Keeping Kashmir out of the news

ahmedsid

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I am reproducing below an article by a Friend of mine, Subir Ghosh. He is a veteran Journalist. I might not correspond to his views on this completely, but his views cant be dismissed as well because I consider him Indias answer to Robert Fisk. I didnt include this in the Kashmir Thread because I feel this is something that deserves its own space of attention. I think this is a good topic to be debated about, But please keep it Sane.

Operation Blackout: Keeping Kashmir out of the news

By Subir Ghosh

Operation Blackout: Keeping Kashmir out of the news | write2kill.in

In July I received a mail from a journalist who wanted to pitch me an interesting story idea from Kashmir. The mail was directed to an account I hardly check. Not that it would have made much difference since Newswatch carries only content that has something to do with the news media. I gather she pitched the story to many publications.

The story, let me tell you, never saw the light of day anywhere in this country where Kashmir is such an emotively jingoistic issue. Close to a month later, the story has appeared, but not in an Indian publication. I happened to stumble across it quite perchance in the New Internationalist.

Yet I am not surprised that no Indian publication wanted to carry the story despite the fact that the journalist, Dilnaz Boga, writes well. And more than anything else, it was a good story.

Read the blurb. If it doesn't make sense to you, you probably need to see a shrink:

In the strife-torn valley of India-controlled Kashmir, the decades-long conflict continues to take its toll, especially on its young. Dilnaz Boga has met some of them.

So, the blackout of Kashmir from the Indian media landscape continues. It has been so since the massive pro-freedom protests that took place in Kashmir about a year ago. What we get to read, hear or see is hardly worth writing home about. Yes, except for those sex scandals and the consequent political fallouts.

You get to hear all that the Omars and Mehboobas have to say about each other. Or ridiculing the hopelessly splintered separatists. Or you read of stories planted and sponsored by the defence and home ministries. One somehow gets the feeling that it is quite in the Indian government's interest to ensure that voices of the ordinary people of Kashmir remain unheard elsewhere in India. And the media stays on the politically correct side.

Last year, we had wanted to do a comprehensive content analysis of the news media coverage of Kashmir. It would have been a big project. But it fell flat because no one was willing to sponsor it. This fact itself says a lot, doesn't it?

For the moment, we will have to stay content with reading stories about Kashmir in non-Indian publications. And if you too have not read the Dilnaz piece, read it here:

http://www.newint.org/features/speci...y-for-freedom/
 

ahmedsid

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I kind of Blame Pakistan for the misery of the people of Indian Kashmir. If the GOP completely stops and starts arresting terrorists trying to cross over to India and create trouble, the Valley will be peaceful and the Indian army and Forces will move out. Then talks can start. Nothing is possible when someone is holding a gun to your head.

GOP should deal with the So called freedom fighters just like they are dealing with the Taliban. Now is the time, otherwise it will be too late.
 

Flint

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Its a tricky situation. The idea is not to play into the hands of separatists, who already have the propaganda advantage, as they have influenced religious establishments in Kashmir to take up their unholy cause.
 

advaita

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I am reproducing below an article by a Friend of mine, Subir Ghosh. He is a veteran Journalist. I might not correspond to his views on this completely, but his views cant be dismissed as well because I consider him Indias answer to Robert Fisk. I didnt include this in the Kashmir Thread because I feel this is something that deserves its own space of attention. I think this is a good topic to be debated about, But please keep it Sane.

Operation Blackout: Keeping Kashmir out of the news


I beg to differ. PDI is new media and they are having a field day. I am also there, actually they are keeping me there. I guess the role of media is to not present an unbalanced view. I am ensuring an unbalanced view. The media is doing great by allowing me to voice my opinion too.
 

ahmedsid

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I beg to differ. PDI is new media and they are having a field day. I am also there, actually they are keeping me there. I guess the role of media is to not present an unbalanced view. I am ensuring an unbalanced view. The media is doing great by allowing me to voice my opinion too.
PDI??? Care to explain? I usually dont buy into such stuff, but I had to read this and believe it since Subirda is someone I respect a lot. There is some truth in it, in what Dilnaz wrote. Time for the media to come out clean, and work towards making Kashmir truly a Part of India, and not some place we are holding onto!
 

natarajan

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kashmir is an integral part of india and i 100% sure kashmir people will be happy,united ,peacefully only under india not under pakistan or china as this countries are keeping their own people as slaves ex:tibet,baluchistan etc
i used to wonder why this people shut their mouth when terrorist from pakistan come and kill in thousands,when they drive away hindu pandits from their own land,hundreds of soldiers killed by terrorist and pakistan army firing
have they ever done protest for this? but for two cases ,people are jumping
very sad to see this kind of selfish people
 

ahmedsid

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Kashmir is an Integral Part of Inda, no doubt, but There are problems there and we should recognise it and take appropriate action. The media should grow up and not try to paint everything rosy. They should take an initative, thats all I am saying!
 

