SRINAGAR In occupied Kashmir, India has launched a massive crackdown against Virtual Private Network (VPN) users in the territory for accessing Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and other social networking sites. Although India claims that it has restored Internet service in limited areas in the occupied territory, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and other social networking sites are still banned. However, Kashmiris are raising their voice against illegal Indian occupation and brutalities of the Indian forces by accessing the said sites through VNP and proxy servers. As per a report released by international news organisation, Reuters, India has detained hundreds of Kashmiris and banned communications after ending special status of occupied Kashmir on August 5, last year. The news agency wrote, police say they have identified more than 100 Kashmiris using social media and search for more such people is underway. Police spokesman told Reuters that cases had also been registered against several people who accessed social networking sites through proxy servers. Aadil Altaf, 37, a businessman in Srinagar, told Reuters that he had downloaded a dozen VPN apps on his phone and if the Indian administration blocked one of them, he would use another. A woman, Salima Jan said that she used a proxy server for video chat with her son, studying in a college in Chandigarh, India. An office-holder of Kashmir Telecom told the news agency that Indian software engineers were trying their best to make VPNs ineffective in occupied Kashmir and they had also blocked some VPNs. However, people become connected to some more VPNs.—KMS
