Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 17: Broadband internet services of BSNL in Kashmir valley were restored tonight after remaining suspended for five days following protests by journalists here.
The broadband internet services were restored after security meeting of the top officials of the police, para-military forces and top functionaries of administration was held at Police Control Room this evening.
Earlier a group of Srinagar based journalists met Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, BB Vyas who is also looking after Information Department and apprised him about what they termed as internet gag affecting the working of journalists.
The services were snapped on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha on September 12 in view of the apprehensions of law-and-order problems.
Mobile telephony services, excluding the post-paid connections of BSNL were also snapped across the Valley at 4 PM on the same day. However, there was no word on the restoration of such services.
Mobile internet remained suspended in the violence-hit valley since July 10 after the unrest broke out in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani with the security forces on July 8.
Earlier in the afternoon various organizations of working journalists of Kashmir including Kashmir Correspondents’ Club, Kashmir Journalist Corps, Kashmir Press Photographers Association, Kashmir Video Journalists’ Association met here and decided to hold a sit in protest against internet gag.
Demanding restoration of internet services, the journalists from various organizations held a sit in protest at Press Enclave.
They also wrote a letter to the Press Council of India demanding its intervention in mitigating the problems faced by the journalists in Kashmir.
“As you are aware, the situation in Kashmir has been anything but normal for the past 70 days. Journalists working for local, national and international media have been facing immense difficulties in discharging their professional duties”, read the letter.
“Despite enduring physical abuse while discharging professional duties, the journalists have upheld the highest traditions of reportage – with utmost integrity and honesty — to disseminate the information about the situation in Kashmir to the outside world. Notwithstanding the threat to life and pulls and pressures from various quarters, the media fraternity has been out in the field gathering information as part of their duties”, the letter read.
The letter further reads: “However, an unprecedented situation has emerged since September 12 as the State decided to snap all internet services after suspending the mobile telephony. This undeclared gag has left the journalists completely grounded. Never before has the media fraternity been confronted with such a grave situation wherein we are not even able to communicate with other parts of the State —Jammu and Ladakh”.
“For the past five days, the media fraternity has been virtually grappling in the dark. The visual journalists – both photojournalists and videographers – have been worst hit as they are unable to send picture or videos to their concerns’, the letter read.
“The condition is so bad that some of us have been forced to dictate news reports on telephone and in some worse case scenarios send SMS’ which in this day and age mocks at technological advancement including Digital India.
“The communication gag has caused mental strain among some of our colleagues. Ironically, the gag is mostly hitting the media fraternity while the State administration including the bureaucracy and political parties continued to enjoy uninterrupted internet facilities.
“The situation has pushed the journalists to the edge as most scribes and photojournalists, who are working as stringers and freelancers, have been deprived of their right to livelihood.
“Since the internet gag is happening very frequently in Kashmir, a permanent solution to it in respect of media fraternity is needed. The PCI may recommend measures to the State Government/Centre to ensure that any future internet gag does not affect the working of reporters/photojournalists/media outlets.
“The internet gag is a serious infringement not only to freedom of expression but also the right to information.
“In great distress as we are, we seek your intervention as the custodian of press rights in India, to ensure restoration of internet facility at the earliest. We are hopeful that your intervention will end the gag forced on the Fourth Estate in Jammu and Kashmir. The media fraternity in Kashmir is considering other options of protests but we are hopeful PCI’s intervention will ensure that the situation will not come to that pass,” the letter said.
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