Kashmir: Indian officials have imposed restrictions on a Kashmir-based online news platform, deepening concerns regarding press freedom in the contested region since its governance was transitioned to direct oversight from New Delhi.
Numerous human rights entities and journalistic institutions have expressed their apprehensions about the curtailment of journalistic liberties in Kashmir, especially following the decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration to revoke the region’s semi-autonomous status and reclassify it as a directly administered federal territory in August 2019.
The Kashmir Walla, a prominent independent news portal headquartered in Srinagar, disclosed that its website and associated social media channels were abruptly inaccessible within India over the past weekend. Their statement detailed their shock on August 19, 2023, when they discerned the unavailability of their platforms. Subsequent interactions with their hosting provider elucidated that the blackout had been orchestrated by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Users within the nation’s borders were greeted with notifications stating the account had been restrained due to legal directives.
Yashraj Sharma, the interim editor of the news outlet, voiced frustration over the opaque nature of the blockade, stating they received no official notification or rationale behind the government’s decision. Their grievances intensified when they observed the deletion of their Facebook page, which had amassed nearly 500,000 followers.
This restriction follows an incident from 18 months prior when the platform’s founding editor, Fahad Shah, was detained on accusations of “promoting terrorism” and disseminating misleading information following his violent encounter report. Despite several charges, including one stemming from an op-ed published over a decade ago, Shah remains in detention.
The grounds for his extended incarceration are under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), allowing law enforcement broad leeway in detaining and investigating individuals without immediate judicial oversight. The government has yet to officially comment on these events.