With the advent of so many news portals in J&K and elsewhere the scope for journalism as a profession has expanded by leaps and bounds but with opportunities in hand, those joining this stream should also understand that they are supposed to toe a line which is quite balanced and in no way detrimental to the national interest and its people.
Although there are many scribes in Jammu and Kashmir who have been booked in different cases but in most of the cases the government has not restrained them from continuing to fulfill their professional obligations although a recent case in Kishtwar has raised many questions as the same is in news these days. While the successive governments always acted in partial ways patronising selective media, the present Administration is rather more hostile towards media which doesn't toe the official line of projecting the official claims and individuals holding top positions in the government. Implementing the official Media Policy in J&K has been partially in force and its clauses have been used as per the convenience of the Administration. Promoting fair journalism in J&K never got a fair chance. The present set up in J&K also patronises a selective class of publications owned by capitalist's while neglecting those promoted by the bonafide journalists.
In a fast changing sequence of events, the Kishtwar District Information Officer had issued an order banning one Kishtwar based journalist for his alleged involvement in a case and for facing subsequent trial but within a gap of 24 hours the same officer came up with a second order keeping the previous one in abeyance. Such handling of the case shows that there are many ifs and buts associated with the handling of the cases related to journalists making it clear that path for them in the UT is not full of roses rather they have to face thorns as well as the aforesaid case impliedly telling the scribe community to be careful.
Reportedly, the blanket ban was ordered against the journalist in question, who works with a web-portal registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India. Going by the quick rescinding of the order, it could be gauged with enough certainty that the present case was of official overreach.
Reportedly, there are many more scribes in the Union Territory facing cases and trials but only a handful of them faced such a situation where they were asked to stop their professional work despite the fact that they were only facing trials and were not convicted yet.
Considering the situation in J&K, such cases are required to be handled on an individual basis because the UT is still passing through a crucial time and the government has to take things very seriously especially when the journalists allegedly have links with anti-national elements or work for stooges abroad.
Surely, if media persons with unsatisfactory backgrounds were allowed to operate unchecked, it could be detrimental to the country. Therefore, government strictness is sometimes necessary. However, those in power should ensure that their initiatives do not affect innocent people in any way.
