26th Year of Publication

Vol: 26 No. 03
Monthly March 2020

INSIGHT

UN chief offers role APPGK urges world to Kashmiri Women’s

for mediation between take note of worsening Resistance Day
Pak, India on Kashmir HR situation in Kashmir observed
 Pakistan desires peace but won’t
compromise on Kashmir: President Alvi

“Pakistan desires peace but would never compromise on Kashmir, which

remains an unfinished agenda of the partition of sub-continent. The lives of
minorities including Sikhs, Christians and Muslims are in danger. India is
following the hatred-based RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) ideology and
philosophy, which also led to the assassination of Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi.”

(President Dr Arif Alvi addressing a seminar

‘Radical India vs Responsible Pakistan’
in Islamabad February 27, 2020)

Kashmiris looking towards UN to honour its commitments: PM Imran Khan

“Kashmiri people continue to look to the United Nations to honour its

commitments for the realisation of their right to self-determination, as enshrined
in numerous UN Security Council resolutions.”

(Prime Minister, Imran Khan, during his meeting with

UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres,
in Islamabad on February 17, 2020.)
 Kashmir Insight
Printed & Published by All Parties Hurriyat Conference AJK
Vol: 26, No.03 , March 2020
Ph: +92-51-4861457, Fax: +92-51-4861458
Editor: M Raza Malik Printers: Web Brothers,Al-Rehman Plaza, 44-H,
Art Editor: M.Haroon Haider Road, Rawalpindi
Sub Editor: Benazir Khan Ph:051-5566348, Fax: 051-5516142

CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Editorial
Practical measures needed for
Kashmir settlement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02
Cover Story
Muslims in India, IOK bear brunt of Hindutva
ideology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03
Reports
UN chief offers role for mediation between Pak,
India on Kashmir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07
APPGK urges world to take note of worsening
HR situation in Kashmir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day observed. . . . . . 14
Pictorial
Images speak louder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Human rights situation
Indian atrocities on IOK people during
February 2020
Raies Ahmed Mir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Reports
OIC’s special envoy assures full support for Kashmir
cause. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
World attention drawn towards Indian
atrocities in IOK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chronology
A chronological account of developments
on Kashmir (163) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Beauty thy name is
Jamia Masjid Srinagar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Literature
The Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Feedback
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
India is using every brutal tactic to suppress the
Kashmiris’ just struggle aimed at securing their
right to self-determination for the past over seven
decades. Indian troops, enjoying unbridled powers
under black laws, are using rape and molestation of
women as a weapon of war to force the Kashmiris to
surrender their just cause of freedom.
Kunanposhpora mass rape of 1991 is one of the most
tragic incidents of Kashmir’s history and a glaring
example of the worst Indian brutalities in the
occupied territory. On the night of February 23 in
1991, Indian troops raped around a hundred women
in Kunanposhpora area of Kupwara district during a
siege and search operation. They didn’t even spare
eight-year-old girls to the elderly women of eighty
years of age. Some of the women were pregnant. The
deplorable aspect of the matter is that the victims
have not been provided with justice and the
perpetrators of this heinous crime have not been
brought to book despite the passing of almost three
decades. Instead, the committee headed by B G
Varghese that was constituted to probe the matter
and had visited the area after the passing of three
months to the incident in its report had denied the
happening of the mass rape.
It is a reality that Indian troops have molested over
ten thousand women since 1989 when the Kashmiri
people intensified their freedom movement.
However, Indian atrocities have failed to break the
resolve of the people of Kashmir.
The February 23 is being observed by the Kashmiris
across the globe as the Kashmiri Women's
Resistance Day for the past some years to pay
tributes to the courage of the victims of
Kunanposhpora mass rape. Every year, the
Kashmiris reiterate their demand for an impartial
probe into the gruesome incident and other such
brutal acts committed by the Indian forces’
personnel in the occupied territory. Kunanposhpora
episode is a fit case to be brought before the
International Criminal Court so that the
perpetrators of this heinous crime are punished
under the international law.
The world human rights organisations particularly
the UN Human Rights Council must take cognisance
of the war crimes being committed by Indian troops
in occupied Kashmir. The international community
should play its role in the settlement of the Kashmir
dispute in accordance with the relevant UN
resolutions to prevent occurrence of such incidents
in occupied Kashmir in the future.
 E D I T O R I A L

he Kashmir dispute has once again

T
attained the international attention post
India’s 5th August 2019 move of repealing
the special status of occupied Kashmir and
putting the territory under military siege and
communications blockade. Ever since, the
residents of the Kashmir Valley are facing
unspeakable hardships due to the continued
lockdown.
The prevailing grim situation and the tension
between Pakistan and India have prompted the
world leaders including the UN Secretary
General, Antonio Guterres, and the
President, Donald Trump, to articulate their
concerns. They have
offered mediation on
the Kashmir dispute
more than once. Very
leaders’ claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an
internal matter of India.
It is a fact that New Delhi wants to maintain
status quo on Kashmir as far as its international
dimension is concerned. Its intransigence on the
Kashmir dispute has kept the peace, security and
the prosperity of the region hostage for the last
over seven decades. The inaction of the world
community over their brutalities on the people of
occupied Kashmir has emboldened Indian
forces’ personnel bestowed with unbridled
powers under draconian laws to keep committing
US war crimes in the territory to intimidate the
Kashmiris into
submission. However,
despite exhausting all
its resources and

EDITORIAL
using all brutal
recently, the UN chief tactics, New Delhi has
during his visit to miserably failed to
Pakistan said that subdue the freedom
the Kashmir dispute sentiment of the
needed to be settled Kashmiri people who
as per the UN are committed to
Security Council resolutions. President Trump continue their struggle till the achievement of
while visiting India stated that he is ready to do their right to self-determination promised to
anything he can to help in resolving the Kashmir them by the world community through several UN
dispute. Security Council resolutions.
Earlier, other world leaders including the Unfortunately, the world leaders have so far
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, remained confined to mere issuing statements on
Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir the precarious situation in occupied Kashmir
Mohamad, the US lawmakers, the members of and they have not taken practical measures to
British and European Parliaments, the UN hold India accountable for its atrocities on the
human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, the innocent people of Kashmir. Now they must
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch acknowledge the reality that Modi-led fascist
have also expressed their concerns over the Indian government’s Hindutva ideology has
precarious human rights situation in occupied endangered the peace of entire world. They
Kashmir in the wake of repeal of special status of should come forward in a big way and initiate
the territory by India. practical measures for the settlement of the
Even the UN Security Council has twice held Kashmir dispute in accordance with the
discussion on the situation of occupied Kashmir Kashmiris’ aspirations. The UN Security Council
since August last year and this development in resolutions, which provide the best roadmap for
itself is a manifestation of the fact that Kashmir is achieving this objective, must be implemented
a disputed territory and rejection of Indian without any further delay.

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 02

 C O V E R S T O R Y

Muslims in India, IOK bear

brunt of Hindutva ideology

ince assuming powers for the second term in India,

S
Constitution and placed the
Narendra Modi’s fascist government expedited its efforts to territory under military
undermine Muslims in the country. Modi - a Hindu lockdown, which continued
nationalist and follower of Hindutva ideology of extremist Hindu when this report was written.
organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - rose to political On August 31, 2019, the Indian
prominence in the early 2000s in a country that includes one of the government published a new
world’s largest Muslim populations as the chief minister of Gujarat. citizens’ register in the
Over two thousand Muslims were butchered by Hindu extremists in northeastern state of Assam
anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002 during Modi’s tenure as that left nearly two million
chief minister. He was widely accused of failing to stop the riots and residents without citizenship in
had used the mass murder of Muslims in Gujarat to his political any country. The deeply flawed
advantage. He was first elected as Prime Minister of India in 2014 process was widely understood
and since his re-election in May 2019 he has very much doubled his as an effort to exclude Muslims,
efforts to implement the RSS agenda of turning India into a Hindu many of whom were
state. Modi’s first term as prime minister saw Muslims being descendents of Bengalis who
lynched on the suspicion of transporting beef or slaughtering cows, arrived in Assam during the
considered sacred by many Hindus. colonial era. Those found to be
On August 5, 2019 the Modi government revoked the special status undocumented immigrants
of occupied Kashmir by repealing the Article 370 of the Indian were expected to be placed in

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 03

 C O V E R S T O R Y

detention camps.
The Modi government then
passed a law, Citizenship
(Amendment) Act (CAA) in
December 2019 that excludes
Muslim immigrants to India of
certain citizenship eligibilities.
This law permits pre-2014
migrants from the neighbouring
Muslim-majority countries of
Bangladesh, Pakistan and
Afghanistan who are Hindu,
Christian, Jain, Buddhist and
Sikh, but not Muslim, to become
experienced mob violence, the likes of which it had not seen since the
Indian citizens. This anti-
1980s. Hindu mobs descended on poor neighbourhoods, attacking
Muslim law sparked massive
Muslims and ransacking their houses and businesses. Over 50
protests across India during
people died and more than 250 got injured during the violence.
which more than 25 people were
Indeed, the ominous signs were visible on February 23 itself, on the
killed in December 2019.
eve of US President Donald Trump’s arrival in India, when BJP
The new citizenship laws and
politician, Kapil Mishra, issued a chilling threat to Muslim women
repeal of special status of
protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the Maujpur
occupied Kashmir have stoked
area of New Delhi. With police
officials standing beside him,
Mishra declared openly that he
would do nothing until Trump was
in town but as soon as the visiting
dignitary left on February 24, he
would organise a Hindu mob and
drive out the protesters. However,
the mobs did not even wait for
February 24. The attacks began
hours later on February 23 itself.
And for four days, Delhi Police
stood by, or took part in lynching
Muslims, as Delhi burned.
Jafrabad was one of the worst-hit
localities of New Delhi, a city that
fears that Modi's master plan is was marred by violence for four days. Mobs were seen wielding sticks
to remold India as a Hindu and pipes walking down streets in parts of northeast Delhi amid
nation and change the arson attacks and looting. Many of the wounded had suffered
demographic composition of the gunshot injuries. At least two mosques in northeast Delhi were set on
occupied territory. fire. The properties of Muslims were particularly targeted in the riots.
In late February 2020, New New Delhi High Court Judge, Justice S Muralidhar, who grilled the
Delhi, India's capital city central and state governments on February 25 over the violence in

