Srinagar, October 6 (KNS): Senior CPI (M) leader and former MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday said “freedom of expression is a fundamental human right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Along with its corollaries of freedom of information and press freedom, It serves as an enabler of all other rights”.
He said, if freedom of expression is curtailed under any pretext , it is a loss for any society. Freedom of expression and freedom of speech has come after a long struggle and huge sacrifices. It has not been gifted.
In a statement issued to KNS, he said if due to any reason this right is curtailed or snatched, common people will be deprived of objective information on ground. Unfortunately, over the years diverse elements across all the political and ideological thoughts have been trying to muzzle the voices of media persons in Kashmir which is really deplorable and unfortunate.
From Jammu and Kashmir government’s Media Policy 2020 to registering FIRs against journalists and issuing threat lists online, the media persons are being targeted from all the sides . The fact remains that the media persons in Kashmir particularly have been working under tremendous pressures. Virtually they have been victims of cross fire.
Past experiences reveal that silence on such issues proves costly to the interests of the people of Kashmir. (KNS)