Page 22 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018

What does it take to be a generated an outcry by the job,” said an editor of a local
Javeed’s questioning
daily. “In a conflict situation,
journalist in kashmir? international journalist or- you have to give space to
ganizations. “Questioning Au- every party and also tell sto-
qib Javeed without a lawyer ries of the people. One party
A month after killing of senior journalist and trying to force Greater shouldn’t and can’t expect
Shujaat Bukhari, unknown miscreants walked Kashmir to submit raw re- us to stop giving coverage to
another”.
porting material is a serious
into Srinagar’s Press Enclave and vandalised attack on press freedom in What makes the situation
parked vehicles to terrorise the journalists once the turbulent state of Jammu further fragile is that there is
still no knowing who killed
and Kashmir,” said Steven
again, reports Riyaz Wani Butler, CPJ’s Asia program Bukhari and why. Police
coordinator in Washing- has blamed Lashkar-i-Toiba
ton, D.C. “These attempts to and identified three of its
intimidate journalists will militants who have allegedly
only force the flow of news carried out the murder. But
and information to grind to Lashkar on its part has vehe-
a halt.” mently denied any role in the
Similarly, in a statement,
Indian Journalist Union One thing that
president S N Sinha, who is
also Secretary General and makes the
member of Press Council situation fragile
of India, Amar Devulapalli,
and Vice-president Sabina in the state is
Inderjit said the summons that there is still
to Auqib Javeed amounted
to an attack on freedom no knowing who
of the press and meant to
photo: faisal khan intimidate journalists who killed Bukhari
n the night of • Threat to press Bukhari was were already working under and why
July 25, some shot dead in Press Enclave difficult circumstances.
unknown But such statements
assailants There are visible and invisible have made little redeeming killing and compared police
O walked into the threats - more so, for the difference to the prevail- investigation into the case to
parking space of Srinagar’s local media whose content ing scary state of affairs, as a “Bollywood movie.”
Press Enclave and broke the becomes a subject of daily the mysterious breaking This has created an
windscreens of the vehicles contention among the war- of the windscreens of the uncertain and a danger-
parked there. Some vehicles ring parties. And should any cars would have us believe. ous environment for the
were vandalised and the party choose to see anything What is more, in recent past, journalism to operate in. “It
cabinets searched, although wrong in a story, covert or security agencies have been is a fraught situation where
nothing was stolen. overt threats follow. keeping strict tabs on the danger lurks in the shadows.
The incident has followed Recently, a journal- content being published and The actors involved are oper-
a month after the killing of ist working for Kashmir trying to weigh it through ating behind the scenes,” said
the senior journalist Shujaat Observer Auqib Javeed was the binary of “anti-national another editor. “We expect all
Bukhari at the very enclave. summoned to New Delhi versus anti-national.” the parties to appreciate the
Bukhari along with his two by National Investigation Editors privately say they difficult circumstances under
guards was also shot dead by Agency for interviewing the intermittently get notices which journalists operate
unidentified gunmen mo- woman separatist leader about the content and are in the state and how it is im-
ments after he came down Asiya Andrabi. The interview asked to explain it. Similarly, portant to bear with us and
from his office and got on was carried by a local maga- they can’t ignore the state- allow us to objectively report
to his vehicle to head to his zine Kashmir Ink. Javeed was ments issued by the separa- the extraordinary situation
home. grilled over three days for the tist organizations. prevailing on the ground.”
These are tough times for interview and subsequently, “In a sense, we are being
the journalists in Kashmir. let off. victimized for just doing our letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 15 august 2018 22 www.Tehelka.com