Media in conflict zone Kashmir

Media in conflict zone Kashmir 

 Mohammad Waseem Gashroo

Whether it is electronic media or print media their objective is to present a situation to the audience or reader as objectively as possible. Media is called as the fourth estate of any democratic state. In conflict zone like Kashmir where media and press are guarded by national interest and gun culture, presenting truth as objectively as possible is important, otherwise you can mislead your audience for short term gain which may result in long term repercussions.

Whenever there is conflict in any part of earth, it is media which portrays its real image. Media has become a powerful institution nowadays, apart from being the medium of communicating news and so on. The huge strength of the press is the product of its long history of development and continual struggle for freedom of expression.

Indian media can be credited with taking on the issues of corruption, communalism, and dowry system etc. thus upholding the very spirit of fourth estate of democracy but when it comes to Kashmir, brazen facts were overshadowed by the clouds of national interest. The reportage in Kashmir is mostly from a government perspective. A survey shows that 78% of journalists had their sources in the government and only 7% depended on other local sources.

During the land row agitation in 2008, national newspapers, national news channels at first telecasted the whole turmoil but later abruptly stopped that and even the local media had to face restrictions in telecasting the situation; the circulation of news papers were stopped at that time about for a week. Imposing such restrictions on media, Press Council of India in1954 recommended that government handout must not be supplemented by classifying essential points necessary for the proper understanding of the issues. The fact on the ground is whether Indian media has been able to portray Kashmir issue in its right perspective to its audience in India on the international scene.

The newspapers sometimes have played with the emotions of the public by publishing the pictures of death and gory but sometimes there is not even a mention of major human rights abuse incidents. The local media, which mostly comprises of the print media, has also shown no consistency in reporting the human rights abuses. In the earlier years of armed uprising almost all the newspapers carried the reports of human rights excesses but now they have to rely on the official press releases for reporting about the daily killings.

A leading national news channel New Delhi Television (NDTV) telecasted the snowfall in Kashmir on the day when Zahid Farooq of Brain Nishat was brutally killed by a BSF personnel on the orders of his commandant. Thus, diverting the attention of people of Kashmir and outer world. Media persons in Kashmir state the reason for this inconsistency as the threat, intimidation and insecurity from both the militants and security forces.

No doubt media persons here are working under fear. It is a fact that some persons have lost their lives as well. In  August 2001, Hindustan Times photographer Pradeep Bhatia died in a car bomb attack in Srinagar and nine others were injured. There are very other cases in which journalists have lost their lives and were injured while covering crisis scenes but somebody has to get the pain to bring out the reality.

 But unfortunately Indian media has not only tarnished its own credibility, it has also failed to serve the Indian state’s vital interest as well - that of keeping its people informed of the happening in Kashmir.

India’s well known writer and booker prize winner Arundhati Roy says, “Indian media is suffering from schizophrenia as its reports portrays zero reflection about the reality in J&K. Indian media is busy in painting a rosy picture of normalcy, which is absolutely false.” Another writer Cooper writes that media can make of the terrorist “a saint or a monster”.