New Delhi, 24 October 2023: The Indian Journalists Union deplores the cancellation of a media award to Kashmiri journalist Safina Nabi last week, by Pune-based Maharashtra Institute of Technology-World Peace University (MIT-WPU), on grounds that some of her “published opinions and views…have the potential to be viewed as contentious and not in alignment with the foreign policy of the Indian Government”. Denying Nabi the award is yet another reminder of how journalists in Kashmir are being denied due recognition of their work, in most difficult circumstances and in this case the reason cited by the University itself suggests political pressure, though it chooses to deny it.
It’s been reported that Nabi’s award-winning story ‘The Half Widows of Kashmir’ was published on website Scroll, aided by Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting and focussed on the Valley’s plight of ‘half widows’ who continue to be denied property rights decades after disappearance of their husbands. It was unanimously chosen from dozens of entries in ‘Journalism that promoted empathy, understanding and inclusivity in society’ category, by a 7-member jury, four from the University and three eminent journalists.
Nabi was duly informed about the award by the University’s Director, Dept of Media & Communication. However, while awaiting travel arrangements for the award ceremony, on October 18, she was informed the award was rescinded as “there was a lot of political pressure.”
In a statement IJU President and former Member of Press Council of India Geetartha Pathak and Secretary General, IFJ Vice President and FAPaJ President Sabina Inderjit said denial of the award to Nabi is indeed unfortunate as her story would have promoted the much-needed empathy for the ‘half widows’ in Kashmir. Worse, the denial reveals the persecution the journalists in Kashmir are increasingly being subjected to for telling the truth. The University’s action is unacceptable in any democratic society and IJU urges its members to read and share her story https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/how-kashmirs-half-widows-are-denied-their-basic-property-rights
