By Ranjona Banerji
Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of the Kashmir Times, filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding relaxation of all restrictions on mobile, internet and landline services; as well as on movement of journalists and media personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Local journalists are not being allowed to do their job. Whatever information comes out since the Government of India clamped down on Jammu and Kashmir in order to “free” the state from Article 370, has been from foreign journalists and those from outside Kashmir.
It is bad enough that the apex court has asked the petitioner to “wait and watch”. The court as the guardian of the Constitution would, one imagine, place the Constitution above political games, but evidently, well, what can one say.
And then there’s the Press Council of India. It has intervened in the petition, backing media limitations. The usual excuse of “integrity” and “sovereignty” have been used because, can one assume that the Press Council of India believes that journalists doing their job threaten national integrity. Since August 5, Kashmir has been under this communication clampdown, with stories of hardship, misery, struggles and protests leaking through. If the people of Kashmir are so overjoyed by the Modi actions, why not let all of us bear witness?
A statement issued by many journalists’ associations across India says, “The Press Council of India’s wording of the intervention petition in this manner is deplorable, completely indefensible and strikes a severe blow against the struggle of journalists from Kashmir to be able to report freely on the effect of the abrogation of Art 370 on August 5, 2019. Since then, the entire region has been under the most extraordinary clampdown of communication, newspapers have not been printed or distributed freely and journalists have not been able to gather news, much less disseminate it. Their movements have been hampered and their mobility severely restricted.”
Members of the Press Council who kept out of the decision to intervene in Bhasin’s petition have also protested, as this article from The Hindu shows:
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/dissent/press-association-disapproves-of-press-council-of-indiasintervention-in-anuradha-bhasins-petition
Justice PB Sawant who headed the Press Council for many years told The Wire that the intervention is “unprecedented and unfortunate”. He also, incidentally, feels that the abrogation of 370 itself is illegal.
https://thewire.in/media/pb-sawant-press-council-kashmir-media-freedom-article-370
Here is the link to the letter written by journalists objecting to the Press Council of India’s intervention:
https://thewire.in/media/journalists-call-press-councils-support-to-kashmir-media-restrictions-deplorable
https://thewire.in/media/press-association-press-council-media-restrictions-kashmir
So what do we have here? The Government of India has already shown that it is eager and happy to ride roughshod over procedures and rules to get its way. The Opposition, such as it is, is hampered by lack of numbers, lack of money and lack of unity. What do those voices in India which still believe in democracy against autocracy do now? If they depend by any chance on a free press, do they get what they deserve?
Bhasin has said that this is the first time in 30 years that the media in Kashmir has been so restricted. Local newspapers have not been published. And the voices of those who know the area best have been silenced. We already know that the Indian media outside Kashmir is divided between those who claim that the government must be supported no matter what, and those who think that the job of the journalist includes providing information, regardless of whether or not it will be popular with government or some sections of society.
Although one supposes one should be grateful that this act of perfidy by the Press Council has been roundly condemned by several journalists (including well-known fence-sitters) and journalists’ associations (including well-known fence-sitters), we know from everyday experience that too many journalists are nothing more than colluders and collaborators. It is all very well to rant and rave against the Press Council but what about when you or your journal or your news channel or your website actively and openly support the government’s questionable actions? Those acts are far more dangerous and insidious than a little outrage under the shadow of your braver peers.
These are bad times for the people of India when the media is so corrupted and infiltrated. Small clap for this show of solidary. Dread for the future.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She is also Consulting Editor, MxMIndia. Her views here are personal.