In a report published by the Armed conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), violence in South-Asia has continued throughout the pandemic. Border skirmishes have increased at India’s border, and it has used artillery to target civilian areas.
In the report by ACLED, more than 500 armed clashes and 130 fatalities in cross-border clashes between Indian and Pakistani forces have been reported since the pandemic was declared on the 11th of March.
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There has been a sharp rise in violence in India in the occupied region of Kashmir as the state has stepped up operations in the region. The violence increased according to the report last year after the Indian government had stripped Kashmiris of their constitutional rights by abrogating Article-370 of the Indian Constitution.
The report highlighted that 120 armed clashes and 215 fatalities were reported within the same time frame, due to violent clashes between the Indian military and militant forces (mainly concentrated in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir), with the Indian forces using the coronavirus lockdown to commit resources towards fighting militancy in the region.
Violence against health workers in India
In India, frontline health workers battling coronavirus continued to be targeted with violence. Widespread panic over the fear of transmission of coronavirus from health workers, and of being stigmatized after contracting the virus, have spurred the increase in violence against medical teams.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) demands a special central law on violence against doctors, nurses, health care workers, and hospitals by an ordinance. IMA to observe 'white alert' on 22nd April. pic.twitter.com/fVh2HDFsu7
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2020
In Bihar state, locals assaulted medical teams who were gathering information and creating awareness to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In Jharkhand state, locals demonstrated and vandalized ambulances as health teams tried to transfer three coronavirus patients to the hospital. Similar incidents were also reported in other states including Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
GVS News Desk