The issue of 10-day-old unrest in Kashmir resonated in Rajya Sabha on the opening day of the Monsoon session, with the House taking up urgent discussion during which the opposition slammed the government and pressed for holding an all-party meet while pitching for a political solution rather than using “barrel of the gun”.
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Authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir seized newspapers and shut down cable television on Saturday, aiming to quell a flare up of tensions in the region after violent protests over the killing of a separatist commander by security forces.
State government spokesman and Education Minister Nayeem Akhtar said the information blackout was aimed at “saving lives and strengthening peace efforts”.
While asserting that the government had sensitivity towards the people, the Home Minister said: “If someone celebrates after security force personnel are killed, will that be called humanity?”
With curfew continuing for the ninth day today, people in the Kashmir valley are facing shortage of food and essentials, including medicines. Shops, businesses, banks, private and government offices remained closed.
Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, is divided evenly between India and Pakistan, but both claim it in its entirety. Numerous injured people are in critical state.
More than 70,000 people have reportedly been killed in the conflict so far, majority in Indian Armed force’s counter-insurgency operations. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since British colonialists left the Indian subcontinent in 1947.
Publications including Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Daily Kashmir Images, Kashmir Observer and Kashmir Reader have been affected making it harder to access current and accurate information.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has said he was shocked by the killing of Wani and the civilians. ‘CURFEW PUTTING PATIENTS AT RISK’ The Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) said that strict restriction on movement is putting patients at risk.
State government officials said newspaper owners were asked to suspend publications till July 19.
“Rock-throwing at demonstrations is serious but does not provide police with a free pass to use force against protesters”, Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said. Though no formal gag order was issued, the authorities had privately justified the curbs saying these were unavoidable in order to discourage “rumour-mongering” which, they insisted, was “adding fuel to the fire”.
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Editors and journalists held a protest march in Srinagar late Saturday, carrying placards reading “Stop censorship” and “We want freedom of speech”. But Abdul Rashid Mukhdoomi, printer and publisher of Greater Kashmir, said he was meeting other publishers to decide whether to resume publication under the curfew. Doctors in the region say hospitals are brimming with people that have been hit by rubber pellets.
