This is an order dated today from the government of Jammu & Kashmir urging tourists & those on Hindu pilgrimages to leave the state. One could call this a provocation, a calculated measure to incite fear & alarm among Kashmiris.
Our response should be to stand with Kashmiris in educating about their struggle. Prior to the activism of Kashmiris on social media, there was a media blackout & few knew anything about their struggle. Now media regularly addresses issues like pellet guns in order to manage the narrative rather than leave it in the hands of activists who will not be compromising with India. That media coverage would not exist were it not for Kashmiri’s use of social media to educate us & campaign for international solidarity. It may be that India will snap the internet to hide what they are doing in Kashmir. We must be at the ready to campaign on social media, organize forums & rallies so that India knows it actions in Kashmir are under international scrutiny by human rights advocates.
(Photo tweeted by Hakeem Irfan)