Situation of Indian Occupied Kashmir as

reported by “USA TODAY”

Kashmir insurgency is one of the longest running conflicts in the world. Kashmir
has been at crossroads in relations between India and Pakistan since their
independence from British rule in 1947. The two sides fought a bitter battle till
the declaration of a United Nations sponsored ceasefire on January 1, 1949. The
ceasefire line was declared the Line of Control (LoC) between the two nations and
it has remained as such till this day. India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in full but
rule it in part. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two of their three wars
over the disputed territory. A rebellion in Indian-administered Kashmir has been
ongoing for 30 years.

The Indian government revoked the special status accorded to Indian-

administered Kashmir in its constitution, the most far-reaching political move on
the disputed region in nearly 70 years. A presidential decree issued on August 5
revoked Article 370 of India's constitution that guaranteed special rights to the
Muslim-majority state, including the right to its own constitution and autonomy
to make laws on all matters except defence, communications and foreign affairs.
In the lead-up to the move, India sent thousands of additional troops to the
disputed region, imposed a crippling curfew, shut down telecommunications and
internet, and arrested political leaders.
Since a decision by the Indian government to revoke Kashmir's autonomy on
August 5, the people of this mainly Muslim state have been cut off from the rest
of the world. Curfews have been in effect day and night, communications remain
disrupted and travel is restricted. In addition to the curfew and lack of access to
the Internet, some Kashmiris say they now face food shortages, as shops remain
shuttered and roadblocks impede travel. While residents without government-
issued passes are forbidden to leave their homes, many still wait in hope to hear
news of their loved ones.
Since that, India has deployed tens of thousands of paramilitaries to secure
Kashmir, one of the most militarised regions in the world, where nearly half a
million troops from India’s security forces are already stationed. A fear of
demonstrations by Kashmiris has prompted Indian authorities to arrest some
4,000 people within weeks, who under the controversial Public Security Act can
be imprisoned for up to two years without charge or trial. Children as young as
nine have been arrested, protests and tear gas, allegations of torture, businesses
shut and no mobiles or internet: It has now been two months of misery in the
Kashmir valley. India imposed a complete shutdown of the internet, cell phones,
and landlines in Kashmir, rendering the region a communication vacuum. It is the
most complete blackout in Kashmir’s history, and it continues today.

The United Nations human rights chief voiced alarm over the situation in Kashmir,
pointing among other things to "restrictions on internet communications and
peaceful assembly, and the detention of local political leaders and activists".

"I am deeply concerned about the impact of recent actions by the government of
India on the human rights of Kashmiris," Michelle Bachelet said in her opening
statement to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) in Geneva.
International media also raised concerns over conflicting reports of Indian media
Occupied Kashmir's situation. In an analysis, international news network “USA
TODAY” said situation on ground in Occupied Kashmir is very different but Indian
news outlets describe it as one of normalcy and insist there is little resistance. In a
special feature report, “USA TODAY” has revealed that not only is India keeping
the disputed territory of Kashmir under severe restrictions but is also resorting to
inhuman treatment of Kashmiri people. The report by USA TODAY`s
correspondent in the territory gives accounts of severe torture of Kashmiris under
detention of Indian forces. The report notes that the brutalities of Indian forces
and gross human rights violations have also been noted by International Rights
bodies.
In Large Part, International News Coverage has failed to provide a more nuanced
picture of Kashmir because India has made the story about fighting “terrorism.”
India has long accused Pakistan of spreading militancy in Kashmir, but after 2001,
when the United States declared a Global War on Terror, India was able to cast
separatists as “terrorists” and frame Kashmir’s struggle for self-determination as
“terrorism.” Though India and the US decried the Pulwama incident as a “terror
attack,” the bombing targeted Indian soldiers, not civilians. India maintains
500,000 troops in the region, making Kashmir the most militarized place in the
world. Since 2016, when Indian forces killed a prominent separatist leader and
mass protests erupted, almost a thousand people-civilians, as well as armed
forces; have lost their lives. More than six thousand people have been injured or
blinded by pellet-firing shotguns. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition
of Civil Society, based in Srinagar, the capital, 586 people died in 2018, including
160 civilians, making it the deadliest year in a decade. Last year, for the first time,
the UN released a human rights report on Kashmir; it condemned Pakistan and
India’s excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and lack of
investigation into these matters.