Stop ​Govt. ​Funding ​to Pro Jihad Media in Kashmir

“The Pakistani flag is a symbol of freedom and independence for the Kashmiris while protesting against the Indian forces, however, New Delhi gives the perception to the international community that the demonstrators hoisting the green flag in the valley are infiltrators” – Shujaat Bhukhari, Editor of Rising Kashmir speaking at a meeting in Dubai of Jammu and Kashmir Journalists Forum, United Arab Emirates. The meeting was attended by Pakistanis and Pro Jihad journalists from Kashmir.

Dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

Statements like the above are routinely coming from Kashmir’s newspapers and journalists, including those who run their papers from Indian tax payer’s money.

We the undersigned welcome the firm action being taken by the Government of India against various separatist leaders of Kashmir following media exposure that avowedly secessionist outfits in Kashmir have been promoting a bloody Islamist jihad engineered and financially supported by Pakistani agencies.

However, it is a matter of great concern that all those newspapers and media houses which are openly supporting terrorist organizations and jihadi warfare in Kashmir continue to be supported by the state government with lavish funds through advertisements by government departments, free or subsidized housing for journalists, editors, land grants and other freebies. Some of them even Government of India ads through DAVP. Many of them have availed of Sadbhavna Funds from the Indian army.

The very same papers run a daily demonization campaign against India as a country as well as the Indian state and India’s armed forces. Their coverage of Pak engineered unrest and jihadi attacks in Kashmir, whether against innocent citizens or against India’s security forces, as well as countless murders of elected representatives is brazenly tinted to favour pro secessionists. They have never condemned murders and mayhem by Islamist terrorist groups but make a ritual of spewing venom against India and its security forces, which have behaved with commendable restraint while dealing with hard-boiled terrorists.

Each one of these papers defends Rohingya Muslims’ right to settle in J&K even though they have entered India as illegal migrants. But the same papers go ballistic at the mere mention of restoring the rights of Kashmiri Pandits in their homeland or giving state subject rights to Hindus who were ousted out of POK in 1947 and settled down in Jammu region 70 years ago.

The brazenness with which they take Government of India money as their right is evident from the fact that one such editor, Shujaat Bukhari of Rising Kashmir filed a criminal defamation suit against Prof Madhu Kishwar on the basis of three tweets in which she merely stated that though papers like Rising Kashmir feed off government funds, they still continue furthering Pakistani agenda. Given his political clout (his brother is a senior minister in PDP led government), he could even get arrest warrants issued against Kishwar on the very day that the case was admitted in Srinagar court. Bukhari has neither denied that he takes government funding nor has he denied that he is pro-secession and pro Pak. And yet, he wants to silence Kishwar’s voice for exposing his duplicity. (Source)

Here is one of the many seditious intent towards India. While attending a seminar/meeting along with Pakistani journalists in Dubai hosted by a British NGO, Bhukari is reported to have said “The Pakistani flag is a symbol of freedom and independence for the Kashmiris while protesting against the Indian forces, however, New Delhi gives the perception to the international community that the demonstrators hoisting the green flag in the valley are infiltrators” (Source) 

(After our petition Bukhari got the link we had originally given to his quote blocked. However, we have found same statement reported by this link)

While that case will take its own course in courts of law, we appeal to Prime Minister Modi and National Security Advisor, Mr Ajit Doval to:

1. Set up a time bound Task force to review the list of recipients of government ads, government housing, land allotments and other facilities made available to media persons in order to weed out those media houses and journalists who are openly allied to forces committed to breaking up India through violent secessionist movements. This must be done not only with regard to Kashmiri media but all the regions witnessing Maoist or other insurgencies
2. Enquire into the hawala funds coming from Pakistan or other Islamic countries to secessionist newspapers, journalists—both regular and freelance
3. Revoke the passports of all the journalists who are on the payroll of Pakistani or other agencies hostile to India’s security and integrity. They should not be allowed to run around the globe defaming India with horrendous lies while carrying the Indian passport

Hawala payments coming to media persons from Pakistan and other Islamic or Western countries need to be investigated with the same vigor that the NIA is investigating the foreign funds coming from the Hurriyat Jihadis.

Thank you!
Kashmiri Pandits