Forced patriotism
New Delhi’s fascistic attitude towards dissent was on full display in the aftermath of their cricket team’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of Australia in the World Cup final. Police in Indian Occupied Kashmir arrested seven university students under anti-terrorism laws for alleged intimidation and anti-India sloganeering during and after the match.
Experts say it is common for native Kashmiris, who have been living under Indian oppression for decades, to support the opposing side whenever India plays. This should not be a surprise, considering the brutality of the Indian security forces in the disputed territory. If New Delhi wants to discourage such incidents, the central government and the puppet regime in the state should try to win the hearts and minds of disaffected people instead of continuing attempts to terrorise them into submission.
The arrests were made under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), an anti-terrorism law that has been much-derided inside and outside the country because its broad language left it open to abuse. The law, which top Indian jurists have called “draconian”, allows people to be held without bail for up to six months without any hard evidence. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thousands of regime critics, journalists, activists and opposition leaders around the country have been arrested. The extent of abuse of the law is illustrated by the fact that only 2% of UAPA cases filed in Modi’s first term led to convictions. In one instance, a man spent seven years behind bars under the UAPA, only to be released without charge.
In this case, the ‘victim’, who is not from Kashmir, was on the receiving end of “abusive language”. In 2021, hundreds of Kashmiri students were investigated under UAPA for celebrating a Pakistani victory against the Indian team, and many people were fired from government jobs. In fact, a police statement after the recent arrests effectively admits that not being “pro-India” is an act of terror. This is what India has come to — forcing people to show ‘patriotism’ or face arrest.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2023.
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