Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 3: Journalists in Srinagar today protested against continued snapping of mobile phone and internet connectivity for last 60 days which has badly affected their work in Kashmir.
The cell phones and internet connectively remains snapped in Kashmir following scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A on August 5 this year. This has been done by the Government to prevent protests against the withdrawal of the special status.
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The common people have been badly hit by the shutdown and journalists are worst sufferers as they find it difficult it to report without these facilities.
Carrying placards and wearing black badges, over 100 journalists gathered in the premises of Kashmir Press Club premises in Srinagar to demand that the internet and mobile phone connectivity be restored to the journalists.”End information clampdown, stop criminalising journalists, journalism is not a crime”, read the placards.
The Government has provided an internet connection in a media centre set up for them which they said is insufficient and lacks privacy. The General Secretary of the Kashmir Press Club, Ishfaq Tantray said: “There is no privacy. Around 300 journalists use that facility daily and it is crowded. It is also being monitored and mails are under surveillance.”
The president of Kashmir Press Club, Shuja Thakur said that they had approached the authorities several times for the restoration of the cell-phones and internet services but to not avail. “It is the worst black out we have seen. Due to this communication gag journalists’ working suffers and on-line editions of newspapers and news portals are not operating”, he said.
“While limiting the access of media to a hall hired at a private hotel designated as Media Facilitation Centre- where the Government has set-up nine computers and a cell phone connection for over 400 journalists – the Government has attempted to prevent the information out of the valley”, the protesting journalists said.
“How long can the journalists of Valley rely solely on official releases and occasional press briefings that have always been a one-way communication? By limiting the access and continuing with communications gag, the Government aims to reduce the journalists as its mouthpieces”, they said.
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