Latest news with #TheKashmiriyat
Scroll.in
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
‘Blatant censorship at a critical time': ‘The Wire' says its website blocked by Centre
News outlet The Wire on Friday said that the Union government had blocked access to its English website in India 'in a clear violation of the Constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press'. Internet service providers had said that The Wire's website was 'blocked as per the order of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the IT Act, 2000', stated the news outlet. 'We protest this blatant censorship at a critical time for India when sane, truthful, fair and rational voices and sources of news and information are among the biggest assets that India has,' it said. 'We are taking all necessary steps to challenge this arbitrary and inexplicable move.' This comes amid escalating tensions and cross-border strikes between India and Pakistan after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. On Thursday, India blocked the social media accounts of at least four other news portals – Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, Free Press Kashmir and the United States-based Muslim. The accounts of the news portals were blocked in response to legal demands by the Indian government, according to social media platforms X and Instagram. The accounts of Maktoob Media, Free Press Kashmir and The Kashmiriyat have been blocked on X, while that of Muslim has been blocked on Instagram. However, the websites of all four news outlets were accessible in India. In the case of The Wire, while the website itself has been blocked, its social media accounts remain operational. Digipub, an association of independent news organisations and journalists, on Friday described the blocking of The Wire's website as a ' blatant attack on press freedom '. 'This is a critical time for the nation and such actions impede rational thinking,' said the association. 'The urgency and horrors of the battle cannot be used as an excuse to silence independent journalism.' Condemning the blocking of the website, Digipub demanded that it be restored immediately. Earlier in the day, a post by X's Global Government Affairs about India's request to block 8,000 accounts in the country was 'withheld'. The unit had said a day ago that the platform had received orders from the Indian government requiring it to block the accounts, 'subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company's local employees'. The orders included demands to block access in India to accounts belonging to international news organisations and prominent X users, it added. The billionaire Elon Musk-led social media platform said that it would withhold the specified accounts in India alone to comply with the orders. 'However, we disagree with the Indian government's demands,' the platform had said. 'Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech.'
Scroll.in
09-05-2025
- Business
- Scroll.in
X blocking 8,000 accounts in India after Centre's orders
Social media platform X on Thursday said it has started blocking more than 8,000 accounts in India after receiving orders from the Union government. This comes amid escalating tensions with Pakistan after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. In a statement, X's Global Government Affairs unit said that the platform had received orders from the Indian government requiring it to block the accounts, 'subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company's local employees'. The orders included demands to block access in India to accounts belonging to international news organisations and prominent X users, the statement added. 'In most cases, the Indian government has not specified which posts from an account have violated India's local laws,' it said. 'For a significant number of accounts, we did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts.' The billionaire Elon Musk-led social media platform said that it would withhold the specified accounts in India alone to comply with the orders. 'However, we disagree with the Indian government's demands,' the platform said. 'Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech.' It added: 'This is not an easy decision, however keeping the platform accessible in India is vital to Indians' ability to access information.' The United States-based social media platform also said that making the government orders public was essential for transparency. 'Lack of disclosure discourages accountability and can contribute to arbitrary decision making,' it said. 'However, due to legal restrictions, we are unable to publish the executive orders at this time.' The platform said that it was exploring legal avenues available to the company. 'Unlike users located in India, X is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders,' it said. 'However, we encourage all users who are impacted by these blocking orders to seek appropriate relief from the courts.' X has received executive orders from the Indian government requiring X to block over 8,000 accounts in India, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company's local employees. The orders include demands to block access in India to… — Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) May 8, 2025 The statement came hours after India blocked the social media accounts of at least four news portals – Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, Free Press Kashmir and the United States-based Muslim – amid tensions with Pakistan. The accounts were blocked in response to legal demands by the Indian government, said X and another social media platform Instagram. The accounts of Maktoob Media, Free Press Kashmir and The Kashmiriyat have been blocked on X, while that of Muslim has been blocked on Instagram. The websites of all four news outlets were still accessible in India. Maktoob Media, Free Press Kashmir and The Kashmiriyat are among Indian platforms that have in recent years sought to provide Muslim and Kashmiri perspectives on news in the context of the rising influence of Hindutva. The news platform Muslim describes itself as 'an independent media platform delivering Muslim news, stories and coverage to our Ummah [global Muslim community]' and has around 6.7 million followers on Instagram, AFP reported. Earlier, social media accounts of several Pakistani politicians, actors and cricketers were banned in India, including those of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and singer Abida Parveen.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Famed for Himalayan peaks and pristine lakes, Kashmir faces a water crisis amid dry weather
