Police seized tens of thousands of newspapers in Jammu and Kashmir early yesterday and detained printing press workers, ramping up an information blackout after a week of unrest left 39 dead, officials and media outlets said.
Teams of officers swooped on major newspaper offices in the state overnight, seizing printing plates in an attempt to curb news of fatal clashes from spreading as a curfew was extended into its eighth day.
With Internet and mobile networks already suspended, authorities halted cable television, fearing news of protesters’ deaths could fuel further protests after the state’s worst violence in years.
“The clampdown was necessitated as Pakistani channels that are beamed here through cable television network have launched a campaign aimed at fomenting trouble here,” said a Kashmir minister who declined to be named.
“Some newspapers were also sensationalising the violence. We will take a decision on (their) restoration after July 19.”
“Police on Saturday night raided the printing press and seized the printed copies of Kashmir Reader,” the English language daily said on its website, adding that eight of its workers had been arrested.
Newspaper copies that had reached some distributors in Srinagar were also taken by police, said Irfan, a local who gave only one name.
“The policemen seized the plates of Greater Kashmir (newspaper) and more than 50,000 printed copies of (Urdu-language daily) Kashmir Uzma and closed down the GKC printing press,” said another group that publishes the state’s highest-circulation newspaper, adding that three of its workers had been detained.
Kashmir has been gripped by a week of intensifying unrest sparked by the killing of a popular, young rebel commander, Burhan Wani, in a firefight with government forces on July 8.
Bashir Manzar, editor of Kashmir Images, said the gag on the media would lead to street rumours getting “terribly dangerous in the current Kashmir situation.”
“By gagging the local press, you (government) are blocking your own channels of communication. How will you reach out to the people now?” he asked.
Manzar said it was “ridiculous” to ban the Kashmir press in this information age when the entire world, including India, was talking about free speech and free media.
Also yesterday, the army said it had killed three “terrorists” who tried to enter from the Pakistan side of the unofficial border.
Protesters in the past week have torched police stations and armoured vehicles, and hurled stones at military camps.
More than 3,000 people have been injured, including around 200 police, while hospitals have struggled to cope with the rush of injured protesters.
Hundreds have bullet wounds including many who suffered severe eye injuries caused by shotgun pellets fired by the police.
The violence is the worst since 2010 when huge rallies were crushed, leaving 120 dead.
New Delhi has rushed in more troops to contain the violence and flown in eye specialists to deal with injuries caused by pellets.