War on Truth: How Kashmir Struggles for Freedom of Press

Robert Fantina

On the first anniversary of the Indian crackdown on Kashmir, the repercussions for the Kashmiri people are dire. It is said that in time of war, the first casualty is truth. And while India has not declared war on Kashmir, it’s brutal repression of that country and its people has caused that ‘first casualty’ to occur.

A free press and free speech are two hallmarks of any democracy and are the major way for people to peacefully initiate governmental change. Thanks to the Indian government, both are in short supply for Kashmiris. Journalists within Kashmir have a very difficult time reporting. They are often summoned by the police and asked about their work. This tactic of intimidation can’t help but dampen news reported both within and outside of Kashmir. David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, commented in 2019 that “Press freedom is often taken for granted in countries where it exists, and is often not considered a priority in countries where it has never existed.” While it did exist in Kashmir, it clearly no longer does, due to the Indian oppression. Ironically, at the 2019 World News Day, an annual event convened by Canada to celebrate “… the positive impact of professional journalism on their communities”, eight of the forty outlets participating were from India. And World News Day occurred nearly two months after India revoked the ‘special status’ of Kashmir and began its brutal suppression of the people of that country.

India continues to proclaim the falsehood that it serves as a ruler or administrator of Kashmir, when it is, in fact, a brutal occupier. It has become so difficult and dangerous for journalists that often they publish articles under an assumed name.

That is the situation for journalists already in the country. For those seeking to enter, they must obtain permission and, if granted, will be continuously monitored while there. And they are not exempt from the frequent police summonsing that those already based their experience.

This, of course, does not include Indian journalists who can freely enter and leave as long as they agree to publish the party line, overlooking atrocities committed against the Kashmiri people, and presenting life in Kashmir as very positive, thanks to Indian benevolence. Truth continues to be a main casualty of the brutal occupation.

For any journalist covering what is happening on the ground in any location, a main source of information is the people who are living through the situation. Kashmiris are hesitant to speak to journalists unless they know exactly what organization they write for; the possibility of saying the ‘wrong’ thing to a pro-India journalist is very real, and the consequences can be swift and deadly. This represses the ability of journalists to write the kind of news stories that relate the extent of the dire situation in the country. Added to that is the feeling among much of the population, certainly justified, that whatever they do or say will not bring them justice. The Indian government is brutally occupying the nation, and the international community is ignoring the situation.

Censorship has become a way of life, preventing the outside world from knowing the horrors that the Kashmiri people are experiencing. Kashmiris themselves, suffering under this brutal occupation, may not know the extent of the suffering throughout their own country due to censorship. For the Indian government, this censorship is required to oppress the people; prevent, or at least minimize, global condemnation, and proceed with its imperial goals.

Like the rest of the world, Kashmir has been impacted by coronavirus, and a lockdown of the nation may occur at any time. How that will look different from life in Kashmir under Indian occupation can only be imagined. An Indian government-support program did not include Kashmir, leaving the people there to deal with the pandemic by themselves while suffering from brutal oppression.  By providing no aid, the Indian government seems to want to make things so difficult for the Kashmiris that their focus is on survival, diverting attention from the theft of their nation and their rights. The economic situation, and the survival of Kashmiris, are both at risk, because employment that had previously been restricted only to Kashmiris is now open to Indians entering the country. Additionally, the harsh and brutal repression by the Indian soldiers occupying Kashmir produces great fear among the people. All this is causing a feeling of betrayal and despair among the people of Kashmir.

Coronavirus itself is getting a lot of media exposure in Kashmir, along with local issues such as water shortages and the conditions of roads. This prevents exposure and discussion of the main issues facing Kashmir, which are many, all of which are caused by the current brutal occupation and India’s colonial plans for the country. One Indian official proclaimed that India would follow the Israeli model in stealing Palestine from the Palestinians to steal Kashmir from the Kashmiris.

So many issues need to be addressed, but are being ignored, including the following:

+ More and more educated youths are arming themselves as protection from, and aggression toward, the occupation.  This is seen as necessary, since the world community seems content to allow India to destroy Kashmir and its people.

+ The drug problem, rampant in many parts of the world, seems to be taking a strong hold within Kashmir. With conditions as difficult as they are, substance abuse may be seen by some to provide them with a least short-term relief from the emotional pain they are experiencing. Yet the consequences of this drug use will be far-reaching and detrimental.

+ The tensions between India and China that could have far-reaching, devastating impacts on Kashmir, are not being discussed. Should those tension erupt into armed conflict, Kashmir, bordering both nations, will experience even greater suffering.

+ And why the world is ignoring the unspeakable suffering of the Kashmiri people at the hands of their Indian overlords remains a mystery. Many governments pay lip service to criticizing Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine, but even that is lacking for Kashmir.

It is no secret that India plans to change the demography of Kashmir; that is part of the brutal, racist ‘Israeli model’ that India is emulating. Kashmiris worry that, as more Hindus are allowed in Kashmir, any future referendum about the future of the country will not be left to the Kashmiris alone.

So, while the internal media focus may be on coronavirus and local issues, discussion of key issues facing the nation are minimized. However, while the discussion may be minimized, the suffering isn’t.

On the August 5 anniversary of the Indian crackdown of Kashmir, people around the world must act. International law, which grants Kashmir independence, must be respected. The people of Kashmir have waited far too long, and India must not be allowed to establish ‘facts on the ground’ as Israel has tried to do in Palestine. The Kashmiri people, like everyone else on the planet, are entitled to the basic right of self-determination; the global community must demand that they be granted that right.