KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Close on the heels of Hanjura case, it seems newsmen are fast becoming soft targets besides punching bags in Kashmir.
On Friday, as scribes and photojournalists reached Old Srinagar’s Nowhatta area to cover the signature Friday protests, some men, believed to be “henchmen” of some political party started blaming journalists for “triggering” chaotic situation in Nowhatta every Friday.
As photojournalists were discharging their duty, some of these men showed up in Nowhatta square and started beating Kashmir Life’s Photo Chief, Bilal Bahadur, besides his other colleagues.
“I along with my colleagues was preparing to return office when some men started blaming us for fanning the protests in the area,” Bilal Bahadur said. “And then suddenly, one man hit me on my face. I was down on the road. In between, another person started kicking me without listening anything from me.”
The goons also hurled abuses on the newsmen on the spot.
The veteran photojournalist of Valley, Habib Naqash while recalling the Friday’s episode at Nowhatta said: “We were normally covering the protest when a police party dispersed us. And then we saw some men staring at us from a distance, who came closer and started abusing us. I don’t think they were civilians, as many locals turned up in our support once those men surrounded us.”
Another prominent photojournalist of valley, Javed Dar, recalled the Friday’s episode, “Never in my 15 years career as photojournalist, have I seen civilians laying their hands on journalists at Nowhatta. Those who pounced on us this Friday didn’t look like locals. They were standing in a separate group at Nowhatta square. They were probably from some political party.”
After receiving beatings, Bilal Bahadur suffered bruises on his leg.
