Technology solutions such mobile telephony have often been a boon to security forces in Kashmir. However, it also has a downside to it as youths are increasingly using social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp to mobilise protests against security forces.
To keep a check on such tendencies, the police in south Kashmir's Pulwama district has taken 65 people into custody who are part of 35 such groups.
The police found WhatsApp being used by many youths to mobilise crowds at encounter sites and to spread “misinformation” in real time, Raes Bhat, Senior Superintendent of Police in Pulwama, told THE WEEK.
One such rumour was that government-distributed subsidised LED bulbs were snooping devices in reality. This was also spread by one such WhatsApp group in south Kashmir, Bhat said.
Many people took the rumour for truth in Kashmir. While the police rubbished the rumours, it had created a lot of anxiety among ordinary people who thought their privacy was being breached.
“In another message, a girl was heard crying and people were asked to come outside,” Bhat said. “We also found that these groups gave live updates about the start of encounters, rallies, etc.”
He said they have rounded up several users and admins of such groups. Some of the admins, he said, are believed to be from across the border.
On the other hand, many in Kashmir believe the arrests have been made to prevent unrest in the run-up to the Lok Sabha by-elections in Srinagar and Anantnag on April 9 and 12, respectively.
Most of the 1,600 polling stations in Anantnag constituency have been categorised by the Election Commission as either 'sensitive' or 'hypersensitive'.
The police are also installing around 500 CCTVs in Srinagar at 53 sensitive points. Nagpur-based Neco Defense System has been constructed to install surveillance cameras in Srinagar city.
Several towers for the cameras have already been installed across the capital city. Each tower will be fitted with three to four high-resolution cameras that will provide a 360-degree coverage of the area. The cameras will record all movements including the vehicle registration numbers.
The police are already keeping an eye on the city with CCTVs but with the latest equipment, it has a 24-hour surveillance in place. The total cost of the project across Kashmir is worth Rs 500 crore.
