Kashmir is under a complete clampdown since the past 20 days. Any mainstream TV channels will evoke a notion of seeming normalcy in Kashmir, however, ground reports from Kashmir in various news outlets enunciate a different story. With media being extremely divided in it’s a portrayal of the happenings in Kashmir, it is becoming extremely tough for a layperson to park their belief in the news.

The fourth wall of democracy appears to be in turmoil, since an organization like the Press Council of India (PCI) which is considered to be its backbone, is unable to decide where it stands. To discuss this, The Press Club of India organized a discussion on August 27 calling out the issues media is facing in Kashmir which remains under a complete lockdown.

Earlier, PCI had sought the Supreme Court’s permission to intervene in the petition filed by Kashmir Times Executive Editor Anuradha Bhasin. Bhasin’s plea asked for relaxation of media restrictions in the valley. PCI had cited protecting national interest as a reason to oppose the petition. The petition said, “Under Clause 23, newspapers should, as a matter of self-regulation, exercise due restraint and caution in presenting any news, comment or information which is likely to jeopardise, endanger or harm the paramount interests of the State and society, or the rights of individuals with respect to which reasonable restrictions maybe imposed by law on the right to freedom of speech and expression under clause (2) of Article 19 of the Constitution of India.”

PCI, however, did not explain the paramount interests of the state and how ground reporting in Kashmir is violating national interests. Journalists who were trying to get real perspectives form the ground were aghast by PCI’s petition. After a huge uproar, PCI changed it’s tone on August 27 and informed that it has formed a sub-committee to study the media scenario in Jammu and Kashmir. It is yet to visit and submit the report. PCI has further informed about the stand it is going to take in the Supreme Court, “The Council stands for the freedom of the press and does not approve of any sort of restriction on the media. A detailed reply shall be filed on receipt of the report of the subcommittee.”

Also, Press Club of India where the discussion occurred, was criticized recently for not allowing activists who had come back from Kashmir to show videos of unrest in Kashmir. The club now appears to be trying to redeem itself by allowing journalists to discuss their differences.

Several prominent persons like Caravan’s political editor Hartosh Singh Bal, Indian economist, writer and journalist Prem Shankar Jha, President of Indian Journalist Union Sabina Inderjeet and journalist Urmilesh Singh were present.

Sabina Inderjeet expressed her solidarity with journalists who are beating the odds to get ground reports from Kashmir. “Indian Journalist Union has been worried about the situation. We demanded on August 8 that journalists in Kashmir be given curfew passes. Also, 95 per cent of the newspapers in Kashmir have not been able to get printed,” she said. “We are three members from IJU who are also members  of the PCI. We were horrified when we got to know that the PCI has filed a petition intervening against Anuradha Bhasin’s petition that demanded press freedom in Kashmir,” she added.

Majority of the people who joined the discussion blamed this on the Chairman of Press Council Of India and former Judge of Supreme Court, Chandramauli Kumar Prasad. One of the main accusations against him is that he did not hold a meeting nor did he take any one’s opinion into consideration before filing the intervening petition. “The Chairman did not raise the issue of the council having petitioned in the Supreme Court with the rest of the members. By keeping it under wraps he has violated Rule 8 of the Press Council Act which says that he must seek confirmation at the very next meeting of the press council,” Sabina said.

Prem Shankar Jha who has been an interlocutor between the separatists and the government for three consecutive governments in Kashmir, urged C.K Prasad to withdraw the petition. “ You ( C. K Prasad) have been a judge in the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court enjoys my highest respect. Things which have taken place in the last few months have made it difficult for me to believe so. What have you done suo moto has not only damaged the Press Council but it also has damaged the respect people have for the Supreme Court in this country. Withdraw your petition, that is all I request,” Jha said.

Calling out PCI’s statement on this, Jha said that no clarification would be sufficient for this act and only withdrawal of the petition is an option. The Editors Guild of India has also expressed its position in a statement. It said it is of grave concern that the PCI, an institution to safeguard press freedom, is not only failing to speak up for the press but is perversely arguing for a media clampdown in the name of national interest. It further said that it expects the Chairman to reconsider his unilateral decision, apparently taken without consulting Council members, to intercede in a case in the Supreme Court concerning extreme and unrelenting restrictions placed on the media in Jammu and Kashmir.

Hartosh Singh Bal raised two points about what the government is doing to the media and what the media is doing to itself. He recalled the condition being similar to the days during the 1984 Sikh Riots when he was in the first year of college. “For 10 days there was a complete communication black out. People outside Delhi could not find out what was happening in Delhi. I couldn’t get in touch with my family. At that time the only news that was coming out was through the BBC,” he said. “Today 35 years later, we are in the same situation. A government, unable to trust its own people, unable to trust its own media, has imposed blockades and control in a way that is never sustainable in a democracy. And again the part of the story which government didn’t want us to know has come through BBC,” he added.

The only difference he pointed out was that previously, people believed the BBC but now they are raising questions about its videos and reports. Bal was referring to the BBC video which showed a large number of people protesting against the abrogation of article 370 in Soura region of Srinagar where armed forces used tear gas to control the protestors. The video was alleged to be fake on social media with the government denying any violence in the valley. Later the government acknowledged the incident, justifying that there were no bullets fired.

The journalists gathered at the Press Club, also accused a substantial section of the media of acting as an arm of the government and peddling lies. While no one mentioned any individual or organization, one journalist pointed out that a Zee News employee allegedly resigned citing it was being used as a propaganda machine by the government. The accusations on a certain section of media were of feeding a selective narrative, far from reality to the people of India.

The fact being that Kashmiri Journalists were finding it more difficult to get access to various regions compared to the journalists from Delhi. “They (Journalists from Delhi) don’t go there as journalists but as embedded propaganda agents,” Bal said.

A similar press conference condemning the petition by PCI was held in Chennai on August 27. It was attended by Chairperson Of The Hindu Publishing Group N Ram, Carnatic vocalist and activist TM Krishna, V. Geetha of Tamil Nadu Women Co-Ordination Committee, B.S Ajitha, Human Rights advocate in Madras High Court and Amarnath, former PCI member.

“The muzzling of the Indian Media to toe the government line on every issue is dangerous for democracy. The lockdown of Kashmiri people is undemocratic, arbitrary and disgraceful. It is time to stand up to authoritarianism and fight the muzzling of the media in Kashmir and elsewhere,” TM Krishna said.

The conferences were similar in a lot of ways as foreign publications getting exclusive reports were brought up in a question to Krishna. Krishna said that it is not about them getting special privileges to cover the situation but this also shows their persistence to cover the issue as it is.

The conference ended with N. Ram expressing some hope over the latest circular issued by PCI. The mandate of PCI is to safeguard media freedom. “They have 28 members. 20 of them are supposed to represent the media sector. Despite internal opposition, the Chairman has gone ahead and justified media blockade in Kashmir before the Supreme Court of India. This is not the real voice of the Indian media. In what can be called, with fingers crossed, an initial victory, the PCI has sent a circular to its members today stating that they would uphold media freedom,” he said.