The Central government’s attempt to control the narrative by using communication as warfare in Jammu & Kashmir is detrimental to the foundations of a democracy, said Geeta Seshu, the author of a report on the information blockade in the Union Territory. The report, along with two others on the subject, was released recently at a public meeting by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Dadar.
The meeting, organised to discuss ground reports of the turbulent situation in Kashmir, highlighted key findings of three reports that focused on the violation of human rights in the Valley and demanded before the government to restore peace.
‘Media silenced’
The event was called ‘Besieged: Human Rights in Kashmir’ and addressed the effects that the scrapping of Article 370 had on the people of Kashmir, based on the findings of deputations from PUCL, the Free Speech Collective and Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) that visited the valley between September and October. The three reports are titled, ‘News Behind the Barbed Wire: Kashmir’s Information Blockade’, ‘Kashmir’s Civil Disobedience’ and ‘Imprisoned Resistance: 5th August and its aftermath’.
“The media in Kashmir has been silenced and the newspapers have had to print frivolous things like relationship problems even though they would much rather print nothing at all. But as a matter of survival and constant surveillance, they cannot so blatantly display dissent,” said Ms. Seshu, an author of the first report.
The second report focused on the mental health of people in Kashmir. It said the number of people smoking in the Valley has increased. So have rates of depression, anxiety and sleep deprivation. Brinelle D’Souza, one of its authors, said, “When we spoke to the people, they told us they felt like they were living in lapsed time, deprived of communication. There is limited access to mental and physical health facilities and it will be no surprise if the rates of post-traumatic stress disorder have drastically shot up in the past few months.”
The final report, presented by advocate Lara Jesani, focused on the access to justice that people had and the status of judicial and quasi-judicial institutions in Kashmir. “A facade of normalcy has been force-fed to us. The atmosphere in the courts is not one where a lawyer can freely practice. There are recurring night raids, where Army jawans come in drunk, pick up men, torture them, destroy property and molest women,” Ms. Jesani said. The testimonies of women are recorded in the report.
Arbitrary detentions
She also talked about men and minors being arbitrarily detained and if they get reported, the unofficial detention turns into an arrest under the draconian Public Safety Act or the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Mohammed Yunus, a Kashmiri poet and lyricist, spoke about the impact the conflict had on him. “I have lived in a state of conflict all my life, but never have I experienced a communication blockade. On the 5th of August, my identity was stripped off me and I felt naked and mocked at. I could not speak to my mother for 85 days, someone who used to call me every single day of my life. It is time to speak up and understand Kashmir through a human prism,” he said.
The organisation demanded the restoration of Article 370 as well as of communication and flow of information, withdrawal of military and paramilitary forces from civilian areas and consultation with the people of Kashmir to determine the future of their territory.
