Silenced Voices: India’s War on Words in IIOJK

It is challenging to reply when students inquire whether IIOJK will remain a democracy after 2019. In terms of its political situation and governance, the area has witnessed major changes since the start of the issue. The Indian government removed IIOJK's special status in August 2019, which caused significant uproar and violence.

Ms Amara Malik

The people of IIOJK, at first, protested peacefully when Article 370 and 35A were repealed, but the government's heavy-handed response drove them to resort to more forceful means of dissent. Many individuals viewed this action by the Indian government as a breach of the IIOJK's autonomy and disrespect for the opinions of the local populace, which stoked demonstrations and armed conflicts in the region.

Severe Restriction On Freedom Of Expression

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)and other international agreements uphold freedom of expression as a basic human right. But in IIOJK, there is still a severe restriction on freedom of expression. In the unlawfully seized area of Jammu and Kashmir by India, opposition has been brutally crushed, and as a result, there is no room for freedom of speech. IED explosions (45%) and grenade assaults (50%) have significantly increased as a result of the Indian government's strategy. The Kashmiris fight back with tenacity and resilience against every attempt to crush the local liberation movement.

Noteworthy in this perspective is the fact that democracy cannot exist without the freedom of political expression. Informing and legitimizing are its primary objectives, as freedom of expression is a fundamental right for a healthy and functioning democracy. Both historical and theoretical viewpoints have been taken into consideration while examining the connection between freedom of expression and democracy. Proponents of popular governance have long provided democratic grounds for freedom of communication, even before democratic forms of administration gained traction in the modern world. It is not only a right but also a responsibility of the state that should be fulfilled at any cost. Unfortunately, the so-called Mother of Democracy, India, is a fascist state as BJP has been tending to promote Hindutva Ideology in the IIOJK and India itself. All this is automatically repressing the right to the freedom of speech in the region, specifically for Muslims and other ethnic minorities.

IIOJK Continues To Impede The Freedom Of Speech

One of the recent evidence of Freedom of speech being restricted in IIOJK is the suspension of Senior Lecturer Zahoor Ahmad Bhat from his position by the Jammu & Kashmir education department for participating in the Supreme Court hearing on the repeal of Article 370. Here, it is noteworthy that protecting the ideals of truth, autonomy, and democracy does not make speech freedom any less crucial. Both the freedom to not be forced to speak and the freedom to not listen to other people's words are included in the concept of freedom from speech, which should be considered of utmost importance.

Therefore, it can be concluded that IIOJK continues to impede the freedom of speech. Due to the Indian government's strategy, there is now complete repression of free speech in the region. An illustration of how freedom of speech is being restricted in IIOJK is the suspension of Senior Lecturer Zahoor Ahmad Bhat from the educational department of Jammu and Kashmir for participating in the Supreme Court hearing on the repeal of Article 370. However, Kashmiris have not given up their struggle and continue to fight for their right to freedom of expression and their right to self-determination, for they have been enduring a lot which includes torture, arbitrary detentions, internet shutdowns prosecutions, sedition laws, and intimidation. Despite these, they are fighting and they will fight until they reify their rights.

Writer : Amara Malik is a student of Peace and conflict studies at NDU and an Intern at KIIR

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