Around 300 Kashmiri journalists crowded into the only building in the north Indian state that can access the internet during an ongoing blackout put on by the government.

The Media Facilitation Centre in Srinagar operates only nine computers for reporters from across the state to work with, who each are only allow 30 minutes of internet access to manage their work.

Footage filmed on January 3 shows soldiers shoving people outside the building, while the interior is crowded with journalists waiting on computer access.

Some reporters in remote locations have even resorted to sending reports via pen drive to this building in order to have them published online.

The state of Kashmir was put under internet blackout on August 5, 2019 following a controversial bill that revoked the state's autonomy.

Firdous Qadri, a photojournalist based in Srinagar commented: "It's unfortunate that the authorities are barring journalists from performing their activities,"

Kashmiri journalists are sad of internet's ' begging-demand' 300 journalists are working on 09 computer in Srinagar Media Facilitation Centre and only place in Kashmir reporters can access internet

Fridous Qadri Photojournalist baswd in Srinagar said "It's unfortunate that the authorities are barring journalists from performing their activities,"
Reporters, who have been queuing up here for hours to file stories for the past five months, this move very unfortunate and irresponsible.

For the past five months, reporters across Kashmir have had to rely on the internet provided by the government at this centre. Reporters have to wait hours in queue to send their photos or stories to their respective organisations or send it forward via pen drives. They aren't allowed to use the internet for more than a half hour. The centre was initially at the Hotel Sarovar, near UN office, but was shifted to a small, single room in the Department of Information and Public Relations in Srinagar.