India’s VPN ban adds to psychological pressure on Kashmiris: Al Jazeera
Riot-gear police in Kashmir check phones, force unlocks in VPN crackdown
Srinagar: A fresh Al Jazeera report has said that the Indian government’s sweeping two-month ban on virtual private networks (VPNs) in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is adding to the psychological pressure faced by residents already living under intensive surveillance, communication blockades and civil liberty restrictions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the report said, the ban was imposed on December 29 on the pretext of “threats to national security” and alleged “misuse” of VPN services to “incite unrest”.
The report highlights the plight of Basit Banday, a 27-year-old Kashmiri IT professional, who fears losing his job with a Pune-based company because secure VPN connectivity is a professional requirement. “Unfortunately, the recent government order appears to have been issued without adequate consideration for professionals whose livelihoods and responsibilities are directly dependent on secure VPN connectivity,” he told Al Jazeera. He added, “VPN is extremely important and mandatory for any IT organisation… Even corporate email cannot be accessed without connecting to the VPN.”
Following the order, the report says, Kashmiri residents witnessed an intensive crackdown in which police in riot gear stopped pedestrians and motorists, checked phones, and forced people to unlock devices to identify VPN use. Police admitted taking action against more than 100 people since December 29, saying that “security proceedings” had been initiated against “violators”, while “genuine users were released after detailed device analysis with a strict warning”.
Al Jazeera quoted a Kashmiri journalist as saying VPNs were essential for safety in conflict zones: “It is common for journalists in conflict zones to use VPNs for safety, especially when working on investigative stories. Now, that layer of protection is gone.” Another journalist, Furqan, said the ban adds to the “psychological pressure” on Kashmiris. “It feels like we are on trial for our thoughts… A Kashmiri is risking so much even when he does something as basic as accessing a VPN,” he said.
Digital rights activist Srinivas Kodali told Al Jazeera that merely having VPNs installed is not a criminal offence and described the blanket ban as “uncalled for”. He termed forced phone unlocking a “gross violation” of fundamental rights, adding, “In Kashmir’s case, we have continuously seen the state pushing all sorts of unconstitutional policing mechanisms. It is just one more step in that direction.”
The report recalls that Kashmir accounts for nearly half of India’s 901 internet shutdowns recorded since 2012 and that the region has frequently been subjected to restrictions, particularly around Republic Day and massacre anniversaries. Last year, Reporters Without Borders described Kashmir as an “information black hole” from where reliable news rarely emerges.
Al Jazeera noted that the authorities in Kashmir declined to comment on the VPN ban despite requests.
The report concludes that the VPN ban is widely seen by Kashmiris as another tool of control, deepening their isolation and restricting professional, educational, religious and journalistic activity in the already heavily militarized and surveilled territory. Al Jazeera sai that the names given in the report were changed to protect identities.
