Life for the common people in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir has been pushed into deeper misery as Indian forces have launched massive raids, checkpoints, and blanket restrictions across the territory in the name of security following the November 10 Red Fort blast in New Delhi—an incident that occurred hundreds of miles away.
Indian police, paramilitary personnel and intelligence agencies have intensified frisking at markets, bus stands, hospitals, railway stations, and highways. Continued cordon and search operations (CASOs) are underway in both urban and rural areas, turning the entire occupied territory into a military garrison.
Witnesses said travellers at Jammu Railway Station are being subjected to humiliating, round-the-clock checks. Teams equipped with scanning devices and canine units are forcing passengers—including elderly people, women, and students—to undergo repeated frisking and identity verifications. Similar scenes are reported from Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, and other parts of the Jammu region.
In the Kashmir Valley, the situation is worse. From North to South Kashmir, Indian police and Central Reserve Police Force have erected new checkpoints, stopped vehicles for prolonged searches, and carried out door-to-door raids under the pretext of heightened alertness. Residents say the atmosphere of siege has further choked movement, disrupted daily life, and heightened fear among civilians.
Human rights observers note that the Indian forces are using the Red Fort blast as a pretext to justify an “extraordinary crackdown” in the UN-recognized disputed territory. They point out that such measures—arbitrary searches, harassment at checkpoints, and surveillance—punish the entire civilian population and violate international humanitarian standards.
Kashmiris fear that the so-called operations are part of the larger pattern of collective punishment and militarized control that has intensified since the August 2019 revocation of Articles 370 and 35A. Residents say the occupation authorities have made their daily lives a hell through constant surveillance, raids, and intimidation, even though the incident took place far away in New Delhi.
