Valley journalists hit streets, seek action against Lal Singh
CALL FOR JUSTICE Say murder was aimed at creating atmosphere of fear in Kashmir
Journalists in Kashmir again came out protesting on the streets against the killing of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari and demanded action from the governor against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Choudhary Lal Singh for his ‘threats to journalist’ on Tuesday.
Scores of members of the media fraternity in the state, including editors, correspondents, photojournalists, journalism students and newspaper owners on Tuesday afternoon marched from Press Colony towards city centre Lal Chowk (Red Square) where they held a sit-in.
The protesters, men and women under the banner of Kashmir Editors Guild, were carrying banners and play-cards which read ‘We will not be cowed down by cowardly acts’, ‘Words will speak from the graves’, ‘You can’t censor , silence and suppress press freedom’, ‘Arrest Lal Singh’ , ‘No bullet can kill an idea’ and many others.
“Today’s protest is a collective voice from us that we won’t take the excesses against media particularly the brutal murder of Shujaat Bukhari lying down,” said senior journalist, Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal.
Jamwal said the sit-in was also to show their commitment towards their professional role as journalists. “Today these are sensitive times and we have to leave behind our small rivalries and have to raise our voice collectively for the journalists,” she added.
Rising Kashmir editor-in-chief Shujaat Bukhari, 50, was assassinated when three bike-borne youth opened fire on him just outside his office at Press Colony in Srinagar on June 14. His two personal security officers (SPOs) were also killed in the attack. The killing of Bukhari, who has also worked with Buland Kashmir and Sangermal, sent shock waves across the country and attracted condemnations from across the board.
The protesters said the murder of Shujaat Bukhari was aimed to create an atmosphere of fear in which killers won’t succeed. “The brutal murder of Shujaat Bukhari is an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear on the free thinking, we want to convey that our pen will continue its journey and these threats won’t make any difference on our journalism,” said another protesting journalist, Gowhar Geelani. “We demand that Shujaat’s killers are brought to book and action should also be taken against BJP MLA Lal Singh for his threats to Kashmiri journalists,” he said.
Former forest minister Singh on Friday had threatened Kashmiri journos telling them to ‘mend their ways’ over their reporting on Kathua rape and murder case and apparently refereed to the killing of Bukhari.