‘Kashmir Reader’ On Stands After 3-Month Ban By J&K Govt

Journalists across the Valley stood united with English-daily ‘Kashmir Reader’ and the ban was widely condemned.

Kashmir Reader was banned on the pretext of “publishing content that can incite acts of violence” and “disturb public tranquility”. (Photo: The Quint)

Local English daily Kashmir Reader hit the stands on Wednesday after it was banned by the Jammu and Kashmir government for nearly three months on charges that its publication was a threat to peace in the valley.

The newspaper started its publication and distribution for the first time after it was banned through an order passed by District Magistrate, Srinagar on 2 October.

The District Magistrate’s order had alleged that the publication of Kashmir Reader posed a threat to peace in the Valley, which had been going through a period of turmoil since July following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

The revocation of the ban on the newspaper is seen as the first success for the newly-formed Kashmir Editors’ Guild, a body of all major dailies and weeklies published from the Valley.

Also Read: Is Ban on ‘Kashmir Reader’ Daily An Instance of State Repression?

A government official had earlier told The Indian Express that the newspaper sought permission to resume its publication. After the case was examined, “the government was satisfied that there is no further need to disallow its publication.”

The government banned the newspaper on the pretext of “publishing content that can incite acts of violence” and “disturb public tranquility”. The information department issued a statement later on saying the newspaper had been served a notice a week before and had been given a fair chance to defend itself.

Journalists across the Valley stood united with Kashmir Reader and the decision was widely condemned. They said the ban is another attempt at stifling freedom of expression in the area, as newspapers have exposed the government’s mishandling of the burgeoning crisis. Several protest marches had been conducted and senior journalists even met the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti regarding the same.

Ahead of the ban on Kashmir Reader, the J&K government had stopped the publication of all the Valley-based newspapers for several days, which was revoked after a severe backlash.

Also Read: As Kashmir Unrest Drags on, Newspapers Struggle to Stay Afloat

Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday ordered a review of the cases filed against the youths who were not involved in “serious crimes” during the over-five-month-long unrest in the Valley.

(Source: PTI and The Indian Express)