India Bars Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri Journalist From Travelling To US To Receive Award

NEW DELHI, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- Indian authorities have stopped a Pulitzer prize-winning Kashmiri photojournalist from travelling to the United States. Sanna Irshad Mattoo said she was barred from boarding her flight at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday. "I was on my way to receive the Pulitzer award in New York but I was stopped at immigration at Delhi airport and barred from travelling internationally despite holding a valid US visa and ticket," she said on Tuesday. "This is the second time I have been stopped from travelling abroad without reason or cause. Despite reaching out to several officials after what happened few months ago, I never received any response. Being able to attend the award ceremony was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me," Sanna wrote on social media. The 28-year-old who was awarded the Pulitzer prize for feature photography for her coverage of the coronavirus pandemic for Reuters, was scheduled to fly to New York on Monday. In July, she said she was stopped by immigration authorities at the Delhi airport from travelling to Paris to participate in a photography exhibition. Sanna said at that time she was not given a reason but told that she would not be able to travel abroad. -- BERNAMA