Media in Kashmir

It is a known fact that National Conference regime in Kashmir has gagged the media without any impunity and has transformed many local Kashmiri newspapers into National Conference Mouthpieces. When Governor Vohra gagged the local cable news channels during his rule, our cable operators blacked out everything and stopped the broadcast of cable TV throughout the valley. But when Omar Abdullah banned them, they kept a criminal mum and swallowed the bitter censor pill without any major fuss. What is the reason. Why our cable operators did not protest this time around? Well, the reason is Omar Abdullah himself. Its not any secret that one of the most trusted lieutenants of Omar Abdullah is Devinder Rana, owner of Take One Media. Devender Rana and Payal Abdullah Singh are de- facto rulers of Jammu and Kashmir. Devender Rana holds the strings of all the cable operators of Kashmir in his tight hands. It is Devender Rana who is the distributor of Star TV, Zee Network and Sony in J & K. Had cable operators protested against the gagging, Devender Rana would have snapped the signal of these channels to the operators and might even have forced them to clear all the previous dues without any concessions or delays, ofcourse with the active help of local Shahi Kashmir Police.
What does all this mean. It means Media in Kashmir is not free and is only serving its own vested interests primarily. Even Israelis have never influenced the Arab media but in Kashmir things are different. Our media is controlled by stooges of the oppressor and real unbiased voice of truth is non existent. We lack Journalism of courage and truth. We are living a voiceless life and all the voices which speak out for Kashmir and Kashmiris are prejudiced in one or the other way.