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 04

 C O V E R S T O R Y

New Delhi, was transferred to

Punjab and Haryana High
Court.
Just how far Modi and the BJP
will go in their anti-Muslim
campaign is already clear in
occupied Kashmir. It was
summarily stripped of its
special status last August and
has been locked down ever
since. Mass detentions and
torture are the norm according
to the few witnesses able to
report what they have seen. Kashmir Valley and Muslim streets in Srinagar, Budgam,
The people in occupied Kashmir majority areas of Jammu. The Ganderbal, Islamabad,
faced communication blockade deployment of hundreds of Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian,
and the internet remained cut thousands of Indian troops Bandipora, Baramulla,
off and it has been only restored across the occupied territory Kupwara, Kishtwar, Poonch,
to a very limited degree since has made the life of the Rajouri and other areas to
January. The Indian police and residents a hell. express their resentment
against India’s illegal move of
repealing special status of the
occupied territory. Indian
troops and police personnel
most of the times subject the
protesters to brute force,
causing injuries to many of
them.
Almost all Hurriyat leaders
including Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai have
been kept under continued
house arrest or in jails since
troops arrest whoever they want Meanwhile, protest August 05.
and distraught family members demonstrations continue A report released by the
complain that they cannot find across occupied Kashmir Research Section of Kashmir
their relatives or that they are against the Indian occupation Media Service on March 05,
too poor to visit them in Indian and repeal of special status of 2020 on the completion of seven
prisons that may be 800 miles the territory. Despite heavy months of unrelenting military
away. deployment of Indian troops, lockdown in occupied Kashmir
Since August 5, 2019 move of people on almost daily basis in revealed that as many as 74
India, an environment of fear general and on Fridays in Kashmiris including 3 women
and intimidation prevails in the particular keep on hitting the and 4 young boys had been

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 05

 C O V E R S T O R Y

killed since August 05, 2019. It

said that 7 of the martyred
youth were killed in fake
encounters or in custody. The
report said that 943 people were
critically injured in the firing by
Indian troops on peaceful
protesters.
The Modi-led BJP government
has evoked widespread
criticism of its policies from
across the globe as Pakistan,
Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, the
Organisation of Islamic of opposition in India to the only few kilometers away in New
Cooperation, the US rising Hindutva mindset. The Delhi when Muslims were being
Commission on International situation in occupied Kashmir butchered in the Indian capital
Religious Freedom, and US and the anti-Muslim violence in and countries like UK, France,
lawmakers have strongly Delhi may be a sign of this. Modi Russia and above all the United
reacted to the violence in the and his government responded Nations to raise their voice
Indian capital. to these protests by playing the against growing intolerance and
Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran anti-Muslim policies of the Modi
government due to which the
people of occupied Kashmir and
now India are facing sheer
oppression at the hands of
fascists like Narendra Modi and
Amit Shah. The Delhi riots
demonstrate that the BJP is far
from abandoning the politics of
hate, which, in fact, may
escalate further taking it to
another level.
It is high time for the
Khan, has time and again urged Hindu nationalist card even international community to act
the international community to more strongly. It is quite ironical and act swiftly to stop Modi
intervene and stop the ongoing that all this happened in India’s government from committing
massacre of Muslims in capital right through the visit of atrocities on Muslims in
occupied Kashmir and India. He US President, Donald Trump, occupied Kashmir and India.
said that Modi government’s who praised the country’s The indifference of the world
actions could jeopardise the democracy, diversity, culture of towards the anti-Muslim
peace and stability in the entire tolerance and peace. However, policies of the fascist Modi
region. the onus lies upon champions of government would lead to loss of
There has been an encouraging, peace like the US whose more precious lives.
though fiercely repressed, wave President Donald Trump was (Humayun Aziz Sandeela)

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 06

 R E P O R T

UN chief offers role for mediation

between Pak, India on Kashmir
need for de-escalation.
“Diplomacy and dialogue remain
the only tools that guarantee
peace and stability with
solutions in accordance with the
Charter of United Nations and
resolutions of the Security
Council,” he said.
The UN chief while appreciating
the initiative of construction of
Kartarpur Corridor said that it
was a symbol of interfaith
harmony and would promote
peace in the region. He said
Guterres calls for the Pakistan is a responsible
member of the United Nations
implementation of the UN and it will be fully supported in
resolutions on Kashmir – giving dispensing its responsibilities.
Antonio Guterres hailing the
a strong boost to Pakistan’s contributions of Pakistan in the

stance on the dispute UN peacekeeping operations

around the world said that the
Pakistani men and women were

U
N Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, visited Pakistan
from February 16 to 19, 2020 and called for the serving with full dedication and
implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir - giving a commitment to promote the
strong boost to Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir dispute. values of the UN.
The Secretary General visited Pakistan to attend the international The UN Secretary General said
conference on 40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees in the country. It that Pakistan’s efforts against
was his maiden visit to Pakistan. In 2010 Ban Ki-Moon, the then terrorism were commendable
Secretary General of UN, visited Pakistan. and very successful. He said
The UN chief offered his role as a mediator, saying that his good that due to these efforts, now
offices could be used for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Islamabad had become a safe
Speaking at a joint news conference along with Pakistan Foreign family station for the UN staff.
Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in Islamabad, Antonio Guterres Speaking on the occasion,
said that full respect should be given to human and fundamental Foreign Minister, Shah
rights in occupied Kashmir. He said that the relevant UN resolutions Mahmood Qureshi, said that he
should be implemented on the issue. The UN chief said that Pakistan and the UN chief had a very
under Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was promoting peace and important and fruitful meeting
lamented India’s aggressive attitude. He said it is now high time that on the matter of Kashmir, a land
the world gets to see the positive image of Pakistan. which has illegally been
Talking about Pak-India relations, Antonio Guterres stressed the annexed and is being kept under

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 07


occupation with the presence of
0.9 million armed personnel. He
said that the United Nations
must ensure resolutions passed
by the World Body pertaining to
Kashmir were adhered to and
implemented.
On February 17, the
Secretary General, Antonio
Guterres, met Prime Minister,
Imran Khan, and the latter
underscored that the Kashmiri
people continued looking to the
United Nations to honour its
commitments for the realisation
of their right to
determination as enshrined in
numerous UN Security Council
resolutions.
The Prime Minister during the
meeting highlighted the dire
human rights and humanitarian
situation in occupied Kashmir
as a result of India’s illegal and
unilateral actions of August 5,
2019. He said that India’s
belligerent rhetoric, intensified
ceasefire violations on the Line
of Control (LoC) and other
aggressive actions
imperiling peace and security in
the region.
KASHMIR INSIGHT
R E P O R T
UN
Imran Khan also highlighted the possibility of a false flag operation by
self- India to divert global attention from its illegal and unconstitutional
actions in occupied Kashmir.
He highlighted Pakistan’s generosity in hosting millions of Afghan
refugees for the last four decades.
He also noted that the people of Pakistan drew inspiration to host
refugees from the teachings of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad
(Peace Be Upon Him).
The Prime Minister maintained that there was no military solution to
the Afghan conflict. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for
efforts for peace and
reconciliation in Afghanistan.
Later, the UN Secretary
General, Antonio Guterres,
called on the Chief of Army
Staff, General Qamar Javed
B a j w a , a t G e n e r a l
Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
The Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR) in a press
release said that during the
meeting, matters of mutual
interests, overall regional
security situation including
Afghan refugees’ issue, Afghan
reconciliation process and Kashmir dispute were discussed.
The army chief said that Pakistan was committed and determined to
achieve a stable, peaceful and normalised Pakistan.
The visiting dignitary said that there was a need to implement the UN
resolutions on Kashmir and acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution in
were the UN peacekeeping missions and extraordinary achievements in
counter terrorism.
On February 18, the UN Secretary General visited Lahore along with
MARCH 2020 08
 R E P O R T

