anonymous blog vilifying me and Iftikhar Gilani : Kashmiri journalist Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
In the blog, editor Shujaat Bukhari, who was gunned down in Srinagar on June 14, was accused of ‘betraying the Kashmir struggle’.
Kashmiri journalist Ahmed Ali Fayyaz on Sunday said unidentified people who had run a vilification campaign against Rising Kashmir’s assassinated editor Shujaat Bukhari, were now targeting him and journalist Iftikhar Gilani.
A blog post titled “Touts who are betraying the Kashmir struggle” appeared online 11 days before Bukhari was gunned down in Srinagar on June 14, the Hindustan Times reported last week. The blog’s authors have also targeted other journalists, businessmen, politicians and activists engaged in Track-2 diplomacy, berating them for betraying the “struggle of Kashmir” and for carrying out the “dirty work of defaming [the] Kashmir cause”.
“They have posted our photographs on the same portal with a vitriolic heap of text which vilifies and denigrates us both as ‘dubious characters’, men of ‘hypocritical approach’ et al,” Fayyaz wrote in a Facebook post.
Fayyaz wrote that the allegations against him were unfounded. “I have never ever taken upon myself the task of strengthening or weakening any narrative or ideology or attempted to impose my personal ideology on my esteemed readers who are from vast, diverse opinions and backgrounds,” he said. “So it is completely malicious and preposterous to allege that I have anybody’s brief in discharging my duty.”
The journalist denied that he had ever taken part in a Track-2 diplomatic initiative. “I have never ever claimed to be the ‘saviour of Kashmiri cause’ or someone ‘finding a solution to the Kashmir problem’, he wrote. “I believe this is not a proscribed activity for a journalist but I have been holding the opinion that this job should be left to other organs of the civil society.”
He also refuted the allegation that he had not spoken up against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Choudhary Lal Singh’s threat to journalists, and that he influenced American and Indian policies in the region. “Throughout my career I have steered clear of such state and non-state affiliations and diplomatic operations,” the journalist wrote. “My activity has been purely professional and academic while attending only those conferences and workshops which are not directly or indirectly sponsored by any side of the Kashmir conflict.”
Fayyaz said he had written against both state and non-state actors and exposed “the atrocities they committed against helpless, voiceless people”.
“I neither need a certificate from any masked keyboard actor nor will I ever take dictation under any naked or insidious threat from any individual or country under any circumstances,” he wrote. “Those trying it, for whatever purpose, will be simply wasting their own time and energy.”
courtesy : scroll.in
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Fit KL Rahul set to open in Perth; Rohit Sharma to miss first Test as Bumrah handed captaincy
Perth, Nov 17: KL Rahul allayed concerns surrounding his fitness with an extended net session here on Sunday, indicating his readiness to open in the first Test against Australia as skipper Rohit Sharma will join the team only in Adelaide after spending time with his new-born baby.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will lead the team in Rohit's absence.
Rahul had left the field for medical attention on Friday after sustaining a blow on his elbow by pacer Prasidh Krishna while batting in an intra-squad practice match at the WACA ground.
The first of the five Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin at the Optus Stadium from November 22, while the second Test at Adelaide starts from December 6.
In all likelihood, the team management will pair Rahul with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the 32-year-old's recovery has come as a massive relief after Shubman Gill was ruled out of the first Test with a fractured thumb.
Rahul batted without any major discomfort for a considerable time and participated in all the drills during the three-hour net session on this day.
"I had got a bad hit on Day 1 of the game. I am feeling good today, getting ready for the first game. Happy that I could come here early and get used to the conditions," Rahul said in a video shared by BCCI on X.
"Yeah, I got a lot of time to prepare for this series and I am excited and looking forward to it," he added.
In fact, head coach Gautam Gambhir too had indicated a promotion up the order for Rahul during the pre-departure press meet in Mumbai in the event of Rohit missing the opening Test.
Team Physio Kamlesh Jain said Rahul has responded well to the treatment.
"The key for us was to ensure that there is no fracture there. It's 48 hours since the impact and he has responded well to treatments. He should be ready to go," said Jain in the video.
Yogesh Parmar, the support physio, said the treatment was based on "controlling the pain."
"I took him for X-ray and scan and based upon the report I was more confident that he should be fine.
"It was a matter of controlling the pain and giving him some confidence. From a medical point of view, he is absolutely fine," said Parmar.
The Indian team, meanwhile, finished its block of training at the WACA ground and the visitors will now move to the Optus Stadium for match drills from Tuesday, after a scheduled rest day on Monday.
Devdutt, 3 pacers to stay back in Australia
Meanwhile, the Indian team management has decided to keep top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal in Australia as a batting back-up along with three seamers from the India A squad.
Devdutt was part of the India A squad that played two four-day matches against their Australian counterparts recently.
The left-hander, who was recently named in Karnataka's squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, had lukewarm outings during the 'A' tour, making 36, 88, 26, 1.
The three pacers are: Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed and Navdeep Saini, who were all part of the India A squad.
Saini had also played at Sydney and Brisbane Tests during the last tour Down Under, till date his only two matches in the traditional format.
"It is more to do with the familiarity with the Australian conditions as they have played here recently," a source close to the development told PTI.
"Devdutt was highly impressive while facing Jasprit Bumrah at nets, and the management took that also into consideration," the source added.
The 24-year-old had made his Test debut against England earlier this year at Dharamsala and made a 65 while batting at No. 4.
