MUZAFFARABAD: Scores of people, including women and children, most of them from the divided Kashmiri families, staged a rally here on Sunday to condemn India for subjecting occupied Kashmir to lockdown, curfew and communication blockade for the “success” of its attempts to merge the disputed Himalayan region.

The protesters, who were holding placards inscribed with slogans underscoring the humanitarian crisis having emerged as a result of India’s dastardly moves, also chanted anti-India and pro-freedom slogans as they marched from Azadi Chowk to Garhi Pan Chowk.

“The lockdown has endangered the lives of children in IoK,” read one of the placards. “Stop gagging [the] media in IoK,” read another.

Say meeting of UN Security Council was a good omen

Faizan Shafi, an 18-year old participant, whose father was martyred in occupied Kashmir in 2004, said they had not heard of their relatives across the divide for the past two weeks.

“I have heard my mother cry in the dead of nights due to the worries about the safety of our near and dear ones in India occupied Kashmir, as she has already lost her husband and our father at the hands of the savage Indian troops,” he said.

“I can’t even describe the atmosphere in our home ever since the occupied Kashmir is on a lockdown,” he said, with tears visible in his eyes.

“We want the world to understand our plight according to its gravity.”

In an emotional tone, Mohammad Aimal, a 12th grade student, said though the discussion at the UN Security Council was a good omen, practically it had not provided any relief to the suffering Kashmiris.

“India has not lifted curfew and communications blackout... and we are in complete dark about the well being of our loved ones,” he said.

“We will never accept India’s occupation, come what may,” he vowed.

Iqra Usman, a third year student, said a few reports that had come out of occupied Kashmir with the courtesy of international media had devastated everyone who loved Kashmiris.

“India has let loose members of fanatic organisations like RSS and Bajrang Dal in occupied Kashmir through the recent military buildup... there are reports they enter houses at night and maltreat and misbehave with people... you can understand what I mean,” she said.

“We are unable to reach anyone across the divide...Why the UN is not taking any solid step to rid us of the atrocities of the Indian government,” she questioned.

Earlier, the participants sat along the main road on chairs with black ribbons tied around their faces or mouths in what they said was demonstration of a “silent protest” against the lockdown of Kashmir and the atrocities being perpetrated by the Indian government with impunity.

Uzair Ahmed Ghazali, one of the organisers, said people in occupied Kashmir were facing an acute shortage of essential supplies, including milk and medicine, but the Indian government was totally unmoved.

“The humanitarian crisis in occupied Kashmir warrants immediate intervention of the international community, particularly international NGOs,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2019