The case against Raina sparked sharp reactions from the journalist community in Kashmir who condemned the police action and expressed solidarity with him
Zafar Aafaq | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – Kashmir Police have booked a journalist in Bandipora district of the valley for a WhatsApp status in memory of children killed in a boat drowning accident 15 years ago. The status carried a collage picture of the deceased children along with the word “martyr” in the caption.
Sajid Raina who is a district correspondent with a local wire service ‘Kashmir News Observer’ was informed by a cop from local police station that they have registered an FIR against him under Section 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 505(b) (rumour or alarming news) of the Indian Penal Code.
Special Superintendent of Police Bandipora Zahid Malik told Clarion India that he would repeat what he had said in the earlier statement that the police will investigate the case “on merits”. “It has not been lodged against him as a journalist but as an individual for updating the status which attracts some sections of law and need investigation,” Malik added.
Speaking with Clarion India, Raina said that before the call from police, he also got a call from a person working with security agency who objected to his status. scared, he immediately took it down.
“the Wular martyred… The children share their graves here. Brothers have been buried together, somewhere three children are buried in the same grave. The tragedy is still fresh. #Boatcollapse,” read the caption.
But the next morning, on May 31, a journalist friend called up Raina and informed that the police had filed a case against him. “I thought he was joking with me.” It was followed by a call from the police station. “I was shocked to hear the police official telling me that they have booked me for a WhatsApp status,” Raina said. “The status was neither provocative nor political.”
The tragic accident that resulted in the death of 15 school children took place on May 30 2006 after a boat of Indian Navy capsized in Wular Lake near Watlab village. The children who were on a picnic around the lake area had come from Burning Candle School of Handwara town.
The navy immediately launched an operation and managed to rescue 15 children . The accident had sent massive shockwaves across the valley prompting a judicial enquiry ordered by the then J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Aazad.
The navy later on established a pediatric block in memory of the children who died in the tragedy at the government hospital in handwara town of Kupwara district. The hospital was inaugurated by the then Indian Navy.
The case against Raina sparked sharp reactions from the journalist community in Kashmir who condemned the police action and expressed solidarity with the journalist.
Journalist Federation of Kashmir condemns filing of FIR against journalist Sajid Raina (@SajidRaina1) for uploading a WhatsApp status in remembrance of a 2006 boat capsize tragedy in Wular Lake in which 20 children were killed.#Kashmir #JournalismIsNotCrime pic.twitter.com/UqQ4Wk5fwV
— Journalist Federation of Kashmir (@pressfreedomJFK) June 4, 2021
Raina said the news of FIR has left his family in distress with his mother is requesting to leave the profession. “You know mothers,” Raina uttered. “She is asking me to look for some other job.”
Amidst the raging Covid-19 pandemic, Kashmir is frequently seeing police filing cases against people over expressions on social media or in public with rights activists accusing authorities of cracking down on free-speech. A week back, eight people, including a juvenile, were arrested under UAPA, an anti-terror law, for raising “anti-India” slogans at a funeral of a youth killed in a road traffic accident in Kupwara district.
Before that in early May, an artist Mudasir Gull was jailed for three days for painting a mural in support of Palestine in a locality in Srinagar. He was released without any charges being framed. Around the same time, Sarjan Barkati, a cleric was arrested in Shopian district for doing supplication prayers for Palestine on the eve of Eid. he was released from custody on Saturday, almost 20 days after being detained.
