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Image Credit- Twitter/ Kamran Yousuf
Social Media Witnesses Huge Outrage Against Forcible Takeover Of Kashmir Press Club
Writer: Anwesha Singh
She is a trainee journalist at Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media in Print stream. She has graduated from Home Science with specialization in Development Communication and Extension from Lady Irwin College, Delhi University. She likes reporting, writing, copyediting amongst others.
Jammu and Kashmir, 17 Jan 2022 12:55 PM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
January 15, 2022, saw the takeover of Kashmir Press Club by a group of journalists who were helped by police and paramilitary personnel. Today, the land and building allotment was cancelled, and the club was handed to Estates Department.
After the Kashmir Press Club takeover by the Jammu and Kashmir government, it has also cancelled the allotment of land and buildings and has handed the club to the Estates Department. What followed after it was rage and disapproval by many on social media platforms, mainly Twitter, considering the action against journalists and journalism.
Earlier, on January 15, 2022, a group of journalists had entered the club office in Srinagar and took over its control with the help of police and paramilitary personnel, reported NDTV.
Outrage On Social Media
The Editors Guild of India released a press statement against the forcible takeover of the Kashmir Press Club. It tweeted, "The Editors Guild of India is aghast at the manner in which the office and the management of Kashmir Press Club, the largest journalists' association in the Valley, was forcibly taken over by a group of journalists with the help of armed policeman on January 15, 2022."
Similarly, Mumbai Press Club also tweeted about the takeover. It said, "The Mumbai Press Club condemns the forcible takeover of the Kashmir Press Club (KPC) from the legally elected management body in conjunction with security forces on Saturday. The MOC also deplores the J&K administration scuttling the Club's election process.
The Press Club of India also released a press statement and tweeted, " Press Club of India is deeply concerned with the developments with Kashmir Press Club."
Kamran Yousuf, a multimedia journalist also tweeted, "A day after the coup in Kashmir Press Club, the illegal interim body has closed the club to journalists."
Arfa Khanum Sherwani, an Indian journalist, also tweeted, " Unbelievable even by the standards of what has been done to Kashmir and Kashmiri press."
Quratulain Rehbar, a freelance journalist from Kashmir, tweeted, "A place, which will be dearly missed, is now abrogated! Kashmir Press Club that was home for us especially, post abrogation of article 370."
Fahad Shah, a journalist, tweeted, "The whole thing was to end Kashmir Press Club's existence."
Rayan Naqash, an indepedent jourlaist in Kashmir tweeted, "Day 2: Kashmir Press Club shut for journalists. Somebody has also changed the lock (with a bigger one) overnight.
Mitali Saran also took to Twitter against the closure of the Kashmir Press Club. She tweeted, " The Kashmir Press Club has ceased to exist- the government has neutralised it and taken over."
Vijdan Mohammad Kawoosa, a journalist, had also tweeted, "Was curious to know if some of Kashmir's leading newspapers like Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Monitor covered the forceful takeover of the Kashmir Press Club on front pages. Surprise! It's not anywhere."
Aakash Hassan took to his Twitter handle and tweeted, "These people by the roadside are hardworking journalists of Kashmir. They have n out of Press Club."
Manisha Pande tweeted, "The freedom of assembly, where journalists would meet and mentor young and aspiring journalists...shutting down that space is very shocking."
Social media was filled with outrage, and people vehemently opposed the decision. Journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy, and a forcible takeover of it is a kind of attack on democracy only.
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