By Our Correspondent
Guwahati, June 15,
Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) expresses shock at the murder of Syed Shujaat Bukhari, a Srinagar based journalist on Thursday evening and demands necessary actions to nab the culprits at the earliest. The Assam based scribe’s forum also lamented that Shujaat becomes the fourth journalist killed in India this year.
It may be noted that the chief editor and proprietor of ‘Rising Kashmir’ Shujaat was shot dead in Srinagar by a group of militants.
Starting his career in ‘Kashmir Times’, Shujaat later shifted to ‘The Hindu’ as its Kashmir correspondent. Lately he established the English daily ‘Rising Kashmir’. His two security guards also sustained severe injuries in the incident. A brave and outspoken journalist Shujaat faced attacks in 2000 and 2006 also.
His demise was condoled by J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, Union home minister Rajnath Singh, former State chief minister Omar Abdullah, Editors Guild of India, Press Club of India, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Press Club of Jammu with many other individuals and organizations.
“As everyone in Muslim world was waiting for Eid after the end of holy Ramzan month, Shujaat’s killing is so painful. We urge the authority to leave no stone unturned to punish the perpetrators,” said a statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria adding that the media fraternity across the country must stand united to raise voices for justice to the brave heart.
India earlier witnessed the suspected murder of three scribes. Navin Nischal and Vijay Singh of Bihar were hit by a vehicle in the evening hours of 25 March, where both of them died on their way to the
hospital. Next morning, Madhya Pradesh based journalist Sandeep Sharma was deliberately mowed down by a truck. The year 2017 reported the killing of 12 journalists in the country including two casualties in Tripura.