By denying the freedom of the media, the government is making its own story and giving place to fake news.
a major casualty of Article 370. to repeal Been on 5th August 2019 Freedom of the Press in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This has created a problem of propaganda and is creating great concern in the area. The feeling of alienation in the Kashmir Valley is against the interests of Kashmiris as well as the national interest.
Historically, the press in J&K used to highlight democratic, anti-feudal and secular struggles. This supported efforts to join India as the Maharaja staggered and the political leadership led by Sheikh Abdullah put its weight behind a democratic and secular India. urdu daily, Ranbir, It was banned by the monarchy in June 1947 for seeking accession to India and the release of Sheikh Abdullah. The ban was eventually lifted. Editor of an Urdu weekly, call, It was also threatened by the monarchy in 1942 as the paper supported the Quit India movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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government controlled press
It is painful to see newspapers of Kashmir in the morning these days. Nothing about the current political situation in J&K; There are only official press releases. There is hardly any room for political parties and their statements. Newspapers mostly contain advertisements or advertisement-cum-statements of government officials and senior government officials. Government advertisements are used as a tool to force editors to control the media narrative. And if a newspaper doesn’t conform, it faces action: ads are suddenly canceled or investigative agencies conduct raids. Our journalist friends tell us that it is common for the police to call them and inquire about them and their relatives. These actions only send a message to the larger journalist community that the freedom of the press, which is enshrined in the Constitution for freedom of expression, is under threat.
More and more journalists are being harassed since the administration introduced a revised media policy in 2020, which effectively silences the media. The Press Council of India has constituted a three-member fact-finding committee to investigate allegations of intimidation and harassment of journalists. The Council is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir. The purpose of the media policy, which has been formulated without consultation with media groups, appears to be to marginalize the local media and build the government narrative. The press in J&K is now virtually a press controlled by the government.
strategy to stop propaganda
Violation of press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir should be seen from a larger angle. Firstly, in this age of social media, where information and narratives are shared through encrypted platforms, it is important to protect the general public from propaganda and fake news. While state media outlets have a role to play in this, the public largely depends on sources of information that are considered more reliable and independent. In this regard, allowing professional journalists to do their jobs without pressure or threats is central to any strategy to stop propaganda. After all, journalists are accountable to the editors of their newspaper, who in turn have to abide by the laws of the land. Otherwise, in an environment where government press releases replace newspapers, the public will always have access to readily available social media platforms that are notorious for providing sensationalized, false information to the public. In Kashmir, Information Zero is a breeding ground for Fake News. It also has security implications.
Second, J&K is currently a battleground for narratives. A believable narrative based on truth and honesty will win this battle. This can be accomplished by allowing professional journalists to gather information and editors to share their editorials in a free environment. The lack of a democratic government has closed all avenues of redress. The government is not friendly to the sentiments of the people as it has nothing to lose by isolating the people and the press. When journalists say that it has become impossible for them to do normal reporting, it should be taken seriously by the courts. The judiciary should intervene to restore the dignity of the Fourth Estate and take serious cognizance of the cases registered against journalists and newspapers. If courts today look the other way, it will not bode well for democracy.
More broadly, J&K’s refusal to integrate with the Indian democratic tradition that provides freedom of the press remains the main obstacle to J&K’s emotional ties with the country. As peace activist Balraj Puri once said, “These complexes are an insult not only to the people of Kashmir but to all democratic sensibilities.”
Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami is a former member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
.