The Punjabi Press Club of British Columbia unanimously condemned the ongoing assault on press freedom in Indian-occupied Kashmir at its monthly meeting in Surrey on Tuesday, September 3.

On August 5, the Indian government unilaterally scrapped special rights given to the state of Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian constitution, suspending civil liberties and arresting local leaders on the pretext of maintaining public safety.

The ruling right wing Hindu nationalist BJP government claims that the act was necessary to stop terrorism in the only Muslim dominated state of India. Since then Kashmir has been turned into an open jail. Communication channels, such as internet, have been shut, while the leaders fighting for freedom and autonomy have been detained indefinitely. These include political figures and activists who have been advocating for peaceful resolution of the problem of Kashmir where people have been struggling for the right to self-determination. The situation has become grim with heavy deployment of troops curtailing civilian movement.

This has adversely affected the media industry as journalists are finding it hard to gather news stories and disseminate them. So much so, journalists from Kashmir are not being allowed to leave the country and face constant harassment and screening.

The resolution moved by the Press Club Secretary Gurpreet Singh Sahota was unanimously adopted by all the members.

The resolution also pointed out that the Indian agents in Canada are trying to wield undue influence over the local South Asian media outlets to present the government’s side of the story, and warned against any attempt to suppress the voice of journalists and commentators who have been reporting alternative facts.

The Press Club had earlier condemned supporters of the Indian government for harassing a TV journalist of Pakistani origin, Haroon Gaffar, during a press conference held at a Hindu temple in Surrey on August 15. 

The press conference was organized in support of the BJP government’s controversial decision on Kashmir. Gaffar was asked to leave for asking questions about human rights abuse in the region. The Press Club had expressed its solidarity with Gaffar and called for an apology from the temple officials for such behaviour. 

At Tuesday’s meeting the Press Club reiterated its previous resolution and noted that it won’t change its position until and unless an apology is made to Gaffar.