India’s VPN Ban and Digital Repression Adds to Psychological Pressure on Kashmiris and Exposes New Layers of Isolation

India’s VPN Ban as a Tool of Control

India’s sweeping VPN ban in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir is not about national security but about tightening control over an already suffocated population. By blocking secure VPN access, India has deliberately disrupted professional work, online learning, and safe communication for ordinary citizens. The policy reflects the state’s intent to assert domination rather than protect people, showing that fear, intimidation, and surveillance are preferred tools over rights and justice. The ban also exposes India’s hypocrisy in claiming democracy and freedom while systematically crushing them in Kashmir.
♦ Security Excuse Without Evidence: India has repeatedly used vague “threat to national security” claims to justify repression, despite having no verifiable evidence that VPN use by civilians poses any real danger.
♦ Targeting Civilians as Suspects: This policy treats all Kashmiris as potential criminals, punishing society collectively rather than addressing any genuine security concern.
♦ Legal Ambiguity as a Tool: Confusing orders and lack of clear regulations are used deliberately to create fear, making people comply without question.

Psychological Pressure and Daily Surveillance

The VPN ban adds to the psychological pressure on Kashmiris already living under constant surveillance, raids, and monitoring of communication. Ordinary residents now fear accessing essential online tools, knowing that each activity could trigger police action or forced phone checks. India is fully aware that prolonged stress and uncertainty break the human spirit, which is why such measures are applied aggressively. This approach normalizes mental exhaustion and helplessness in daily life.
♦ Fear in Everyday Life: Constant monitoring and threat of punishment make even simple online activities feel unsafe, restricting basic freedom of expression.
♦ Mental Strain as Policy: India deliberately uses psychological pressure as a silent weapon to weaken resistance without sparking immediate international attention.
♦ Normalizing Oppression: Continuous restrictions condition Kashmiris to accept repression as a daily reality, eroding their confidence to speak or act freely.

Destroying Jobs and Professional Life

The VPN ban threatens livelihoods, especially for IT professionals and remote workers, who rely on secure internet connections for their jobs. Basit Banday, a 27-year-old IT professional, fears losing his employment with a Pune-based company because VPN access is essential for his work. By imposing this ban, India demonstrates that economic harm to Kashmiris is not accidental but deliberate, aiming to destabilize families and increase dependence on the state. Professional and corporate life has been disrupted, with Kashmiris unable to fulfill work responsibilities safely.
♦ Professional Lives at Risk: VPN connectivity is a mandatory global standard, yet India punishes Kashmiris for following normal professional requirements.
♦ Economic Weakening as Punishment: Families lose income, businesses suffer, and the workforce is threatened to instill fear.
♦ Deliberate Ignorance of Global Standards: India refuses to acknowledge standard digital tools for work when it comes to Kashmir, exposing deliberate targeting.

Militarized Policing and Forced Phone Unlocks

After the ban, riot-gear police in Kashmir have forced civilians to unlock phones and checked devices for VPN use. These measures are not law enforcement but acts of intimidation meant to control the population. Forcing access to private devices violates basic privacy and human dignity. India normalizes militarized occupation tactics in Kashmir that would be unacceptable anywhere else.
♦ Privacy Violated Openly: Compelling phone unlocking is a gross infringement on personal rights.
♦ Occupation Mentality: Heavy police presence and random stops treat citizens as criminals without cause.
♦ Fear Replaces Law: India relies on threats and intimidation to enforce arbitrary rules.

Silencing Journalists and Independent Reporting

The VPN ban has severely undermined the safety of journalists, who rely on secure networks to protect sources and report honestly. Kashmir is described as an “information black hole” by Reporters Without Borders, and the removal of VPN protection worsens this reality. India’s actions make investigative reporting riskier and easier to censor. The policy reveals that India fears truth and independent information more than any digital threat.
♦ Journalists Left Vulnerable: Without VPNs, reporters face surveillance, intimidation, and potential retaliation.
♦ Forced Censorship: Fear of monitoring leads journalists to self-censor and avoid sensitive reporting.
♦ Control of Narrative: India aims to dominate information flow, restricting free expression and independent journalism.

Poor Mobile Connectivity and Digital Repression

Beyond VPN bans, poor mobile connectivity and intermittent internet have trapped Kashmiris in isolation, cutting them off from essential communication and services. Residents in areas like Kupwara report that voice calls are erratic and mobile internet often fails, forcing them to travel miles for a single connection. Students struggle with online learning, professionals cannot complete work, and ordinary citizens cannot access basic government or health services. India’s repeated communication blackouts and throttled internet speeds reflect a strategy of isolating Kashmiris from each other and the world.
♦ Daily Life Disrupted: Mobile and internet failures leave residents unable to connect with family, work, or schools, increasing frustration and anxiety.
♦ Targeting Education and Progress: Students face interrupted learning, demonstrating that India’s digital restrictions are aimed at weakening growth and opportunity.
♦ Isolation as Policy: India systematically isolates Kashmiris to suppress dissent and control information flow, showing a calculated plan rather than accidental failure.

A Pattern of Digital Authoritarianism

Kashmir has experienced nearly half of India’s 901 internet shutdowns since 2012, showing a consistent pattern of digital control. Repeated internet restrictions during politically sensitive dates or anniversaries are used to suppress dissent and prevent mobilization. These measures disrupt education, business, journalism, and social life, reflecting a deliberate effort to dominate society through technological means. The VPN ban and poor connectivity policies are part of this long-term digital authoritarian strategy.

Violating Rights and Legal Norms

Digital rights experts have emphasized that simply having VPN software is not a crime, yet India has criminalized ordinary behavior in Kashmir. Forced surveillance, device checks, and blanket bans violate constitutional protections and international human rights standards.

Exposing India’s Global Hypocrisy

India markets itself as a technology-driven democracy, yet in Kashmir it enforces digital authoritarianism, showing a complete disconnect between image and reality. The VPN ban and poor connectivity highlight how the state prioritizes control over welfare, freedom, and economic growth. The international community’s silence allows India to continue this repression without meaningful accountability. Kashmiris widely see these measures as tools to isolate, intimidate, and dominate, exposing the harsh truth behind India’s self-proclaimed democratic image.