Journalism is facing Indian state repression in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as India has snatched every right, including right to freedom of press, in the territory.
A report released by Kashmir Media Service said that Modi-led fascist Indian regime had totally criminalized journalism in the territory, adding that harassment and threats to the IIOJK journalists by Indian forces had increased manifold since 5 Aug 2019 when New Delhi repealed Kashmir’s special status and imposed military siege in the territory.
It deplored that journalists faced killings, murder attempts, arrests, threats, victimization on daily basis in the territory as many journalists had been arrested, beaten, harassed and even investigated under draconian laws since revocation of Article 370 in IIOJK.
The report said that harassment, raids and questioning of journalists had become a norm in the occupied territory and India had made journalism almost impossible in the territory after introducing so-called media policy in 2020.
It said, India is using different tactics to stifle press in IIOJK, adding journalists continue to work in most trying conditions in occupied Kashmir.
New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has also urged India to allow media to operate freely and independently in the territory, it added.
The report maintained that the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists had urged India to improve its shameful record of harassing and detaining journalists in Kashmir:
It deplored that India was harassing, questioning and booking journalists for reporting truth in IIOJK as it wanted to hide ground realities of IIOJK from the world by criminalizing journalism in the territory.
The report said, fascist Modi government is using strong-arm-tactics to strangulate media in IIOJK and the International community must come forward to rescue independent media in the occupied territory, adding assault on journalism in IOJK is a wake-up call for global media organizations.—KMS
