Freedom of opinion in peril, says Ansari

Tributes paid to slain journalist Shujaat Bukhari

Hamid Ansari, former Vice-President, addressing at the memorial function of late Shujaat Bukhari (Senior Journalist) and the editor of Rising Kashmir, others are Congress leader, Manish Tiwari, Malini Parthasarathy, Co-Chair, The Hindu Group & Director-Editorial Strategy, Shekhar Gupta, Editor in Chief and Chairman, The Print and Hafiz Ayaz (family member) in New Delhi on July 25, 2018. Photo by Shiv Kumar Pushpakar / The Hindu

Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari said on Wednesday that the present challenge is to uphold the most cherished freedom to express an opinion.

He was speaking at a condolence meet organised by BRIEF here in memory of journalist Shujaat Bukhari, who was killed in Kashmir on June 14, 2018.

“His passing away is mourned by all.... But mourning itself is not enough. We should realise that we face a challenge. The challenge is our most cherished freedom — the freedom to express an opinion,” Mr. Ansari said. “If that challenge develops further, then it is not one editor but every citizen who is threatened by it.”

Referring indirectly to the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru months back, Mr. Ansari said freedom was in peril.

Malini Parthasarathy, Co-Chair and Director-Editorial Strategy, The Hindu Group, said it was time to ask why “all the peace dividend that had accumulated because of earlier political initiatives [in Kashmir] has been wasted away”.

“It is important for us assembled here to ensure that Shujaat’s sacrifice does not go in vain. His assassination is a chilling reminder of the vested interests and anti-democratic forces who do not want democracy or peace to flourish in Kashmir,” Dr. Parthasarathy said.

“We must stand up to the vested interests on both sides who do not want peace and democracy to flourish in Kashmir. We owe it to Shujaat and the people of Kashmir for whom he fought so long and hard, to isolate the hardliners and fascists, and build public momentum for the revival of a political process and democracy in Kashmir,” she added.

Recalling his long association with Bukhari, journalist Muzamil Jaleel pointed out the precarious position of journalists covering Kashmir, who were seen both as “jihadis” and “informers”, thus facing accusations from both the state and separatists.

Journalist Iftekhar Gilani recalled how Bukhari and he had seen death from close quarters together and added that 19 journalists had been killed there till now, with no investigation reaching its conclusion.

Congress leader Manish Tewari and veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta also spoke on the occasion.