Journalist bodies express anguish over 'arbitrary takeover of Kashmir Press Club'

A day after Jammu and Kashmir administration withdrew the registration of Kashmir Press Club (KPC), a group of journalists on Saturday unilaterally formed an interim body. Several journalist bodies termed the act as “arbitrary” and “illegal” while many called it a “state-backed coup”.

Srinagar (J&K): A day after Jammu and Kashmir administration withdrew the registration of Kashmir Press Club (KPC), a group of journalists on Saturday unilaterally formed an interim body. Several journalist bodies termed the act as “arbitrary” and “illegal” while many called it a “state-backed coup”.

While announcing themselves as a new interim body, a group of journalists today entered the Press Club premises in the presence of security personnel of J&K police. This group later, in a statement, termed this step as a “takeover” of the Press Club.

Till the election are held, Mohammad Salim Pandit of Times of India would act as a president, Deccan Herald journalist Zulfikar Majid as general secretary and Arshad Rasool, editor daily Gadyal as treasurer of the club.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Pandit said, "The elected body served its tenure for a period of two years, which ended on July 14, 2021. As the previous committee delayed the elections for unknown reasons the Club was headless, thereafter for around six months, putting media fraternity in unwanted trouble. We have taken over as the interim body for the press club in order to run its day-to-day affairs. I am part of the journalistic fraternity, therefore they should not see it as us taking over by force. There has been a delay in conducting the elections. Give us time, we shall work for the press club to flourish".

This incident has been termed as unfortunate and undemocratic by nine journalist bodies.

While issuing their version in a statement, the bodies, which includes the previous Press Club body, accused the group of forcing their way into the Press Club premises for the takeover amid a large number of police and paramilitary personnel deployed beforehand.

“The administration, by allowing few disgruntled elements to hoodwink the Club constitution and flout all norms of law, has set a wrong and dangerous precedent,” the journalist bodies said.

The joint statement added that the journalist bodies are “unanimous in view that this unfortunate move by a disgruntled lot has set a dangerous precedent by forcing their way into the club office in violation of the KPC constitution and bylaws”.

The local press bodies have urged Press Council of India, Press Club of India, Federation of Press Clubs and Editors Guild of India to take a strong note of how the local administration is supporting, what they called, the lawlessness and throttling a democratic media body, the statement reads.

“If such incidents are allowed to happen within the Press Club in Kashmir this can set precedence for future,” the statement mentioned.

The statement was given by Journalist Federation of Kashmir (JFK), Kashmir Working Journalists Association (KWJA), Kashmir Press Photographer Association (KPPA), Kashmir Press Club(KPC), Kashmir Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), J&K Anjuman Urdu Sahafat, Jammu and Kashmir Journalist Association (JAKJA), Kashmir Video Journalist Association (KVJA) and Kashmir Working Journalists Association.

On Friday, the Press Club management body of the club informed its members that they have received an order by the Registrar of Firms and Societies, Kashmir. The communication said that the re-registration certificate issued to the club on December 29 under Society Registration Act, 1860 has been kept in abeyance.

“The order by the government authorities has been issued after the Club Management had set in motion the process of electing the new management body as well as the executive Committee members,” the KPC said.

Call for re-registration process

However, the as per management they had earlier written official letters to the concerned authorities so that the re-registration process could be made quick to hold the elections at the earliest.

“The Registration Certificate was issued to the Club following a due process and clearance mechanism, including the Non-Involvement/ Verification of Character and Antecedents Certificate which was issued by the Office of District Commissioner/District Magistrate Srinagar vide No: Dms/Jud/Soc/21/742 dated December 24 last month,” the KPC added.

Following the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A on August 5, 2019, journalists in Kashmir have claimed that they are working under tremendous pressure from the authorities, something that the KPC has been vocal about.

Pertinently, following the arrest of a young journalist, Sajad Gul earlier last week, the KPC had expressed serious concern over the state of journalism and urged the authorities to drop charges against Gul. The journalist has been granted a bail by court on Saturday after remaining in jail for 10 days while another journalist Asif Sultan continues to remain incarcerated since 2018 on charges of ‘aiding’ militants.

The fresh incident at KPC is also seen by many as part of larger crackdown on freedom of speech and expression in Jammu and Kashmir.

“KPC is one of the last institutions that was working independently. Today’s move is to further stifle free speech and independent journalism. The act appears to be backed by the government,” senior journalist Gowhar Geelani told ETV Bharat.

Politicians condemn 'takeover'

The 'takeover' of the Kashmir Press Club had also been condemned by former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.

“There is no government this 'journalist' hasn’t sucked up to and no government he hasn’t lied on behalf of. I should know, I’ve seen both sides very closely. Now he’s benefited from a state-sponsored coup,” Omar Abdullah, former J&K CM and NC's Vice President, tweeted.

While Mehbooba Mufti slammed Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) of deliberately delaying KPC’s registration in what she said was an attempt to throttle real issues flagged by journalists.

“GOI doesn’t want a debate on the oppression unleashed in J&K. Deliberately delaying KPCs registration is an attempt to throttle real issues flagged by local journalists here. Free press is the fourth pillar of democracy but BJPs policies seek to undermine and demolish it completely,” she tweeted.