Continuing their demand for revocation of ban on publication of daily Kashmir Reader, scores of journalists held Tuesday held a peaceful protest at Press Enclave here.They termed the ban as an 'atrocious' step adding that the daily must be allowed to function smoothly at the earliest. To mention publication of daily Kashmir Reader was put on hold by the state government last month after which the newspaper is yet to hit the stands for two weeks.Hilal Ahmad Mir, Editor Kashmir Reader told KNS that senior and reputed journalists who have been in this profession from several decades, recently called on chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and urged her to revoke the ban.“The government is still silent and it shows contempt of the entire media fraternity,” he added.
“The government must revoke the undemocratic ban. It should perhaps look to former US president Thomas Jefferson who famously said that he would prefer ‘newspapers without government’ to ’government without newspapers’,” said Marouf Ahmad, senior journalist Kashmir Reader. He added that incumbent president of US Barrack Obama recently termed as unfortunate the attack on free press by some governments that want to avoid the truth. “Banning or gagging press is a blot on democracy and no democracy would like to carry it for too long.
The ruling alliance as such should revoke the ban without further delay,” he added.Muhammad Moazzam, bureau chief at Kashmir Reader said the ban is completely unjustified and an injustice for not allowing the ground level facts reaches a common reader."We have been reiterating that this ban must be revoked but with no effect. It seems the government has completely turned a blind eye towards the genuine demand to let the newspaper become operational once again," Moazzam said.Holding banners and placards such as “don’t stifle the voice of media" and "ban on Kashmir Reader unjustified", the scribes marched from Press Enclave to Ghanta Ghar.Junaid Nabi Bazaz, who is a correspondent with Kashmir Reader, said the ban on the newspaper has come as the biggest shock for him in his professional life. “This (ban) is an extreme step which has shattered the ethos of media and professional ethics. The ban is no less than a barbaric step," Junaid said. (KNS)