F-14

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sid is true our media sees JAK as just an attached deployment or assingment but do not reach the hurt of the common kashmiri and comfort them and our media have a freeking habit of blaming the armed forces also this further plays in to the hands of the stupids like the JKLF and other separatist
 

natarajan

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ahmed,
still 360 article exists ,no one can help u as this law makes discrimination as kashmir people can settle in india but not people from rest of india can settle in kashmir,just protest but not only for this shopian but raise your voice against terrorism,infilteration,jawans security to central govenment
as we all know how many jawans are dying daily so please protest for that too and ask central goverment to take action for their welfare
just my opinion
 

ahmedsid

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Yes, I am totally against Special Status to Kashmir. I am for the rehabiliatation of the Pandits. No one can deny them the right of return. But we must also see that, when an Army is deployed in an area, there are bound to be problems. The media usually tries to milk all these issues, and I hate it. I want some pro active steps taken by govt to check abuse by the Army if it exists. I mean, at the same time we should be cautious not to play into the hands of Anti India forces.

Kashmir is an emotional issue for us, But we must grow beyond us. I suggest all to read the article by Dilnaz, provided in the link at the bottom.
 

hit&run

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Ahmedsid:
The so called blackout has not occurred in one day. There were times when Kashmir was given proper exposure (special provisions by constitution etc.) just withing 24 hrs of Rajiv Gandhi's idiotic media comment youth came out on streets with spoon feed vomitus of freedom. India has experienced that wave of well planed misinterpretation resulting; Kashmir youth being branded anti national and helped pro Pakistani separatist to recruit more young Kashmirs.
Media do not run on GOI's whim but on money. People are fed up with idiots rioting on streets of Srinagar even if they are charged with high electricity bills. No body wants to listen or hear any news about Kashmir cause it is very very difficult to rule out Pakistani infection. It is very difficult to satisfy some one who has decided to be a professional stone thrower being when in times was pampered and now neglected.

There is govt in place elected by people of J&K, they are answerable for every thing happening in Kashmir. Peace in valley will prevail when Kashmirs will decide to live peacefully.(Terrorism in Punjab was not uprooted by force but by brave Punjabi people when they felt enough is enough and became feed up that nonsense).
There is no need to condemn or justify any thing on the basis of efforts by GOI. Govt are seasonal and policies are made by circumstances not by choice. it was Kashmiri's call to jeopardize situation in Kashmir and thus sending invitation to forces.
Now the situation is so complex and well monitored by agencies in Pakistan that it is not every ones cup of tea to turn things in favour of India specially by enthusiastic media.


As far as Dilnaz Boga is concerned i think she is not able to impress any sponsors to launch herself and to vent off her pressure of overseas gained specialised subject's wisdom. I am not against her professional etiquette but one should go in details before subscribing some one's personal aspiration or intention seeking desire on broader readership.
 

mehwish92

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I agree with hit&run (except for the last paragraph). There was a time when the people of Kashmir were treated well throughout India. There was a time when Kashmir used to be the hottest tourist destination for Indians. There was a time when the sufferings of Kashmiri people was shown in Indian media.

Indian media (like most other media) runs on TPR ratings, money, fundings etc. Thus they need to show/publish what people want to see/read (a lot of the times, they go over the top with this & blow things out of proportion).

Ever since 1989 when Kashmir erupted, became anti-India (in part thanks to Pakistan), and took to terrorism & violence, people of India have become wary of Kashmiris. Now, nobody cares what is happening there, because it's a day-to-day thing now. Plus then there is the alienation factor.

Kashmiri's speak of being alienated by rest of India, but the fact is that this alienation issue goes both ways. Kashmiri's have also alienated the rest of India (Hindus & Sikhs in particular).

I've done research on this topic and from what I've read, ever since the late 1960s Kashmiri extremists have been burning down/attacking Hindu temples & Sikh Gurudwaras (this was done to send a message that Kashmir is Muslim Majority & Does not belong with India). Even whenever India would beat Pakistan in cricket matches, local Kashmiris would attack Hindu temples & homes.

Clearly this would send to the signal to Indian Hindus & Sikhs that they are not welcome in Kashmir, leading to alienation. Then ofcourse we finally had the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits & Sikhs, which was the final blow. After this point, the Hindus & Sikhs (who are ofcourse the majority population) had no feelings for the people of Kashmir. This, in my opinion, explains why the greivances of Kashmiri Muslims doesn't get much coverage in Indian Media: because most people don't give a damn anymore.

Now, the fact that nobody in India cares anymore is leading to alienation of Kashmiris by India (that, plus Kashmiri Muslims being suspected as terrorists). It's one big cycle.

But the thing is..we need reconciliation. And India is the one that needs to take the first step, because we all know Kashmiris are not going to do it. And this is where I think the media needs to come in and start the reconciliation process. No more pretending that everything is fine. No more claiming that Kashmiri's are suddenly pro-India because of last year's successful elections.

We can definitely pull Kashmiris back into the mainstream. But we need to show them that we still care, and we still treat them as Indians. Unfortunately, the fact is, we do not treat them as Indians.

Or atleast, thats my take on it.
 

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