SRINAGAR (Kashmir English): Srinagar-based civil society members have rejected the Indian government’s claims of “normalcy” in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the ground situation remains grim and far from stable.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the civil society representatives, in a joint statement, said that the narrative being promoted by the Modi regime and its aligned media is misleading and does not reflect the realities faced by the people of the territory.
They said that frequent cordon and search operations, raids and arbitrary arrests carried out by Indian forces on a daily basis expose the hollowness of New Delhi’s claims of normalcy.
Militarized environment in occupied Kashmir
“What is being portrayed as normalcy is, in fact, a militarized environment enforced through a massive presence of troops and heavy deployment of war machinery,” the statement added.
The civil society members further stated that the Modi government has created a suffocating atmosphere in the occupied territory through unprecedented repressive measures, curbing basic freedoms and instilling fear among the local population.
They maintained that India’s propaganda is aimed at misleading the international community and diverting attention from the worsening human rights situation in the region.
The statement emphasized that durable peace and stability in South Asia cannot be achieved without a just resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
It said that India’s continued denial of the right to self-determination to Kashmiris remains the biggest obstacle to lasting peace in the region.
The civil society members asserted that genuine normalcy in the territory hinges on allowing the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide their political future.
