India seeks blocking of Kashmir Centre website amid growing fear of truth on Kashmir
London: The Indian government has repeatedly sought to block the website of the London-based Kashmir Centre in India and Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a move widely viewed as reflecting New Delhi’s growing fear of international exposure of its actions in the disputed territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian authorities have directed internet service providers to restrict access to the website, alleging that its content threatens India’s “security, sovereignty and integrity”.
In response, the Kashmir Centre has strongly rejected the allegations, stating that its work is grounded in international law, United Nations resolutions and documented reports of international human rights organisations.
The organisation says its reporting and commentary focus on the internationally recognised right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination and the historical status of Kashmir as a disputed territory under United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for a plebiscite. It maintains that its analysis reflects widely documented human rights concerns reported by international bodies and independent observers.
In their response to the blocking notice, a spokesperson for the Kashmir Centre noted: “The Kashmiri right to survival, dignity and justice is not limited to international law or resolutions alone, but a moral imperative for any dignified region to seek, by any means necessary. If our content, as you suggest, poses a serious threat to the security, sovereignty, and integrity of the country, then the security, sovereignty, and integrity of India is alarmingly weak”.
The organisation argues that attempts to block its website represent a restriction on freedom of expression and access to information, akin to the book ban seen last year and is part of the continual cycle of intellectual repression and dissent enforced by the Indian occupying forces both in Jammu and Kashmir and of Kashmiris abroad.