his delegation. During his stay He particularly conveyed his the Security Council must go on
in Lahore, the UN Secretary regard to the UN chief for for the resolution of Jammu and
General attended various demanding full respect for Kashmir dispute. Silence at that
functions and visited some human rights and fundamental highest forum is unacceptable
historic places in the city freedom for the people of and unfair to the people of
including Shahi Qila and occupied Kashmir just like it is occupied Kashmir, who are
Badshahi Mosque and being enjoyed by the people of under siege and being killed and
Kartarpur Gurdwara. A dinner Azad Jammu and Kashmir. brutalised every day. “The
was also arranged in his honour “Don’t take India’s ‘no’ for the extremist ruling party in India
at the Shahi Qila. use of good offices or diplomacy wants the international
While meeting the UN chief at and dialogue in accordance with community to be silent on the
the Foreign Office in Islamabad, the United Nations’ Charter. Kashmir conflict in order to hide
Azad Jammu and Kashmir This is a collective obligation of its crimes. The UN has spoken
President, Sardar Masood Khan, all nations. One UN member up and must continue to speak
also invited Antonio Guterres to cannot hold the entire up for Kashmiris,” he told the UN
v i s i t Secretary General.
Muzaffarabad, The AJK President
the capital of went on to say that
AJK. the UN is the flag-
S a r d a r bearer of the
Masood Khan international order
appreciated based on the rule of
the UN chief’s law. “The UN
offer to play Secretary General
role as a is seen as an
‘mediator’ international icon
between India w h o s h o u l d
and Pakistan demonstrate
to de-escalate leadership to save
tensions and for stressing on the organisation hostage by its humanity from the scourge of
resolution of the Kashmir obduracy,” the AJK President war and liberate people living
dispute in accordance with the said. under alien domination and
UN Security Council He also apprised the UN foreign occupation,” he added.
resolutions. Secretary General about the He also thanked Guterres for
Briefing Antonio Guterres about highly concerning and holding detailed conversations
the condition of 40,000 refugees precarious situation of the in the past with the Indian Prime
living in camps in Azad Kashmir civilians living along the LoC in Minister, Narendra Modi, and
and the plight of 640,000 AJK because of India’s frequent other leaders. “War would be a
civilians living along the Line of and unrelenting hostile fire devastating aberration for
Control (LoC), the AJK President while proposing Guterres to humanity, peace and
expressed his heartfelt gratitude make the submission of the reconciliation are a historic
to the Secretary General for UNMOGIP reports to the UN imperative in the region. This is
calling for de-escalating the Secretary General’s office and only possible by ensuring the
tensions between India and their circulation to all members realisation of the right to self-
Pakistan - both militarily and of the UN Security Council determination of the people of
verbally - especially along the mandatory. Kashmir,” he maintained.
LoC. “Conversations on Kashmir in (KI Report)

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 09

 R E P O R T

APPGK urges world to take note of

worsening HR situation in Kashmir
She said that the delegation
members were not in the
region for sight-seeing, but
because they were deeply
concerned about the human
rights situation in occupied
Kashmir and they were
constantly raising it. She
hoped that India would take
the opportunity to reflect on
Pakistan’s approach to
address the issue and allow
visit of the group, which she
said was “not anti-India or pro-

T
he delegation of All Parties Parliamentary Group on Pakistan but was pro-human
Kashmir (APPGK) in the British Parliament, whom India rights”.
denied a visit to Kashmir, visited Pakistan and Azad Debbie Abrahams along with
Jammu and Kashmir from February 19 to 23, 2020. the delegation in a meeting
The delegation was led by Debbie Abrahams, Member of the UK with the Foreign Minister,
Parliament and Chairperson of APPGK. The other members of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in
the delegation included APPGK senior Vice Chairman Barrister Islamabad stressed that
Imran Hussain MP; Secretary, Lord Qurban Hussain; Treasurer, international community
James Daly MP; Shadow Minister for International must take the issue on priority
Development, Judith Commins MP; Mark Eastwood MP; Tahir and “make sure that human
Ali MP; Sarah Britcliffe MP; Raja Najabat Hussain, Chairman rights are not negotiable,
Jammu and Kashmir Self-Determination Movement regardless of religion,
International (JKSDMI); Councilor Yasmin Dar, Chairperson ethnicity, age and gender”.
JKSDMI-UK; and Harpreet Uppal and Sabah Kanwal, staff She said that the resolutions of
members of Debbie Abrahams. the UN Security Council were
The APPGK Chairperson, Debbie Abrahams, was deported from still in place and relevant for
Delhi on February 17 for her open stance on the prevailing the current situation in
human rights situation in occupied Kashmir. occupied Kashmir.
Lawmakers Debbie Abrahams and Imran Hussain in a press To a question on UK’s response
conference along with Pakistan Foreign Minister, Shah on looming threat of genocide
Mahmood Qureshi, at the Foreign Office in Islamabad on in occupied Kashmir, she said
February 19 called upon the international community to take the independent group did not
urgent notice of worsening human rights situation in occupied represent the British
Kashmir. government and could not
Debbie Abrahams said that the group members would report speak on its behalf. However,
back to their parties on India denying the visit and Pakistan she said the group had host of
allowing for an independent monitoring of its part of Kashmir. ways to draw attention of the

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 10


relevant authorities to the
m a t t e r . “ W e a s
parliamentarians will lobby
our government towards the
issue of geo-political
significance as two nuclear
powers (Pakistan and India)
could come at loggerheads
with each other,” she said.
Debbie Abrahams termed
Kashmir a ‘longest running
dispute’ which escalated after
India’s action of revoking the
special status of occupied
Kashmir on August 5, last
year.
She mentioned the
commitment of Pakistan
government to resolve the
Kashmir dispute contrary to
India’s attitude of not allowing
international observers to
monitor the situation.
Speaking on the occasion,
Deputy Chair of APPGK, MP
Imran Hussain, said that the
Kashmir dispute was not
limited as a bilateral matter
between Pakistan and India
but had become a human
rights issue that needed
attention of the world
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
community. He said if India had nothing to hide about the
situation in occupied Kashmir, the independent group would
have been allowed to visit the territory.
Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said that India had
revealed its sham face of secularism and democracy by denying
visit of an independent foreign group on Kashmir. He mentioned
that APPGK presented a credible report on Kashmir situation in
2018, highlighting the
ongoing atrocities on
Kashmiris by the Indian
forces. He expressed hope
that the British Parliament,
European Parliament and
US Congress would raise
voice similar to Pakistan
where the Parliament twice
passed unanimous
resolutions condemning
Indian actions in the
occupied territory. He
e x p r e s s e d t h e
apprehension that the
disputed area could become a nuclear flashpoint with high
prospects of making a global impact.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi dismissed a statement by the Indian
External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, who stated that only one
of the two democracies would decide about the fate of Kashmir,
saying that decision by the “so-called democracy” had already
been taken on August 5 which was rejected by the Kashmiris.
Later in the evening, the British delegation met Prime Minister,
Imran Khan, at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad. Imran
Khan underscored that the international community must play a
role in raising awareness about India’s crimes against humanity
in occupied Kashmir and force New Delhi to comply with the UN
11

Security Council resolutions
on Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister said that
Pakistan believed that a just
and lasting solution of the
Kashmir dispute was essential
for peace, security and
stability in South Asia. He
reiterated Pakistan’s
commitment to continue its
support to the Kashmiri people
in their struggle for securing
justice and inalienable right to
self-determination.
Imran Khan apprised the
delegation of grim human
rights and humanitarian
conditions in occupied
Kashmir and underlined that
eight million Kashmiris have
been under military siege since
August 05, last year, with all
their rights and freedoms
taken away.
He highlighted the threat to
peace and security posed by
the Indian leadership’s
belligerent rhetoric and
aggressive actions on the
ground. He maintained that
India could resort to a “false
flag” operation in order to
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
divert international attention
from its unacceptable actions
in occupied Kashmir.
On February 20, the British
parliamentarians expressed
gratitude to the governments
of Pakistan and Azad Jammu
and Kashmir (AJK) for
affording them extensive
courtesy and free access to
visit “anyone, anywhere” in
contrast to the conduct of the
Indian government.
“Seventy-two years is a long
time and we can’t allow the
tragedy that has befallen
Kashmiri people to continue in
this way and particularly after
12
the 5th of August last year,”
said delegation leader, MP
Debbie Abrahams, at a brief
interaction with journalists at
the President House in
Muzaffarabad after a meeting
with the AJK President, Sardar
Masood Khan.
She said the group was
concerned about human
rights on both sides of the LoC
but what was reassuring was
the access to different groups
and people across AJK. In
reply to a question, Debbie
Abrahams blamed the Indian
leadership for the treatment
meted out to her in Delhi.
“…We need to be clear that this
is about the Indian authorities
and the current (Indian)
leadership and it is
disappointing,” she said.
“They are the largest
democracy in the world and it’s
not the sign of a healthy
democracy,” she said.
Nevertheless, she added, “I
don’t bear grudges and I hope
they will change their mind
and at some stage we will be
able to visit (Indian occupied)
Jammu and Kashmir as well.”

MP Hussain said the APPGK
had always desired to visit
both sides of the LoC.
“Tragically, the Indian
government did not allow us
this time as well to visit the
other side of the LoC,” he said.
Talking about continued
detentions under draconian
laws in occupied Kashmir
amid continued curfew and
communications blockade, MP
Hussain said that if the Indian
government had nothing to
hide then it should allow the
APPGK team to visit the other
side of the LoC.
“Today we repeat this request
from here. We are still willing
to visit the
other side….
b e c a u s e
human rights
a r e a n
international
issue and can
never be a
bilateral issue
and we as the
all-party
parliamentary
group would
continue to
raise our voice
a g a i n s t
persecution,
oppression and injustice
wherever they happen,” he
said.
On February 21, the British
delegation called on Punjab
Governor, Chaudhry
Muhammad Sarwar, at the
Governor’s House in Lahore.
British delegation members
assured the Governor that
they would raise an effective
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
voice in the British Parliament against human rights violations in
occupied Kashmir. Kashmir issue, India’s war hysteria and
overall regional situation were discussed in the meeting. The
Punjab Governor said that India had become a den of extremism,
and for how long the world would keep mum over it. The world
community’s silence over Indian atrocities will not be less than an
offense, he added.
Punjab Governor on the occasion said that restricting British
MPs’ visit to the occupied Kashmir was the shameful act by India.
The British delegates said what was going on in occupied Kashmir
was alarming for the entire world community. They said, “India’s
citizenship law is also denial of basic human rights against which
we will raise our voice.”
A delegation of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) met
the visiting Members of British Parliament (MPs) in Islamabad on
February 22 and apprised them of the latest situation of occupied
Kashmir.
The JKLF delegates including Saleem Haroon, Rafiq Dar, Sajid
Sidiqi and Aftab Ahmed told the delegation that the Indian
government
had been
committing
the worst
k i n d o f
h u m a n
r i g h t s
violations in
occupied
Kashmir.
T h e y
condemned
the Indian
act of not
allowing
D e b b i e
Abrahams
to visit India and occupied Kashmir and appreciated her role for
raising Kashmiris’ voice at the international level.
Briefing the UK delegation about the prevailing situation in the
occupied territory, the JKLF spokesman, Rafiq Dar, said that the
Indian government had arrested thousands of Hurriyat activists
and youth since it scrapped the special status of occupied
Kashmir and put it under military siege on August 5, 2019.
He also informed the visiting MPs about the deteriorating health
of illegally detained party Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik,
lodged in New Delhi’s infamous Tihar Jail and urged them to play
their role in his early release. (KI Report)
13
 R E P O R T

Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day observed

World urged to become voice for IOK women
husbands, fathers and
brothers in the occupied
territory who were subjected to
custodial disappearance by
Indian Army, police and
paramilitary personnel.
The report said that several
women including Hurriyat
leaders, Aasiya Andrabi,
Fehmeeda Sofi and Naheeda
Nasreen were facing illegal
detention. They are being
victimised only for the reason
that they represent the
Kashmiri people’s aspirations,

I
ndian authorities further intensified restrictions in the
it added.
besieged occupied Kashmir, particularly in Kupwara
Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime
district, on February 23, 2020 to prevent people from
Minister, Imran Khan, through
expressing solidarity with the victims of Kunanposhpora mass
tweets on the day urged the
rape perpetrated by Indian troops on the completion of 29 years
global fraternity, especially
to the tragic incident.
women, to become the voice of
The troops had gang-raped around 100 women of all ages from
resilient Kashmiri women for
eight to eighty on the night of February 23 in 1991 during a siege
peace in occupied Kashmir
and search operation in Kunanposhpora area of the district.
that had been under Indian
The troops were deployed in strength on all entry and exit points
military lockdown for nearly
of the district to prevent people from expressing solidarity with
200 days.
the victims of the mass rape.
Highlighting the Kashmiri
In order to pay tributes to the courage of the survivors of the
Women’s Resistance Day, he
Kunanposhpora tragedy, 23rd February is being observed every
spoke of how the Indian forces
year since 2014 as Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day. The three
have continuously been
decades-long struggle of the survivors from Kunanposhpora is a
engaged in war crimes against
part of the larger ongoing struggle in occupied Kashmir against
women of the territory for
the institutionalised and structural violence of the Indian state
almost 73 years.
in the territory.
“Today is Kashmiri Women’s
A report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media
Resistance Day. For over 7
Service on the occasion of the Kashmiri Women’s Resistance Day
decades, Indian forces have
revealed that at least 671 women had been martyred by Indian
committed war crimes against
troops since January 2001 till February 23, 2020.
The report pointed out that since January 1989, the unabated women in IOJK. Their
Indian state terrorism rendered 22,911 women widowed while sufferings have multiplied
Indian forces’ personnel had molested 11,178 women. after 5 Aug siege by Modi Govt.
The report said that thousands of women lost their sons, I urge world community,

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 14


especially women, to become
voice of resilient Kashmiri
women for peace in IOJK,” the
Prime Minister wrote on
Twitter.
On the other hand, Hurriyat
leaders and organisations in
their separate statements
expressed solidarity with the
victims of the heinous mass
rape crime.
The Jammu and Kashmir
Muslin Conference Chairman,
Shabbir Ahmed Dar, in a
statement in Srinagar termed
t h e i n c i d e n t o f
Kunanposhpora mass rape as
the most horrifying and
terrifying incident in the
history of mankind which
shook the whole world.
He said, the victims of this
shameful act are still waiting
for justice. This heinous act
should now awake the world
conscience and remind the
champions of international
human rights their
responsibilities so that
perpetrators are tried in
International Court of Justice.
APHC leader and the
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
Chairperson of Muslim Khawateen Markaz, Yasmeen Raja, in a
statement in Srinagar called upon the UN Secretary General,
Antonio Guterres, to conduct impartial investigation into the
gruesome incident. She said that five of the victims had reportedly
died waiting for justice.
Yasmeen Raja emphasised a thorough, impartial and effective
investigation into the mass rape incident and appealed to the
people of India to stand for humanity and justice. She questioned
the silence of Indian civil society,
activists, writers and all those
who claim to be defenders of
human rights.
Jammu and Kashmir Islami
Tanzeem-e-Azadi in a statement
termed the tragedy as a black
stain on humanity and regretted
that despite the passage of three
decades, no action was taken
against the culprits, instead they
were awarded with promotions.
“This is one of the worst tragedies
in history and it is our duty to
remember this day,” the
statement said and expressed
solidarity with the victims.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Pir Panjal Civil
Society, Maulana Amir Muhammad Shamsi, in a statement
issued in Jammu demanded justice for the victims of the heinous
act. He appealed to the Muslims of occupied Kashmir to maintain
unity and brotherhood to meet the prevailing situation in the
backdrop of abrogation of special status of Kashmir and the rising
Indian atrocities in the Kashmir Valley.
(KI Report)
15
 03-02-2020 Kulgam 05-02-2020 Srinagar 06-02-2020 Budgam

09-02-2020 Srinagar 18-02-2020 Srinagar 19-02-2020 Pulwama

22-02-2020 Islamabad 23-02-2020 Islamabad

29-02-2020 Kishtwar
 H U M A N R I G H T S S I T U A T I O N
Occupied Kashmir has been reeling under brutal and inhuman lockdown for over seven months
now where restrictions on movement of people and means of communications have been imposed
by India since August 5 when it repealed the special status of the territory.
The people of the occupied territory particularly the residents of Kashmir Valley have suffered
immensely due to continued strict lockdown. The BJP-led Indian government, which is follower of
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideology, never ever obscured its evil designs against people
of occupied Kashmir and the minorities in India particularly Muslims. History is witness to the fact
that communal violence in India escalated since Narendra Modi came into power way back in
2014. The prevailing situation across India following controversial Citizenship Amendment Act
also indicates the evil deigns of BJP government against minorities particularly Muslims and New
Delhi’s anti-Muslim violence was its evidence. Over 50 people died and hundreds other sustained
injuries as a result of the violence in the Indian capital.
The Modi led BJP government has drawn wide criticism of its policies from across the globe as
Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the US Commission on
International Religious Freedom, and the US lawmakers have reacted strongly to the violence in
New Delhi.
Following is an account of human rights violations by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir during
February 2020.
February 01: Several shopkeepers including Javed
Ahmed, Reyaz Ahmed, Sameer Ahmed, Gowhar
Ahmed and Abdul Rashid were injured after Indian
forces’ personnel used brute force and ruthlessly
beat them up at Damhal Hanjipora in Kulgam.
Indian police during crackdown and search
operations arrested several people including two
students from Baramulla, Pulwama and Kupwara
areas.
February 02: At least nine people including Aijaz
Ahmed Sheikh, Umar Hameed Sheikh, Imtiyaz
Ahmed Chikla, Sahil Farooq Gojri and Naseer
Ahmed Mir were injured in a grenade blast at
Pratap Park in Lal Chowk area of Srinagar.
February 03: Indian troops beat up and injured two
youth during a search operation in Qaimoh area of
Islamabad district.
Indian police during raids arrested over a dozen
youth including Muhammad Amin, Muhammad
Rafiq, Fayaz Lone, Maqbool Dar, Suhail Rashid,
Shoaib Muhammad, Adil Islam and Rafiq Dar from
Karimabad, Khrew, Awantipora and Kakapora
areas of Pulwama district.
The personnel of India’s National Investigation
Agency, Central Reserve Police Force and police
Compiled by arrested two youth, Fayaz Ahmed Mir and Tahir
Ahmed Dar, during house raids in Kupwara.
Raies Ahmed Mir February 04: Indian troops thrashed and injured
over a dozen youth after physically checking their
mobiles to inquire about the use of virtual private
network (VPN) to access internet in Islamabad,
Khonmoh, Shopian and Kulgam areas.
Five persons including a woman Mahmooda
Akhtar and a teenage girl Tahseena Fayaz were
injured after their car was deliberately hit by an

