NEW DELHI: A news portal based in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was compelled to dismantle and vacate its office in Srinagar city on Monday, just two days after its website and social media accounts were abruptly blocked by the Indian authorities.
The closure of The Kashmir Walla news portal has drawn criticism as part of a broader press crackdown in the occupied region, where numerous journalists have faced repeated summonses and interrogations by police since 2019, following India’s unilateral revocation of the occupied valley’s autonomy.
According to a staff member at the news portal, “Six persons used to sit at the office, and we removed all our belongings and emptied out the premises today.” The sudden eviction and office closure come on the heels of the internet service provider attributing the website and social media blocks to the Indian government’s order.
India Blocks Social Media Accounts of The Kashmir Walla
In a statement released late Sunday, the news outlet’s staff detailed their predicament, stating, “On Saturday, we woke up to another deadly blow of finding access to our website and social media accounts blocked.” The service provider attributed the blockages to the Indian government directive, and in a double blow, the outlet received an eviction notice from their landlord.
The statement further emphasized the disheartening nature of the censorship, with the news portal expressing the sentiment that “there isn’t a lot left for us to say anymore.”
The editor of The Kashmir Walla, Fahad Shah, has previously been detained. He was arrested last year and continues to be in custody.
Over half a million Indian soldiers are deployed in the occupied territory to counter an ongoing freedom movement demanding the merger of Kashmir with Pakistan.
As the press freedom clampdown continues, concerns are raised about the overall state of democracy and free expression in the region.
