South Asia Human Rights Journalist Association

Srinagar, Thursday, April 24th, 2014 : A police party thrashed journalists in Kulgam town when they were on way to a nearby polling station in their vehicles.
Reports said in Kulgam, a police party stopped few scribes who was in their vehicles and thrashed them without any provocation. “We revealed our identity and displayed our identity cards, yet they smashed the rare glass of my Sentro and targeted us with gun butts and lathi’s,”
photo journalist Farooq Javid told media men adding that one of his colleague Javid Ahmed Dar who works for China based news agency Xinhua.
Police forces in Kulgam area attacked vehicle of Rising Kashmir’s photo editor Farooq Javed Khan while covering the ongoing protests against Indian parliamentary election process.
The other journalists who got injured in police action were identified as Naseer Ganie (Mail Today), Fayaz Wani, Faisul Yaseen, Rising Kashmir reporter Manzoor-ul-Hassan, Farooq Javid (European Press) and Javid Dar (Xinhua), Associated Press (AP) photographer Mukhtiyar Khan, AFP Photographer Touseef Mustafa, Rising Kashmir reporter Manzoor-ul-Hassan  Photojournalist Javid Ahmed Dar of Mail Today was shifted to nearby hospital for treatment. 
Meanwhile, in Trenz area of Shopian district a camera man Aijaz Yaseen Dar, working for Day andNight News Channel was injured when he was allegedly attacked by some Special Operation Group personnel outside a polling station. A top police official told CNS that he would look into the m
Police damaged a Santro vehicle bearing registration umber JK01M 0537 of Rising Kashmir’s photo Chief where one of the photographers, Javed Ahmad Dar received injuries on his hand.
“We revealed our identity and displayed our identity cards, yet they smashed the rare glass of my Sentro and targeted us with gun butts and lathi’s,” photo journalist Farooq Javid said adding that one of his colleague Javid Ahmed Dar who works for China based news agency Xinhua.
“Police forces attacked the Santro and injured one of the photojournalists,” eyewitnesses told Kashmir Life. “We were on way to DH Pora, as we reached Kulgam Chowk, a police party ran towards us, beat us and smashed the window panes we were travelling in,” Javed Dar, one of the photo Journalists told Kashmir Life.
Meanwhile, in Trenz area of Shopian district a camera man Aijaz Yaseen Dar, working for Day and Night News Channel was injured when he was attacked by some Special Operation Group personnel outside a polling station.
District Correspondent of Precious Kashmir Ramez Maqsood was beaten by police personnel on Thursday at Arhama Shopian while covering the polls.  As per reports, while taking a photograph some cops surrounded him and later DSP along with his men beat him, they also snatched his camera and cell phone.
In its editorial Kashmir reader in Srinagar on 25 April 2014 Persecuting the Press wrote that there have been as many as twenty-seven attacks on media-persons in Jammu and Kashmir over the past three years. This persecution of the press has also drawn a sharp reaction from the chief of the Press Council of India who wrote to the Omar Abdullah expressing dismay over what he termed as use of force against journalists performing their professional duties.  This was not an ordinary letter, reflect as it did the Omar Abdulla regime’s failure to allow the news media to flourish, but hardly anything changed.
Journalists continue to be manhandled by personnel of various Indian security agencies. On Thursday, uniformed personnel beat to pulp five newsmen discharging their professional duties in South Kashmir. Two of the victims sustained injuries and had to be rushed to hospital for first aid.  Their vehicles were also damaged to safeguard `national interest.’
The onslaught on the media started during the budget session of the  so-called Legislative Assembly in 2010. For the first time three breach of privilege notices were issued against journalists in a single session. 
Noted journalist, Ahmad Ali Fayaz’s disclosures about a National Conference leader in the February 28 issue of the Early Times surprised one and all. Fayaz was directed to explain his position. Soon after, renowned cartoonist of the state and editor of the Srinagar Times, Bashir Ahmad Bashir, was also summoned to Jammu for similar reasons. He had published a cartoon in his daily depicting `sad state of affairs’ in the Legislative Assembly. Bashir was in high spirits and raring to go to Jammu to defend his cartoon. But later, he was told that his presence on the floor of the house was not required.
Another respected editor, R S Gill, had to appear before the speaker to defend a breach of privilege motion against him. Gill also stood by his story `Best Legislator v/s Upright Principal’ published in The Northlines on March 25, 2010. And who can forget the onslaught on the Early Times in July 2010? Its press was sealed, the editor’s residence raided and the puppet Chief Minister’s most trusted lieutenant misused his official position to muzzle its voice. He engaged the land mafia to grab land owned by the Early Times editor.
Indian security agencies, it seems, have been given a free hand to muzzle the press. But journalistic fraternity in Kashmir is determined to bring the truth to fore. As they say, truth always prevails.