Srinagar (J&K): The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday, 17 January, announced the allotment of premises to Kashmir Press Club at Polo View, Srinagar will be canceled. Further, the control of land and buildings of the club which belongs to the Estates Department is now to be reverted back to the Department.
In a statement, the Department of Information and Public Relations claimed that “the government is concerned over the emergent situation which has arisen due to the unpleasant turn of events involving two rival warring groups using the banner of the Kashmir Press Club.”
It further alleged, "The factual position is that KPC as a registered body has ceased to exist and its managing body to has come to a legal closure on 14 July 2021, the date on which its tenure came to an end."
“In its failure to register itself under the Central Societies of Registration Act, further compounded by its failure to hold elections to constitute a new managing body, some individuals of the erstwhile club have been committing illegalities on several counts, least of which is the false portrayal of being owner-managers of an entity which is no longer in legal vogue,” it said.
Meanwhile, some other members have created an interim body using the same banner suggesting a ‘takeover’, the statement said.
However, since the original KPC itself has ceased to exist as a registered body, the question of any interim body is rendered infructuous. In these circumstances, issuing of notices and communication by any group using the rubric of erstwhile Kashmir Press Club is illegal, it said.
The statement said that the rival groups have been leveling various allegations against each other also with regard to the use of the premises belonging to the estates' department that was being used for the legitimate use of the members of the journalistic fraternity.
In view of this aspect of the dispute and in view of the reports in social media and other sources indicating a potential law and order situation including a threat of breach of peace and the safety of bonafide journalists, the intervention has become necessary, the Admin said.
“In view of the unpleasant developments and dissensions between various groups of journalists, it has been decided that the allotment of the premises at Polo View in view of the now deregistered Kashmir Press Club be canceled and control of land and buildings situated at Polo View Srinagar which belongs to the Estates Department be reverted back to the said Department,” it said.
The administration is committed to a free and fair press and believes that journalists are entitled to all facilities, including a place for professional, educational, social, cultural, recreational, and welfare activities. It also hopes that a duly registered bona fide society of all journalists shall be constituted as soon as possible and the same shall be able to approach the government for reallocation of the premises, the statement added.
Also Read: Editors Guild, Delhi Union of Journalists condemn 'takeover' of Kashmir Press Club
"It is an unfortunate situation. In a situation where the J&K administration has imposed weekend lockdown, certain suspended members came, disregarding the regulations in place, and threatened our office staff. The media body is an independent entity, and the process of re-registration was underway after the registration expired last year. This uncivilized way of occupying an independent body and locking it down has been criticized by everyone. Kashmir Working Journalists' Association, Press Club of India, Mumbai Union of Journalists and several other bodies have condemned this.
If someone behaves this way after losing in (press club) elections, it is really unfortunate. Contest the elections, and if you win, you will be able to run the club anyway", Journalist Gowhar Geelani said, speaking to ETV Bharat.
"Whenever any such democratic institution is attacked this way, the democratic nature is damaged. The administration's moral responsibility is always to uphold democratic institutions. The administration itself has been maligned due to these activities, especially when so many bodies have criticized the incident.
There are a few people - I don't know if their concerns are genuine or not - whose actions are questionable. There is an elected body already in place. The elections could not take place because re-registration was not done. Four people cannot just appear one day, declare themselves to be the new body, lock the place and then say 'I don't know who locked it'. About 150 journalists who work for various small agencies are stranded here. They use this place to rest between two interviews. This is a serious case of human rights violation, and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha should immediately intervene in this", said Kashmiri journalist Riyaz Masroor.
