Kolkata: “Abrogation of Article 370 from Kashmir is the final and last betrayal by Indian government with the people of Kashmir. There is little or no hope remaining in Kashmiris to think positive about India,” claimed Anuradha Bhasin, senior journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Kashmir Times.
A resident of Jammu, Anuradha has even petitioned at the Supreme Court regarding the suppression of Press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5. The editor told all this and more while attending a programme ovo88 organized by Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) at Kolkata to share the sufferings of people in the valley. She said, “I say that it is the final and last, because earlier, there was some trust left between the Indian government and people of Kashmir. But now that has been breached too.”
Anuradha began her speech by saying, “What the people of Jammu and Kashmir are going through for the last 112 days is unimaginable. Sadly enough, the ordeal of Kashmiris are not even being documented.”
She further said, “It is very difficult to document, what exactly is happening in Kashmir. How many people are there in the jails? We are being told that many are in Five Star hotels like jails, but there is a terror of rat there. There is no information about number of prisoners and their well-beings.”
The audience listened to her 40-minute long narration of Kashmir and its present situation in pin-drop silence.
“And about the politicians who are detained? Sometimes they are being labeled as corrupt, sometimes as a threat to security and sometimes are being accused of being pro-separatist, to justify them being arrested. We need to understand one thing – till now if India’s flag was being hoisted in Kashmir, it was only because of mainstream political leaders of Kashmir,” she said.
Continuing to talk about the political leaders of Kashmir, all of whom have been detained, she said, “Common people think that if this is happening to the political leaders, then who are they? Deep rooted fear exists among the people of Kashmir. There is a background behind this deep rooted fear. And I am at present talking about the recent time only. Security forces have the freedom to conduct raids, crackdowns and arrests anybody.”
She said, “These raids and torture are going on for the past one year. Several young men have told me that first they were picked up and when they were released from custody, then their brothers were picked up, and when they were released, their father was picked up. To be precise, this began with Mehbooba Mufti pulling out of the coalition government in July 2018. Whatever is happening in Kashmir seems to be premeditated.”
The senior journalist also talked about the sinister design under which Abrogation of Article 370 took place. She said, “These raids and torture are going on for the past one year. Several young men have told me that first they were picked up and when they were released from custody, then their brothers were picked up, and when they were released, their father was picked up. To be precise, this began with Mehbooba Mufti pulling out of the coalition government in July 2018. Whatever is happening in Kashmir seems to be premeditated.”
She pointed out, “Pulwama attack was used as a political tool to show that Kashmiris are villain.”
The petitioner in Supreme Court mentioned, “Kashmir has now become a very big prison. Kashmiris are under surveillance. The Valley has been isolated. Nobody can come to the valley, without taking permission from the Supreme Court. Only dubious people like the European Delegation can visit.”
The petitioner in Supreme Court mentioned, “Kashmir has now become a very big prison. Kashmiris are under surveillance. The Valley has been isolated. Nobody can come to the valley, without taking permission from the Supreme Court. Only dubious people like the European Delegation can visit.”
She further questioned, “Amid all, the government is claiming that whatever is happening, is for the development of Kashmir, but the question is when will the betterment take place, especially when the foundation of it on deceit and complete subversion of democratic values?” As she spoke, she even expressed her fear for the repetition of it in some other Indian state.
“If this model has been successfully implemented, it can be implemented anywhere with little modification,” she opined.
“Journalists have been arrested and killed, their works are being monitored. Media and journalism has become extinct in Kashmir,” added the senior journalist.
However, when she was asked about her petition not being heard in Supreme Court for the past four months, and the message it was giving to the world about India – largest democracy in the world. Anuradha refused to comment on the same as the matter is sub-judice. However, she said, “It is up to people to think and decide.”
