Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor

nayeema-ahmad-majhoorPolitics, it seems, is fast becoming the last refuge of many people in Kashmir. An apparent observation goes that these people are either done with their previous engagements or just jump into politics for seeking a change.

On Friday, bureaucratization of politics was spared when a former media person picked politics as her second stint instead of a ‘worn out’ bureaucrat.

Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor, a noted media person from Kashmir surprised many in the valley by joining Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The entry of the author of ‘Dahshat Zaadi’ into PDP was announced by PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at his Gupkar residence in her presence.

“We need more right-thinking people to join politics,” Mufti said on the occasion. “This is a good beginning.”

Mehjoor, who is a former producer of BBC Urdu Service, has formerly worked with Radio Kashmir. She is the second ‘Shaherbeen’ broadcaster after Basharat Bukhari, who joined PDP.

Previously, Mehjoor was in news for her post on social networking site Facebook. Later, Police filed an FIR against her for opining her views on Facebook regarding a killing in Srinagar on June 2011. Police said she was ‘inciting violence on Facebook.’ She was booked under Section 66 IT in Kothibagh police station.

The decision was made public soon after police claimed to have solved the Lal Chowk killing case by arresting three accused and recovered weapon of offence from them.

“She was spreading disaffection as she had claimed that the shooting at Lal Chowk on June 6 was carried out by the police,” SM Sahai, then IGP Kashmir was quoted as saying.

While writing her views on Facebook on June 6 at 6:48 pm, Mehjoor had wrote, “Why did police kill this man in Lalchowk? any reason?”

Later in her defence, she said: “I didn’t blame police on Facebook, but quoted some media reports as why police will kill the businessman. Police should have looked into what I had written on Facebook and then reacted.”

It was the first time that police had gone after a high profile person for updating Facebook status.

“I wish this was in Kashmir I would have made my motherland a real paradise and a big seat of learning journalism,” Mehjoor once said while recollecting her experience at BBC.

But as she chose to be the part of politics now, her wishful paradise, it seems, has already been redefined!

-Bilal Handoo 

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