Fri 16 August 2019:
Indian-American comedian Hasan Minhaj has spoken out against India’s Kashmir power grab, calling the communications blackout imposed upon the disputed territory “terrifying”.
Parts of Kashmir that India controls have been under lockdown since August 4, with freedom of movement restricted and phones and the internet cut.
A day later, New Delhi scrapped Article 370 in the Indian constitution that had granted Kashmir special autonomy, splitting the state of Jammu and Kashmir in two and downgrading their status to union territories.
“It’s really, really terrifying, and I’m scared because I think that things are only gonna get worse,” Minhaj stated in a clip published on Twitter on Thursday.
As India celebrates its independence, let’s think about the people who don’t seem to have any right now. #Kashmir pic.twitter.com/cGGoUcMbPw
— Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) August 15, 2019
After Indian actress and model Priyanka Chopra was chastised earlier this week for her support for right-wing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, supporters of Kashmiri autonomy had called on Minhaj to speak up in support of the Himalayan region.
Minhaj, a comedian formerly affiliated with “The Daily Show” who now hosts “Patriot Act”, is known for not shying away from controversial topics.
The Indian-American comedian was praised for critiquing Saudi human rights abuses and dedicating an episode of his Netflix show to protests in Sudan.
“We’re seeing an erosion of autonomy, and it’s happening in different parts of the world with Kashmir right now and even what’s happening in Hong Kong,” Minhaj said in the clip filmed on India’s Independence Day.
“It’s quite interesting that these two vestiges of British imperialism are standing and they’re fighting for their right to be their own.
“On India’s Independence Day, I’m thinking about the people of Kashmir, who are fighting for their own independence.”
It is extremely rare for the Security Council to discuss Kashmir, which has been divided between India and Pakistan since independence from Britain in 1947.
The last time there was a full Security Council meeting on the Himalayan region was in 1965.
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