Curfew continues for 26th day
KMS News
In the curfew clamped Kashmir, thousands of people defying various restrictions took to streets in south, north and central Kashmir, on Wednesday , against India’s latest onslaught on Kashmiri people.
Scores of people were injured when occupational forces fired bullets, pellets and teargas shells on protesters in Soura area of Srinagar. A handicrafts store owner, Sameer Wani, told media men that it was a ‘do-or-die’ situation for Kashmiris amid deliberate destruction of their businesses and trampling of basic rights by the occupational forces. Many protesters said that they were worried about their teenaged sons, who were abducted by the troops during nocturnal raids.
Meanwhile, people are facing severe shortage of food, medicines and other commodities due to unabated curfew and communication blockade, which entered the 23rd consecutive day, today, in the Kashmir valley. Markets and schools are shut while all internet and communication services including landline phone, mobile and TV channels are closed in Kashmir valley and five districts of Jammu region. Local newspapers are offline while most of them failed to bring out their print editions.
Over 10,000 Kashmiris including hundreds of political leaders and workers like Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai continue to remain under house arrest or in jails. On 5th of August, the BJP government had scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The authorities arrested a doctor, Omar Salim, who is a urologist at the Government Medical College, Srinagar, a day after he informed the media about the terrible health crisis in Kashmir because of long-drawn clampdown by India in the territory.
Unidentified gunmen abducted a man and subsequently killed him in Tral area of Pulwama district.
Leaders belonging to various political parties including Bharatiya Janata Party at a meeting in Drass rejected the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. They said that they would remain a part of Jammu and Kashmir.
Samajwadi Party leader, Akhilesh Yadav, addressing a press conference in Lucknow hit out at the Indian government for restricting the movement of people in Jammu and Kashmir saying what happened in Kashmir can also happen to the people of Uttar Pradesh.
People hailed for resistance
Meanwhile, Hurriyat activists while hailing the courageous Kashmiri youth and sons of the soil for resisting India’s nefarious move of repealing the special status of the territory have appealed them to remain steadfast.
The appeal has been made through posters and handbills issued in occupied Kashmir. “We will remain united and will compel India to leave our motherland. Our resolve will compel international community to join us and raise voice for our right to self-determination which is our birth right,” the handbills and protesters read.
The Hurriyat activists said, we are very thankful to everyone who stood for our rights including our Pakistani brothers and sisters who are all out in our support. “But our pain is increased when our dear ones are killed and injured by our Kashmiris in uniform and others who have become collaborators in any form,” they said and asked them to join the struggle for achieving freedom from Indian yoke. If we are united and put in our best collective effort, freedom is not far away, they said.
The Hurriyat activists through posters and handbills thanked Allah Almighty that the Kashmiri people had started protecting themselves without being asked. “We will not bow our heads in front of evil, Allah is with us,” they added.
The posters and handbills read requested the Kashmiris to think about Karbala, as the month of Muharram was approaching. “Consider yourself a force of Hussain (RA) and remain steadfast. If we take care of each other and protect each other, we will achieve and In sha Allah achieve freedom from India,” they added.
