Journalism in Kashmir:

Journalism is an art in itself moreover in Kashmir its more than an art as here we are living in the world’s biggest militarized and disputed territory. No one can deny that here in Kashmir the journalist fraternity has lot to bear and pay for their professional duties. They are not free to write or click; there is no independence for Press which once used to be in the democratic states. It’s very unfortunate for the journalists that they are working under the pressure of many powerful people, who use their power to fulfil their petty interests. Whether pressure mounts on journalists by the use of power or capital but it always lingers there. In the past we have witnessed how many of our intelligent journalists have been assassinated or kidnapped by unidentified forces. In Kashmir press has always been used by the politician’s as the medium for advocating their word to the local people. Whether it was Amarnath Land Row or Shopian double Rape-Murder incident, Press was barred from doing its duty; even the NEWS programme telecast duration on the local TV channels was reduced to few minutes by the authorities. It’s the way how the voice of people is being suppressed by the oppressors who are sitting on the empire of Kashmir. Without the independence of press there can’t be any democracy in any state. Press is the part of democracy and the freedom of Press is within the constitution of the India but they leave no stone unturned to contradict with their own constitution. There are articles for right to speak in the constitution of India which gives freedom to press but they are only left up to books and papers. Denying the rights to the journalism fraternity or barring them to pay their professional duties can’t hold an empire for much time, the voice of people can’t be restrained for long time, one day it will emerge from any corner of the vale. Journalists hold their life on their fist to work for the people to come out with truth but they are being treated as the slaves of empires, they have been beaten to pulp and their equipments worth lakhs thrashed to trash. Journalism students study hard to be journalists, for the contribution to their society and for earning their living but after that they are being awarded bamboo stick and gun butt beatings, even many times tear gas canisters are directly showered on them and then some days of rest in hospitals. The fact is that there are always some people in the society who don’t want truth to be delivered to the citizens of world for the prevention of their own dummy image. It’s now up to people to decide what they want? A suppressed press or the independent press, which has the power to deliver everything to the world. People should support the journalists at every juncture of the field for the betterment of the society. So the slogan is: Support ‘Press’ to be supported.