Kashmir Press Club

Jammu & Kashmir

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on January 20, 2022 regarding takeover and closing down of the Kashmir Press Club by the J&K Administration in a bid to supress the Freedom of Expression and Association of the media.

Following the directives of the J&K administration, the KPC had applied for re-registration last year in May 2021, and it was approved by the registrar of societies on December 29, 2021. On January 14, 2021, announced elections for a new management body, however, the administration withdrew the re-registration, citing a report by the Criminal Investigations Department, of the J&K Police. The details of the report have, however, not been made public.

On January 15, 2022, an unelected group of journalists allegedly said to be friendly to the state government and police, forced themselves into the club premises and appointed themselves as the managing body and announced that they were locking the premises for a week. The presence of armed police prompted an uproar with prominent journalist bodies and free speech activists across the country criticising the involvement of the J&K administration in the “illegal takeover”. 

On January 16, 2022, 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 of the KPC.

On January 17, 2022, authorities shut down the KPC, the largest elected body representing journalists in J&K, suspended its registration and cancelled the allotment of its premises in Srinagar.

This is another attack on the fast vanishing freedom of expression and association, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Indian Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Our Constitution gives journalists the right to exercise freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(a) of the Indian Constitution which is crucial to the work of HRDs, including journalists.