Issued by Press Cell North Kashmir Journalists Association (Baramulla)
Baramulla: The profession of journalism is considered to be a sacred profession and a journalist is held responsible for providing free and fair information to the readers and the audience, but the commitment to unbiased reporting has become a reason to live under constant fear for the journalists working in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.
Some army officers of the Baramulla based 46 Rashtriya Rifles battalion of the Indian army have threatened the journalist working in Baramulla of dire consequences and even have threatened them of life.
This all started from Saturday 19 May, when some unidentified militants killed one army Jawan and injured another in the main market of Baramulla, army went berserk and started beating the civilians in the area ruthlessly. Army started a search operation in the area and had forcibly entered the house of one of the renowned journalists of the district Ghulam Jeelani Baba who besides working for various local dailies also work for New Delhi based United News of India (UNI), his son Altaf Baba works as Baramulla correspondent for Srinagar based Greater Kashmir Newspaper.
As the army officer leading the search party came to know that the house belong to Altaf Baba, he ransacked the house, abused and smashed the inmates of the house including the female members of the family and arrested the younger brother Altaf Baba, however he was later released after severe torture. The officer burned down the Press Identity Card of Ghulam Jeelani Baba issued to him by UNI.
Altaf Baba who was not at home at the moment had earlier reporter regarding the atrocities committed by the concerned officer and the officer had earlier warned him to be ready to face consequences.
Next day many local and national dailies reported the incident and the atrocities committed by army on Journalist family. This furthermore agitated the army officer and he dropped in the office of Altaf Baba and warned the journalists sitting there of severe consequences in the coming days, he even abused the mother and sister of all the journalists in the town.
The journalists in the town who are now under fear of being killed or framed by the army met the deputy commissioner of the district who assured them of necessary action against the erring army officer. Journalists from Sopore also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner Baramulla.
General officer commanding of the army in Baramulla after meeting with Baba family condemned the action of the army officer, but till date nothing has been done in this regard.
In this regard all the journalist of Baramulla town, including Pamposh Rashid of Danik Jagran, Tejinder Singh Sodhi of Hindustan Times, Reyaz Ahmed of All India Radio, Altaf Baba of GK, Sajad of ETV Urdu and other journalists working in Baramulla held a meeting in District information office Baramulla and decided to boycott army function till the assurance is given to the journalists that they wont be targeted in the future.
An association named North Kashmir Journalists association (Baramulla) was also formed whose office bearers will be selected in coming few days, further more unanimously all the journalists of the town have decided to meet the Chief Minster, MLA Baramulla, MP Baramulla, Divisional commissioner Kashmir and submit a Memorandum to them, requesting them to make army accountable for such attacks and threats to journalists.
Meanwhile journalists in Baramulla have submitted a written complaint against the officer of 46RR in Police station Baramulla, but police is yet to register a case against the officer.