Even as newspaper printing resumed in the Kashmir valley on Wednesday after four days, a group of journalists who gathered here for a panel discussion condemned the alleged ban as a gag on the freedom of speech and expression.
They also said that coverage by a certain section of the media was alienating the local population even further.
During the panel discussion, Rahul Jalali, president of Press Club of India said, “It was one of the most bizarre incidents of censorship that took place in the country. As of now no assurance has been given to the journalists that they are free to function and would not be touched hereafter.”
Newspaper owners and editors in the trouble-hit Valley had been asked not to publish newspapers for three days due to curfew restrictions.
The printing was resumed on Wednesday.
Mr. Jalali added that when the political class fails to deliver, they blame the journalists for all that ails society.
Speakers at the panel discussion also said that solution did not lie in censorship but responsible journalism and this is what the country needs.
“Sitting in a Delhi studio, a television anchor simply cannot grapple the ground reality in Kashmir… Few, who shout and scream, do not represent the general view of the media.” said well known TV anchor Rajdeep Sardesai.
Provoking fights
Taufeek, who represented the Kashmiri media in the discussion, said there was no need to pit Delhi against Kashmiris as certain television channels do.
“The so called national media are provoking fights. Without unity, such issues cannot be solved,” he said.
Other speakers too expressed similar views. “We have seen this censorship emerge in different forms constantly, especially those who write and report Kashmir…in the local media there has been manipulation of news and censorship by successive governments,” said Seema, another panel member.
(The writer is an intern with The Hindu)
