Journos tear into J&K normality claim

SRINAGAR: Rohit Kansal, a senior Jammu and Kashmir government official who has otherwise been known in media circles for his temperate conduct and splendid articulation, on Tuesday, however, had to go through a tough time.

As Mr Kansal, while speaking at the daily briefing as the spokesman of the government, sought to paint a rosy picture of the ground situation in the state, he was confronted by mediapersons with a barrage of questions contradicting his claims.

Mr Kansal was questioned mainly on the claims that he made on behalf of the government about the improvement in phone connectivity and attendance of students in primary schools which were thrown open in Kashmir Valley on Monday apparently to fling it as a sign of return of normalcy.

He was told that hardly any students turned up at these schools on Tuesday as was the case the previous day for the parents are scared to send their wards out in the prevailing circumstances. Responding to his claim that “lot of parents” have approached the government with the request to reopen the schools, he was asked how could they do it when the Valley barring a few areas of Srinagar continued to reel under complete communication blockade.

Mr Kansal who is J&K’s principal secretary (planning and development), however, sought to dismiss the query by saying “The communication blockade doesn’t prevent you and me from talking to each other. It doesn’t prevent parents from talking to us.”

He was also told that the landline phone service in select Srinagar areas was withdrawn within a couple of hours of these being restored on Monday morning. He was asked tough questions also on a host of other issues including the government’s silence on continued suspension of mobile and internet services, the number of arrests the police have made during past two weeks and the large-scale difficulties people are facing due to continued lockdown.

When a reporter asked him if mediapersons should rely on him being as a “reliable source of information” as what they see on ground and hear from people is in quite contrast to what was being claimed by him as the government spokesman, Kansal quipped “I’m not claiming to be the ultimate source of either information or wisdom but, you know, I’m here to tell you what I know and, of course, you are free to cross-check and take whatever decisions you want to”.