16 December 2020
Author: Ayesha Ray, King’s College, Pennsylvania
Close to a year-and-a-half since the revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy on 5 August 2019, India continues to smother Kashmir under repression. Severe restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic including the termination of internet and communications displayed disregard for basic humanity by the world’s largest democracy.
Although the government has released a significant number of Kashmiris, 400 remain in custody under the Public Safety Act that allows individuals to be detained for two years without trial. Kashmiri journalists who are critical of the government’s clampdown on freedom of speech and movement are routinely detained, harassed and silenced in what is a chapter straight out of an authoritarian playbook.