KPC reacts to thrashing
The Kashmir Press Club which is an umbrella organization of many journalist bodies in Kashmir has been very vocal over the incidents in which the scribes have been either stopped or thrashed by police while they cover incidents on the ground.
There have been a lot of complaints from the journalists and photojournalists against the administration and police especially post August 5, 2019, triggering street protests by working journalists and editors many times against these incidents.
J&K administration has been assuring that such incidents will not recur but fact of the matter remains that such incidents continue to happen as there has been no fixing of responsibility in the previous incidents of such nature. The Kashmir Press Club has condemned the alleged attack by the police on three journalists covering the District Development Council elections recently on one of its phases in South Kashmir. KPC has described the incident as unfortunate and has demanded a time bound enquiry into it against pointing to the fact that fixing of responsibility is must to stop such incidents on the ground.
“We hope strict action is taken against those found guilty in this act perpetrated in utter disregard of the freedom of the press,” the statement said. “The KPC [Kashmir Press Club] further urges the chief electoral officer to take note of such incidents and initiate action against the concerned police official.” The statement said that journalist Fayaz Lolu, who works as a stringer with ETV Bharat, told the press club management that he along with two other journalists Mudasir Qadri, stringer with News 18 Urdu, and Junaid Rafiq, who works with TV 9, were beaten up while covering the ongoing polls in Srigufwara area of South Kashmir.
