Online Desk: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), oppressive restrictions in the name of security measures have been ramped up ahead of India’s Republic Day tomorrow, compounding the already dire conditions faced by the Kashmiris under occupation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Srinagar and other towns in the territory have witnessed an unprecedented deployment of Indian police and paramilitary forces. Key roads, junctions, and markets are swarming with troops enforcing stringent surveillance. Drones, spotters, and CCTV cameras have been deployed to monitor public movement, while checkpoints at every chowk and road force civilians to endure intrusive frisking and questioning.
Additional restrictions have been imposed along the Srinagar-Jammu highway under the pretext of security, disrupting normal life. Public movement is being meticulously monitored, with barricades set up at key entry and exit points in Srinagar. Major markets remain under constant surveillance, and locals are subjected to heightened scrutiny, creating an environment of suffocating repression.
“Multi-tier security arrangements are in place,” said V.K. Birdi, the top cop of Kashmir Valley. “Surveillance through drones and spotters, along with intricate security measures, has been implemented. Police are following their SOPs [standard operating procedures] to monitor undesirable elements in line with the law.”
Key venues for January 26 events, including Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar and MA Stadium in Jammu, are surrounded by heavy contingents of Indian troops. Similar arrangements have been enforced in other districts hosting Indian Republic Day functions.
While occupation authorities claim these measures are meant to ensure “security,” the heightened restrictions have only worsened the plight of Kashmiris. Daily life has been disrupted, businesses have suffered, and the pervasive presence of Indian forces has intensified the atmosphere of fear and oppression in the region.
For Kashmiris, this annual spectacle of military dominance on India’s Republic Day is a grim reminder of their continued subjugation under occupation. The invasive security measures and the resulting hardships underscore the repressive policies implemented by the Indian authorities in IIOJK.
