JK Media Guild thanks LG for ‘nullifying Media Policy 2020’

SRINAGAR — JK Media Guild has thanked the Lt Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu for ‘nullifying the Media Policy 2020’.

The Guild which met here under the chairmanship of President Mir Ajaz Ahmad unanimously applauded the will and wisdom of LG, who is understood to have agreed with the perception of the media fraternity after JK Media Guild protested and translated the “aggressive postures” against media included in the policy.

“The implementation of a new unconstitutional and undemocratic media policy appears to have been designed and framed by a group of vested interest people in the Information Department to suppress the freedom of press without taking into confidence the administrative head of this Union Territory,” the Guild said in a statement.

The Guild President, Mir Ajaz said, “We don’t consider it any victory, as a couple of vested interested people had attempted to create a wedge between the government and the media. The LG’s statement is quite encouraging and also a slap on the face of corrupt bureaucrats and the clerical clergy, who misled the government to infringe democratic and constitutional freedom of the media in the country.”

Mir Ajaz urged upon the government to involve the media representatives in the process of any media policy to be framed. He thanked the LG for including the social and electronic media in the advertisement policy of the government and said that “in the changing times, this was the need of the hour”.

Ajaz pleaded that the government should also issue directions to various security agencies including local police to respect the members of the media fraternity while they are busy discharging their professional duties.

“Media in the country has always been respected as the Fourth Estate of Democracy and this constitutional tradition should not be compromised in Jammu & Kashmir for petty interests of some Babus,” he said.

Mir Ajaz concluded the hour-long session which was participated by all the office bearers and executive members and also the representatives of the sister-associations which supported the cause and joined the protest march on July 06, 2020.

He thanked all the media houses, journalists, correspondents and photojournalists from J&K and the national media also, for the widespread coverage of the protest march and press releases.