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — For days, people in the Himalayan region of Kashmir watched in agony as a famed ancient spring ran dry amid extreme dry weather conditions. It was the first time in living memory that the spring water had vanished. While the spring returned to life on Friday, replenished by fresh rain and snowfall, the region's people are now discussing something they had long feared — that climate change and changing weather patterns could soon take a toll on Kashmir's water bodies that nurture its famed orchards and vast agricultural fields. Multiple springs and streams — including tributaries of the region's main Jhelum River that cuts through the Kashmir Valley — have dried in Indian-controlled Kashmir, causing water shortages in recent weeks across the region known for its Himalayan peaks and pristine lakes. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The concern was highlighted by a video that went viral on social media this week showing an elderly woman praying and crying her heart out in front of the ancient spring in southern Kashmir's Achabal town. The spring, inside a famed garden built by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir's wife in the 17th century, is a source of drinking water for 20 villages in the area. 'Oh! holy spring, what have we done to you? You have stopped water to us,' 80-year-old Saja Begum is seen howling in the video. 'Let the spring come back to life. Let the holy spring overflow with water." The video stirred emotions across Kashmir, where many residents are relying on government-provided water tankers. Weather officials say the region has witnessed over 80% rain and snow deficit since the beginning of this year. Most of Kashmir's plains have received little snow while the upper reaches saw less than usual. For over a month now, daytime temperatures have been between 5 to 8 degrees Celsius above the norm. Authorities have launched an investigation into what caused the spring waters to vanish, according to local online news outlet The Kashmiriyat, quoting officials. The crisis has forced officials to temporarily cancel national winter games held every year in the famed tourist resort of Gulmarg that boasts Asia's largest ski terrain. Thousands of domestic and international tourists typically visit to ski and sledge its stunning snowscape in winter. Experts say the weather shifts in Kashmir are linked to broader climate change and global warming. 'It's a new normal now,' said Mukhtar Ahmed, head of the Indian meteorological Department's Kashmir office. 'Extreme weather events are so frequent here. In the last few years, we are witnessing brazenly the effects of global warming in this ecologically fragile land.' Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the region's top official, said Kashmir was facing a water crisis this year. He said the crisis has 'been building up for a few years now' and the government was reviewing measures to deal with the crisis. 'While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can't just be a government-centric approach,' Abdullah wrote in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday. The region's residents 'will have to change the way we take water for granted," he said. Weather monitoring agencies say Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, surpassing the previous record set in 2023, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold. Countries had set a goal of limiting global warming since pre-industrial times to 1.5 degrees at the 2015 Paris climate talks to avert the worst consequences of climate change. It's the first time in recorded history that the planet was above a hoped-for limit to warming for an entire year. Scientists say if Earth stays above the threshold long-term, it will mean increased deaths, destruction, species loss and sea level rise from the extreme weather that accompanies warming.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Famed for Himalayan peaks and pristine lakes, Kashmir faces a water crisis amid dry weather
For days, people in the Himalayan region of Kashmir watched in agony as a famed ancient spring ran dry amid extreme dry weather conditions. It was the first time in living memory that the spring water had vanished. While the spring returned to life on Friday, replenished by fresh rain and snowfall, the region's people are now discussing something they had long feared — that climate change and changing weather patterns could soon take a toll on Kashmir's water bodies that nurture its famed orchards and vast agricultural fields. Multiple springs and streams — including tributaries of the region's main Jhelum River that cuts through the Kashmir Valley — have dried in Indian-controlled Kashmir, causing water shortages in recent weeks across the region known for its Himalayan peaks and pristine lakes. The concern was highlighted by a video that went viral on social media this week showing an elderly woman praying and crying her heart out in front of the ancient spring in southern Kashmir's Achabal town. The spring, inside a famed garden built by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir's wife in the 17th century, is a source of drinking water for 20 villages in the area. 'Oh! holy spring, what have we done to you? You have stopped water to us,' 80-year-old Saja Begum is seen howling in the video. 