India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—On a cold Saturday morning, a large posse of police arrived at Srinagar’s posh Polo View that houses Kashmir Press Club, also known as `Awaan-e-Sahafat’.
Since the government had announced weekend lockdown to flatten the COVID curve, journalists were of the impression that cops had been deployed to enforce the directions. Little did they know that it was a security detail to protect a band of journalists who wanted to take over Awaan-e-Sahafat.
Reporting political breakups, family feuds, and business takeovers is nothing new for journalists. It has been part of their journalistic work. But, hardly had anyone thought that the business of takeovers would reach their doorsteps.
A group of journalists led by The Times of India assistant editor Mohammad Saleem Pandit arrived in a bulletproof car escorted by PSOs stormed into an auditorium to chair a brief meeting. An hour after, the Pandit-led group announced the takeover of Kashmir Press Club.
The takeover was `fast and furious.’ The reason given for takeover was that “the previous committee delayed the elections for unknown reasons the Club was headless, after that for around six months, putting media fraternity to unwanted trouble”.
“It is an open fact that the Kashmir Press Club at Poloview Srinagar was founded in 2018 with immense efforts of the Kashmir-based journalists who had unanimously handed over its responsibilities to veteran journalist M Saleem Pandit. However, with the passage of time, the Kashmir-based journalists held elections of its executive body on 15th July 2019. The elected body served its tenure for two years, which ended on July 14, 2021. However, as the previous committee delayed the elections for unknown reasons, the Club was headless, thereafter for around six months, putting media fraternity to unwanted trouble,” the Pandit-led group said.
The group said on January 15, 2022, various journalist organizations across Kashmir valley unanimously decided to form an interim body of three members with M Saleem Pandit as president, Zulfikar Majid, bureau chief of Deccan Herald as General Secretary, and Arshid Rasool Editor Daily Gadyal as Treasurer of the Club till elections are held in a free and fair manner.
“The interim body besides running the day-to-day affairs of the Club will also be authorized to form a required executive body which will help the KPC to flourish and grow into a modern press club much in need with the growing requirements. Furthermore, the new body has pledged to ensure the welfare of journalists as its top priority,” the group said.
However, a day before the takeover, the unthinkable happened. Registrar of Societies wrote a letter to `Awaan-e-Sahafat’ that the re-registration certificate issued to the club on December 29, 2021, under Society Registration Act, 1860, has been kept in abeyance.
The order by the government authorities was issued when the club management had started the election process. On January 13, the interim management had decided to hold the election on February 15, 2022. The club had also called a meeting of its management body and executive committee on January 15.
“The public notice to the already registered societies of the region for re-registration was issued in April 2021, and the democratically elected management body of the KPC wasted no time in applying for the re-registration and by the first week of May 2021 had already applied for grant of registration under the Society Registration Act, 1860 before the Registrar of Firms and Societies, Kashmir, Srinagar,” Kashmir Press Club (KPC) said.
The management also wrote letters to the concerned authorities to expedite the re-registration process so that elections to the society could be held at the earliest.
“The Registration Certificate was issued to the Club following a due process and clearance mechanism, including the Non-Involvement/ Verification of Character and Antecedents Certificate, which was issued by the Office of District Commissioner/District Magistrate Srinagar,” the KPC said.
In fact, KPC said the management body had been waiting for the official formalities to be put in place, and as soon as that was communicated to it last week, the decision to hold the elections was taken and announced. “However, with the new unfortunate development the registration of the society has been put on hold which has advertently also stalled the election process for the new body that was set in motion,” it said.
A joint statement by prominent press bodies of the valley like Journalists Federation of Kashmir, Kashmir Working Journalists Association, Kashmir Press Photographers Association, among others, said: “All journalist bodies are unanimous in their view that this unfortunate move by a disgruntled lot has set a dangerous precedent by forcing their way into the club office in violation of the KPC constitution and bylaws.”
Shuja-ul-Haq, whose term as president ended last year, said the shutting down of KPC had anguished him. “The club has been shut down today & this has anguished scores of its members who have been calling me. KPC has continued to operate during the toughest times. I urge LG Manoj Sinha to intervene for the welfare of members,” he said.
Journalist associations and press clubs across the country have also chipped in to protest against the “illegal takeover of KPC”.
Press Club of India expressed its serious concern over the developments with Kashmir Press Club. In a statement, PCI president Umakant Lakhera and general secretary Vinay Kumar demand that the democratic process of holding elections be allowed in a peaceful manner. “We appeal to Hon Jammu and Kashmir LG@manojsinha_ to look into the matter and facilitate elections,” Lakhera and Kumar said in their statement.
Delhi Union of Journalists expressed dismay at the government move to close the Press Club of Kashmir.
“Press Clubs everywhere are information hubs where journalists exchange information and views, enabling them to perform their jobs better. They are also places where journalists stop and rest between hectic deadlines while waiting for the next interview and press briefing. Press Clubs, therefore, are invaluable for the profession. In Kashmir, where journalism is a tough, risky, dangerous profession, the Press Club has played a vital role,” SK Pande, President, and Sujata Madhok, General Secretary, said in a joint statement.
Even the Editors Guild of India described the takeover as a coup and termed it part of the trend to smother press freedom in the union territory with the help of police who have been “brazenly complicit” in it.
The EGI’s stinking statement was published by The Times of India, whose representative in Jammu and Kashmir led the coup.
Former BBC correspondent Qurban Ali described the takeover as a “blatant attack on free media to subvert the voice of the common man.” He appealed to the members of civil society to oppose it countrywide.
Ahmedabad-based veteran journalist Nachiketa Desai in his comments, said, “The government-sponsored siege of the Kashmir Press Club is the most outrageous attempt of the saffron brigade regime in the state to browbeat independent journalists’ body. “If you can’t buy the media, thrash them”, is what the RSS believes in. However, an overwhelming majority of journalists of Kashmir have been fiercely independent despite serious threats to their lives.”
The takeover has also taken political overtones with both former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, calling it a state-sponsored coup.
“There is no government this `journalist’ hasn’t sucked up to & no government he hasn’t lied on behalf of. I should know, I’ve seen both sides very closely. Now he’s benefited from a state-sponsored coup,” said Omar.
Mehbooba said Saturday’s state-sponsored KPC coup would shame the worst dictators. “State agencies here are too busy overthrowing elected bodies & firing govt employees instead of discharging their actual duties. Shame on those who aided & facilitated this coup against their own fraternity,” she said.
Meanwhile, KPC was locked on Sunday, and the pictures went viral.
