3 photojournalists in J&K win Pulitzer Prize in feature photography

Srinagar:Three photojournalists, including two from Kashmir and one from Jammu, have won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in feature photography.

Associated Press photographers Dar Yasin, Mukhtar Khan and Channi Anand have been awarded Pulitzer Prize for their work during the shutdown in J&K following abrogation of Article 370 in August last year.

Yasin and Khan are residents of Srinagar in Kashmir while Anand lives in Jammu.Meanwhile, congratulatory messages are pouring in for the three photojournalists since the news the award came.

Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah, while congratulating the photojournalists, said it has been a difficult year for journalists in Kashmir and that's saying something considering the last 30 years haven't exactly been easy. 

"Congratulations to @daryasin, @muukhtark_khan & @channiap on this prestigious award. More power to your cameras," Mr Abdullah, who is Vice President of National Conference (NC), wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.

Congratulating the scribes, Iltija Mufti, daughter of former J&K chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, said that 'journalists win accolades abroad but are punished under draconian laws on home turf'.

"Congratulations @daryasin @muukhtark_khan for your exemplary photography capturing the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir post illegal abrogation of Article 370. Bizarre that our journalists win accolades abroad but are punished under draconian laws on home turf," Miss Mufti, who is handling the twitter handle of her mother, tweeted.

The journalist fraternity has also hailed the first Pulitzer winners from Jammu and Kashmir.(UNI)