Pen silenced

Pen silenced

Bukhari’s killing seeks to thwart normalcy in Kashmir.

On Thursday Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari was assassinated by terrorists outside the English daily’s office in the heart of Srinagar. He was shot dead even as the Centre’s unilateral ceasefire against militants was in force during Ramzan. His assassination clearly shows that those who want Kashmir to remain on the boil also want to extinguish voices of sanity.

Bukhari was a moderate voice and involved in organising several conferences for peace in Kashmir. He was part of the Track-II process with Pakistan. He also condemned militant violence and the killing of local policemen. But the agenda of the terrorists is to create an us-versus-them situation where there is no space for the middle ground. It is in this context that the press becomes a natural target for the militants. After all, a free press encourages free thinking and contrarian viewpoints. This is also why terrorists are keen on shutting down schools. Not only will this help ensure that children are out on the streets to be used as cannon fodder by the militants, but it will also nix government’s development initiatives for the future of Kashmir. And the more hopeless the situation becomes for the youth of Kashmir, the more it benefits the terrorists.

What Kashmir needs most is a sense of normalcy. This is where there should be agreement between government and Kashmiri civil society. And it is in this regard that the Centre shall have to consider the extension of the ceasefire, even while making sure that it does not tie the hands of security forces unfairly. But for all sides except the terrorists, a free press is key to a fair representation of their interests. It must be protected more effectively.