Srinagar, January 13, 2017: Many photojournalists working for local media organizations have said that Indian paramilitary personnel Central Reserve Police Force and police personnel abused and threatened them in Nowhatta area of Srinagar while they were performing their professional duties. A photojournalist on the condition of anonymity as he fears reprisals said, “A policeman holding a pellet gun shouted at us ‘tuih chivva yecchaan aen gacchin’ (do you want to get blinded)’. He was effectively threatening us that he would fire pellets on us. ‘Leave then’, he said. Then he abused me in particular.”
Enraged by the threat, the photojournalists had a heated argument with the forces’ personnel, telling them that these threats were preventing them from carrying out their professional duties.
“One of our colleagues (Zuhaib) was recently permanently blinded in one eye by pellets fired by Indian paramilitary CRPF personnel in Rainawari Srinagar. The fresh threat by the Indian policeman has created fear psychosis among us,” said Omar Meraj, a freelance journalist.
On September 4, 2016, a day after forces assaulted several photojournalists at Batamaloo, in Srinagar two photojournalists, Muzamil Mattoo working with Srinagar based daily Kashmir Reader and Zuhaib Maqbool, who works for an online portal were hit by pellets while covering a protest in Rainawari area of Srinagar city.
Muzamil suffered pellet injuries in the head, back and an arm, while Zuhaib was hit in his eye, chest and face. The attack evoked severe criticism from journalist fraternity and other organizations.