India Has Arrested Thousands in Kashmir Security Crackdown
Photographer: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty Images
Thousands of citizens have been swept up in a campaign of mass arrests following a decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to end seven decades of autonomy in Kashmir, with 609 people still in custody three months after the region was locked down.
Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority region, lost its special status on Aug. 5 after a surprise announcement in parliament by Home Minister Amit Shah. Since then authorities have arrested 5,161 people, including separatists, political workers and people who pelted stones during protests, G. Kishan Reddy, junior home minister, said in a written reply in Parliament Wednesday. Most people were later released.
Read more: In Kashmir All Is Silent, But It’s Far From Peaceful