Insha Mushtaq/Ifra Parvaiz
Today marks the second anniversary since Jammu Kashmir was stripped of its special status i.e., semi-autonomous status. On 5th August 2019, Article 370 which granted special status, or autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir was revoked by the Government of India.
Article 370 granted Jammu Kashmir the power to have a separate constitution, a state flag and autonomy over the internal administration of the state.
Following the revocation of Article 370, the Government of India imposed a security lockdown and communication blackout across Jammu Kashmir to curb unrest and protests.
According to a 6 September, 2019 report by the Indian government, 3,800–4,000 people were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir, including 200 politicians as well as two former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, more than 100 separatist leaders.
Post-August 5 2019, various local journalists have been summoned by police or investigating agencies for doing their professional tasks. There has been a surge in the complaints of “harassment” and “intimidation” by journalists in Jammu Kashmir.
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Following the scrapping of Article 370, the government of India introduced the Revised Media Policy. The new media policy authorizes government officials to determine what is “fake news” and “anti-nationalism.”
Media personnel claim that the policy is being misused by authorities in the disputed region and is criminalising the work of journalists who are reporting what is happening in the region.
Since August 5, 2019, apart from summons, harassment and monitoring of news reports journalists have been subjected to physical attacks like beatings as well.
Journalists in Kashmir have been summoned and questioned by the police in the past too but lodging first information reports (FIRs) against journalists in Kashmir has increased post-August 5, 2019.
Qazi Shibli, journalist and editor of The Kashmiriyat, was detained for nine months without trial in prison under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) after he tweeted about troop movements in the region shortly before the Indian government scrapped the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir.
On 31st July 2020, he was detained again after he was asked by Jammu Kashmir police to present himself to the cyber division for questioning. Shibli was transferred to the Shergarh, Anantnag police station.
On 20th May 2020, Fahad Shah, editor of news portal The Kashmir Walla, was summoned by Srinagar cyber police station.
On 4th October 2020, Fahad, along with his colleague Bhat Burhan was detained while he was on his way back from Panjab. Fahad had alleged that he was intimidated and “treated like a criminal” by the police officials.
In April 2020, police also filed a charge sheet against Photojournalist Masrat Zahra under the Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act (UAPA). In April, the renowned journalist Gowhar Geelani was also charged with UAPA. The Hindu journalist, Peerzada Ashiq was also questioned by the Cyber Police Srinagar in connection with a news story published by The Hindu Sunday.
On July 17, 2021, Aakash Hassan, an independent journalist based in Srinagar was assaulted and harassed by Jammu Kashmir Police in the Anantnag district. He was stopped by police while travelling back to home in evening, slapped and beaten up.
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Photos shared on his twitter handle showed Aakash with evident injuries to his face and hands. He was targeted because of his identity as a journalist.
The Kashmiriyat tried talking to a few Kashmiri Journalists about their insights on the impact of the new media policy as well as the post-abrogation journalism in Kashmir.
Suhail Ahmed Dar – Photojournalist:
Suhail Ahmed Dar, a 25-year-old Photojournalist from Anantnag was detained for a month by Jammu Kashmir police on 4th April, last year. The charges against him include Section 505 of IPC, accusing him of spreading fake news.
Suhail Ahmed told The Kashmiriyat, “I was summoned by the Police who wanted me to come to Srinagar. I was not told the reason as to why I was needed.”
“On 3rd April 2019, I had covered a photo story of the funeral of militants in Kulgam. I had shared the pictures and videos on my social media handle which was later shared by other pages. They labelled my videos and photos as ‘Fake news,’” Suhail added.
He also said, “Superintendent of Police’s (SP) office, Cargo in Srinagar questioned me for hours and also alleged that I was spreading misinformation through photos and videos.”
“Later, I was handed over to Cyber Police who questioned from 12 noon to almost 8 pm. After that, they handed me over to Shergari Police Station, where Cyber Police questioned me at regular intervals, twice in a day,” Suhail added.
“Apart from me, there were 2 civilians in the station who were also summoned for questioning. Among them, one was from Baramulla who was apprehended for sharing my video and another one was from Srinagar who was there because he had shared an article of Greater Kashmir regarding an encounter in 2019 at the same place,” he said.
“First, they booked me under UAPA and then later after a month they dropped the charges and booked me under section 505 of IPC,” Suhail said.
“My father suffered a heart attack after he came to know about my detention. I started developing health complications in the Jail and after my health deteriorated they shifted me to a hospital in Srinagar,” Suhail Ahmed Dar told The Kashmiriyat.
“They confiscated my phones and my media card, and they have not returned them yet,” Suhail said.
Suhail talking about Journalism post-August 5 said, “After the abrogation of Article 370 and introduction of the Revised Media Policy, we, the journalists of Kashmir face a lot of obstacles as well as harassment. First, we used to cover live encounters but post 5 August we aren’t allowed to, we are barred at a distance from the encounter site.”
“Even though everyone claims that media is the fourth pillar of democracy, the Journalists in Kashmir are booked for reporting truth and facts. Journalism in Kashmir has become very difficult after the introduction of new media policies. Many people are leaving the profession of Journalism due to an increase in the number of harassment cases against Journalists in Kashmir,” he said.
Fahad Shah- Editor The Kashmir Walla
An FIR was lodged in May, last year against Fahad Shah, the editor and founder of The Kashmir Walla and another on 26 January 2021-along with The Kashmiriyat.
Fahad Shah told The Kashmiriyat that both the FIRs were lodged over two stories. One was for the Nawa Kadal gunfight and another was for a story about a school being forced by army to hold republic day function.
“Post August 2019, politics has been at halt. There is no engagement within political circles. And for people, they have no say in any decision making as unelected bureaucracy is taking all decisions that have impact on people’s lives. So people are disempowered in last two years,” Fahad told The Kashmiriyat.
Shah, while talking about the difficulties faced by journalists Post Aug 2019, said “There are multiple issues with journalism in Kashmir in last two years including massive censorship, police summons, accusations of fake news, threats and targeted hate campaigns being run on social media against journalists who continue to report facts.”
“I have two cases filed against us, including a charge of up to seven years prison for reporting news,” he said.
Fahad says that in the past two years, journalism has been criminalized in institutional manner. It is part of larger media policy released by the government last year. “The unfortunate thing is we have had very few people continuing the job of independent journalism.”
Fahad was asked to comment on many youngsters from Kashmir choosing other professions over journalism due to the environment of intimidation, Fahad said to The Kashmiriyat “I am not aware if young journalists are staying away now. But if it is the case then not surprising.”
“When journalism is criminalized, anyone would want to be safe. However, I would say more journalists should come out and work and especially try to work with independent media platforms now that are doing the job well,” he further said.
Fahad, on being asked whether he was pessimistic about the future of journalism in Kashmir said, “I am pessimistic about the future of journalism in Kashmir for one reason that the people have still not understood that media house can’t sustain without public support.”
“It is important for general public to come forward and contribute as little as they can to support independent press. This is a global appeal and situation for media has been very hard across the globe. Thus, it is people’s responsibility to come forward and strengthen these small and free institutions,” Fahad added.