Basharat joined Video Volunteers in 2017 as a Community Correspondent from the Shopian district of Jammu & Kashmir. Despite his relatively recent affiliation with Video Volunteers, he is one of the most passionate and active members of the network. Basharat has worked with several organisations as a correspondent and researcher and has been an advocate for human rights in Jammu…

Basharat Amin

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Our community correspondent from Kashmir, Basharat Amin interviewed Anuradha Bhasin, the Executive Editor of Kashmir Times, the oldest newspaper from the valley. In the interview, Bhasin talks about the press and its freedom during the nineties, when militancy began in the valley, to the current situation where Article 370 has been scrapped and the government lifted a communications blockade only after nearly 18 months.

"Local newspapers have stopped publishing anything that is critical of the government," said Bhasin while talking about surveillance and harrassment of journalists at the hands of the administration. She reminded journalists of their role of being the voice of the people, particularly of those being oppressed and marginalised.

The interview also focussed on the new media policy formulated in Kashmir, apparently to counter the spread of misinformation or fake news. "When TV channels start disseminating fake information, no action is taken against them because some of those things go in favour of the ruling government," said Bhasin.

Watch the whole interview to know the latest from Kashmir on press freedom.