Curbs on Kashmir media counterproductive: Editors

NEW DELHI - Concerned over the alleged police “high-handedness” against the media in Kashmir, the Editors Guild of India Thursday said that imposing restrictions on journalists in the troubled valley will be “counterproductive”.

In a press statement issued here, the Guild “urged the Jammu and Kashmir government not to impose restrictions on journalists which prevent them from carrying out their legitimate, professional duties”.

“The Guild is concerned over incidents of police high-handedness towards the media during the recent unrest in the Valley,” the statement said.

On Wednesday, security forces allegedly disallowed a group of reporters from moving out of their offices in Press Enclave in the heart of Srinagar, which has been under curfew since Tuesday afternoon following violent protests over civilian killings by the security forces.

When the journalists objected to the move, the forces allegedly snatched their cameras and tore their curfew passes.

“Not issuing curfew passes to journalists is counterproductive. If the media is prevented from carrying out its duties and reporting on the ongoing strife in Kashmir fairly and objectively it will only give rise to rumour mongering,” the statement said.

It warned the authorities that by doing this, it would be playing into the hands of “vested political interests trying to incite trouble”.