In J&K Assembly today, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami spoke with a soft but heavy heart. He said the media our fourth pillar of democracy, has been gently pushed to the side. In India as a whole, and especially in J&K, the press is losing its voice. Reporters are questioned. Their homes are visited. Internet lines go silent. Ads stop coming. Stories vanish before they reach the people. Tarigami asked kindly: how can a nation grow if its eyes are covered?
When a journalist writes about pain or asks a simple question, the reply is often a label “terrorist.” A notebook becomes a crime. A camera is seen as a threat. This hurts the soul of democracy. It makes people feel small and unheard.
Yet, fairness is like water, it must flow both ways. Some news outlets do wrong. They take secret money. They spread lies that break peace. They whisper words that tear the country apart. If a paper or channel works for disintegration or helps terrorism, stop it. Use strong laws. Punish them. But please, do not paint every reporter with the same brush. Do not treat all with the same yardstick.
Those who work honestly should be treated with care. They wake early. They walk long roads. They listen to mothers, farmers, and children. They write with truth in their hearts. This is what most media outlets say, and it is, is true. They are not asking for praise, just space to breathe.
Those who fall into corruption, spread misinformation, or follow a hidden, destructive agenda must face the law. Let Section 311 or UAPA come for them, just as it does for others who break trust. But let the good ones stand tall.
In the end, PDP leader Waheed Parra rose with fire in his voice but love in his words. He said calling every critic a terrorist is a wound on democracy. The press is not the enemy; it is the gentle mirror of the people. Let it speak. Let it heal. Only then can Jammu and Kashmir walk toward light.
When the window stays open, every voice finds its way home.
