IT has been almost seven decades that people in the India-occupied Kashmir have been tolerating Indian barbarianism which is reflection as much of their courage as it is a reflection of India’s might-is-right bullying.

Recently All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader and Tahreek-i-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir Chairman Ashraf Sehrai (picture above) died in custody. He was suffering from multiple ailments and his son has complained about poor medical arrangements during his father’s incarceration.

He had been imprisoned by Indian forces since July 2020. During his political career, he spent more than 16 years in jail. Last year, one of his sons was murdered by the Indians in a gunfight.

Thousands of Kashmiris and their leaders have been arrested by Indian authorities under the so-called Public Safety Act since 1989. It has been reported some of the Kashmiri leaders in Indian jails have contracted coronavirus, but, unfortunately they are not provided medical treatment even in a pandemic.

Since partition, India has been involved in violating the fundamental rights of the Kashmiris. I wonder what is the basis of any individual or institution or the government wanting to offer medical equipment and ambulances to India. On humanitarian grounds? Really?

India should stop playing the victim and accept its brutality towards thousands of innocent Kashmiris.

Syeda Maleeha Kiran

Karachi

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WHEN General Douglas Gracey infamously refused to obey the order of Governor General Mohammad Ali Jinnah right after partition to deploy a contingent of forces to counter the Indian troops moving towards Kashmir, he practically ensured that the ‘security establishment’ will always have an upper hand in the running of the country. Things have not changed over the years.

Syed Safdar Hussain

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2021