India orders news outlet to omit army torture of civilians in Kashmir
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India's Information Ministry has sent an official order to Caravan magazine demanding it to take down within 24 hours a report implicating soldiers in the torture and killing of civilians in Kashmir.
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Supporters of Jammu Kashmir National Conference shout slogans during a protest over the death of three civilians killed in army custody, in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, December 23, 2023. (AP)
Indian news magazine Caravan, a news and current affairs monthly, said Tuesday that the government's information ministry sent it an official order demanding it to take down within 24 hours a report implicating soldiers in the torture and killing of civilians in disputed Kashmir.
Last week, the magazine published a report on the deaths of three civilians by the army in December after a deadly insurgent attack that left three Indian troops dead.
"The order's content is confidential," the magazine said in a post on X, adding, "We will be challenging this order."
This is to inform readers we have received an order from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting under Section 69A of the IT Act, directing us to take down this story in 24 hrs:https://t.co/wbaEfoZsJ8.
— The Caravan (@thecaravanindia) February 13, 2024
The order’s content is confidential. We will be challenging this order.
Many of those captured by the army released accounts of their experiences, with some saying they were tortured when they were captured, which was corroborated with footage of some being physically abused by security forces.
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Rights groups have frequently stated that restrictions on the press are quite common in India, particularly in Kashmir.
Prateek Waghre of the Internet Freedom Foundation, a local digital rights group, told AFP, "The order against Caravan was reflective of the increasing censorship that is being imposed on speech on the internet in India".
"We're seeing more instances of such action for reporting that is inconvenient for the government," he added.
It is noteworthy that the territory of Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since its independence in 1947. Rebel groups have been fighting for more than three decades with Indian forces, demanding the independence of Kashmir or its annexation to Pakistan.
Tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers, and rebels have lost their lives in these years. India accuses Pakistan of supporting the militants.
