The latest couple of incidents clearly proves that instructions have been given to government forces to restrict the movement of the journalists across Kashmir. The irony is that journalists are not only being stopped but abused and manhandled as well.On Wednesday night, when the Editor of a Daily English newspaper ‘Brighter Kashmir’ Farooq Ahmed Wani was returning from Press Colony to his house, he was stopped by CRPF personnel at Safakadal. “After dishonouring curfew pass and ignoring to see the identity card, they (CRPF) hit me with gun butts and asked me to return back. I was shocked and for a moment I thought they will kill me as it was dark and nobody was walking on the road,” Wani told CNS adding that it seems that the government forces have been instructed to harass, maim and kill people without any mercy in Kashmir.
Greater Kashmir correspondent for Bandipora district and a journalist of a television channel were abused and threatened by the army on Thursday while they were performing their professional duties.Eja-ul-Haq Bhat, Greater Kashmir correspondent for Bandipora district said that he along with Muhammad Sayeed, a correspondent with ETV news channel, were stopped and abused by Army's 27 RR near Kaloosa when they were travelling on their motorcycle to another village of Onagam."They threatened to beat us. They abused and used foul language. We told them (army) that we are journalist and are performing our professional duties. This infuriated them more and they hurled choicest abuses at both of us," Bhat said.In Habba Kadal area of Srinagar city, a senior journalist was chased away by a group of CRPF men during the wee hours on Thursday. “They tried to hit me near Ganpatyar Hababkadal but I escaped unhurt. Despite revealing my identity I was abused,” said a scribe who wished not to be named.
Pertinently, SDPO Sadder, Amod Ashok Nagpure along with team at Jawahar Nagar on Wednesday stopped Rising Kashmir Security and Defence Reporter, Sumaiya Yousuf and abused and harassed her.“The armed forces led by SDPO Sadder stopped me near Jawahar Nagar and when I showed the officer all the documents including my curfew pass, he let loose his forces on my vehicle and abused me hurling all sorts of invectives,” Sumaiya said. Though top police officer later on apologized to Rising Kashmir and assured that curfew passes would be dully honoured but ye the reports about harassment of journalists are pouring in from different places of Kashmir Valley. (CNS)