'We are forced to be silent': India bars pro-Palestine protests in Kashmir

From Western capitals to Muslim states, protest rallies over the Israeli war on Gaza have made headlines. But one place known for its vocal pro-Palestinian stance has been conspicuously quiet: Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Indian authorities have barred any solidarity protest in Muslim-majority Kashmir and asked Muslim preachers not to mention the conflict in their sermons, residents and religious leaders told The Associated Press.

The restrictions are part of India's efforts to curb any form of protest that could turn into demands for ending New Delhi's rule in the region.

They also reflect a shift in India's foreign policy under populist Prime Minister Narendra Modi away from its long-held support for the Palestinians, analysts say.

India has long walked a tightrope between the two sides, with historically close ties to both.

While India strongly condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas and expressed solidarity with Israel, it urged that international humanitarian law be upheld in Gaza amid rising civilian deaths.

Two weeks later, India abstained during the United Nations General Assembly vote that called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, a departure from its usual voting record.

Anti-Muslim sentiment

Kashmiris have long shown strong solidarity with the Palestinians and often staged large anti-Israel protests during previous attacks on Gaza.

“From the Muslim perspective, Palestine is very dear to us, and we essentially have to raise our voice against the oppression there. But we are forced to be silent,” said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key resistance leader and a Muslim cleric.

He said he has been put under house arrest each Friday since the start of the war and that Friday prayers have been disallowed at the region’s biggest mosque in Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir.

Even though Modi’s government has sent humanitarian assistance for Gaza's besieged residents, many observers viewed its ideological alignment with Israel as potentially rewarding at a time when the ruling party in New Delhi is preparing for multiple state elections this month and crucial national polls next year.

The government's shift aligns with widespread support for Israel among India’s Hindu nationalists who form a core vote bank for Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party.

It also resonates with the coverage by Indian TV channels of the war from Israel. The reportage has been seen as largely in line with commentary used by Hindu nationalists on social media to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment that in the past helped the ascendance of Modi's party.

Violating freedom of expression

Praveen Donthi, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the war could have a domestic impact in India, unlike other global conflicts, due to its large Muslim population.

India is home to some 200 million Muslims who make up the predominantly Hindu country’s largest minority group.

“India's foreign policy and domestic politics come together in this issue," Donthi said. “New Delhi's pro-Israel shift gives a new reason to the country’s right-wing ecosystem that routinely targets Muslims.”

Kashmir, enforced silence is seen not only as violating freedom of expression but also as impinging on religious duty.

Aga Syed Mohammad Hadi, a Kashmiri religious leader, was not able to lead the past three Friday prayers because he was under house arrest on those days.

He said he had wanted to stage a protest rally against “the naked aggression of Israel." Authorities did not comment on such house arrests.

“Police initially allowed us to condemn Israel’s atrocities inside the mosques. But last Friday they said even speaking (about Palestinians) inside the mosques is not allowed,” Hadi said.

“They said we can only pray for Palestine — that too in Arabic, not in local Kashmiri language.”