India deploys sophisticated spy gadgets in IIOJK under garb of Amarnath Yatra security
Srinagar : India has deployed advanced surveillance systems, elite commando units and mass tracking technologies in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir under the pretext of securing the annual Amarnath Yatra, while the real target remains Kashmiri civilians.
According to Kashmir Media Service, ahead of the 57-day Yatra scheduled from July 3 to August 28, authorities have rolled out QR-based digital identification for pony operators and guides, RFID tracking for every registered pilgrim, over 400 CCTV cameras with facial recognition, drones, anti-drone units, night vision equipment, and elevated watchtowers along the 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam and 14-km Baltal routes.
About 700 companies of Central Armed Police Forces, along with Army, CRPF, BSF and ITBP, have been deployed along the Jammu-Srinagar highway, base camps and transit points.
Specialised Police units including Markhors, Snow Leopards, SOG commandos, snipers and bomb disposal squads are conducting mock drills with NSG commandos.“The Amarnath Yatra is a very important event… We have completed area domination and preventive actions have been everywhere,” a top official said.
“CCTV coverage has been significantly expanded, with facial recognition systems, drones, anti-drone units, night vision equipment, and elevated watchtowers have been deployed.”
Analysts and rights observers say the “security overhaul” is less about pilgrim safety and more about expanding India’s surveillance grid in Kashmir. The QR “Pehchan” app for instant offline verification of service providers and RFID tagging of every pilgrim create a digital net that can easily be redirected toward monitoring, tracking and profiling of local Kashmiris long after the Yatra concludes.
The militarized deployment comes amid a broader pattern of harassment and control targeting Kashmiris across IIOJK and inside India.
