Editors Guild urges J&K Governor to take against Lal Singh
New Delhi, June 25: The Editors Guild of India on Monday urged Jammu and Kashmir Governor N. N. Vohra to take action against BJP legislator Choudhary Lal Singh over his "barely veiled threat of violence" against journalists of the Valley.
In a statement, the guild also urged the Tamil Nadu government to adhere to recommendation of TRAI that bar government from owning a television channel distribution company, saying its attention has been drawn to recent instances of how several TV channels in the state have been arbitrarily taken off the air for periods ranging between a couple of hours to a few days.
Referring to Lal Singh's remarks, it said the BJP should reprimand its MLA, take suitable disciplinary action and ask him to withdraw the offending remarks after offering an apology.
"The Editors Guild of India condemns the despicable manner in which a barely veiled threat of violence has been issued against journalists by Lal Singh, an MLA belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party and a former minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government," the statement said.
Far from condemning the recent assassination of senior journalist Shujaat Bhukhari, Lal Singh, in a media briefing, warned all journalists in Jammu and Kashmir to "draw a line" unless they wished to be targeted like the slain editor of Rising Kashmir, it said.
"Such a warning not only betrays Singh's deep disregard for the role of the free press in a democracy, it also amounts to encouraging physical attacks against journalists in the sensitive state and elsewhere in the country."
On Tamil Nadu, the Guild said it is appalled that an FIR has been registered by the state police against a reporter and the management of Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil news channel. "All that the news channel did was to host a roundtable discussion on the protests in Tamil Nadu. The FIR was slapped even before the programme was aired."
"In the absence of a convincing explanation, this seems a shocking attempt to muzzle dissenting views and intimidate the media," the Guild said.
It said other affected television channels have also complained that such blackouts happen after they telecast programmes that were not liked by the Tamil Nadu government, which controls the television channel content distribution agency, Arasu Cable.
It said the state government has assured the media that it has no plans to black out television channels but dangers to a free and unhindered distribution of television content will continue to lurk as long as the state government controls a channel distribution company accounting for a market share of over 60 percent. "This also has the dangerous potential of undermining the functioning of a free media."
The Guild urged the government to take necessary steps to ensure that proper regulation is enforced so that no unfair or uncompetitive steps are taken by television channel distribution companies.
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Over 26,000 aspirants participate in army recruitment rally in J&K’s Poonch
Poonch/Jammu (PTI): Over 26,000 young aspirants participated in a recruitment rally conducted by the army after a gap of five years in Jammu and Kashmir’s border district of Poonch, officials said on Sunday.
The recruitment rally commenced at Advance Landing Ground in Surankote on November 8 to fill 307 vacancies for soldier general duty and 45 vacancies for clerks and tradesmen in the Territorial Army, they said.
The rally was open to the candidates from 31 Tehsils of Jammu division, including Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Jammu districts, for soldier general duty while the candidates from entire Jammu and Kashmir were eligible to apply for clerks and tradesmen positions.
“Over 26,000 enthusiastic candidates across the region took part in the selection process, showcasing their physical and mental readiness to serve the nation during the 10-day rally,” said an official of the army recruitment office, expressing satisfaction over the response of the youth.
He said the recruitment drive was organized with the objective of providing employment opportunities and encouraging the youth to join the armed forces.
The aspirants underwent various physical tests, including a 1.6 km run, chin-ups and other endurance exercises, followed by medical examinations and documentation checks, the official said.
"The response from the local youth has been tremendous. It is heartening to see such enthusiasm and passion to join the Indian Army. We are committed to providing a fair and transparent selection process," an officer of the Territorial Army said.
He said around 4000 candidates have cleared the ground test and will participate in the medical examination.
The locals lauded the army for organizing the recruitment drive in the border district.
“This is a significant step towards addressing unemployment in the border areas and instilling a sense of pride and patriotism among the youth,” said Syed Imtiaz Kazmi, a prominent citizen of Surankote.
The officials said the event was conducted with strict adherence to safety protocols, ensuring that the large gathering was managed smoothly.
The recruitment process is expected to continue for the next three days, they said, adding this recruitment rally marks yet another milestone in the Indian Army's ongoing efforts to strengthen its bond with people, providing new opportunities for the youth in the region that has historically faced challenges related to employment and development.
Many young aspirants expressed their hopes of securing a place in the prestigious armed forces, with dreams of serving the nation and supporting their families.
Mohd Asad, a local resident of Poonch, said that he joined the rally for the first time. “I am ready to serve the nation by joining the army,” he added.
Another aspirant Mohd Iqbal from Haveli area of Poonch thanked the army for providing them an opportunity to serve the nation.
