Kashmiri journalist moves SC, seeks lifting of restrictions on media A day before the Centre moved to scrap Article 370 that granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it had snapped internet, telephone, and television services to deter any possible protests.

HT, 10 August 2019, New Delhi: A Kashmiri journalist on Saturday approached the Supreme Court seeking directions to create a conducive environment in Jammu and Kashmir enabling members of her fraternity to practice their profession freely without fear or any other communication restriction.

The journalist who filed the petition is Anuradha Bhasin, Executive Editor of Kashmir Times. She was represented in court by lawyers Vrinda Grover, Soutik Banerjee and Ratna Appnender.

A day before the Centre moved to scrap Article 370 that granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it had snapped internet, telephone, and television services to deter any possible protests. The Centre anticipated trouble after Union home minister Amit Shah moved the resolution to scrap Article 370 and a bill to reorganize the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 5.

The Kashmiri journalist also sought directions to the Jammu and Kashmir government to relax restrictions to allow journalists to do their work and exercise their right to report freely on the situation prevailing in the state. She said she has not been able to print and publish the Kashmir edition of Kashmir Times as the complete restrictions on all communication services and movement had resulted in a total shutdown of media activities.

In her petition, Bhasin said that such restrictions were curbing the rights of journalists under the provisions of Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution and that people had the right to know the condition of residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

The petition emphasised that the complete internet and telecommunication shutdown and severe restrictions on mobility along with sharing of information in the Kashmir valley, at a time when crucial constitutional changes were being done, aggravated anxiety, panic and a sense of fear among the people of Kashmir.

In her plea, Bhasin added that information blackout was a violation of the right of the people since the local media had been barred from reporting on the ongoing political situation in the state.