DUJ CALLS FOR BLACK DAY TOMORROW

The Delhi Union of Journalists and its Press Unity Centre have called for observance of protest day tomorrow, July 19,2016 against continued attacks on the press in the Kashmir region. In a joint statement the DUJ President Mr. SK Pande and General Secretary Sujata Madhok welcomes the statement of the Editors Guild of India and other bodies on the subject. It particularly welcomes the demand for suo-motu action by the Press Council of India.

However- taking in view the gravity of the situation, the DUJ calls for more proactive measures against press bashing- also taking into account the increasing sufferings and brutal attacks also on the common people. An extended executive meeting will take place at the Press Club of India on 19 July, 2016 at 3pm, to mark the beginning of protest.

Attacks on Media in Kashmir Condemnable

The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) condemns the raids conducted on various newspaper offices in Kashmir on July 16. It is a matter of deep concern that newspapers have been targeted. Printed copies of the papers set for dispatch were impounded by the police. Journalists and workers who protested were beaten, their cell phones seized and some of them arrested.

There have been huge protests following the encounter death of Burhan Wani and his associates. These protests have been met with excessive force and brutal repression by the police and the armed forces resulting in the death of many and serious injuries to many others. The growing discontent in Kashmir and the alienation of the people cannot be resolved by gagging sections of the media. The activities of the extremist groups cannot be checked by putting curbs on the media. It will only prove counterproductive.

Measures aimed at suppressing the media and harassment and intimidation of journalists and workers and preventing the distribution of printed newspapers cannot be tolerated in any democratic society. Also condemnable is the denial of government advertisements to newspapers, which refuse to toe the official line. This is not the first time that such deplorable measures have been deployed against the media. These have been continuing since the past few years and they constitute an attack on the freedom of the press. The DUJ calls for the widest possible unity of journalists and press workers to defeat such anti-democratic measures aimed at curbing the freedom of the press.

Press Release