(Baltimore Sun) The Indian-controlled territory of Kashmir is being transformed into a “militarized police state” that has left 3,000 Kashmiri-Americans in the Baltimore area unable to reach loved ones, Zainab Chaudry, director of outreach for a local Muslim advocacy group, said at a Monday news conference in Catonsville.
With Kashmir in the 55th day of a communications blackout on orders of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, escalating tensions between its Muslim majority and the Indian government has locked down the region. Local residents trying to contact their families are experiencing growing anxiety and frustration, said Chaudry, who is with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
“There is absolutely no cellphone service, absolutely no internet service,” said Sumaira Zaffar, a Howard County resident with family members in Kashmir, who was at the CAIR news conference.
