VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Even as Doordarshan News is continuing with its ‘mischief’ of distorting the names of landmarks and townships in Kashmir to appease radical elements of the Valley, a senior Prasar Bharati official described the issue as ‘very serious’.
“We are examining the tapes to find out as to how many times the nomenclature of landmarks and townships in Kashmir have been distorted, as reported by STATE TIMES”, said Director General News Prasar Bharati Archana Dutta late this evening over phone.
She, however, had no reply as to why the editorial desk of Doordarshan could not detect the ‘errors’ in voice-overs while going live or repeating the contents while reporting Kashmir floods.
A news anchor, known for her separatist leanings, has been the rechristened names of Shankracharaya Hill as Koh-e-Suleman, which has already raised tempers in a huge segment of population. The ‘mischief’ is seen as an attempt to remain in the good books of separatists. And, intriguingly, the editorial desk in Doordarshan Delhi does not deem it appropriate to edit the distortions.
After naming Shankracharaya as Koh-e-Suleman in repeated voice-overs while reporting on the flood havoc in Kashmir, Doordarshan news anchor Sakal Bhatt provoked a particular audience again on Friday by calling Annantnag as Islamabad. This terminology is used by separatists, secessionists and some mainstream leaders who want themselves to be seen on both sides of fence. Syed Ali Geelani and several other over ground sympathisers of various terror organisations had issued a veiled diktat to people immediately after the outbreak of militancy to use green sign boards and name certain areas by the names which are not in the revenue records. V. K Sambyal, a senior Prasar Bharati Officer, currently posted with Radio Kashmir Jammu, when contacted, told STATE TIMES that distorting names is against the norms of the state broadcaster. He said the issue regard Shankracharaya being named as Koh-e-Suleman and Annantnag as Islamabad has been objected to by audience in Jammu. “We have already got calls from listeners and viewers over trampling of nomenclature of landmarks and important townships of Kashmir”, Sambyal said.
Taking offense of the terminology being used by Doordarshan, Pradeep Kumar Kaul, a Kashmiri Pandit migrant in Jammu, described the reports as deliberate and a sinister move to play to the galleries. He told STATE TIMES that some media persons have been doing it with an avowed objective of pleasing separatists. He said in case Doordarshan fails to rein in dubious elements, Kashmiri Pandits will be forced to take on streets for such sinister moves.
