SRINAGAR: The year 2023 continued to bring disturbing reports of violence and surveillance in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to an annual review of the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, drafted by the advocacy group Legal Forum for Kashmir (LFK), there were a total of 248 killings in the region during the year 2023, a staggering figure that encompasses various aspects of the region’s complex dynamics. These included 82 militants, 66 extrajudicial killings of civilians and 100 members of the armed forces.
No fewer than 231 people were arrested under the Public Security Act (PSA) during the year, raising questions about the application and abuse of this law in the region. The crackdown is indicative of the challenges faced by those seeking justice and accountability.
According to a latest report by Polis Project, 408 individuals detained under PSA are currently held in jails outside Jammu and Kashmir. The PSA grants authorities the power to detain any citizen for a period of up to two years with no trial or formal charges.
Central to the ongoing crisis has been the extensive military operations in the region. The report claims that a staggering 260 Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) and Cordon and Destroy Operations (CADOs) were carried out by the security forces. These operations have not only cost lives but have also led to the destruction of 138 civilian properties and devastated local communities.
The central government also deployed nearly 10,000 new soldiers, including 140 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), which also includes the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Surveillance and Seizure
In another disturbing move, ostensibly aimed at improving access to welfare benefits, the government introduced a controversial “family identity card” scheme. While the ruling BJP welcomed it, it was criticised by other parties concerned about the security of personal data and undue surveillance.
The “JK Family ID” programme has parallels with Israel’s “Blue Wolf” surveillance database in the Palestinian West Bank and raises fears about the impact on residents’ privacy and freedom.
In addition to surveillance concerns, police have been granted unrestricted access to monitor social media accounts, ostensibly to track anti-India activity. This collaboration with major social media platforms, including WhatsApp, X, Snapchat, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok, is a serious violation of privacy and casts a shadow on the rights of civilians.
The indiscriminate application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has blurred the line between political dissent and criminal activity. While this law is intended to combat terrorism, it has been criticised for effectively criminalising voices and actions of dissent. The arrest of senior Hurriyat leader Masroor Abbas Ansari and other activists under the UAPA is an example of this trend that suppresses political expression.
Academic freedom also suffered a blow when Kashmiri lecturer Zahoor Ahmad Bhat was suspended for testifying in the Supreme Court of India against the government’s revocation of Article 370. The burden placed on Bhat to prove the legality of his suspension is a cause of concern for freedom of expression.
According to the report, 12 employees were also dismissed in 2023 and 14 properties were seized at various places. The land measuring over 4,000 canals of land was seized in Kupwara in north Kashmir in the name of ‘recovery of government land’. In contrast, 938 kanals were seized in Ganderbal district in central Kashmir, adding to the growing concerns over land grabbing and violation of property rights.
With the seizure of thousands of agricultural and non-agricultural canals, it became clear that the authorities had identified vast tracts of land as “occupied’ by residents who were rightful owners under various laws and ordinances. This land grab has further exacerbated tensions in the region.
Ordeal for media
In addition, the cancellation of a media award given to Kashmiri journalist Safina Nabi from the Maharashtra Institute of Technology-World Peace University (MIT-WPU) raises questions about the suppression of dissent, allegedly under pressure from right-wing political groups.
The report points out that manipulation of the media landscape in Kashmir is perhaps one of the most insidious tactics employed by the authorities. The government has deployed embedded journalists who pose as independent voices while covertly pushing the occupiers’ agenda.
The once-diverse media landscape in Kashmir has become a battleground where the truth is struggling to emerge from the fog of manipulation.
The ordeal of a Kashmiri journalist, labelled as ‘self-proclaimed’ and blacklisted on Facebook after filing an RTI complaint, is an example of the challenges faced by media professionals.
The loss of credibility of local newspapers and their transformation into mouthpieces for state advertising and propaganda underlines the worrying state of press freedom.
In the face of these growing challenges, Kashmir remains a region where pursuing human rights and justice remains a persistent and arduous struggle.
The year 2023 is a stark reminder of the need for international attention and action to address the multiple issues plaguing this picturesque yet troubled land.
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