In occupied Kashmir, the inhumane lockdown imposed by RSS-backed Narendra Modi-led fascist government on August 05, last year, when it revoked the special status of the territory, has completed 300 days.
An analytical report prepared, today, by Senior Editor of Kashmir Media Service, Muhammad Raza Malik, on the completion of 300 days of unrelenting military siege and lockdown in the occupied territory, revealed that Indian troops martyred 134 Kashmiris including 4 women during the period. It said that at least 1,299 people were critically injured due to the use of brute force including firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells by Indian military, paramilitary and police personnel on peaceful demonstrators.
The report said that these killings rendered 6 women widowed and 13 children orphaned. “The troops damaged over 909 houses and molested 74 women during cordon and search operations across the occupied territory in the period. While entire occupied Kashmir has been turned into an open-air prison, thousands of Hurriyat leaders, activists, politicians, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders including APHC Chairman Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Aasiya Andrabi, Masarrat Aalam Butt, Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, Naheeda Nasreen, Fahmeeda Sofi, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Aiyaz Muhammad Akbar, Altaf Ahmed Shah, Peer Saifullah, Merajuddin Kalwal, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Mian Abdul Qayoom, Dr Abdul Hameed Fayyaz, Maulana Mushtaq Ahmed Veeri, Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Yousuf, Maulana Sarjan Barkati, Ghulam Ahmed Gulzar, journalist, Asif Sultan, and businessman, Zahoor Watali continued to remain under house arrest or in different jails of occupied Kashmir and India for the past several months.
The report said that Indian troops were committing grave human rights violations in the occupied territory to suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing struggle for securing their inalienable right to self-determination. Indian military siege has created a sense of fear and terror among the inhabitants of the territory, it said.
The report said that the crippling lockdown for the last almost ten months had made the occupied territory a living hell for its over 8 million residents. It said that the world was fed up by lockdown of few days due to the coronavirus, but the Kashmiris were facing it for the last 300 days. It said that military siege had multiplied the sufferings of the Kashmiris amid COVID-19 outbreak as Indian troops had intensified their brutalities including killings, arrests, torture and destruction of residential houses. It added that the unrelenting lockdown had destroyed the economy of occupied Kashmir which had suffered losses of billions since August 05, last year.
The report pointed out that India is carrying out genocide of the Kashmiri youth particularly, after August 05, last year, and destruction of houses and harassment of residents is the new norm in occupied Kashmir. “Modi regime wants to change the Muslim majority status of occupied Kashmir. Taking advantage of COVID-19 lockdown, it promulgated domicile laws. Granting of domicile to over 300,000 Indians is part of its nefarious plan,” it added.
The report deplored that press freedom is under a threat in occupied Kashmir where journalists are detained, harassed and face charges. It said that in modern age, internet had become an important part of life but the Kashmiris had been living without this basic facility for the past 300 days that too during the coronavirus pandemic when it was needed the most to get healthcare guidelines. “Cruel military lockdown has pushed occupied Kashmir into the stone-age. Communications blockade has made the Kashmiris’ lives miserable,” it added.
The report said that the inhuman lockdown was aimed at breaking the resolve of Kashmiris. It said that reports by international media organizations like the New York Times had maintained that India’s repressive policies in Kashmir had failed miserably.
The report said that the worst kind of siege for the last 300 consecutive days had failed to subdue the freedom sentiment of the Kashmiri people and they were determined to keep fighting for their rights, including the right to self-determination. It said that New Delhi must realize the fact that it would not be able to silence the Kashmiris and must listen to the voices seeking lifting of siege in occupied Kashmir.
The report maintained that the international community must take cognizance of India’s brutal actions in the occupied territory and force it to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations and the relevant UN resolutions.
