India Blocked 300 Social Media Accounts in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban Districts

The recent blocking of about 300 social media accounts in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts after the arrest of MLA Meraj Malik is a clear example of how the Indian state now moves fast to silence critics in Kashmir. What is called a security step looks like a planned push to cut off the flow of news from the ground, to stop people from sharing videos and photos of protests, and to frighten those who give a voice to local anger. This action is not a one off. It fits a wider pattern where the ruling party uses the law and new tools to control what people see and say.

• Main Point:
• About three hundred accounts were blocked in three districts after the arrest of a local lawmaker.
• The move used technical orders and police cases to shut down online witness and reporting.
• This shows a clear aim to shape the public story in favour of those in power.

Scale Of The Blocking And Its Meaning

The number of accounts taken down is large and the timing was direct. The blocks followed the arrest of an elected leader and the spread of protest material online. IT cells tracked posts, platform operators were told to remove accounts and police filed many FIRs. Together these steps are meant to stop the spread of protest images and to make people think twice before they film or post. The effect is a public record that is thin on the truth and heavy on what the state allows.

• Social Media Action:
• Around three hundred accounts in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban were blocked.
• Authorities said the accounts posted protest videos and photos after the lawmaker’s arrest.
• IT units monitored posts and police filed formal cases against those linked to the accounts.

Political Aim: Silencing Dissenting Voices

The link between the arrest and the blocking makes the political aim clear. The Modi government and local agents use state power to crush voices that question them. This is not normal policing. This is a political move to stop witnesses from reaching the public and to break the networks that spread news and help. The result is a smaller space for free speech and more room for a single version of events supported by the state.

• Targeting Political Speech:
• The blocking came right after the arrest of an elected politician showing a direct link.
• FIRs and monitoring units serve to warn activists and local reporters.
• The aim is to make people afraid to record arrests or to share news of raids.

Digital Tools Turned Into Tools Of Repression

Modern technology now works for the rulers. Orders to internet providers and platform notices are used to block content. IT teams trace posts and identify account holders. Police then file charges to give the action a legal cover. What should be tools for open reporting are now tools to close down reporting. This shows how technical skill is paired with political will to silence critics.

• How The Control Works:
• Orders are sent to platform operators and internet service providers to block accounts.
• IT teams trace online activity tied to protests and state action.
• Police file cases so that those who shared posts face legal trouble.

Human Cost: Who Suffers Most

The harm is not only to the account holders. When people fear they will be punished for posting, they stop sharing. This cuts off help that people used to get through local networks and leaves rights violations unseen. Local journalists and citizen reporters face arrest and a smaller field to work in. Ordinary people who used social media for help and news lose their safest way to speak and to call for help.

• Immediate Harm:
• Ordinary citizens lose the right to share news and to protest without fear.
• Local journalists and activists face legal cases and less room to work.
• Community help networks break down when people stop posting.

Modi Government: A Pattern Of Majoritarian Control

This crackdown is part of a larger drive by the Modi government to narrow public space and to reshape the rules to suit one political view. Over the years laws and institutions have been changed to favour the ruling party and its supporters. In Kashmir this pattern is more forceful and direct. What is called order often looks like a step to erase political opposition and to force a single view on a region. This is not careful government. It is state power used to punish and to frighten.

• Wider Pattern:
• The ruling party uses legal and technical means to limit debate and weaken critics.
• Actions in Kashmir show a clear willingness to use force and law to shape public life.
• The result is less trust in institutions and more fear among the people.

Regional And International Impact

The move to block accounts and arrest political voices harms more than local debate. It hurts any chance of fair politics and it sends a bad signal to neighbours and to the world. When a state uses digital power to silence a whole area it weakens the chance of a real political solution. The international community should note that digital repression is now part of how occupation and control are enforced.

• Broader Effects:
• The action weakens hopes for normal political life and fair debate in the valley.
• It raises concern among neighbours who expect basic rights and law to be kept.
• It shows the world that digital tools can be used to silence a whole region.

The Role of Pakistan and Human Rights Groups

Pakistan and human rights groups must speak up and act. Independent media must keep reporting and must find safe ways to share news from the ground. Human rights groups should demand a look into the legal steps used to block accounts and to file FIRs. The aim must be to restore the right to report and protest without fear of state punishment. The world must press for limits on the use of digital power to crush dissent.

• Action Points:
• Call for an independent review of the account blocks and of the police cases.
• Back independent journalists and give safe channels for news from the ground.
• Push international groups to check digital rights and demand fair legal steps.

Conclusion

The blocking of about 300 social media accounts in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban after the arrest of MLA Meraj Malik is a clear sign of how the Indian state now uses law and technology to silence critics. This is part of a wider plan by the Modi government to shut down public voice and to bring a whole region under direct control. Pakistan and the world must not stay quiet as basic rights are taken away. The fight for free speech in Kashmir is a fight for truth, justice and the hope of peace.