Incident
India imposes a communications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking the region's special status
As it revoked Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional autonomy, India's government cut broadband, mobile internet, text messaging and phone service across the region, leaving local journalists unable to file stories, verify information or communicate with sources for months.12345
What happened
On August 5, 2019, India's government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, revoked Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which had granted the Muslim-majority region of Jammu and Kashmir a degree of autonomy, and split it into two federally administered territories. Ahead of the announcement, authorities cut broadband, mobile internet, text messaging and phone service across the region and detained several local political leaders. The government said the changes would bring stability and end "separatism, terrorism, dynastic politics and corruption." Local journalists could not reach sources, verify information, send photographs or video, or in many cases confirm stories with editors outside the region; some had to travel to a government-run media center to use monitored internet access. Mobile and broadband internet were restored only in stages over the following months and year, and the International Federation of Journalists said journalists in Kashmir faced "declining advertising revenues, job losses, pay cuts" and "self-censorship" on top of the shutdown itself.12345
What reason was given
Stated justificationThe government said the change would bring stability to the region and end "separatism, terrorism, dynastic politics and corruption"; it did not separately justify the communications shutdown beyond citing broader public-order and security concerns.2
What changed for reporting
Journalists could not reach sources, verify facts, send photographs or video, or confirm stories with editors, and the International Federation of Journalists said the disruption was "an egregious violation of citizens' rights to information from a free press."35
Timeline
2019
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Narendra Modi | ordered | Prime Minister of India |
Sources
- An internet blackout means no-one in Indian-controlled Kashmir can read this article archived copy
- India: A grim milestone, 365 days of internet shutdown in Kashmir archived copy
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Broadband, mobile internet, text messaging and phone service were all cut across the region.
Broadband, mobile internet, text messaging and phone service have all been affected
An internet blackout means no-one in Indian-controlled Kashmir can read this article archived copy, CNN, 2019-08-08.Claim 301, checked 2026-09-22. - The government said the constitutional change would bring stability and end separatism and corruption.
the law change would bring stability and end 'separatism, terrorism, dynastic politics and corruption'
An internet blackout means no-one in Indian-controlled Kashmir can read this article archived copy, CNN, 2019-08-08.Claim 302, checked 2026-09-22. - A source called the communications disruption an egregious violation of the right to information from a free press.
A large-scale communication disruption at such a crucial time for Kashmir is an egregious violation of citizens' rights to information from a free press
An internet blackout means no-one in Indian-controlled Kashmir can read this article archived copy, CNN, 2019-08-08.Claim 303, checked 2026-09-22. - High-speed mobile internet in Kashmir remained restricted a year after the blackout began.
the block on high speed mobile 4G internet in Kashmir has continued until now.
India: A grim milestone, 365 days of internet shutdown in Kashmir archived copy, International Federation of Journalists, 2020-08-05.Claim 304, checked 2026-09-22. - The IFJ documented declining advertising revenue, job losses and pay cuts among Kashmiri journalists.
The shutdown of media-houses, declining advertising revenues, job losses, pay cuts, lack of professional safety, self-censorship and the general curtailing of freedom of expression are some of the impacts.
India: A grim milestone, 365 days of internet shutdown in Kashmir archived copy, International Federation of Journalists, 2020-08-05.Claim 305, checked 2026-09-22.