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 18

 H U M A N
Indian Army vehicle at
Wangund-Qazigund in
Islamabad district.
February 05: Indian troops
killed two youth, Khateeb-ul-
Das and Zia-ur-Rehman Wani
and critically injured a
shopkeeper, Umer Fayaz Butt,
during a cordon and search
operation in Lawaypora-
Shalteng area of Srinagar.
February 06: Dead body of
Rayees Ahmed Dar, who was
killed a few days ago by Indian
troops during a cordon and
search operation, was retrieved
from Zantrag Khrew in
Pulwama.
Indian troops arrested a youth
in Rajbagh area of Srinagar.
Indian authorities booked
politicians, Omar Abdullah,
Mehbooba Mufti, Ali
Muhammad Sagar, Bashir
Ahmed Veeri and Sartaj
Madani, under black law,
Public Safety Act, in Srinagar.
They have been under illegal
detention since August 5,
2019.
February 07: A Kashmiri youth,
Basit Ahmed Khan, was beaten
to death by a Hindu communal
group in Hassanpora-
Hathwada area of Rajasthan in
India.
Indian troops arrested three
youth, Naveed-ul-Lateef,
Shakeel Ahmed and Shamshad
Manzoor, in Srinagar.
February 08: Indian troops
arrested five youth, Amir Shafi
Dar, Shabbir Ahmed Ganai,
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R I G H T S S I T U A T I O N
Mudasir Ahmed Khan, Irfan
Aziz Butt and Muhammad Asif
Parray, during house raids in
Budgam and Hajin areas.
February 09: The occupation
authorities imposed
restrictions in several parts of
Kashmir Valley to prevent
people from holding anti-India
demonstrations on the
occasion of the seventh
martyrdom anniversary of
Kashmiri leader, Muhammad
Afzal Guru.
Indian troops
d u r i n g a
crackdown
operation
arrested two
youth at Nashri
Chanderkot in
R a m b a n
district.
February 10:
Indian troops
arrested four
youth, Sohail
Lone, Sohib Manzoor, Zahoor
Ahmed Khan and Rustum Ali,
from Pulwama, Budgam and
Kishtwar areas.
February 11: The occupation
authorities imposed
restrictions in several parts of
Kashmir Valley to stop people
from staging anti-India
demonstrations on the
martyrdom anniversary of the
prominent Kashmiri liberation
19
leader, Muhammad Maqbool
Butt, who was hanged by India
at New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on
February 11, 1984, and
remains buried in the prison
premises.
February 12: Indian troops
arrested around a dozen youth
including Shahnawaz Ahmed
Wani, Nasir Ahmed Wani, Bilal
Ahmed Khan, Irfan Ahmed
Pathan and Ali Muhammad
Butt in Budgam and Srinagar.
India’s National Investigation
Agency arrested a Kashmiri
youth, Tanveer Ahmed Wani,
from New Delhi.
February 13: Indian agents
killed 80-year-old prominent
religious leader, Abdul Ghani
Dar alias Abdullah Ghazali,
inside a mosque at Maisuma in
Srinagar.
Indian police during house
raids arrested four youth, Aadil
Ahmed Dar, Aqib Fayaz
Makroo, Aijaz Ahmed Sofi and
Tawfeeq Ahmed Butt, in
Islamabad and Tral areas.
February 14: The police
arrested six youth including
four students, Irfan Ahmed
Khan, Mudabir Aijaz, Wahid
Ashraf Rathar and Ghulam
Mohiuddin Dar, in Srinagar.
February 15: The police
arrested three Kashmiri
students, Aamir Mohiuddin
Wani, Basit Asif Sofi and Talib
Majeed, studying at a private
 H U M A N
engineering college in Hubali
district of Karnataka in India
on sedition charges for
allegedly raising pro-Pakistan
slogans and posting a video of it
on social media.
The occupation authorities
booked politicians, Shah
Faisal, Naeem Akhtar and Hilal
Akbar Lone, under draconian
law, Public Safety Act.
February 16: Indian troops
during door-to-door search
operations harassed and
misbehaved with the people at
Murran in Pulwama and Tarzoo
in Sopore.
The occupation authorities did
not allow anybody to enter the
residence of ailing All Parties
Hurriyat Conference
Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, in
Hyderpora, Srinagar.
February 17: Indian police
harassed and arrested a
journalist, Kamran Yousuf, in
Pulwama for uploading the
video of ailing APHC Chairman,
Syed Ali Gilani, on social
media.
February 18: The police
arrested Sirajudin, who was
working as domestic help at the
residence of ailing Syed Ali
Gilani, in Srinagar.
February 19: Indian troops
killed three youth, Jehangir
Rafiq Wani, Raja Umar Maqbool
Butt and Uzair Ahmed Butt, in
a fake encounter at Diver in
Tral area of Pulwama district.
Indian police arrested a youth,
Zubair Ahmed Ganai, at
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R I G H T S S I T U A T I O N
Subhanpura in Kulgam
district.
The occupation authorities
invoked black law, Public
Safety Act, against People’s
Democratic Party leader, Peer
Mansoor.
February 20: A woman was
killed after she was deliberately
hit by an Indian Army vehicle in
Achabal area of Islamabad
district.
Indian police
arrested a
y o u t h ,
I m t i y a z
A h m e d
Shah, in
Srinagar.
February 21:
Indian police
arrested over
a dozen
y o u t h
including
Shahid Ahmed Butt, Zahoor
Ahmed Padder, Bilal Ahmed
Teli, Saqib Ahmed Lone and
Waseem Majeed Dar during
house raids in Pulwama,
Shopian, Budgam, Handwara
and Kupwara areas.
India’s National Investigation
Agency interrogated and
harassed Ghulam Mohiuddin
Sheikh, President of local Auqaf
committee, Mufti Showkat,
Ahmed Naik and Javed Ahmed
Najar during a raid on a Darul
Uloom at Pinglena in Pulwama
district.
20
February 22: Indian troops
killed two youth, Naveed
Ahmed Butt and Aqib Ahmed
Butt, during cordon and search
operation in Sangam area of
Islamabad district.
The troops arrested a youth,
Muzamil Ahmed War, in
Sopore.
February 25: Indian police
arrested over forty youth from
Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal
and other areas.
February 26: The sleuths of
India’s National Investigation
Agency during house raids in
Kakapora, Drubgam,
Karimabad, Qasbayar and
other areas of Pulwama and
Shopian districts arrested a
youth, Zubair Ahmed Butt, and
harassed the residents.
February 27: Indian troops and
personnel of NIA during cordon
and search operations and
house raids assaulted several
people at Aglar Zainpora in
Shopian and in various areas of
Pulwama.
February 28: Indian troops and
NIA personnel during cordon
and search operations and
house raids arrested several
people in Srinagar, Shopian
and Pulwama districts.
February 29: Indian police
during a raid arrested four
persons from Bone and Joints
Hospital in Srinagar.
 R E P O R T

OIC’s special envoy assures full support for

Kashmir cause

belligerent rhetoric and

aggressive actions. It was
emphasised that the
Kashmiris looked towards the
OIC and Muslim Ummah for
active support for the
realisation of their
fundamental rights and for
peaceful resolution of the
Kashmir dispute.
On March 03, in his meeting
with the OIC Special Envoy,
Prime Minister, Imran Khan
praised the OIC for extending

T
he Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Secretary unwavering support to the
General’s Special Envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, people of occupied Kashmir.
Ambassador Yousef M Al Dobeay, visited Pakistan and The prime minister apprised Al
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) from March 02-06, 2020 during Dobeay about the prevailing
which he assured for all-out support to bring an end to the situation in the occupied
sufferings of the Kashmiri people. Valley and said the people of
Al Dobeay was accompanied by a high-level delegation Pakistan and Kashmir look
comprising Ambassador Rizwan Shiekh, Pakistan’s Permanent towards the OIC and Muslim
Representative to OIC; Ahmad Sereer, Director Asian Affairs OIC Ummah to play role in the
Secretariat; members of the Political Affairs Department OIC settlement of the Kashmir
Secretariat and representatives of the Islamic Development dispute in accordance with the
Bank and the Islamic Solidarity Fund. resolutions of United Nations.
During the visit, the special envoy and his delegation members Al Dobeay said that the OIC
called on Prime Minister, Imran Khan, and held meetings with was very concerned about the
the Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for situation in occupied Kashmir.
Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, members of Parliamentary Later addressing a press
Committee on Kashmir, and Foreign Secretary. A delegation of conference along with Foreign
representatives of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Minister, Shah Mahmood
also met with the OIC delegation and apprised it of the prevailing Qureshi, he said, “OIC fully
grim situation in occupied Kashmir. supports resolution of the
During the meetings, the Pakistani leadership appreciated OIC’s Kashmir dispute. We reaffirm
steadfast support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, that all of our member states
particularly in the aftermath of India’s unilateral and illegal are supporting settlement of
actions of repealing the special status of occupied Kashmir on this issue so that Kashmiris
5th August 2019. The Special Envoy was apprised of the dire can get the right of self-
human rights and humanitarian situation in the occupied determination."
territory and the threat to peace and security posed by India’s “Pakistan has shown the world

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 21


that it is a peaceful state by
using diplomatic channels in
the (recent) situations,” he
added.
Talking to Federal Minister for
Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-
Baltistan, Ali Amin Gandapur,
in Islamabad, Al Dobeay said
that the OIC would continue
supporting the Kashmiris’
right to self-determination.
He also discussed the future
strategy of the OIC pertaining
to the decades-old Kashmir
dispute.
On the occasion, Ali Amin
Gandapur briefed the envoy
about the ongoing anti-
Muslim violence in India and
the grave human rights
violations being perpetrated by
Indian troops in occupied
Kashmir.
A delegation of representatives
of the All Parties Hurriyat
Conference Azad Jammu and
Kashmir (APHC-AJK) Chapter
also met with the OIC
delegation and apprised it of
the grim situation in occupied
Kashmir. During the meeting,
the Hurriyat leaders
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
appreciated the OIC’s steadfast support for the people of Jammu
and Kashmir, particularly in the aftermath of India’s unilateral
and illegal actions of 5th August 2019.
In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the delegation held meetings with
the President and Prime Minister of AJK, and visited the Line of
Control (LoC) as well as a refugee camp in Muzaffarabad.
In their interactions, the AJK leadership commended the OIC’s
commitment to the Kashmir
cause and its support for
the oppressed people of
occupied Kashmir.
Talking to newsmen in
Muzaffarabad after meeting
the AJK President, Sardar
Masood Khan, Al Dobeay
said that the OIC had
always advocated
resolution of the
longstanding Kashmir
dispute in line with the UN
Security Council’s
resolutions and peaceful
political means to ensure durable peace in South Asia.
Yousaf Al Dobeay demanded of the Indian government to revoke
5th August steps in occupied Kashmir, lift curfew and siege and
restore fundamental human rights of the Kashmiris.
He also called for implementation of the recommendations of the
UN Human Right Council’s reports 2018 and 2019 to address the
humanitarian issue in occupied Kashmir.
During its visit to the Line of Control at Chakothi, the delegation
was briefed about the loss of civilian lives and damage to property
due to frequent unprovoked firings by the Indian forces across the
LoC. At the refugee camp in Muzaffarabad, the delegation
interacted with refugees from occupied Kashmir to get first-hand
22

