Local News Channels in Kashmir Banned

This is freedom of speech, "Indian style" or atleast their version of freedom of speech. What will they do about mosques and word-of-mouth information? Give up India, you have already lost this battle.

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Local cable channels banned from airing news in Kashmir Valley
Srinagar (PTI): Citing "absolutely imperative" reasons, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday restricted local TV channels from broadcasting news and current affairs programme with immediate effect ahead of Monday's proposed march by separatists.

"The situation was carefully assessed by the administration and it was felt that it had become absolutely imperative to take action under law against these channels in larger public interest and for maintenance of public order", an official statement said.

Exempting entertainment programmes and other national and international channels from the ban order, the administration invoked Section 11 (1) of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995 prohibiting news items which were inflammatory in nature.

Accusing the managements of local channels of not complying with the administrations earlier directions and notices in this regard, an official spokesperson said that now "notices had been issued to them (local channels) not to telecast any such news or any other item which could vitiate the law and order situation and inflame passions with a view to fuelling public disorder".

To register their protest against the order, the cable TV operators decided to shut down their operations till it was revoked, a spokesman of the TV channels said.
Copied from source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200808241969.htm

Such a mockery. If this is democracy and freedom of press, I wonder what a dictatorship would look like under India? Why is the world on China's back when India is the main violator of democratic values? Fifteen reporters where beaten by these Indian monsters and they still dont feel ashamed of calling themselves a democracy!
This is from the hundustan times, so the Indians dont as usual claim that I am making this up

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15 media persons beaten up by CRPF in curfew-bound Srinagar
Press Trust Of India
Srinagar, August 24, 2008 Fifteen media persons were injured on Sunday when they were assaulted by security personnel while moving around to report events in curfew-bound Srinagar.

The Srinagar-based mediapersons working for local, national and international news organisations had to face the wrath of Central Reserve Police Force personnel who refused to "honour" the curfew passes and accreditation cards of journalists and beat them up, the scribes said.

Among the injured, NDTV cameraman Aimar, bureau chief of Sahara TV Bilal Ahmed Bhat, his cameraman Muzaffar Ahmed, ETV cameraman Jehangir, photo journalist of Tribune Mohammad Amin War, Firdous Ahmed of News X and Mukhtar Ahmed of Srinagar Mail were hospitalised, official sources said.

The vehicles of photo journalists of Reuters Dinesh Ismail and EPA Farooq Khan were damaged.

The CRPF personnel did not even honour the orders of their superiors including public relations officer Prabhakar Triparthy to allow media persons to reach their offices, the journalists claimed.

"We have issued orders to our men to allow journalists," Tipathy told PTI.

However, CRPF personnel deployed on roads in the city where curfew was imposed in the wee hours were in no mood to listen.

"We have clear cut instructions not to allow the media persons. We will not talk to any officer of the force. Don't enter into argument and go home, otherwise we will teach you a lesson," a furious officer of the CRPF told a PTI journalist at Rambagh.

However, local police officers intervened and dropped the journalists near the office

Copied from source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=ca4f71f7-04bd-41a3-9635-27e4a080d767&ParentID=79537d2e-ddc4-41a9-8219-bdc3c2f396f5&&Headline=15+media+persons+beaten+in+curfew-bound+Srinagar