Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, a senior CPI (M) leader said that any attempt to intimidate the media in Jammu and Kashmir was unacceptable. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Tarigami said, “If the freedom of expression is curtailed under any pretext, it is a loss for any society. Freedom of expression and freedom of speech has come after a long struggle and huge sacrifices. It has not been gifted.”
He also said that if due to any reason this right was curtailed or snatched then common people will be deprived of objective information on the ground.
“Unfortunately, over the years diverse elements across all the political and ideological thoughts have been trying to muzzle the voices of media persons in Kashmir which is really deplorable and unfortunate,” he further added.
Mr Tarigami said, “From Jammu and Kashmir government’s Media Policy 2020 to registering FIRs against journalists and issuing threat lists online, the media persons are being targeted from all the sides. The fact remains that the media persons in Kashmir particularly have been working under tremendous pressures. Virtually they have been victims of cross fire.”
He said that past experiences reveal that silence on such issues proves costly to the interests of the people of Kashmir