Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has asked the state government to introduce human rights education among the security forces for upholding the human rights.
Citing observations of the Supreme Court and considering the material on file, the SHRC member Rafiq Fida said yesterday that he was left with no option "but to recommend the Government through Principal Secretary Home Department to introduce Human Rights Education among the paramilitary forces including J-K police so as to make them rights and people friendly."
Disposing off a three-year-old petition filed by two local journalists, the SHRC said the forces should show utmost restraint even when provoked to inflict minimum damage to the life and property of the public.
"The Government is impressed upon to direct security forces to regard curfew passes issued to media persons by competent authority to cover the event or incidents during the course of their professional duties," the commission said in its recommendations.
The journalists had complained that reporters from print and electronic media fear for their safety and are being harassed and persecuted by the local police and paramilitary forces.
The complaint maintained that several journalists have been injured and their curfew passes, issued by the competent authorities, were not honoured by these security forces.
Fida said enquiry in this regard was also got conducted through Police Investigating Wing of the Commission.
"On perusal and analysing the reports, it is crystal clear that Saeed Bashir, a photo Journalist of 'Mouj Kashmir' has been beaten and inflicted injuries when he was performing professional duty and booked in FIR with sole purpose to cover the misdeeds of men in uniform," he observed.
Fida also observed that although the state Constitution does not contain a separate guarantee of Freedom of the Press, it is well recognised that the Press provides the principal vehicle of expression of views to citizens.
