Editors Guild meet raises bigger question for Kashmir press: How to build concrete support?

One month after Jammu and Kashmir Police summoned six Kashmir-based reporters – including those from The Indian Express and Hindustan Times – the Editors Guild of India (EGI) convened an online conference on Wednesday titled “Reporting From Kashmir: Challenges and Opportunities.”

Despite the conference’s focus, the panel lacked the presence of the very journalists recently summoned by the police. According to Guild president Sanjay Kapoor, this absence extended to international media as well. “We sent invitations to everyone,” Kapoor told Newslaundry, adding that “reporters from the two foreign media outlets were denied permission to attend the conference by their organisations.”

Elaborating on the motivation behind Wednesday’s event, Kapoor explained, “There was a consensus among members that there should be some online conference on this… If nothing else, EGI can at least amplify their voices,” he said.

The event featured a panel of about 7 journalists from national newspapers and regional publications. During a two-hour discussion, journalists in Kashmir suggested several measures the press body could take to support reporters, but the Guild did not commit to any concrete action. 

Defending his office’s record in protecting and speaking out for press freedom in Kashmir, Kapoor noted, “It’s not that we are short on doing our stuff. We do whatever we can under the circumstances,” specifically citing exactly two statements his office issued since November 2025 regarding the severe restrictions facing journalists in the Valley. It was about three years ago when the guild last organised any event for journalists from Kashmir.   

No free press in Kashmir

Anuradha Bhasin of the Kashmir Times recalled what journalists in the Valley have endured since 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370. “This climate of fear led to widespread self-censorship or resignation from the profession altogether”, she said. 

Speaking about the police raid on the Jammu office of Kashmir Times on November 19, 2025, as part of an investigation into alleged “anti-national” and “secessionist” activities, Bhasin said, “I have failed to understand what it is that prompted the government to raid an office that actually looks like ruins.” 

Peerzada Ashiq of The Hindu, meanwhile, highlighted how the authorities harass his sources. “In my case, my sources were cut off. Police officers I know were transferred to insignificant posts. Officials who used to speak to me stopped taking my calls because they were hounded too”, he said, while also sharing how journalists are not invited to cover official functions and the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. 

Masood Hussain of Kashmir Life highlighted how journalism in Kashmir has reached a situation where reporters need to think ten times before even attempting a story. While writing a small article on the number of people who have died of rabies in Kashmir last week, he recalled, “Can you imagine, an officer told me first to write an application. I wrote one to satiate his ego. Even after that, he asked me to visit his office.” 

Jehangir Ali, the independent journalist who writes for publications like The Wire, whose phone was seized by officers from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, recalled the “harrowing” experience. “Their intrusion into personal life by asking questions about my family, my habits, if I smoke, if I have kids, and where they study. You start asking yourself whether you really want to continue this job... Is it really worth it? Are you putting your family and yourself in trouble? But for the time being, it is really worth it,” he said. 

Need more support from the Guild

Making a direct appeal to the Guild to look beyond journalism in Srinagar, Peerzada said, “Document the pressure across Kashmir and not just in Srinagar, but in smaller towns where the profession is collapsing. Portals that began before 2019, such as Kashmiriyat and Kashmirwala, have been shut down. We need to talk to these people.”

When asked about his organisation’s response to harassment by the authorities, he replied, “I have never felt alone. My organisation always sends their lawyers.”

Nasser Ganai of The Times of India, meanwhile, stressed how Kashmiri journalists, particularly freelancers, need institutional backing from the Guild. 

He proposed, “This is a first outreach from your side. The Guild can appoint a liaison officer whom the journalists can contact in times of crisis.”

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