In search of obedient stenographers to advance government narrative

Apart from facing harassment, reporters are routinely called by cops to explain their stories

Everyday has been a struggle for journalists in Jammu and Kashmir ever since the separatist campaign burst into a major violence in 1989. As many as 18 journalists and other mediapersons have been killed in the line of duty during the past three decades.

The saga of their becoming themselves ‘news’ continues. Post-August 5, 2019, mediapersons in Kashmir have been caught in a more complex situation in many ways.

Denial or poor availability of means of communication and curbs on their movement have mired their functioning. Apart from facing harassment, humiliation, beating and even imprisonment, the reporters are, over the past one year, routinely called to police stations to explain their stories and even reveal their sources in a new trend of official pestering.

In April, FIRs were registered against three Kashmiri journalists and two of them, including woman photojournalist Masrat Zahra, were booked under the provisions of harsh Unlawful Activities (Prevention), the Act which entails imprisonment up to seven years if proved guilty.

Zahra and another journalist, Gowhar Geelani, were accused by the police of placing posts and photographs on social media platforms “tantamount to glorifying the anti-national activities and terrorists and dent the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing disaffection against the country (India)”.

The third journalist, Peerzada Ashiq, faced police action over his report which appeared in The Hindu and was called to two police stations in summer capital Srinagar and southern Anantnag district to explain his position. Though the police actions evoked widespread resentment and condemnation in media quarters in Kashmir, the rest of the country and abroad, several journalists interviewed by this correspondent said that the reality for journalists in Kashmir is; “we continue to struggle in worse conditions”.

On June 2, the government came up with a new media policy which authorises it to decide what is “fake”, “unethical” or “anti-national” news, and initiate legal action against the journalist or media organisation concerned, including withdrawal of government’s advertisement support and — horrendously — sharing information with security agencies.

Justifying what the local media organisations perceive as onslaught on the freedom of press, the 50-page policy document reads “Jammu and Kashmir has significant law and order and security considerations, it has been fighting a proxy war supported and abetted from across the border and in such a situation, it is extremely important that the efforts of anti-social and antinational elements to disturb peace are thwarted.”

Mediapersons have rejected it and said that the government does not want them to report the truth about Kashmir and the events and incidents unfolding on their beat “objectively” and “candidly”.

Senior journalist and editor of ‘Kashmir Images’, Bashir Manzar, asked: “Who will sit judge on what is fake, unethical or anti-national news”. Another journalist said, “We should not be expected to act as obedient stenographers to advance the government narrative. This media policy is unacceptable to us”.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Lt. Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu, has promised a review of the policy.