'Let the spring come back to life. Let the holy spring overflow with water." The video stirred emotions across Kashmir, where many residents are relying on government-provided water tankers. Weather officials say the region has witnessed over 80% rain and snow deficit since the beginning of this year. Most of Kashmir's plains have received little snow while the upper reaches saw less than usual. For over a month now, daytime temperatures have been between 5 to 8 degrees Celsius above the norm. Authorities have launched an investigation into what caused the spring waters to vanish, according to local online news outlet The Kashmiriyat, quoting officials. The crisis has forced officials to temporarily cancel national winter games held every year in the famed tourist resort of Gulmarg that boasts Asia's largest ski terrain. Thousands of domestic and international tourists typically visit to ski and sledge its stunning snowscape in winter. Experts say the weather shifts in Kashmir are linked to broader climate change and global warming. 'It's a new normal now,' said Mukhtar Ahmed, head of the Indian meteorological Department's Kashmir office. 'Extreme weather events are so frequent here. In the last few years, we are witnessing brazenly the effects of global warming in this ecologically fragile land.' Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the region's top official, said Kashmir was facing a water crisis this year. He said the crisis has 'been building up for a few years now' and the government was reviewing measures to deal with the crisis. 'While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can't just be a government-centric approach,' Abdullah wrote in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday. The region's residents 'will have to change the way we take water for granted," he said. Weather monitoring agencies say Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, surpassing the previous record set in 2023, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold. Countries had set a goal of limiting global warming since pre-industrial times to 1.5 degrees at the 2015 Paris climate talks to avert the worst consequences of climate change. It's the first time in recorded history that the planet was above a hoped-for limit to warming for an entire year. Scientists say if Earth stays above the threshold long-term, it will mean increased deaths, destruction, species loss and sea level rise from the extreme weather that accompanies warming.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Famed for Himalayan peaks and pristine lakes, Kashmir faces a water crisis amid dry weather
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — For days, people in the Himalayan region of Kashmir watched in agony as a famed ancient spring ran dry amid extreme dry weather conditions. It was the first time in living memory that the spring water had vanished. While the spring returned to life on Friday, replenished by fresh rain and snowfall, the region's people are now discussing something they had long feared — that climate change and changing weather patterns could soon take a toll on Kashmir's water bodies that nurture its famed orchards and vast agricultural fields. Multiple springs and streams — including tributaries of the region's main Jhelum River that cuts through the Kashmir Valley — have dried in Indian-controlled Kashmir, causing water shortages in recent weeks across the region known for its Himalayan peaks and pristine lakes. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The concern was highlighted by a video that went viral on social media this week showing an elderly woman praying and crying her heart out in front of the ancient spring in southern Kashmir's Achabal town. The spring, inside a famed garden built by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir's wife in the 17th century, is a source of drinking water for 20 villages in the area. 'Oh! holy spring, what have we done to you? You have stopped water to us,' 80-year-old Saja Begum is seen howling in the video. 'Let the spring come back to life. Let the holy spring overflow with water." The video stirred emotions across Kashmir, where many residents are relying on government-provided water tankers. Weather officials say the region has witnessed over 80% rain and snow deficit since the beginning of this year. Most of Kashmir's plains have received little snow while the upper reaches saw less than usual. For over a month now, daytime temperatures have been between 5 to 8 degrees Celsius above the norm. Authorities have launched an investigation into what caused the spring waters to vanish, according to local online news outlet The Kashmiriyat, quoting officials. The crisis has forced officials to temporarily cancel national winter games held every year in the famed tourist resort of Gulmarg that boasts Asia's largest ski terrain. Thousands of domestic and international tourists typically visit to ski and sledge its stunning snowscape in winter. Experts say the weather shifts in Kashmir are linked to broader climate change and global warming. 'It's a new normal now,' said Mukhtar Ahmed, head of the Indian meteorological Department's Kashmir office. 'Extreme weather events are so frequent here. In the last few years, we are witnessing brazenly the effects of global warming in this ecologically fragile land.' Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the region's top official, said Kashmir was facing a water crisis this year. He said the crisis has 'been building up for a few years now' and the government was reviewing measures to deal with the crisis. 'While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can't just be a government-centric approach,' Abdullah wrote in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday. The region's residents 'will have to change the way we take water for granted," he said. Weather monitoring agencies say Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, surpassing the previous record set in 2023, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold. Countries had set a goal of limiting global warming since pre-industrial times to 1.5 degrees at the 2015 Paris climate talks to avert the worst consequences of climate change. It's the first time in recorded history that the planet was above a hoped-for limit to warming for an entire year. Scientists say if Earth stays above the threshold long-term, it will mean increased deaths, destruction, species loss and sea level rise from the extreme weather that accompanies warming.
