| The Kashmir Walla | |
| Type: | News and opinion website |
| Language: | English |
| Editor: | Yashraj Sharma (Interim) |
| Founder: | Fahad Shah |
| Launch Date: | 2009 |
| Current Status: | Blocked by Indian Government on 19 August 2023.[1] |
The Kashmir Walla was an independent news and opinion website founded in 2009 by Fahad Shah. The news portal focused on providing news and analysis related to the region of Jammu and Kashmir. It covered a wide range of topics, including politics, culture, society, and more., the website and it's social media handles are blocked in India, while accessible in other countries.
The news portal was established in 2009 by Fahad Shah, with the aim of providing a platform for local voices to be heard and to report on issues relevant to the region. Over the years, it gained recognition for its independent journalism and coverage of events in Jammu and Kashmir.[2] [3]
Interim editor, Yashraj Sharma assumed the position after Fahad Shah was imprisoned in 2022. In a documentary about Kashmir Walla operating while conditions worsen for journalist, Sharma says, "It's strictly about press freedom. To try to save the free press."[4]
In August 2023, 'The Kashmir Walla' faced significant controversy when its website, Facebook page, and X (formerly Twitter) account were blocked within India. The news portal received information from its server providers that the website had been taken down on the request of the central government.[3] The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology cited the Information Technology Act, 2000 as the legal basis for this action. The move led to the website becoming inaccessible to users within India, and its social media accounts were also rendered inaccessible.[5]
This action came in the wake of a series of challenges faced by the news portal. Founder-editor Fahad Shah had been arrested[6] in February 2022 over the coverage of a gunfight.[7] [8] Subsequently, the news portal's staff encountered harassment and a hostile environment for journalism in the region.[9] The office was vacated by the outlet due to an eviction notice from the landlord on the next day of blockade.[10]
The blocking of 'The Kashmir Walla' was met with condemnation from various quarters. The Digipub News India Foundation criticized the central government's decision, labeling it as an attempt to intimidate Kashmiri journalists and further suppress free speech. Amnesty International also expressed concern, stating that the move was part of a pattern of repression against independent media in the region.[11] Beh Lih Yi, the Asia program coordinator of the Committee to Protect Journalists, described the latest moves as a "new low for press freedom."[12] In a statement to VOA, she further emphasized that the censorship was not only arbitrary but also shrouded in secrecy, highlighting the lack of transparency surrounding the decision-making process. The incident ignited concerns about the erosion of media independence and the broader implications for free speech in the region.[5]
Critics have drawn a connection between the closure of The Kashmir Walla news portal and a broader pattern of press crackdown in the disputed region. In the aftermath of New Delhi's decision to revoke the territory's partial autonomy and establish direct rule in 2019, the region has witnessed a significant increase in incidents involving journalists. Dozens of journalists have been consistently summoned by the police and subjected to questioning about their work.[13]