Online: Song by Pakistani and Turkish artists about Kashmir removed from YouTube

13 July: The song Diami Bahar, created in collaboration between Pakistani singer Hadiqa Kiani and Turkish artist Ali Tolga, has been removed from YouTube, reported The Express Tribune.

Diami Bahar was released on 13 July, Kashmir Martyr’s Day, and has been removed from YouTube on the same day.  According to Freepress Kashmir, Diami Bahar translates into Eternal Spring and pays tribute to the 22 Kashmiri people who were killed during a protest against the Dogra regime on 13 July 1931.

The organization Kashmir Civitas, who campaigns for the fundamental right of self-determination for the people of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, was actively working on the process of re-uploading the song. Diami Bahar has been re-uploaded to YouTube on 15 July, reported Lens.

Singer Hadiqa Kiani wrote in an Instagram story: “Our tribute to Kashmir was removed from YouTube a few hours ago. There seems to be a systematic silencing taking place, but we will not be silenced because our message is of love and peace.”

This censorship follows two other situations of censorship on Netflix and YouTube related to the decades-long conflict between India and Pakistan due to territorial disputes in the Kashmir region.

Read more about the Kashmir conflict in the State of Artistic Freedom Report 2020.

Furthermore, you can watch a video explaining the Kashmir conflict here.