
Despite protests from both the political and bureaucratic sections in Jammu and Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir), the Kashmir Press Club, with around 300 members, emerged as a mass address from the media fraternity in a region that has been reeling from violent conflict for the past three days. decades, that too in a very short period of time.
Kashmir is plagued by security and communication restrictions, which leaves everyone immobile. The club emerged as a postal address for local and visiting journalists, including foreign correspondents. From instant information about happenings in the Valley to easy access to food on the Internet, it was the only thriving place when offices were closed due to security reasons or unstable conditions outside.
Kashmir saw a communications blackout and unprecedented security measures on August 5, 2019, when the Center abrogated the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir. Like my other colleagues, I lost touch with my superiors at the office in New Delhi. Restricted at home and out of communication for almost three days, my first concern was reaching the club to resume my job as a reporter. It was at the club that I met my colleague, who had moved from Delhi to Srinagar due to the office’s inability to reach me. The club was where we would leave pen drives for each other along with paper notes and reports, which my colleague also took to ensure that our ground report was published.
This was not true before. Kashmir’s media was an orphan; It had little communication with the rest of the media fraternity. Kashmir has seen its worst time in the last three decades, with at least 18 journalists killed. All these deaths remained unspecified due to the lack of a press club. When it was formed, the club provided a sense of security and acted as a watchdog in the face of any incidents faced by journalists.
Kashmir has seen a rise in harassment of journalists over the past two years, including summons, booking under strict sections and detention, and the club proved to be a leader. It drew sharp reactions, arguing that free and fair journalism, apart from documenting cases of harassment, also slowed down the crackdown on the fraternity. With the two-year-old club now becoming history, fear has struck again in the media community.
The club also apprised young and independent journalists of the latest developments. It provided hands-on training to journalists young and old through workshops, be it on data journalism or the techniques of investigative reporting. It was the only place where female journalists, a rare species in Kashmir just a few years ago, grew in numbers and earned a good reputation for their work. He began to provide a fresh perspective on the issues, which enriched the reportage from Kashmir. It’s all stopped now.
on January 14, J&K government bans club’s re-registration, Provided on December 29, 2021, citing a police report. This was followed by a takeover by a group of journalists on 15 January, which was used by the government to withdraw and register the institution in terms of both the building as well as the title. The government was quick to shut down the club’s website as well.
Being a member of the EC, which oversaw the club’s first elections in 2019, I have reason to be proud to contribute to the building of the institution. I am now concerned for both the young journalists and the fraternity in general. Who will take up the issue of free and fair journalism and provide an umbrella to the many organizations representing different types of media in Kashmir? Is the closing of the club the beginning of a bigger challenge for writers in Kashmir? This question haunts me.
Peerzada.ashiq@thehindu.co.in
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