Moon Desk: Independent journalism in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and India is facing unprecedented state repression under Narendra Modi’s government.
According to Kashmir Media Service, journalists and media outlets are increasingly being targeted through harassment, intimidation, and coercion, as the ruling BJP continues its efforts to align the press with its Hindutva agenda.
The Modi regime’s systematic dismantling of press freedom has created a hostile environment for journalists across India and IIOJK. Those who expose government failures or criticize BJP policies often face relentless abuse by Hindutva forces on social media and are subjected to threats and harassment.
Since August 5, 2019—the day India revoked IIOJK’s special status—the crackdown on Kashmiri journalists has reached alarming levels. Reporters in the territory are being charged under draconian laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for publishing factual accounts of the situation on the ground. Journalists face arbitrary detentions, denial of accreditation, and confiscation of their passports to prevent them from exposing the grim realities of India’s illegal occupation.
In India, the situation is equally grim. Media outlets are under immense pressure to toe the BJP line, as the ownership of major media houses increasingly falls into the hands of BJP and RSS-linked business tycoons. These entities push Hindutva-driven narratives, while critical voices are stifled or sidelined. Investigative journalism and impartial reporting have all but disappeared, with dissenting journalists facing relentless online abuse, death threats, and targeted harassment by Hindutva mobs.
Journalists exposing Modi government failures, human rights violations, and corruption are systematically vilified and attacked. Press freedom in India has steadily declined under Modi, as reflected in global rankings such as the Press Freedom Index, which shows a significant drop in India’s standing.
The international community has been urged to take immediate action to protect journalists in India and IIOJK. Press freedom advocates argue that without intervention, the erosion of democratic values in IIOJK and India will deepen further, leaving millions without access to unbiased news and information.
Meanwhile, The All Parties United Morcha, a joint platform of various political, social and civil society organizations in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has urged the National Conference administration to fulfill its promises made to the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir before the elections.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the All Parties United Morcha, while addressing a joint press conference in Jammu, said the National Conference government has passed a resolution in favour of the pre-August 5, 2019 position in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, but in practice the people have not got anything.
The Convener of All Parties United Morcha, I.D. Khajuria appealed to Chief Minister of the territory Omar Abdullah and NC chief Farooq Abdullah to strongly demand of the Indian government to restore statehood and special status and ensure the rights of government jobs and land ownership for the residents of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and take necessary steps for it.
He said, “We are deeply concerned about the dominance of outsiders in all types of contracts, jobs, mining and local administration, as a result of which our local traders are facing a severe economic crisis. We demand that the problems of all daily wagers, ASHA, Anganwadi and NHM workers be resolved and that allegations of corruption in Jal Jeevan, Revenue Department, Mining, various development projects and recruitment processes be investigated.”
I.D. Khajuria said that this joint forum on behalf of the people of the occupied territory wants to remind the National Conference government to fulfill the promises made in its manifesto due to which it came to power. He said the National Conference in its manifesto has promised to restore Article 370 and 35-A and statehood and repeal the laws enacted after August 5, 2019.
He said the party has also promised to protect the land and employment rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, encourage Pakistan-India talks and repeal black laws like the Public Safety Act.
Representatives of various organizations, including Subash Mehta, Mir Shahid Saleem, Manish Sahni, Gatan Singh, Tarseem Lal Bhagat, Narendra Singh Khalsa, Sannikant Chubb, Virendra Singh, Narendra Khajuria, Jagdish Kumar and Sukhdev Singh, were present in the press conference.
