WSN Service
NEW DELHI: Harassment of editors and other journalists and seizure and destruction of newspapers have become a routine affair in India, world’s “largest democracy”.
Fifty members of Kashmir Journalists Association and Kashmir Editors Conference were arrested on Friday at Srinagar when they tried to hold a sit-in to protest against “anti-Press policies” of the Kashmir government. The police earlier cordoned off the houses of journalists to prevent them from holding the sit-in but they managed to reach the Central telegraph office with banners. They shouted slogans against the government policies. Later all the journalists were released.
In Chandigarh the police confiscated thousands of copies of The Times of India, a leading national daily, and Jana Satta, a Hindi daily of the Indian Express chain of newspapers for carrying news regarding the activities of Punjab militants. Incidentally, according to Jana Satta management, the newspaper was allowed to be circulated in Punjab but not in the Union territory of Chandigarh, directly administered by the government of India. The copies of the Times of India were seized because it carried a news item stating that wall posters had appeared at Ludhiana warning the public against casting votes in the elections which were subsequently postponed by the government of India. A few thousand copies of Ajit and Aj Di Awaz were also seized by the police last week which contained’ militants statements on the current political affairs.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 28, 1991
