Editors Guild, Delhi Union of Journalists condemn 'takeover' of Kashmir Press Club

Srinagar: The Editors Guild of India and the Delhi Union of Journalists object to the ‘takeover’ of the premises of Kashmir Press Club by armed policemen on January 15.

The Editors Guild of India in a statement said that the organization is aghast at the manner in which the office and the management of Kashmir Press Club, the largest journalists’ association in the Valley, was forcibly taken over by a group of journalists with the help of armed policemen.

The statement said that the Guild is equally alarmed by an arbitrary order of putting the registration of the Kashmir Press Club “in abeyance” on January 14 by the Registrar of Societies.

• The Editors Guild of India is aghast at the manner in which the office and the management of Kashmir Press Club, the largest journalists’ association in the Valley, was forcibly taken over by a group of journalists with the help of armed policemen on January 15, 2022. pic.twitter.com/D6zVW7iW1P

  — Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) January 16, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  The Editors Guild of India is aghast at the manner in which the office and the management of Kashmir Press Club, the largest journalists’ association in the Valley, was forcibly taken over by a group of journalists with the help of armed policemen on January 15, 2022. pic.twitter.com/D6zVW7iW1P

  — Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) January 16, 2022

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  The Editors Guild of India is aghast at the manner in which the office and the management of Kashmir Press Club, the largest journalists’ association in the Valley, was forcibly taken over by a group of journalists with the help of armed policemen on January 15, 2022. pic.twitter.com/D6zVW7iW1P

  — Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) January 16, 2022

The Club had been issued a fresh “re-registration” as recently as December 29, 2021 following a long process of verification of an application made by them in May 2021, in response to public notices issued by the Registrar.

The Club was under interim management after the ‘re-registration’ and had on January 13 announced the election date of February 15, to elect a new management body as well as the executive committee. The armed takeover has effectively scuttled this rule-based functioning of the Club. Even more disturbingly, the state police entered the premises without any due warrant or paperwork, and have therefore been brazenly complicit in this coup, in which a group of people has become self-declared management of the Club.

This violation of the sanctity of the club by the police and the local administration is a manifestation of the continuing trend to smother press freedom in the state. Just recently, Sajad Gul, a young journalist was arrested for merely posting a video on social media, which showed a family protesting against the Indian government.

Editors Guild demands immediate restoration of the status quo before this hostile takeover, the announcement of elections to appoint a new management body and executive council, and strict prohibitions on any armed forces from interfering with the functioning of the Club, without due legal sanction. The Guild further demands an independent inquiry as to how armed forces entered the Club premises.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) is dismayed at the government closing the Press Club of Kashmir.

DUJ said that the arbitrary arrests, detentions, and questioning of journalists in Kashmir continue unabated. Last year Salman Shah and Suhail Dar were arrested for ‘breach of peace'. Journalist Aasif Sultan has been in jail since August 27, 2018 and awaits trial.

DUJ calls for greater democracy and freedom of the press in Kashmir, "We view the developments in the Kashmir Press Club as one more reprehensible attempt to intimidate journalists. We demand immediate restoration of the Club to the duly elected office bearers and a renewal of the license. There must be no government interference in the running of a journalists’ club."