KEG seeks PCI reinvestment in its credibility in J&K

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 7/20/2017 11:21:31 PM

SRINAGAR, July 20: Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) suggested a visiting sub committee of the Press Council of India (PCI) to reinvest in its efforts seriously so that its credibility in J&K is restored. One way of salvaging the credibility would be to revisit its 1991 report “Crisis and Credibility” that was a bid to undermine and subvert the institution of media in Kashmir.
The report was a sort of joint venture between the PCI and the Government of India to paint the Kashmir media corps black and sail through the wider global condemnations in wake of the mass rapes in Kunan.
“An institution mandated by law to protect and oversee the conduct of media permitted itself to be used and abused by the state apparatus to subvert an institution in Kashmir’s most challenging phase of history,” KEG delegation told the PCI members, currently on a week-long assessment study of the state.
“Though it did not impact the conduct of media in Kashmir, it did, however, impact the institutional neutrality of the PCI which must be revisited to salvage the credibility in the larger interests of the role of media in a democracy.”
Agreeing that there are quite a few professionals from Kashmir petitioning the PCI on issues confronting them on day to day basis, KEG said it has roots in PCI’s decades-long inertia on Kashmir front. “In last more than 25 years, Kashmir media corps lost as many as 13 professionals who were killed brutally,” the delegation said. “In how many cases, the PCI intervened even to the extent of seeking fair investigations?”
KEG suggested the PCI that it could still intervene and get these cases investigated by police. Though the cases are registered but there has not been any follow up. “If you could help us unveil the killers in these murders, we undertake the responsibility of managing pardon and impunity from justice to all the accused,” KEG suggested. “Helping Kashmir media corps on this front will hugely contribute in regaining lost ground for the PCI in Kashmir.”
In response to a pointed question by the PCI committee referring to the Interlocutors Report seeking answers to the funding of media operations in Kashmir, KEG said this has remained system’s oldest bogey to frustrate the narrative. “KEG is open to any kind of investigations to settle this riddle once for all,” the editors.
Admitting that the media in Srinagar does have various issues with the state government but KEG believes these could be settled amicably. It suggested empowering the Information Department to the extent that cops would not have the additional load of writing charge sheets against the media. KEG said it is supportive of reforms as long as it is not politically motivated.
Editors asked PCI to ensure that no newspaper is trampled in the name of reforms in the state as publishing a newspaper is a fundamental right.

 

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