The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and journalists for press freedom, today called on the Indian government to end the intimidation and harassment of journalists and to restore full internet and social media access in Jammu and Kashmir.
Press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir is under serious threat from the security forces and the regional administration since August, after the central government revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which had guaranteed the territory’s autonomy.
“Journalism in Jammu and Kashmir is under a dramatic state of repression”, IPI Director of Advocacy Ravi R. Prasad said. “The state is using a mix of harassment, intimidation, surveillance and online information control to silence critical voices and force journalists to resort to self-censorship.”
The deeply troubling situation in Kashmir is the subject of a new IPI special report, which exposes and details the severe restrictions India has imposed in the territory and their impact on journalism and the free flow of information. The report reflects numerous interviews conducted with journalists in the region, several of whom agreed to speak with IPI only on the condition of anonymity.
After revoking Article 370, the government shut down telephone and internet services in the Kashmir valley. Security forces began questioning journalists about their sources when they reported on matters that the government found inconvenient. While telephone service has since been restored, the government allowed 2G internet service after six months but imposed restrictions on access to social media as all as the use of VPN.
In the absence of fast internet access, journalists working for media outlets based outside Srinagar, the summer capital of the region, are forced to file their reports from a government-run Media Facilitation Centre. Many journalists avoid using the centre, as they suspect that their emails would be monitored and some journalists have been stopped for entering the facility.
Meanwhile, the government has filed hundreds of cases against unnamed people for using VPN to access social media sites, whom officials accuse of “misusing social media to propagate unlawful activities and secessionist ideology”.
The government has made all efforts to stop free flow of information from the region by intimidating journalists and interrupting freedom of expression by restricting access to social media.
“We urge the Indian government to remove all restrictions that impinge upon press freedom and freedom of expression in Jammu and Kashmir, and to ensure that security forces cease all harassment of journalists”, Prasad said. “As the world’s largest democracy, it is India’s duty to uphold all democratic principles and allow a free media to flourish in all parts of the country.”
