Edward J. Markey, US Senator and a democrat from Masachusetts has written a letter addressing the Senior Bureau officer, Thomas L. Vajda, requesting the Indian department of State to end the telecom restrictions that ‘pose a threat to vulnerable populations, specifically, due to the pandemic’.
The letter was penned down on June 4 and was released on Friday after a US panel report was released that depicted concern over religious freedom in India.
Particularly throwing light upon the fatal consequences of the Pandemic, Markey stressed upon the inevitability of 4G internet connectivity so that information is easily accessible to all and people try to cope with the pandemic and with the mental strain via internet.
“This would avoid physical contact with fellow humans and thus, it would keep everyone on a safer side of the pandemic,” he wrote.
In the letter, he emphasized the dire need of internet connectivity in the conflicted zone of Jammu and Kashmir where people have been in a volatile mental space, therefore, have succumbed to mental disorders like (post-traumatic stress disorder) PTSD.
As the pandemic worsens in the region, leaders in South Asia must give a lifeline to vulnerable groups like Rohingya refugees by ending communications restrictions. I urge @StateDept to push for changes that save lives while promoting democratic freedoms.https://t.co/VsP2nnKHTy pic.twitter.com/OI3OcN3bT0
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) June 11, 2020
“This most militarized area of the world has been deprived of full-fledged telecommunication since the revoking of Article 370 in August, 2019.” While emphasizing with the brutal mental spaces of Kashmiris, he stressed upon the importance of internet so as to avoid blatant isolation from the world.
Addressing India as a pluralistic democracy, the senator seems to be very concerned about the recent socio-political happenings including the restrictions over citizenship (referring to the CAA-NRC law), anti-Muslim political wave and the violence, the hampering of religious freedom, press rights and intimidation of Journalists.
“I urge the state department to take steps to act on the recommendations related to India in the Annual report of the US commission on International Religious freedom. These include the report’s recommendations to strengthen engagement with communities affected by discrimination and to designate India as a country of particular concern for engaging in and tolerating religious freedom violation,” he wrote.
All communication services were blocked by the Government of India in Kashmir after the decision to abrogate Article 370, thereby ending the autonomy of the region making its constitution and flag defunct.
The move was made while all political representatives in Kashmir were imprisoned.
The new rules introduced after the abrogation will allow outsiders to settle and buy property in Kashmir, increasing fears of demographic change in Kashmir.
Partial internet services on mobile phones were resumed after almost six months, high-speed internet services continue to remain blocked.
Mental health experts say that Kashmir is one of the world’s most depressed zone, in addition to being the most militarised, where a large section of the society is suffering from PTSD, due to the ongoing conflict.
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