Muhammad Raafi
Srinagar
On Wednesday afternoon, Kashmir Life received a press statement from “Doctors Association of Kashmir” titled, ‘Kashmir Hospitals have one nurse for 30 patients: DAK’.
As a duty towards society, Kashmir Life carried the said press note. However, the name of the “chairperson” of the said DAK was omitted. It has a reason, though.
Firstly, at Kashmir Life we believe the message is more important than the men unless men are bigger than the message.
Secondly, media organizations in Kashmir, including ours, have been receiving “statements” from two organizations by the same name: “Doctors Association of Kashmir”. One DAK is led by Dr GM Mir and the other DAK has Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan in the lead role. The particular press note that we are referring to was issued by the latter.
Within minutes after the news item was up on our website, Kashmir Life received a call from Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan. He asked why his name was omitted?
Before one of our staffers could detail the position, Hassan threatened the staffer. “You (Kashmir Life) are the people who are Dalals, Ikhwanis and brokers of Kashmiri people,” Hasan shouted. “It is you who have sold the blood of Kashmir. You are bitches.”
Besides, he kept threatening and abusing.
Here is why we prefer message than the man.
Kashmir Life has been deliberately omitting name of all non-political “leaders” in social, economic and academic spheres but not diluting the message. This is aimed at getting focus back to news and away from the person or persons who are behind it, unless they really make it. A government teacher who has a huge following among government employees did not find space for his name – as his statements appeared always strictly on basis of the news content that it carried, in Kashmir Life till he landed in jail for many weeks. We will continue with this policy because these “paper tigers” have destroyed the very vital of a society and created their own “profile” to befit their roles elsewhere.
At the same time, however, we will not be preventing the message from disseminating.
