Journalists detained for exposing illegal Chinar trees felling in IIOJK
Srinagar: Authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have arbitrarily detained at least three journalists for exposing the felling of centuries-old Chinar trees in Islamabad district, triggering outrage over press freedom and environmental destruction.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Chinars, deeply woven into Kashmir’s cultural and ecological identity, are protected under the Jammu and Kashmir Preservation of Specified Trees Act, 1969. However, several of these majestic trees were illegally cut down in Rani Bag area of Islamabad district, prompting local journalists to report on the environmental vandalism, only to face police reprisals.
A report carried by Indian news portal The Wire revealed that the authorities detained the journalists for three days before releasing them with a warning. Their names of the detained journalists were withheld.
The crackdown drew sharp criticism in the IIOJK legislative assembly. National Conference leader and MLA Bashir Ahmad Veeri condemned the detentions, arguing that instead of holding the culprits accountable, the administration targeted journalists for exposing the crime. He urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to ensure press freedom in Kashmir.
Public anger over the felling of Chinar trees has been mounting, with calls for a high-level probe. Veeri urged the New Delhi-based National Green Tribunal to take immediate cognizance, while Peoples Democratic Party leader Iltija Mufti slammed the administration for its inaction, calling the incident “infuriating and puzzling.”
In a statement, the Srinagar-based Environmental Policy Group (EPG), a civil society formulation, had criticised the administration for the wanton felling of Chinar trees across Kashmir, noting that these trees hold “immense historical, cultural and ecological value”. “Their destruction represents a blatant violation of the laws established to protect such heritage and a grave injustice to the legacy of Kashmir,” EPG convener Faiz Bakshi in a statement said, adding that there was insensitivity towards the Chinar trees among authorities. “It is highly alarming that this incident [in Rani Bagh] is not isolated. Recent infrastructure development projects … saw the uprooting of over 100 Chinar trees. Earlier also EPG protested the cutting of Chinar trees,” the group said.
Writer and environmental activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat also condemned the administration for felling the trees.
The crisis underscores the alarming decline in Kashmir’s Chinar population. Once numbering between 42,000 and 45,000, recent studies by the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Research Institute reveal a steep drop to just 28,500. KMS-7S
