In Kashmir, digital space has become a site of control and intimidation. Journalists, students, content creators and others use online platforms to express themselves. What was once a space for expression and professional growth is now turning hostile as cyberbullying and online harassment become more organized in Kashmir and beyond.
These incidents of online abuse are not isolated cases; They are part of a larger system in which technology is used to silence women’s voices. Coordinated groups and anonymous accounts often target outspoken women with insults, threats and character attacks, aiming to intimidate them into withdrawing from public conversations.
The rise of organized digital intimidation
Many choose not to report these incidents for fear of societal condemnation or a lack of trust in the systems designed to help. This pattern of digital abuse goes beyond violating their right to free speech; It causes deep psychological damage and forces many women to distance themselves from online spaces completely.
Many choose not to report these incidents for fear of societal condemnation or a lack of trust in the systems designed to help. This pattern of digital abuse goes beyond violating their right to free speech; it causes deep psychological damage.
What makes this phenomenon so significant is the tacit silence and sometimes complicity of the authorities, who neither acknowledge nor contain these online attacks. The lack of accountability allows trolling to act as a digital form of radicalization and effectively enforce censorship without an official ban. For women, this means that their presence in digital spaces becomes risky and their freedom of expression is restricted by intimidation that follows them beyond the screen and into their social and professional lives.
“When I started creating content, people started trolling me and then insulting me outright. The harassment got so bad that even my parents were insulted. I complained to the Cyber Police (Cyber Wing of J&K Police) and got help, but the abuse didn’t stop. I decided to talk about it because it’s not just my story but the truth for many young women who just want to work and be themselves online. This Constant harassment really hurt me.” Mental health scared me and kept me up at night,” said Aiman, a content creator.
Stories of fear and resilience
If we look at Jammu and Kashmir specifically, the official figures shared with Parliament in 2025 show that the number of cyberbullying cases has been steadily increasing, from 154 in 2021 to 173 in 2022 and 183 in 2023. The Cyber Police Crime Bulletin of 2020 said that 150 women between the ages of 18 and 30 years reported cybercrimes, but only four of them had led to formal investigations. The National Crime Records Bureau’s 2022 report also documented 54 cybercrime cases involving female victims in Jammu and Kashmir. However, experts believe the actual numbers are higher due to under-reporting caused by stigma and social pressure.
“Whenever we upload a video, be it for a college event or for marketing purposes, the girls featured in it often get trolled. People leave comments like ‘Don’t you have any shame?’, ‘Don’t you have any modesty?’ or ‘Don’t your parents say anything?’, along with other insulting comments that I can’t even repeat. That affected me emotionally because that’s not what I’m here for. I am a student. After seeing such comments, I am afraid to take part in any activity again, even if it is purely informational,” said Mahi Bashir, a student.
Over 60% of Kashmir’s population is under 35 years old, and more and more young people rely on social media and smartphones for daily communication, work and education. Their heavy reliance on technology makes them particularly vulnerable to online abuse.
FII
In 2023, the National Crime Records Bureau reported over 10,000 cases of cyberstalking across India.
Unlike traditional stalking, cyberstalking has no physical boundaries. Perpetrators can closely monitor a person’s online presence, track their movements, and continue harassment across platforms and time zones.
“As a visible journalist, I have faced inappropriate and ideological trolling, especially after speaking out about gender issues. The attacks, from questioning my feminism to asking me to ‘go back to the kitchen’, reveal deep-rooted prejudices. While such negativity impacts mental health, it has only strengthened my resolve, because when criticism becomes aggressive, it often means the message has hit a nerve,” said journalist Urvatil Wuska.
The response to Kashmiri women’s online voices is often immediate and very personal. One opinion, interview, or social media post can set off a chain reaction of coordinated harassment, abuse, and trolling. Timelines are overflowing with hateful comments and inboxes are overflowing with threats and memes. The goal is to intimidate and silence rather than just disagree.
Create safe spaces
Women adapt instead of becoming invisible. A young woman named Hanaz founded an online community called Yakjut where women freely express, talk, agree, disagree and support each other. At the same time, small but effective solidarity circles are emerging where women share mental health support and legal information and encourage women to speak out. During online storms, these areas serve as emotional anchorages.
According to Syed Hanaz Tariq, owner of Yukjut Women’s Community, “One of the biggest problems on social media is that when a woman talks about her work, education, politics or personal problems, she is objectified and attacked instead of being treated like a human being.” Many men make fun of the way they look and dress. In a patriarchal culture like Kashmir, religion has emerged as one of the most powerful tools to dehumanize and silence women. They attack women’s private lives and question such voices. For this reason, women rarely feel safe on social media, which is why communities like Yukjut are important because they allow women to support each other without fear of discrimination or religious control.
Through threats, mass reporting and public attacks on individuals for substandard content, a lawyer and his team in Kashmir have instilled fear among Kashmiri content creators and women running small online businesses. Many were warned to delete posts or face account suspensions and legal action. The manner in which he addresses the matter is far more worrying, even though some of the content presented in the name of religion may be controversial in and of itself. Freedom of expression and basic principles of respect and dignity are undermined by intimidation and selective religious reasons to suppress and shame voices.
The IT Act regulates the sending of offensive text messages. Following its repeal, Section 66A was amended to include additional provisions for identity theft (Section 66C), publication of pornographic or sexually explicit content (Section 67), BNS, stalking (Section 354D), criminal intimidation (Section 351(2)) and defamation (Section 356). These laws cover identity theft, threats, and online trolling. Identity fraud, identity theft, creating false profiles and the unauthorized distribution of pornographic content are punishable offenses. Criminal law recognizes stalking both in person and online.
Women adapt instead of becoming invisible. A young woman named Hanaz founded an online community called Yakjut where women freely express, talk, agree, disagree and support each other.
Many women in Jammu and Kashmir feel unsafe, even though there are avenues to report issues such as FIRs, criminal action, injunctions and defamation suits. This is because there are not many reports, there is not much investigation, it is difficult to find anonymous accounts, and there are delays in law enforcement and content removal. “The IT Act 2000 and the criminal law in India do a good job of dealing with online harassment, stalking, intimidation, identity theft and obscene content. The problem is not that there are no laws, but that they are not enforced.” “Lawyer Zia ul Rehman is an advocate in the Supreme Court and lower courts in Srinagar.
Behind every story there is a silence that cannot be measured, because abuse outweighs their ambitions. Journalists, students and artists are not forced to resign because they lack talent. After receiving constant threats and trolling that negatively impacted his family and mental health, a young professional gave up her career after relentless trolling and abuse. This is how silence works – not through bans, but through fear of the end of your career. When harassment determines who speaks and who disappears, it is no longer “just online abuse”; It becomes a social weapon that steals careers, choices and hope.