As Jammu and Kashmir state in India enters another day of curfew, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) appeals to the authorities to let local journalists speak.
“The IFJ is disturbed by the shutdown of newspapers and news channels in Kashmir following the complete lockdown in the region, after the Indian army was deployed on July 7 to control month-long civil disturbances,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
The Kashmir Press Guild – a platform of the most senior journalists in the region – has issued a statement deprecating a situation in which local journalists are confined to their homes by an unrelenting curfew, while media personnel flying in from the national capital of Delhi are afforded armed protection and allowed considerable freedom of movement.
“The story of the ongoing troubles in Kashmir needs to be told,” Park said. “But it also should be told by journalists based in Kashmir.”
The IFJ appeals to the state government of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian national government to reconsider their decision to deny passage through curfew-bound areas to even accredited journalists holding press passes issued by the appropriate authorities.
For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125 countries