Ultimate goal was to shut down KPC, says ousted managing body

Srinagar: The ousted managing body of the Kashmir Press Club on Monday said the installation of a group of journalists as an interim body was done with the ultimate goal of shutting

down the club.

It reiterated that journalists in the Valley will confront these challenges. "It seems the ultimate goal was to shut down the Kashmir Press Club and for this purpose, they tried to install a group of journalists. By this action, they wanted to stifle the voice of journalists that resonated through the forum called Kashmir Press Club, the only democratic and independent journalist body in Valley," Ishfaq Tantray, general secretary of the ousted body, said in a statement.

"But it is our firm belief that our journalists are capable and professional enough to keep the flame glowing and confront these challenges ahead. I want to reiterate that journalism thrived in

Kashmir and it will survive all crests and troughs in the future as well," he added.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday announced taking back the land and building housing the Kashmir Press Club.

It justified the move saying while the last elected body ceased to exist after July 2019 as no elections were held, the other group of journalists had taken over the club without following due process.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday took back the premises allotted to the Kashmir Press Club here in the wake of factionalism that erupted in the largest journalists' body in the valley last week. "In view of the unpleasant developments and dissensions between various groups of journalists, it has been decided that the allotment of the premises at Polo View to the now-deregistered Kashmir Press Club be cancelled and the control of land and buildings situated at Polo View, Srinagar which belong to the Estates Department be reverted to the said department," the government said in a press release.

The government said it was concerned over the emergent situation which has arisen due to the "unpleasant turn" of events involving two warring groups using the banner of the Kashmir Press Club.

The Kashmir Press Club (KPC) witnessed unfamiliar activities when a few journalists accompanied by policemen reached there on Saturday and claimed to be its "new management", a day after the administration put its registration "in abeyance".