SRINAGAR, Jammu & Kashmir—Sikh activists have condemned the ban on a daily newspaper in Jammu & Kashmir. “Indian Government issued this ban to suppress the voice of the Kashmir masses”, said Papalpreet Singh, a prominent Sikh activist in Punjab while speaking with Sikh24 on October 3.
This past week, the Indian government invoked a ban on the daily newspaper ‘Kashmir Reader’. The ban was imposed using the power of Newspapers Incitement Act, Press and Publications Act and the famous section 144 of 
Cr.P.C (Code of Criminal Procedure) by the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar. ‘Kashmir Reader’ was accused of publishing content vulnerable to ‘peace’ and ‘tranquillity’ of J&K territory.
The order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar reads, “There are sufficient reasons to invoke the powers vested in me by Section 144 Cr.P.C (Code of Criminal Procedure) read with Section 3 of News Papers Incitement of offences Act, 1971 and Section 10 of Press and Publication Act, 1989 and proceed further in the matter by passing a conditional order of stopping the printing and publishing of News Paper namely the Kashmir Reader through the printing presses mentioned above.”
Papalpreet Singh strongly condemned the move of banning the ‘Kashmir Reader’. Terming the move as autocratic and undemocratic, he said that on one side, the Indian state claims itself to be the largest democratic country in the world, but in practice, it doesn’t refrain from muzzling the fourth pillar of democracy.
Several Sikhs also joined locals in Jammu & Kashmir over social media to condemn the ban. Gurmeet Kaur posted, “Banning of a newspaper in India is shameful as India claims to be the biggest democracy in the world.”
Surjan Singh from Jammu said, “We strongly condemn the banning of Kashmir Reader. It’s a prominent newspaper that shares true stories from the region.”
