New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday expressed concern on the present situation in Kashmir, calling it “heartbreaking” as it was creating trouble for the common people of Kashmir.
Attaching a New York Times report which shared stories of Kashmiri civilians and the troubles they are facing because of the communication lockdown, Tharoor slammed the central government for damaging India’s image abroad because of such stories.
In a Tweet, Tharoor wrote, “More heartbreaking news. But it leaves bhakts unmoved. So let's reframe the issue: Does our Govt understand how much damage such reports are doing to India abroad? Can it seriously assert that our international image has improved under their tenure?“
With mobile and internet services blocked for over 60 days, it is the worst communication blackout the valley has witnessed in decades and it has already started to take a toll on civilian life in Kashmir.
The Valley, which was brought under a virtual curfew with communication networks snapped on August 5 after the government abrogated special status to Jammu and Kashmir, has seen little difference in the last seven weeks as public transport is still not available and schools waiting for students to collect assignments.
Though restrictions at various places in the Valley have been lifted by and large, the clampdown on communication, including mobile phones and internet, remain in force.
Landlines had been activated in the entire Kashmir valley but the number of civilian subscribers was little over 18,000 while nearly 30,000 were government, business establishments, schools, hospitals and hotels.
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