A recent report published by BBC highlights the harsh conditions faced by journalists in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). According to the report, journalists operating in the region face substantial difficulties. The issues have been further exacerbated following the revocation of the region’s special status in 2019 by Modi’s government.
The report, titled ‘Any story could be your last’ – India’s crackdown on Kashmir press’ by Yogita Limaye, delves into the harrowing experiences of these journalists who are either detained or live under constant intimidation from the administration led by Narendra Modi in this besieged valley. It paints a grim picture of a calculated and sinister campaign aimed at suppressing and silencing the press.
The report sheds light on the dire circumstances faced by journalists in the disputed region. Some have been unjustly imprisoned for carrying out their journalistic duties. A lot of them endure a continuous barrage of threats, ranging from overt actions to subtle aggressions.
BBC revealed that it spent over a year conducting an investigation into the allegations against the Indian government regarding the suppression of press freedom in the occupied region.
The report mentioned, “We had to meet journalists in secret. Most of them asked for their names to be hidden, fearing reprisals.”
The BBC further stated that it interviewed more than two dozen journalists, including editors, reporters, and photojournalists. Those journalists work independently as well as for regional and national media outlets.
Press Freedom Under Threat
According to the publication, these journalists view New Delhi’s actions as a clear “warning to them.”
The report highlighted the stories of Kashmiri journalists, including Asif Sultan, Fahad Shah, Sajad Gul, and Irfan Mehraj but it also brought to light the restrictions imposed on numerous others.
Asif has been imprisoned for five years. Fahad remains detained for “propagating terror,” while Gul was arrested for a social media video and charged with “criminal conspiracy”. Similarly, Mehraj was “accused of having links with terror funding,” the report stated.
BBC noted that over 90% of the journalists they spoke to had been “summoned by the police at least once, many of them multiple times over a story.” The encounters with the police varied from polite to angry and threatening, according to the journalists.
One reporter told the British news outlet, ‘Journalism is dead and buried in IIOJK.'”
