Similarly on June 14, on the fourth death anniversary of one of Kashmir’s most prominent journalists, Shujaat Bukhari, I searched for the latest developments in his assassination case, and barring the Rising Kashmir, no newspaper had anything on him. I remember his death had sent shock waves across the Kashmir valley and in New Delhi newsrooms.
A community of more than 300 journalists in Srinagar who are somehow managing to survive are struggling to keep journalism relevant in Kashmir. “Bukhari had a stature both in Kashmir and Delhi. Look at his fate. If his family is still waiting for justice, image the fate of others. They don’t stand anywhere. No one wants to upset the government and security forces,” a Kashmir-based journalist told TFT on the condition of anonymity.
Bhukari and Malik aside, no real news gets the space it deserves in the Srinagar-based newspaper. Oddly, the death of the Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in September 2021, found only a single column space in the newspapers, while it was covered in detail by the Delhi-based newspapers and international media.
His successor Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai died in May 2021. His death was not reported in newspapers in the Kashmir valley. While international organisations like the New York Times and Al Jazeera carried stories on him, the Kashmir-based papers stayed silent -- for they feared a serious backlash.
Four types of reporters work in Srinagar -- those associated with local newspapers, those working with national newspapers and agencies, those affiliated with international organisations and freelancers.
“You have to understand the kind of pressure we work under. We are under a constant watch, be it owners, editors or reporters.”
Palpable Pressure
A look at the Srinagar-based newspapers gives the impression that they are under tremendous pressure to avoid reporting on local events. They also downplay statements issued by prominent political leaders. Rather, the opinion pages will publish articles on advantages of apricots or how to remain young or why you sneeze.
An editor with a Kashmir-based Urdu newspaper tells TFT, “You have to understand the kind of pressure we work under. We are under a constant watch, be it owners, editors or reporters.”
The media houses cannot upset the governments, as they are dependent on it for revenue. Advertisements were stopped to a prominent English language weekly in September last year because it carried a story on Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
It is believed that the hammer came after authorities realized that international human rights organisations were using newspaper reports as the source to take on India on various forums, including the UN. “Earlier the human rights organisations used these news reports to highlight the plight of the valley. Now the Indian government refers to Kashmir-based newspapers to present its case on international forums,” says another journalist.
Mediapersons based in the Kashmir valley say the circulation of newspapers has gone down -- because the pressure and surveillance by political parties and intelligence agencies compels them to publish only the feel-good stories. “When there are killings, beautiful pictures of tulip gardens make headlines,” he says.
This situation is not new in the India-held Kashmir. Even the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governments in the past imposed restrictions on newspapers. But since 2019, after the abrogation of article 370, the pressure has increased. “Now the agencies micro-manage every newspaper and every journalist. Earlier, the families of journalists were not harassed the way they are at present,” says a leading journalist.
Some local newspapers have even removed their online archives. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) while quoting two journalists mentioned that some archives were deleted because publications did not pay maintenance fees, and others were removed in response to the government pressure.
Rampant Self-Censorship
He says, “Everyone has learned to work in the self-censorship mode. Journalists are trying to save their lives at the cost of their credibility.”
Last week, journalist Shaheed Tantray, who reports for a Delhi-based magazine Caravan issued a statement, alleging that the Jammu and Kashmir Police was harassing him and his family. He wrote in a letter that his father was summoned to the police station and made to sit there for hours. While the police have refuted his allegations, journalists in Kashmir tell TFT that this is a routine affair. Those who choose to show a spine are subjected to police grilling.
One journalist says that he was informed he is on the government no-fly list.
“This has instilled fear among journalists,” says a Srinagar-based freelance journalist, who was subjected to a similar treatment a couple of months ago.
Many journalists who have faced the heat have either switched to work as public relations executives or have become academics. Some have gone abroad to study.
Breaking Point
The fact is that even after they quit journalism, the authorities do not spare them. “They can just pick up a line or a paragraph from a story that appeared a decade ago and summon him or her,” says another Srinagar-based reporter.
Some local newspapers have even removed their online archives. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) while quoting two journalists mentioned that some archives were deleted because publications did not pay maintenance fees, and others were removed in response to the government pressure.
According to the CPJ, the Kashmiri media has reached a breaking point, where journalists have begun to doubt their career choice.