understanding of the
sufferings of Kashmiris under
India’s illegal occupation.
The Special Envoy emphasised
that Kashmir and Palestine
remained the top-most items
on the OIC agenda.
Reaffirming the OIC’s
principled position, the
Special Envoy stated that the
Jammu and Kashmir is an
internationally recognised
dispute, which needs to be
settled in accordance with the
relevant UN and OIC
resolutions. He assured that
the OIC will take all necessary
steps to mitigate the sufferings
of the Kashmiris and help
resolve the dispute according
to the wishes of the people of
Jammu and Kashmir.
This was the first visit of
Ambassador Yousef M Al
Dobeay to Pakistan and AJK
after his appointment as OIC
Secretary General’s Special
Envoy for Jammu and
Kashmir during the 14th
Summit of OIC held in Makkah
in May 2019. The visit was also
a reaffirmation of the OIC’s
commitment to the Kashmir
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
cause.
The Special Envoy’s visit was
of particular significance in
the backdrop of India’s
unilateral and illegal actions of
5th August 2019 and the
strong message on the Jammu
and Kashmir dispute
contained in the resolutions
and communiqués of the OIC
Council of Foreign Ministers
(CFM) and Summit meetings.
The OIC has extended its
steadfast support to the
Kashmiri people in their just
struggle for securing their
inalienable right to self-
determination. The
23
Organisation has a dedicated
Contact Group on Jammu and
Kashmir since 1994.
The OIC has remained actively
seized of the deteriorating
situation in occupied Kashmir
since 5th August 2019. The
OIC and its human rights
body, Independent Permanent
Human Rights Commission
(IPHRC), have issued several
statements condemning
India’s actions and reiterating
their principled position on the
Kashmir dispute. The OIC
Contact Group on Jammu and
Kashmir has met twice since
India’s 5th August move.
The communiqué issued by
the Contact Group’s meeting
in New York at the Ministerial
level reflected OIC’s strong
commitment to the Kashmir
cause. Under its Standing
Mechanism to monitor human
rights situation in occupied
Kashmir, the IPHRC also held
an unprecedented ‘Open
Discussion’ on the worsening
situation in the occupied
territory in November 2019.
(KI Report)
 R E P O R T

World attention drawn towards

Indian atrocities in IOK

S
peakers at different functions including seminars and August 5, last year, while a
conferences organised during the 43rd session of the number of people have been
United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva, killed during peaceful protests
Switzerland, from February 24 to March 20, 2020, condemned against the controversial
the gross human rights violations perpetrated by Indian troops citizenship act in New Delhi.
and police personnel in occupied Kashmir. They regretted that On March 27, the UN High
no steps have been taken to address excessive use of force and Commissioner for Human
other serious human rights violations by Indian forces in the Rights, Michelle Bachelet,
occupied territory. Federal Minister of Human Rights, Dr addressing the 43rd session of
Shireen Mazari, represented Pakistan at the UNHRC session. the UN Human Rights Council
Dr Shireen Mazari in her address to the session appealed to the expressed serious concern
Council to impress upon India to immediately lift the over the prevailing grim
communications blockade in
occupied Kashmir and
release Kashmiri detainees.
She demanded that all
actions taken by the Indian
government since August 05,
last year, be repealed. She
said that India continued to
violate the human rights of
the Kashmiri people. She
said that over six thousand
Kashmiri people were
arrested without the due
process of law and called for
their immediate release. Dr
Shireen Mazari added that
any inaction by the international community and the UNHRC situation in occupied Kashmir
will only embolden India to act with impunity. and the escalating anti-
On February 24, Dr Shireen Mazari also raised the issue of Muslim violence in New Delhi.
violations of human rights abuses by Indian troops in occupied She regretted that no steps
Kashmir with the European Union Special Representative on have been taken to address
Human Rights. She presented the case of Kashmir in a meeting excessive use of force and
with the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, Eamon other serious human rights
Gilmore. During the meeting she highlighted the human rights violations committed by
abuses by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir and the Indian troops in occupied
persecution of Muslims in India besides discussing the wave of Kashmir.
Islamophobia in the European countries. Both sides agreed to She noted that as many as 800
cooperate on human rights issue. Kashmiris including political
Occupied Kashmir has been under a repressive lockdown since leaders and activists

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 24


reportedly remain in
detention. “Schools,
businesses and livelihoods
have been disrupted by the
continued heavy military
presence,” she said.
The high commissioner also
noted that the Indian
government had partially
restored mobile and internet
services, after a decision by the
Indian Supreme Court.
However, she added that the
authorities continued to
impose excessive restrictions
on the use of social media.
Michelle Bachelet said that in
India more broadly, the
Citizenship Amendment Act
adopted last December was of
great concern. Indians in huge
numbers, and from all
communities, have expressed
in a mostly peaceful manner
their opposition to the Act, she
said.
The high commissioner
expressed concern over
reports of police “inaction” in
the face of attacks against
Muslims by Hindu groups, as
well as previous reports of
excessive use of force by police
against peaceful protesters.
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
It is to mention here that Michelle Bachelet in her inaugural
speech at the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in
Geneva in September 2019 had also expressed concern about
restrictions imposed in occupied Kashmir.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has
also published two reports on human rights violations by Indian
forces in the occupied Kashmir. These reports were released in
June 2018 and July 2019.
On the other hand, the International
Human Rights Association of American
Minorities (IHRAAM), a non-
governmental organisation, submitted a
written statement for the 43rd session of
the UN Human Rights Council’s agenda
item 4, human rights situation.
The statement said that Kashmiris in
occupied Kashmir is a distinct
national/ethnic/religious group, in
particular the Kashmiri Muslims, as
being recognised in the UN report 2019. It
said, the Kashmiris are subjected to
genocide by the perpetrators with the intent to destroy, in whole
or in part.
The IHRAAM submitted in its statement that the international
human rights groups have admitted that Indian armed forces use
excessive force that leads to unlawful killings and thousands of
Kashmiris have been killed during the period 1990-2019.
The statement pointed out that Amnesty International, Human
Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists all
claim that there were over 90 fatalities of Kashmiris in 2016 while
during 2018, it is claimed that 160 Kashmiris were killed. The first
half of 2019 (January-June 2019) continued with killings of
Kashmiris as 163 people were killed. The second half of 2019
(July–December) recorded 64 killings. It maintained that 95,475
25

killings since January 1989 till
December 10, 2019
corroborated the argument
that there was a systematic
pattern in place with intent to
destroy in whole or in part the
Kashmiris.
On March 01, Indian
delegation faced major
embarrassment at its event in
Geneva when a Kashmiri
activist sought comment from
pro-Modi politician, MJ Akbar
on remarks that it was safer to
be a cow than a Muslim in
India.
A well known
Kashmiri activist,
Hassan Al-Bana,
asked MJ Akbar, “One
of your colleagues, Mr
Shashi Tharoor has
said that it is safer to
be a cow than a
Muslim in India.”
Condoning Modi-
backed terror attacks
on Muslims in Delhi,
MJ Akbar called Tharoor’s
statement irresponsible
rhetoric.
“I don’t agree with Shashi
Tharoor. Whatever has been
said by him is far away from
reality. He was in opposition
and his comments were just
irresponsible rhetoric,” he
said, claiming that Indian
Muslims were enjoying equal
r i g h t s a n d e q u a l
opportunities.
MJ Akbar bragged about
progress and equal rights of
the Muslims at a time when
Indian police and saffron
terror groups jointly carried
out terror attacks on Muslims
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
R E P O R T
in Northeast Delhi, which left
over 40 people dead and many
others wounded.
MJ Akbar was addressing at
an event titled “Muslims in
plural India and constitution”
organised by the Indian
government through a proxy
on the sidelines of the 43rd
session of the UNHRC.
The event was organised in the
backdrop of a spontaneous
protest against India’s anti-
Muslim Citizenship
Amendment Act and anti-
Muslim terror attacks in Delhi.
Pro-Modi Muslim religious
leader, Umer Ahmed Ilyasi,
and pro-government
journalist, Atika Ahmed
Farouqi, also spoke at the
event and tried to justify
India’s CAA.
Interestingly, Akbar, Ilyasi and
Atika have been silent over
mass killings of Muslims in
Delhi.
On March 06, Kashmiri
representative, Syed Faiz
Naqshbandi, addressing the
UNHRC session said that the
Modi government’s unilateral
illegal decision to repeal
Kashmir’s special status on
5th August, 2019, was against
26
the UN resolutions and
international law. He said that
the Kashmir dispute should be
resolved in accordance with
the relevant UN resolutions on
the subject.
On March 09, another
Kashmiri representative,
Shamim Shawl, in her speech
said that when the world
observed the International
Women’s Day on 8th March,
the miseries and victimisation
of the Kashmiri women at the
hands of Indian troops and
police personnel
continued unabated in
occupied Kashmir. She
told the participants
that thousands of
Kashmiri women have
been martyred by
Indian troops and
police since January
1989 till March 08,
2020. She said that
unabated Indian state
terrorism had
rendered 22,912 women
widowed. She added that the
troops had molested 11,179
women during this period. She
maintained that an eight-year-
old baby girl, Aasifa Bano, of
Kathua, was abducted, gang-
raped and subsequently
murdered by Indian police
personnel, in January 2018.
She also mentioned Insha
Tariq who was arrested along
with her father by Indian police
and sleuths of National
Investigation Agency during
door-to-door search
operations on March 04 in
Pulwama.
(KI Report)
 C H R O N O L O G Y

scheduled to be held at the

Martyrs’ Graveyard on May 21,
the martyrdom anniversaries of
Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad

