Cable TV news to remain shut in Kashmir

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Jun 22: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made it unambiguously clear at today’s news conference that his Government would not permit any news and current affairs programmes on the cable television channels in Kashmir valley. He asked senior Congress leader and Minister incharge Irrigation and Public Health Engineering, Taj Mohiuddin, not to sacrifice his berth in the Cabinet over this issue.

When one of the mediapersons desired to learn from Chief Minister if there were any plans to lift the ban and permit news and current programmes on the cable TV channels and networks in Kashmir, Omar said: “No, we are not going to allow it”. Chief Minister, however, did not explain as to why there were two yardsticks for Kashmir and Jammu. The questioner pointed out that all news and current affairs were running without break on all cable TV channels and networks in Jammu while as Government had imposed ban and the same was in place on all such programmes on the cable TV channels in Kashmir valley.

The questioner told Chief Minister that his senior Cabinet colleague, Taj Mohiuddin, had threatened to quit in case Government did not lift the ban on operation of news and current affairs programmes on Valley’s cable TV channels. “If Taj Sahab has said so, I’ll talk to him. I would not like to lose a very cable Minister. But, let it be clear that we are not going to allow any such (news) programmes”, Omar added.

Reportedly on directions from Government of India, Government of Jammu and Kashmir had got all news and current affairs programmes on all cable TV channels banned in Kashmir valley through respective District Magistrates in September 2010. However, similar programmes were left intact on different cable TV channels and networks in Jammu where the operations have been continuing without any disturbance from the authorities.

Around July 2010, Government of J&K had also stopped all paid advertisements to at least five daily newspapers, including Early Times. Without any formal order from the competent authority, all government advertisements to Early Times have been frozen and not a single advertisement has been issued to this newspaper in the last 11 months.

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