After complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir into India by abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the left-liberal establishment in the country is completely rattled. Although the administration has maintained the law and order situation in the state under control, some media houses are trying to project that the state is going through a very violation situation, and while doing so, they are using the language of the enemy.
Left-wing propaganda website The Wire published a report on injuries sustained by protesters in the state yesterday, and in a most shocking manner, they described the state as ‘disputed’. The report starts with a sentence saying that “at least 152 people have suffered injuries from tear gas and pellets in disputed Kashmir”.
Although international media using the highly objectionable terms like disputed Kashmir or India Occupied Kashmir is understandable, it is very worrying that an India based media outlet has chose to describe Kashmir as a disputed territory. The entire Jammu and Kashmir belongs to India, and there is no denying that fact. Indian parliament has time and again reiterated that fact. Even the recently passed Jammu and Kashmir reorganization act says that entire Jammu and Kashmir, including areas currently under the control of enemy countries, is part of India. By calling it ‘disputed’, The Wire is echoing the view of the enemy.
The Wire also talks about at least 152 people getting injured by pellet guns and tear gas during the protests after the abrogation for Article 370, quoting data obtained by Reuters. They have used this number to prove that Kashmir is witnessing massive protest against the Modi government’s decision. But the fact is, people getting injured in protests in the state is nothing new. Kashmir is seeing such a situation regularly since last few years. Security forces often have to use non-lethal forces like pellet guns and tear gas shells to combat stone-pelting separatists. And in such measures, some protesters are injured, this has been happening since the last several years, and it is not a new development.
Stone pelting has taken the lives of several soldiers, and many times stone pelters protected terrorists from security forces. The report itself says that despite restrictions, occasionally youths have come out and threw stones, especially on occasions like Friday prayers, and security forces were forced to take retaliatory measures. Even before this month’s decision, such stone-pelting protesters were getting injured in the state in defensive action by security forces. The fact that there has not been any confirmed fatality in this month shows that the protests have not gone out of control.