A chronological
Farooq and Khawaja Abdul
Ghani Lone.
The authorities also place

account of developments Hurriyet

Ahmed
leaders,
Shah and
Shabbir
Nayeem

on Kashmir Ahmed Khan, under house

arrest immediately after they are
(163) released from Rajbagh Police
Station from more than a
month’s detention. Police resort

(Year 2014) to teargas shelling and baton-

charge on the family members of
a youth, who was found dead in
the Indian state of Himachal
Pradesh during their protest in
Srinagar. The police thrash the
protesters, mostly women,
without any provocation and fire
teargas shells on their houses.
The family members of the slain
youth demand probe into his
death.
Indian police arrest the
President of Doctors Association
of Kashmir (DAK), Dr Nisar-ul-
Hassan, on fictitious charges
and book him under the so-

KMS Research Desk called Unlawful

Prevention Act.
Activities

May 19: The All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Mirwaiz May 21: The occupation
Umar Farooq, addressing an event in Srinagar says that there is no authorities resort to large scale
democracy in Kashmir and all decisions are taken by Indian Army arrests, restrictions and
and police to run the day-to-day affairs. imposition of curfew to sabotage
A five-year-old girl is killed and two others are injured after the a march towards the Martyrs’
Indian Army's leftover shell goes off in Drang area of Tosa Maidan in Graveyard at Eidgah in Srinagar
Budgam. on the martyrdom anniversaries
May 20: The speakers at a seminar organised by Jammu and of prominent liberation leaders,
Kashmir Muslim League in Srinagar emphasise that the elections Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad
under Indian authorities in occupied Kashmir are not a substitute of Farooq, Khawaja Abdul Ghani
the plebiscite, promised by the United Nations. They say India is Lone, and martyrs of Hawal. Call
using the holding of sham elections as diversionary tactics to for the march and complete
distract people’s attention from the ongoing liberation movement. shutdown is given by the All
The authorities place the APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Parties Hurriyet Conference
under house arrest to prevent him from addressing a rally, Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 27

 C H R O N O L O G Y

Farooq, to pay homage to the

martyrs.
The puppet authorities put
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other
Hurriyet leaders including Syed
Ali Gilani, Maulana Abbas
Ansari, Agha Syed Hassan Al-
Moosvi Al-Safvi, Bilal Ghani
Lone, Shabbir Ahmed Shah,
Zafar Akbar Butt, Nayeem
Ahmed Khan, Masroor Abbas
and Syed Saleem Gilani under
house arrest.
Indian police arrest APHC
leaders, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza press conference at his residence in Srinagar deplores that India has
and Yasmeen Raja, along with usurped all the political, social and religious rights of the Kashmiri
Hurriyet activists when they people. He says that such tactics cannot subdue the Kashmiris’
lead the Eidgah march. Javed resolve and they will continue their liberation movement till it reaches
Ahmed Mir, Hilal Ahmed War, its logical end.
Hakeem Abdur Rasheed and In Islamabad, speakers of a function organised by the APHC-AJK
other Hurriyet leaders and chapter at the Kashmir House eulogise the services of Mirwaiz Molvi
activists are also arrested Muhammad Farooq and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone for the Kashmir
during house raids in Srinagar. cause. The speakers include AJK Prime Minister, Sardar Muhammad
The puppet authorities impose Yaqoob Khan, Chaudhary Muhammad Yasin, Syed Yousuf Naseem
and Mehmood Ahmed Saghar.
May 22: The Chairman of All
Parties Hurriyet Conference,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq while
addressing a seminar at Krala
Gund in Kupwara over telephone
from Srinagar calls for engaging
the Kashmiri leadership in Pak-
India dialogue process to find out
an amicable solution to the
Kashmir dispute. The event is
organised by Jammu and Kashmir
Peoples Conference to
commemorate the martyrdom
anniversaries of prominent
curfew and strict restrictions in liberation leaders, Khawaja Abdul Ghani Lone and Mirwaiz Molvi
Srinagar city while all roads Muhammad Farooq.
leading to the Martyrs’ Protest demonstrations are held at Press Enclave in Srinagar to press
Graveyard are sealed to prevent for immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from Tossa Maidan in
people from converging at the Budgam.
Eidgah. Complete strike is People stage demonstrations in Pulwama against the large scale
observed across the occupied arrest of youth in the area.
territory.
The APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Compiled by: Showkat Ali
Umar Farooq, addressing a To be continued...

KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 28

 B E A U
Jamia Masjid Srinagar
Jamia Masjid is
a mosque in
Srinagar, the
summer capital
of occupied
K a s h m i r .
Standing tall in
Nowhatta in the
h e a r t o f
Srinagar city
from the last
over 600 years,
the colossal
structure of the
grand mosque
of Kashmir, has
been witness to
a palette of historical events. The
history of the mosque is in fact a
reflection of the history of
political uprisings in the occu-
pied territory. Thousands of
people congregate here for
prayers, especially on Fridays,
and it is the biggest mosque in
Kashmir known for its peaceful
and tranquil ambiance. While the
other heritage structures in the
occupied territory are inching
towards their deplorable decay,
the grand mosque continues to
maintain its charm and splendor.
Inspired by Indo-Saracenic
architecture, the mosque has an
area of 384 X 381 feet. It is
quadrangle in shape, roughly
square, with four minars; one in
the middle of each side covered
with a series of pyramidal roofs,
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020
T Y T H Y N A M
which terminate in an open
turret crowned by high pinnacle.
The minars are connected by
spacious halls, whose principal
feature is the vast array of 378
wooden columns, which support
the roof. On the outside, the
mosque is decorated with yellow
poppies lining the mossy brick
paths and lush green parks.
Jamia Masjid can accommodate
more than 33,000 people for
prayers at one time. There is a
square garden in the middle and
the mosque is
surrounded by wide
lanes on all the four
sides. Large entrance
gateway is covered
with a pyramidical
roof surmounted by a
square open pavilion
(brangh) with a spire
on top. At the entrance
of the mosque, an
architectural docu-
ment welcomes the
visitors. Jamia Masjid is a local
adaptation of the enclosed
courtyard type mosque plan
prevalent throughout the Islamic
world.
The main entrance on the
southern side consists of a
recessed portico leading into an
29
E I S
inner courtyard
based on the
traditional
chaar bagh plan
with a tank at
the centre. The
court, which
was originally
planted with a
s e r i e s o f
chinars, is
enclosed by
arched liwans
(cloisters)
covered with
two-tiered
sloping roof.
The western wall of the cloister
houses a black marble mehrab
with beautiful calligraphic work.
Ninety-nine attributes of
Almighty Allah have been
engraved on it. The courtyard,
which is made up of pointed,
arched brick arcade, lends a
solemn atmosphere to the whole
area. The upper clerestory is
reached through twin staircases
located in the jamb of the arch
along the western facade. The
compound is bisected by two
broad paths, which have been
planted with cypress trees. The
water tank in the courtyard was
originally fed by a water channel
known as Lachma Kul.
The foundation of the mosque
was laid by Sultan Sikandar Shah
Kashmiri, a ruler of Kashmir in
1400 AD. The construction was
completed in 1402 AD. Right
from its inception, tragedies have
been inherent to the mosque. It
was damaged by fire on three
occasions but the damaged
portions were restored after
every disaster.
Today, the mosque stands tall
like the pride of Srinagar,
holding within itself rich stories
from the past and calling all
Muslims to pray five times a day.
 L I
The village about which this
story is related had a school
where education in the tradi-
tional manner was imparted to
the village boys. The old white-
bearded teacher, who taught at
the school for thirty years, had
passed away, much to the regret
of the villagers. He had perhaps
never taught more than three or
four pupils at a time, but his
culture and good breeding won
him a warm niche in every heart.
He was succeeded by another
gentleman from a neighbouring
village.
The new teacher was a young
man. He was gifted with all those
qualities, which make us look
wistfully on our departed youth:
energy, health, ambition, hope
and vanity. Since his pedagogic
duties did not tax his energy to
any extent, he interested himself
in other activities and was fond
of the company of young men. In
the midst of his friends nothing
would distinguish him from the
brotherhood of the laity. He even
disclosed a strain of gallantry in
his nature. Some elderly people
recalled the fatherly attitude of
his predecessor and sighed that
even those who were expected to
set the standard in public
behaviour failed to maintain
proper decorum.
The life lived by a woman in the
city is different from that of her
sister in the village. In a city the
standard is set by the official
class who for this purpose may
be said to include the business
and professional class too. Till
recently their womenfolk, both
Hindu and Muslim, lived in
‘pardah’ and would not leave the
MARCH 2020
T E R A T U R E
The Teacher
A Kashmiri folktale
four walls of the house except
with a veil hanging down to their
toes. There is no question at all of
their talking to a stranger,
however good-natured he may
be. The village woman, on the
other hand, is free from many of
the taboos in the city. She moves
about freely and goody goody
modesty is alien to her unsophis-
ticated nature. Her conduct is a
true reflection of her. She is
mostly a workingwoman
assisting her husband in the
fields or tending cattle on the
outskirts of the village. She will
meet anybody unflinchingly, be
he a robber or even the devil, and
not faint with fear like some of
her sophisticated sisters living in
towns behind latticed curtains.
In spite of that, however, her
conduct is unblemished.
The schoolmaster referred to
above had certain preconceived
and illusory notions about
village women. He thought he
could play the gallant and thus
tickle his vanity. Women move
about freely in villages and his
movements were so timed as to
cross a number of them on the
road when they proceeded to
their farms. Sometimes he
contrived to enter into conversa-
tion with one either on the
roadside or at the village spring
where they went daily to fetch
water. There was nothing
indecent in his behaviour, but it
sprang from a motive, which did
not appear to be "brotherly" as
was the case with the village folk.
There was, in particular, a
housewife, both pretty and
prosperous, whose acquaintance
and friendship he wanted to
30
cultivate. On several occasions
he tried to enter into conversa-
tion with her. She never resented
such an attempt on his part but,
as far as she was concerned, the
matter ended there for her. It
never paved the way for a
friendship or even what may be
called an acquaintance because
the next time he had to begin
once again from the lowest rung.
Finding no indication of progress
in this way he changed his line of
action. The young boy of the
housewife attended the school
where the teacher taught. The
teacher frequently said to the boy
"Remember me to your mother".
The boy carried the message as
charged. The mother realised
that the teacher needed a purge
for his humour and she chalked
out her line of action. She told her
boy to inform the teacher that she
wanted to have a word with him
at her house. It was conveyed to
him that her husband was
expected to be away for the
whole day.
The heart of the teacher fluttered
like a bird when he got the
message. He felt highly excited
and in his best attire went too
early for the appointment. The
housewife gave him a reception
that seemed to lack nothing in
warmth. She seemed to have
placed full confidence in his
friendship and gallantry. He
could not conceal the lascivious-
ness in his looks and she recipro-
cated by pretending to gaze at
him fondly. She busied herself in
making tea for him and offered
him a cupful.
While the cup brimful with tea
was steaming in the hands of the
 L I
teacher, a most unwelcome
visitor arrived in the person of
the owner of the house, the
husband. The teacher did not
seem to be taken by surprise
because the presence of the
housewife had dilated his spirit
and elated his vanity. The
husband called his wife in a gruff
voice from the yard. The house-
wife began to tremble and turned
pale.
“I am undone,” she whispered,
“if he discovers you here he will
kill me and not spare you either.”
“Have no fear,” said the teacher
in a voice that faltered, “he
cannot be so harsh.”
“I know better how ruthless he is.
Would to God I were dead rather
than be surprised in this compro-
mising situation,” she said and
began to beat her chest. “O quick,
save my life” she whispered in a
commotion, which was now
instilled into the teacher's heart.
“Is there no other exit?”
“No, none. He sees you here and
I am killed. He is such a rough
bear. Nothing can save me unless
....,” she began to wail in a hushed
voice.
“Unless what?”
“Unless you disguise yourself to
escape his suspicion.”
“Most willingly. I'll do anything
for your sake,” said the teacher
out of a sense of gallantry and a
trace of relief that a way out was
indicated.
In a jiffy the housewife gave him
a workingwoman's cloak and
scarf, which he donned as
quickly, casting off his own
turban and cloak which she put
away. To allay all traces of
suspicion in her husband she
placed before him a basketful of
maize and two portable mill-
stones. They almost acted a
pantomime. She impressed upon
MARCH 2020
T E R A T U R E
him that he
must look
bashfully
downwards,
rotate the
u p p e r m i l l-
stone and turn
out the yellow
flour. Needless
to say that the
other obeyed.
H a v i n g
accomplished
all this she
c a m e d o w n-
stairs to meet
her husband so
that he did not
get a chance to
suspect that the
teacher was in
the person of
the working
woman turning
out flour.
The housewife
greeted her
husband with a
face beaming
with smiles.
had better dismiss him now. The
“What is that grinding sound
lesson must have gone home to
upstairs?” growled the husband.
him.” The housewife gave the
“It is that deaf woman turning
captive his clothes and the
out maize flour,” she replied teacher slipped away without
aloud. exchanging another word.
The husband and wife stayed It was remarked by many people
pretty long in the kitchen garden the next day that the teacher had
and in the barn. The sound of lost much of his liveliness. His
grinding continued to come from spirit had been clouded by a sort
upstairs though it was slow and of an eclipse. But nobody knew
punctuated with intervals of why. For neither the housewife
silence. The teacher developed nor her husband revealed the
many blisters on his hands. He secret of the "deaf woman"
thought of slipping away, but grinding maize.
knew nothing about where his One day the housewife sent a
turban, scarf and tunic had been message to the schoolmaster
deposited without which he was desiring him to repeat the visit.
sure to attract the attention of the The boy conveyed the message
pariah dog no less than of man. but now the teacher felt no
“The fellow must be tired now excitement. All that he said was,
and feeling bitter,” said her “Ask her if she has consumed the
husband to the housewife, “you flour ground previously.”
31
 F E E D
Freedom struggle
The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been
resisting the Indian occupation for the last over
72 years. They are engaged in a heroic freedom
struggle, facing the worst kind of Indian state
terrorism. They have braved the Indian atrocities
with great courage and New Delhi has failed to
intimidate them into submission. The festering
problem has led to the brutal killing of thousands
of people, including women and children, in the
Kashmir Valley by the Indian armed forces. The
legal protection to the Indian troops in the guise
of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)
Letters to
Editor
is very much there. This brutal law has allowed
the Indian forces to deal with the people of the
Valley as they please with little fear of
prosecution. As global players continue to ignore
the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, it has
become a humanitarian issue in the region.
Kashmir remains an international dispute
between Pakistan and India. However, because of
its very weak case, New Delhi terms it a bilateral
dispute and avoids internationalising the issue.
Anis Ahmed
Islamabad
Two nation theory validated
The latest state-sponsored terrorism unleashed
by the fascist Bharatiya Janata Party
government through its goons in the RSS against
defenseless Indian Muslims has once again
justified the demand of Muslims of the
subcontinent for their separate homeland on the
basis of two nation theory. In fact, it validates as
absolutely true even after 82 years what Quiad-e-
Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had first said in
1937 about there being two nations existing in
the subcontinent.
This is not the first time that India’s communal
leaders have targeted minorities on religious
basis. The Ayodhya verdict, the curfew and
human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, the
recent promulgation of discriminatory laws,
attacks on Muslim students in libraries and
setting mosques and Muslims houses on fire
KASHMIR INSIGHT MARCH 2020 32
B A C K
prove that the Quaid’s two nation theory still
holds true.
As a young Pakistani, no amount of gratitude or
thanks to our founding fathers is enough for this
beautiful nation of which we are citizens.
Sana Aslam
Gujranwala
Muslims’ genocide
On 9 to 10 November 1938 the then government
in Germany encouraged its supporters to burn
down synagogues and smash up Jewish homes,
shops, businesses and schools. At least 91 Jews -
and probably many more - were killed by Nazi
supporters egged on by Joseph Goebbels, the
minister for public enlightenment and
propaganda, in what became known as
Kristallnacht - “the Night of Broken Glass”. It was
a decisive staging post on the road to mass
genocide.
On 23 February 2020 in Delhi, Hindu nationalist
mobs roamed the streets burning and looting
mosques together with Muslim homes, shops and
businesses. They killed or burned alive Muslims
who could not escape and the victims were largely
unprotected by the police. At least 50 people,
almost all Muslims, were killed and many others
beaten half dead. A two-year-old baby was
stripped by a gang to see if he was circumcised -
as Muslims usually are, but Hindus are not.
Some Muslim women pretended to be Hindus in
order to escape.
The Indian government’s complicity was not as
direct as in Germany 82 years earlier but activists
of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were
reported as being in the forefront of the attacks on
Muslims. A video was published showing Muslim
men, soaked in blood from beatings, being forced
to lie on the ground by police officers and
compelled to sing patriotic songs. Modi said
nothing for several days and then made a vague
appeal for “peace and brotherhood”.
The government’s real attitude towards the
violence was observed when it instantly
transferred a judge critical of its actions during
the riots. The Delhi High Court Judge, S.
Muralidhar, was hearing petitions about the
violence when he said that the court could not
allow “another 1984” to happen, referring to the
killing of 3,000 Sikhs by mobs in Delhi in that
year after the assassination of former prime
minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
Jahangir Ismail
Karachi
 Atrocities by Indian troops
(January 1989 to February 29, 2020)

Total killings 95,506

Custodial killings 7,139

Civilian arrested 158,644

Structures destroyed/damaged 109,462

Women widowed 22,911

Children orphaned 107,784

Women gangraped/molested 11,179

Including custodial killings

Source: Kashmir Media Service (www.kmsnews.org)

 Do you remember these words?

“In accepting the accession they [the Government of India] refused to take
advantage of the immediate peril in which the State found itself and informed
the Ruler that the accession should finally be settled by plebiscite as soon as
peace had been restored. They have subsequently made it quite clear that they
are agreeable to the plebiscite being conducted if necessary under international
auspices.”

(Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Minister of India

without Portfolio, while speaking in the
UN Security Council, January 15, 1948)

All Parties Hurriyet Conference Azad Jammu And Kashmir

P. O. Box No. 2617, GPO Islamabad.
Ph: 0092-51-4861457, Fax: 0092-51-4861458 (Islamabad)
0092-5822-432344 (Muzaffarabad)
Email: kashmirinsight@yahoo.com