Support has rushed for The Kashmiriyat from various quarters of the society after an FIR was lodged against it and The Kashmir walla for their report on the allegations made by a seminary School in Shopian on being pressurized by Army to celebrate the republic day on 26 January. From Academia, lawyers, Journalist fraternity, and Kashmiri Diaspora prominent voices expressed anguish over the policing of the Press and muzzling the free speech of Reporters.
Prominent Journalist Yusuf Jameel on his Twitter rushed with support for The Kashmiriyat and said, “Subjecting media persons to harassment has become a ‘norm’ now. We also do face violence & intimidation for exercising our fundamental right to freedom of expression. This shouldn’t & will not stop us from getting to the truth & reporting it candidly. With you!”
Anuradha Bhasin, the editor of Kashmir times denouncing the FIRs, wrote, “If the army felt this was “baseless”, they could have given a clarification. Surely, it would have been published. Stop criminalizing journalism.”
Author and Journalist Gowhar Geelani wrote “Media fraternity in Kashmir is so frightened or so used to the remaining silent spectator that it does not utter a word when colleagues and organizations are silenced, intimidated, harassed and vilified, one by one. Seems they haven’t read the poem “When they came for me, there was.”
Student activist from Kishtewar and a prominent voice jailed for Anti-CAA protests Safoora Zargar took to Twitter and said “It’s just 3 pm in the day. FIR’s against @TheKashmiriyat, @tkwmag. Accounts of Caravan, Sushant Singh, Kisan Ekta Manch & many others withheld, an election manifesto in the form of a budget has been thrust upon us! What else? Exhausting. Outrageous.”
Advocate Habeel Iqbal from Shopian sighting a High court ruling write in support of The Kashmiriyat “Reporting of events a journalist has bona fide reason to believe to be true can never be an offence: J&K HC. #Shopian Police drop the charges against @tkwmag & @TheKashmiriyat”
Writer, Poet, and a Professor of anthropology & gender studies at the University of Northern Colorado Ather Zia, a prominent Kashmiri Diaspora Voice said: “it continues today; as privileged India’s journalists look for their freedom needle in the rotting haystack contraption of a country; 2 Kashmiri independent portals, @TheKashmiriyat & @tkwmag often harassed are again charged.”
Digipub India a Digital News India Publication in its statement taking a serious note of the arrest of the Caravan journalist covering the Farmer Protest in Delhi has said that they demand the immediate release of journalist Mandeep Punia and the withdrawal of all malicious cases against journalists. In its statement, Digipub India further said, “We also condemn the FIRs against two news portals The Kashmiriyat and Kashmir walla for reporting alleged pressure faced by a private school in Shopian, Jammu, and Kashmir, to celebrate Republic Day.”
Both @TheKashmiriyat and @tkwmag stand by their reporters and the honest work they try to accomplish despite hardships that Independent News outlets face.