10 detained as India intensifies crackdown on youth across Kashmir valley
Srinagar: Indian police have arrested around a dozen Kashmiris in a sweeping crackdown across multiple districts of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as part of an ongoing campaign to stifle pro-freedom sentiment in the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, at least 10 individuals were detained by the counter-intelligence wing of Indian police during coordinated raids and search operations in Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, and Ganderbal districts. The detainees, mostly local youth, were accused of using encrypted messaging apps and having social media contacts outside the Kashmir Valley—grounds authorities allege may lead to “radicalisation” or “militant recruitment.”
Officials claimed the arrests were made on suspicion of involvement in what New Delhi labels “anti-India activities”—a term commonly used to criminalize peaceful political dissent and legitimate calls for self-determination in the occupied territory.
Observers, however, said that the absence of concrete charges and the official admission that the operation is “preventive” in nature is itself an acknowledgment of the arbitrary nature of the detentions. “This exposes the repressive tactics used to suppress the indigenous freedom struggle of Kashmiris,” they added.
