So, Human Rights Watch just dropped a bomb today saying that five whole years after India took away Jammu and Kashmir's special deal on August 5, 2019, people there still can't talk and hang out like they used to. It's like they're stuck in a never-ending punishment because the government keeps throwing shade at them with these strict rules.
Indian soldiers are still acting like it's a war zone, throwing people in jail for no reason and sometimes, like, killing them outside of the legal stuff. They say it's for everyone's safety, but it's kind of messed up. There's been a little less fighting lately, but it's definitely not all rainbows and unicorns.
Meenakshi Ganguly, who's like the second-in-command for Asia at Human Rights Watch, said that the government is basically ignoring the fact that people in Kashmir are scared to do simple things like talking about their feelings or joining groups because they might get thrown in jail for a super long time without even seeing a judge.
And get this, in Ladakh, people are protesting because they want more say in their own town's decisions. Since 2019, people who are different or come from other places have been getting picked on, and it's just not cool.
A 27-year-old guy from Kashmir talked about how even though it looks like everything's okay with tourists and shopping at night, everyone's actually really tense, like a shaken-up soda bottle ready to pop any second.
They're even picking on the big guys who are supposed to help, like civil society leaders. One guy, Nazir Ahmad Ronga, got locked up because they said he might do something bad to keep the peace. And Mian Abdul Qayoom, who used to be the boss of the lawyer's club, got in trouble for something as serious as murder because he talked smack about the government.
And it's not just the big guys; they're coming after journalists too. There's this new rule that makes it easier for the government to tell them what they can and can't say. And if they do say something the government doesn't like, they might get in trouble with the law.
So, let's talk about this journalist, Aasif Sultan, who just got out of jail after five years, but then they threw him right back in again. And there's Zahid Ali, who's a lawyer, and they've kept finding new reasons to keep him locked up since 2019. It's like a never-ending game of tag, but nobody's having fun.
The big court in Jammu and Kashmir isn't happy either. They're saying that the government is playing fast and loose with this Public Safety Act and keeping people in jail when they're supposed to be free. It's like nobody's watching the watchmen, you know?
And did you know that between 2019 and 2021, the government basically turned off the internet for over 500 days? Like, for real. It was to stop fake news, but it really messed with everyone's lives, especially when they needed to talk to each other or get stuff done. And it's not like it's a one-time thing; they keep doing it.
Prime Minister Modi talked about it in May and admitted it's hard, but he says it's all for the greater good. But the UN isn't buying it. They're like, "Come on, guys, this isn't right." They want the internet back on and for everyone to play nice.
But the worst part is that the soldiers have this cool card called the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act that basically lets them get away with anything. And it's not just the soldiers; there's a whole bunch of people in power who are doing bad things without getting in trouble.
Ganguly, from the human rights group, said that the government needs to chill out and start fixing things. They need to help the people who got hurt and make sure these bad things don't keep happening. It's like, come on, guys, let's be fair and hold everyone accountable, right?
And don't even get me started on the Kashmiri Pandits. They had to leave their homes because it was super dangerous,
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