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NIT Srinagar website hacked, stated ‘Free Kashmir’

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The world observed an ambivalent irony on June 4th, 2017. The benign platform of cricket induced us to ruminate over a political reflection with the India-Pakistan match in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 taking place in Edgbaston, United Kingdom. Surreal remembrance of divide and rule strategy, yes? But as the Indian team emerged victorious and we could see evidence on the Internet of how cricket continues to bind us in friendship and more, on Monday pro-Kashmiri elements hacked the official website of the premier National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar.

The defeat of Pakistan in the match led the hackers to take control of the website on Sunday evening and post hate messages. In the offline scenario, the nation woke up to a terrorist attack on a CRPF station at Sumbal in the Bandipora district of Kashmir. Interestingly, NIT Srinagar got marked in the political scenario after a clash last year between Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri students in the T20 World Cup match against West Indies.

The posters were uploaded by ‘All Pak Cyber Skullz Members.’ The content was as follows:

“We shall fight till the last breath. What shall a man not pay for living? Everyday 100s of innocent people are abused, raped and even killed in Kashmir by Indian army, a third of the deaths are children. We don’t want war. Take back your guns and go back to where you came from.”

“Giving up is not an option.”

“Go Modi Go.”

To a rhetorical question – “You know why you got hacked” – which the hackers obviously wanted to answer, the poster said:

“Free Kashmir. Freedom is our goal. Kashmir does not want militarised governance. Stop killing children, raping women and imprisoning the men! They just want freedom! Freedom from the evil of the Indian Military!”

Similar attacks were carried out in the month of April this year, with the official websites of over 10 educational institutions being hacked by a pro-Pakistani group. Websites of educational institutions including the University of Delhi, University of Kerala, IIT Delhi, and Aligarh Muslim University were hacked, wherein the group barred public access to them by putting up a page displaying pro-Pakistan slogans. The page also displayed videos showing the alleged brutality of Indian soldiers towards Kashmiri residents.

One of the students, when speaking to a national daily, said, “We saw that the website had been hacked when some students tried to access it to see a few articles of the syllabus. We were shocked to see that the website bore anti-India literature, anti-Indian Armed Force propaganda, and a call to leave Kashmir and give it freedom.”

 

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Saumya Kalia
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With an eye always on the lookout for French fries and a heart immersed in unknotting the complexities of the world, Saumya is the self-proclaimed Doctor from Gallifrey of her time. Currently majoring in English from SGTB Khalsa College, her interests range from traveling through stories of different eras to trying her hand at assorted avenues. Saumya also harbours the ability to binge-watch anything and everything and possesses an affinity for stationery paraphernalia. Her idea of a delightful day involves ruminating discussions over coffee. As she continues to weave words into an ocean of ideas, Saumya solemnly swears that she is up to no good.

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