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| People ridicule Sheikh Nazir's statement on press freedom | | `NC persecuted scribes from the beginning' | | Early Times Report
srinagar, May 3: The National Conference general secretary, Sheikh Nazir remains mum most of the time. But when he opens his mouth, many people start complaining of hypertension.
The veteran NC leader issued a statement to commemorate the World Press freedom Day but in the process molested the history of the State. He said the freedom of press in Jammu Kashmir was a result of sacrifices offered by the martyrs of 1931.
He further said that Sher-e-Kashmir provided a platform to the journalists. He also said that Dr Farooq upheld freedom of expression. History, however, has a totally different story to tell.
People aware of history have rubbished the claims. According to them, the second oldest profession was prostituted by NC from the very beginning.
The NC, history reveals, did not believe in freedom of press even when it was at war with the Dogra rulers. A prolific journalist, Kashfi became editor of Khidmat in 1943. He left no stone unturned to popularize National Conference. One day Moulana Masoodi stepped into his office and gave him a scornful look. A shattered, scared and shocked Kashfi asked reasons for his anger. "You do not prefix Quaid-e-Azam to the name of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah," Masoodi retorted. Kashfi refused to succumb.
The incident was reported to Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah who beat him up to pulp with a hockey stick. In 1947, when State came under Indian rule, going got tough for Kashfi for host of reasons. Several people, including Moulana Masoodi, started conspiring against him. He migrated to Pakistan administered Kashmir.
Pandit Prem Nath Bazaz and JN Sathu also suffered for their fearless reporting. When Sheikh Abdullah assumed power in 1947, Hamdard was subjected to censorship. The censorship was strictly enforced after the 1947 war. Prem Nath Bazaz was arrested on October 21, 1947. Later, he was exiled.
During this period (1947-50) Jagan Nath Sathu ran the Hamdard. In that same year, the Hamdard published Sir Zaffarullah Khan's speech at the UN. It created a storm in the Valley. Sathu narrated, "Sheikh Abdullah was the emergency administrator. Shayam Lal Watt, a close aide of Sheikh Abdullah, beat up a Hamdard hawker and threatened him to stop selling the newspaper or face dire consequences."
There was some more trouble with the Government. Ultimately the newspaper was closed down. In 1950, Sathu too was exiled. He went to New Delhi and stayed with Prem Nath Bazaz.
The National Conference has been following the policy to this day. Three breach of privilege notices against three scribes in the budget session of the legislature last year is a record. This speaks volumes about sacrifices offered by the NC for upholding freedom of press. Who can forget persecution of newspaper editors and owners especially in Jammu region?
For Sheikh Nazir's information, it was Dr Farooq Abdullah who won wide spread ridicule for his controversial Press censorship law in late 80s. However, he did not succeed as journalists from all parts of the country registered protest outside the Legislative Assembly complex forcing him to withdraw the legislation. |
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