In Kashmir, VPNs Allow Residents To Slip Past The Region's Firewall thewire.in

For the last six months, Shameema Banoo hasn’t been able to see her younger son, Danish Nazir Parray, who works in Saudi Arabia. A few days ago, Shameema, who is 61 years old, cried when she finally caught a glimpse of Parray through a WhatsApp video call from her home in the Bemina area of Srinagar. Parray, 25, works in a hotel in Riyadh as a store manager.

“Last time on the evening of August 4th, I saw him through a video call. It was only after six months, on 5th of February, that my elder son brought a VPN application in his phone, by which I got connected with my beloved son,” says a visibly relieved Shameema through tears and a smile. On August 5, 2019, the Narendra Modi government read down Article 370 and nullified Article 35 A of the Indian constitution. In the process, the Centre effectively snapped all forms of telephone and digital communication.