Despite Eid, Kashmir Lockdown Continues

Kashmir continued to face strict ockdowns this Monday, marking eight days since India abruptly rescinded the region’s semiautonomous status. Monday also marked the arrival of Eid al-Adha, a major holiday in the Muslim calendar. But with major mosques like the Jamia Masjid closed, no means to contact family, and dwindling supplies, many Kashmiris did not feel like celebrating.

“What sort of Eid is this?” asked one woman, who identified herself as Razia to the Asia Times. Struggling to buy food, she said she had a difficult time explaining to her daughter that they would not be able to afford festival clothes this year. “We are not even allowed to move outside. My husband is a daily wage laborer but hasn’t made any money for the last eight days.”

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Kashmir that there would be “no problem” observing Eid. The indefinite 24-hour curfew was relaxed in parts of the Indian-administered region over the weekend so that Muslims could stock up on food and attend weekly prayer. But Al Jazeera reports that staples like fuel, cash, critical medical supplies are running out, leaving providers struggling to serve long queues. Phones and the internet remain down, preventing residents from reaching their loved ones over the holiday. “We can do more, but it is still tough, everyone is closely watched,” one resident confided to the AFP. “Our lives are still dominated by razor wire and checkpoints.”

Modi continues to insist that bringing Indian-administered Kashmir fully under his rule will introduce new prosperity, claiming that the region “will become a big inspiration for India’s growth journey, comfort, progress and peace.” It is an odd statement, considering that Modi arrested local political leaders and moved in tens of thousands of troops in the lead-up to the decision. Thousands of Kashmiris have protested the move, but demonstrations have been broken up with pellet guns and tear gas. Calling on Modi to “stop this occupation”, activist Maimoona Moolah said she did not see inspiration, progress, or peace in Kashmir. “The whole place was desolate, quiet, silenced, caged. People looked helpless. People looked humiliated. And people also looked angry,” Al Jazeera quoted her.

Modi and his ruling Hindu-nationalist party decided to strip Kashmir of its autonomy “hundreds of kilometres away” in the Indian capital of New Delhi. Kashmir “effectively [had] no say,” reports Al Jazeera, and if the move is allowed to stand, that lack of self-determination will become Kashmir’s new reality. Although half the region (the half with a Hindu majority) will have a legislative assembly, the newly defined Ladakh area (with a majority-Buddhist population and a sizable minority of Shia Muslims) will not.

India has placed Kashmir under governance it does not want and did not ask for, without giving Kashmir a say in the process. It has occupied the Kashmir region and secured it with force, all to negate minority voices in India and bring the area more firmly under Hindu rule. Modi’s actions are reprehensible, and there is a strong case to be made that New Delhi has violated articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The global community must condemn India’s choice to rescind Kashmir’s autonomy. Government authority is derived from the will of the people; India must respect the will of Kashmir.

As I write this, Kashmir has been under lockdown for twelve days. Ironically, India’s Independence Day was Thursday. “It is a paradox that as India celebrates its 73rd Independence Day … the people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to be subjected to a lockdown,” Amnesty International said in a statement reported by Al Jazeera. As restrictions on movement and communication ease in the next few days, we cannot let our guards down and assume that the worst is over. We must stay vigilant to ensure there is justice for Kashmir.

Related