Intimidation condemnable, says journalists
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Nov 15: A series of lists released by the media arm of The Resistance Front (TRF), a division of Lashkar-e-Taiba, namely Kashmir Fight, has named over a dozen journalists accusing them of being informants for security forces. With the result, at least five journalists who were employed by three local newspapers in Srinagar have tendered their resignations.
TRF is allegedly responsible for the threats, according to the police. Investigations have also been started after an FIR was filed under the anti-terrorist law UAPA. According to official reports, the police have detained about a dozen suspects and are questioning them about their alleged connections to TRF and its media arm.
Since militants have threatened to target anyone working for three media outlets in Srinagar, the reporters have posted resignations on their social media profiles to avoid any threat to their life.
On the condition of anonymity, a cub reporter who covered local news claimed that he has been charged with spreading the army narrative. He decided to quit his office.
“I am covering a health beat for my paper, yet I have been named in the list. The sources of these militants seem misplaced and they do not seem to have this understanding that we are simply doing our job and we do not take any sides,” one of the reporters whose name surfaced in the list, pleading anonymity.
The threats extended to journalists on the TRF’s media handle are condemnable and need to be probed in letter and spirit. Since, not many people are speaking about the persecution of journalists and because of their extreme anxiety journalists who have been targeted by the Kashmir Fight handle seem to have been demoralized.
Jammu and Kashmir police on Saturday registered an FIR against unknown militants and handlers belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba and The Resistance Front (TRF), one of LET’s offshoots, for sending threat letters to journalists in Kashmir working with at least three local newspapers.
Journalists have frequently faced threats in Kashmir. More than a dozen Kashmiri journalists have been assassinated because of their work, including Shujat Bukhari, Editor of Rising Kashmir, who was killed by militants in June 2018.
It remains to be seen whether any action would follow and whether journalists in Kashmir would be allowed to do their duty without any intimidation or harassment by the elements who run these militant media handles.
