Censorship in Kashmir
Censorship in Kashmir involves the censorship of both news media and social media as part of the Kashmir conflict.
According to the Software Freedom Law Center, the internet in Kashmir was blocked at least 31 times from 2012 to 2016.[1]
2010 protest censorship
A protest reportedly took place in the
July 2016 media outlet ban
The ban of media in 2016 in Kashmir began 10 days after the killing of Burhan Wani, a popular rebel group leader in Kashmir. Protests against the killing of Wani broke out in the streets as young Kashmiris attacked the police.[5] Wani was a social-media-savvy insurgent who affected the lives of the majority of Kashmiris, requesting them to follow his path through social media and newspaper posts. These protests led to more than 33 deaths and hundreds being severely injured. The riots and protests got so unruly that the government decided to impose serious actions on the media while they struggled to bring the situation under control. The government decided to shut down cable TV operators and private cellphone services, as well as banning daily newspapers. The government called this an ‘information blockade’ as they believed that young and emotion lot of people out on the streets that are surcharged by certain media publications.[clarification needed] The newspapers refrain from publishing content deemed inappropriate by the government but this was the first time there was a ban imposed on the newspapers. Police officials and security forces raided printing presses and seized copies of newspapers. The ban lasted for over a week in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.[6]
April 2017 social media ban
In April 2017, the authorities in
Censorship on Facebook
Several newspapers and magazines, such as Free Press Kashmir, Wande Magazine, and Lost Kashmir History, have been censored on Facebook.[9] On 20 August 2023, News outlet The Kashmir Walla's facebook account was removed.[10]
Censorship on X
Independent news outlet, The Kashmir walla's X (formerly twitter) account was censored, on 20 August 2023[10]
2019-20 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown
On August 5, 2019, a security lockdown and communications blackout was imposed to prevent protests during which thousands of people, mostly young men, have been illegally detained in Jammu and Kashmir.[11][12][13]
The lockdown started on 5 August 2019 following
According to a September 6 report of the Indian government, nearly 4,000 people have been arrested and detained in the disputed region. Among those arrested were more than 200 politicians, including two former
The lockdown ended with the resumption of all communication services, allowing 4G and 3G Internet services, in early February 2021.[18]
Censorship on internet
Censorship on internet refers to the restrictions on telecommunication such as
Later development
High-speed cellular internet has been restored across the UT since February 2021.[18]
References
- ^ "India: Kashmir social media ban criticised". BBC News.
- ^ "Protests in Indian Kashmir". The economist. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^ "Curbs on media in Kashmir Valley". The Hindu. 10 June 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ Magnier, Mark (8 July 2010). "Kashmir violence: A beating to go with the tea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
- ^ Bhat, Aamir Ali. "A year of death, destruction and censorship in Kashmir". alaraby. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
- ^ Lakshmi, Rema (18 July 2016). "Authorities in India shut down newspapers in strife-torn Kashmir". Washington Post.
- ^ "Frustrations grow over social media ban in Kashmir". USA TODAY. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
- ^ "Facebook, Twitter, other social media banned in Kashmir". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
- ^ "Kashmir: A Hub of Media Censorship". News Click.
- ^ a b Scroll Staff (20 August 2023). "Centre blocks 'The Kashmir Walla' website and its social media accounts without serving notice". Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ "At Least 2,300 People Have Been Detained During the Lockdown in Kashmir". Time. 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019.
- ^ "Kashmir city on lockdown after calls for protest march". The Guardian. 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Inside Kashmir's lockdown: 'Even I will pick up a gun'". BBC. 10 August 2019.
- ^ "Restrictions eased as Kashmir enters Day 22 of lockdown". The Economic Times. 26 August 2019. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ "No respite in sight as J&K lockdown enters 25th day". The Asian Age. 30 August 2019.
- ^ "US Senator Barred From Kashmir as Lockdown Enters 3rd Month". Voice of America. 5 October 2019.
- ^ "Thousands detained in Indian Kashmir crackdown, official data reveals". Reuters. 12 September 2019.
- ^ a b As 4G is restored in Jammu & Kashmir, Centre plans another trip for foreign envoys | India News | Zee News
- ^ "2G mobile internet services to be restored in Kashmir from midnight". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Kashmir survived without 4G internet for months, with coronavirus, it really needs it".
- ^ "Doctors Write Open Letter to PM Modi on 4G Access for Jammu and Kashmir". The Wire. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ "Amnesty International asks govt to restore 4G services in Kashmir".
- ^ "Mitigate risks of Covid-19 for Jammu and Kashmir by immediately restoring full access to internet services".
- ^ "'We'll die like cattle': Kashmiris fear coronavirus outbreak | Kashmir News News | al Jazeera".
- ^ "Restore 4G net services in J&K to fight coronavirus: Amnesty International". 19 March 2020.
- ^ "4G Internet Services in UT of Jammu and Kashmir". One Law Street. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
Further reading
- Media in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Seshu, Geeta, 'Kashmir Media Policy: Accentuating the Curbs on the Freedom of Press', "Economic and Political Weekly", Engage Series (Aug 19, 2020).
- Amin, Khalid, 'Censorship, Corruption and Surveillance in Art: A Case Study of Kashmiri Theatre', The Literary Herald:, 3.4 (December 2017), 273–79.
- Hashim, Irfan, Freedom of Speech and Journalism in Kashmir (LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2013), ISBN 978-3659398452
- Joseph, Teresa, 'Kashmir, human rights and the Indian press', Contemporary South Asia, 9 (2000), 41–55, .
- Navlakha, Gautam, Rita Manchanda and Tapan K. Bose, 'Political Situation in Kashmir: Duped by Media and Government', Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 31, no. 29 (July 20, 1996), 1927–31.
- Noorani, A. G., 'Academic Freedom in Kashmir and Elsewhere', Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 42, no. 36 (September 8–14, 2007), pp. 3600–3602.
- Puri, Balraj, Kashmir: insurgency and after (Orient Longman, 2008), pp. 70–77.