Sopore May 15 : While journalism in Kashmir had never been easy, challenges and hardships are multiplied for journalists. when the world is in a grip of pandemic and when we all need to stand together to combat the covid19 but this very unfortunate behavior of DC Baramulla towards journalists of Sopore is unacceptable. As we know number of journalists are working in twin towns of Baramulla and Sopore.
DC Baramulla and District information officer has issued movement passes only to the journalists of Baramulla town, and as per sources in Dc office of baramulla media passes has been issued to the shopkeepers, students on the name of journalists. But when it comes to journalists of sopore who doesn’t make visits to his office are being denied and has been told by DC Baramulla Dr G.n itoo sad that i don’t know you people so that mean you are not journalists. A day before DC visited Covid19 hospital sopore and assured that he would provide movement passes at his office but on the same day sopore media association body went to his office but they left his office in abysmal.
Amid this ongoing lockdown where journalists put their lives on risk to show the world a ground situation but without movement passes Sopore journalists are facing tremendous hardships at forces checkpoints.
“A journalist working with a national news channel was stopped and asked by Magistrate at checkpoint to show movement passes despite he showed his proper press identity but he was warned by magistrate that we wouldn’t allow you without a movement pass.”
Similarly another journalist who was stopped by security forces at Naka sopore was asked to show movement pass and was not allowed to go for work despite repeatedly saying that I am journalist. Sopore journalists are being harassed and are face abusive language of forces at Naka points.
We the journalists of sopore approached many times to the district administration for movement passes but they refused to issue the same. Even we have provided a list of all working journalists when sopore media association Came into existence. The officers in administration of sopore and Baramulla are giving us lame excuses when we ask them for movement passes.
We appeal Divisional commissioner, Chief secretary and other higher officials to look into this matter and investigate about the movement passes provided to those who are not even journalists.
President Sopore Media Association
