Srinagar, Jan 6, : Valley based media fraternity organized a seminar on internet gag in Press Club Srinagar on Monday afternoon, tilled Internet Curfew, followed by a protest against more than five month long shutdown, making work conditions for them difficult, as seen never before in last three decades of turmoil.
According to news agency, Journalists working with various local, national and international media organizations highlighted their difficulties, due to the record 156 day long internet gag on media, making their work difficult, rather impossible and curbs imposed on media persons, since the abrogation of Article 370 on 5th August 2019.
They said that the most hit sector at present, due to the suspension of internet for more than 5 months now and the initial shutdown of mobile connectivity is something, which has no parallel in the world.
Those who spoke on the occasion include Peerzadah Ashiq Mushtaq of the Hindu, , Syed Ehsan Fazili of Tribune, Riyaz Masrror of BBC, Naseer Ganai of outlook magazine, Haroon Rashid of Daily Mashriq and numerous other journalists.
They said that supposed to be the fourth pillar of democracy, media has been rendered defunct, due to the un-availability of Internet and mobile services for a record period of 156 days now adding that not only is local, but along with national media, journalists associated with foreign media are finding themselves handicapped in this situation to file their dispatches.
They said that to curtail the flow of news, all other means were employed, including intimidation and thrashing of journalists and spread of fear among the scribes.
According to news agency, it is for 73rd time since the eruption of unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, that internet has been snapped here. Although broadband connectivity in past was barred from being snapped, but it is for the first time that connectivity has remained under suspension for such a long time, after the revocation of Article 370 and 35-A of Indian constitution on 5th of August.
In absence of the flow of news from other parts of the state and the communication bar with reporters and sources in various other districts outside Srinagar, publishing news papers for their owners, has become quite a difficult task. A few papers, which are published from here, mostly depend on news gathering agencies for their publication.
At the end of the seminar, journalists organized a protest against the curbs imposed on the media and the difficulties they face in reporting due to the continued internet gag, which has entered into its sixth month. (CNS)
