Abandoned

Because of a large number of restrictions imposed on the Kashmiri people by the Indian administration, the anti-India sentiment runs deep in the valley and a majority of the people favours independence or a merger with Pakistan. Protests and rallies on a daily basis are a part of the Kashmir Liberation movement. Recently, a one-month ban on 22 social media websites including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Snapchat was imposed in the valley. The state government said the services were being misused by ‘anti-government elements’ to incite violence.

The gruesome human rights violation in Kashmir is no secret, still the Indian administration, in order to hide the oppression of Kashmiris, have banned these websites so that its atrocities remain hidden. This ban in Indian-held Kashmir has unveiled the violation of the basic human right of ‘freedom of expression’. There is no logic in banning the use of social media in the valley, except for suppressing the voice of the Kashmiri people and preventing any further uprising.

Hadiqa Mahboob

Lahore