The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) has casted a spotlight on government controls impeding media, freedom of expression and vital communications in Kashmir.
In a statement it said that the IFJ-SAMSN campaign POSTCARDS FROM KASHMIR draws attention to the personal stories of journalists impacted by the long-running shutdown and raise awareness on internet controls as an abuse of human rights. “It also underscores the critical need for high-speed communications during the Covid-19 pandemic,” reads the statement.
It also throws light on the communication blackout , “April 5 marks 245 days – eight months – since the initial shutdown began in Jammu & Kashmir. Even before some communications were restored, the blackout was already the world’s longest communication shutdown in a democracy. India continues to lead the world in the number of shutdowns enforced on its people,”
Adding that from April 4-7, the campaign will shine a light on the world’s longest and most severe communications shutdown on media and citizens.
