SNS KASHMIR
Srinagar,November 19 :
Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum has expressed anguish over what it called the forced shrinking freedom of press in Kashmir. In a statement issued here reacting to the treatment given to the local press in JK by virtue of forcing them to vacate their functional offices and stopping advertisements, Chairman JKCSF Abdul Qayoom Wani said that targetting now a number of leading newspapers publishing from Kashmir by one or the other pretention was merely undemocratic and autocratic. Wani said First govt stopped advertisements to a number of leading newspapers viz Greater Kashmir, Kashmir Images, Kashmir Reader, Kashmir Life and even the leading News agency of JK Kashmir News Service was not spared. As if this was not sufficient, now Estates Department has asked the prominent Newspaper of JK Greater Kashmir to vacate its office from Press Enclave, Pratap Park Srinagar, this is indeed a new tyranny with the freedom of press.
Journalists and media houses have been working in Jammu and Kashmir in a very tough situation and have suffered the loss of life and property like every other kashmiri suffered , however, despite all troubles and odds this sector has kept up the status of professionalism and has acted as a bridge between the people and the successive governments to apprise the either sides with the facts and figures of the reality.
Journalism, Media or call it press is deemed as the fourth pillar of democracy, and once a pillar acts or is made to act weakly, it badly stains the whole system of democracy.
Greater Kashmir, Kashmir Images, Kashmir Reader, Kashmir Life, Kashmir Times Kashmir News Service and others all have worked in tough times but maintained standards of journalism and contributed to overall development serving their stuff to Education, health, pandemic, employment, eradication of evils and corruption from society and what not.
JKCSF vehemently demands for the removal of ban on the advertisements for these newspapers, rollback of orders of vacation from their offices and for a free and fair environment for this fourth estate to serve the common people in Jammu and Kashmir.