The people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) continue to endure profound suffering, with their plight exacerbated by the increasingly stringent measures imposed by the Indian government, particularly following the revocation of Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019. This protracted suppression has largely unfolded amidst a distressing atmosphere of “forced silence,” revealing the ongoing turmoil in the region, which India forcibly entered on October 27, 1947.
A recent report by the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) highlights the dire circumstances faced by the Kashmiri population, emphasizing that “forced silence” represents one of the gravest dangers they currently confront. The report notes that indigenous residents are living under pervasive surveillance, with the Indian authorities employing phone-cracking tools and monitoring techniques that raise serious concerns about privacy. The report also reveals that many Kashmiris have been unfairly branded as “rabid fanatics” by the Hindu supremacist government, which has taken pride in subjecting them to humiliation and torture. Individuals are being denied the right to express themselves, and even journalists, civil society activists, and ordinary citizens have been taken into custody for simply sharing their opinions on social media.
Furthermore, mainstream media has been denied editorial freedom and is not allowed to report on the ground reality. Instead, the Indian government promotes a false narrative with the assistance of government-controlled media outlets. Ordinary citizens’ social media accounts on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have been persistently censored since August 2019 to ensure that no dissenting voices are heard.
In a further escalation of the crackdown on Kashmiri dissent, the report notes that Indian authorities have suspended the passports of around 200 Kashmiris, including students, lawyers, and journalists. These individuals were deemed “national security threats” and had their passports impounded. Meanwhile, a significant number of Kashmiri detainees who were arrested before and after August 2019 remain incarcerated in jails located thousands of miles away from their homes.
Prominent figures in the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), human rights defenders, civil society activists, and even journalists have been subjected to repressive measures, including being booked under laws such as the Public Safety Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). This widespread crackdown on voices critical of the Indian state and its military actions prompted sixteen internationally recognized human rights organizations to call upon Indian authorities to immediately cease reprisals against civil society activists and human rights defenders in Kashmir.
