SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, the sufferings of people living in the valley and Muslim majority areas of Jammu region continue due to strict military siege imposed by India, media reported.
Normal life remains badly affected on the 90th day, Saturday, in the Valley and parts of Jammu due to unrelenting restrictions under section 144 and gag on the internet and prepaid cellular services.
The occupation authorities despite all-out efforts have failed to engineer normalcy in occupied Kashmir as people continue to observe shutdown to show their resentment against India’s recent actions in the territory. Barring a few hours in the morning and evening, shops and business establishments remain closed most of the time. Public transport is off the roads while students are not attending schools and colleges except those who have to appear in the examinations for 10th and 12th classes.
Meanwhile, at least 3 photojournalists said that they were beaten up by Indian police personnel when they were covering anti-India demonstrations in downtown Srinagar. Several other photo and video journalists, including a woman, said that police personnel chased and verbally abused them. One of the journalists said the police repeatedly asked him why he was taking pictures of the demonstrations.
Noted Indian author, Arundhati Roy, and Editor of The Wire, Siddharth Varadarajan, addressing during ‘Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da’ in Jalandhar city of Indian Punjab, expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation in occupied Kashmir and stressed the need for intellectuals to speak up.
Roy said, “I’m very ashamed about Kashmir. I can’t say ‘Mera Bharat Mahaan’. The silence on Kashmir is deafening. It’s our fight too. While there should have been potent opposition, no one spoke up. Very few journalists have spoken about it. The country needs a new movement and new media out of it.”
On Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel while talking to German journalists who were accompanying her in her visit to India, expressed concern for the people of Kashmir and said that the lockdown of the region cannot be supported for long.
She said she would raise the matter with Narendra Modi later on Friday evening, adding that while she was aware of India’s position regarding the Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK). She wanted to hear Modi’s plans for restoring calm to the region.
“The situation for the people there is currently not sustainable and must improve,” Merkel said.
