Censorship – News Media/Documentaries

The J&K administration took control of Kashmir Press Club (KPC), the largest membership organisation of the Valley-based media persons, hours after a group of independent journalists announced the formation of second interim committee for electing its new managing body.

The J&K administration led by Lieutenant Manoj Sinha on Monday, January 17, said that the press club, which was registered as a society in J&K, has “ceased to exist” after it “failed to reregister” under the Societies of Registration Act, a central law which was extended to Jammu and Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370.

The Press Club’s existing managing body “too has come to a legal closure on 14 July, 2021, the date on which its tenure came to an end”, the administration said in a statement, effectively seizing control of an institution which was set up to look after the welfare of journalists in Kashmir.

The development took place barely hours after a group of independent journalists associated with the national and international news organisations, including the BBC, Associated Press and others announced that they had nominated a committee “to hold the elections” for the new managing body, the second such committee in as many days.