International committees have expressed their concerns over the prolonged restrictions that persist in Jammu Kashmir since last year and now amid the pandemic.
New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently gave a statement stating, “The government’s (Indian government’s) unwarranted restraints on the rights to free speech, access to information, health care, and education have been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 3, 2020, the authorities issued an order restricting movement for two days to prevent “violent protests” against last year’s decision to revoke constitutional autonomy.”
South Asia director of HRW, Meenakshi Ganguly said that “Indian government claims that it (abrogation of Article 370) was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status. The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights.”
The HRW report recorded the arrests of the three former Chief Minister along with other prominent political leaders of J&K who were slapped with Public Safety Act (PSA), 114 children who were taken into custody, some journalists, and other civilians who were detained.
According to the Jammu Kashmir Coalition Civil Society, most of the detainees have been released and only over 400 people continue to remain into custody.
The HRW report also recorded this year’s new arrests and happenings. The report stated the use of sedition laws against critics. It recorded various journalists like Gowhar Geelani, Peerzada Ashiq, and photojournalist Masarat Zehra being investigated by police because of their social media posts.
HRW report mentioned, The Kashmiriyat’s editor Qazi Shibli’s detention on 31st July 2020, noting his previous detention under the Public Safety Act for nine months.
The HWR spoke about how after the announcement of new media policy in Jammu Kashmir, authorities have direct control over media and have the decision making power of fake news, plagiarism, unethical or anti-national activities, and of taking actions against any media organization, journalist, and editors if they don’t follow their norms.
Although, the HRW report did state how according to the international law restrictions on freedom of expression are necessary for a legitimate purpose, such as the protection of national security, public health, or the rights of others, and strictly proportionate to achieve that end.
HRW said that The Kashmir Chamber of commerce and Industries estimated the first three months lockdown in 2019, to prevent protests since this abrogation, cost the economy over $2.4 billion USD. HRW also reported how last year’s lockdown and this year restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 since March have affected people in Kashmir badly costing their livelihood.
The HRW mentioned how slow internet is another problem that is affecting the economy very badly, especially in these times when the internet is important to keep tabs on COVID-19 Jammu Kashmir suffers.
Doctors have complained that the lack of internet was hurting the Covid-19 response, they said, “It is a new virus – research, studies, guidelines, and updates are changing every other day. The internet helps doctors to keep a tab on developments around the world, but we cannot access video lectures or other information in the absence of high-speed internet,” HRW recorded.
Further talking about slow internet, “The impact on education has been particularly severe,” the Human Rights Forum for Jammu Kashmir noted in its report on human rights violation since August 2019, saying that since the lockdown to contain Covid-19, limiting of networks to 2G has made it impossible for online classes to function adequately. Graduate students and teachers have been unable to participate in conferences or have their papers published, causing willful harm to their careers and violating the rights to education”. These statements were too recorded in the HRW report.
“Indian authorities should take immediate steps to protect rights by releasing political detainees; upholding the right to free speech, including withdrawing cases against journalists and activists; restoring full internet access; and holding to account officials responsible for rights violations”, South Asia director of HRW, Ganguly, said.
“Even as the pandemic is forcing the world to address discrimination and inequality, the Indian government is persisting with its repression of Kashmiri Muslims,” South Asia director of HRW, Ganguly, further stated.
“The government should reverse its abusive policies and provide remedies for those whose rights were violated,” he added.
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