Kashmir News Weekly Roundup: 1/1-1/7
Exclusive:
Indian occupying forces punish civilians after resistance fighters evade capture
On Wednesday night, resistance fighters managed to evade the occupying army in the Hadigam region of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Throughout the night, villagers endured a parade in the bitterly cold sub-zero temperatures, while the Indian army conducted thorough searches of every home, resulting in the pillaging of most residences.
A brief gunfight had occurred earlier with the resistance members, alongside a prior raid by the invading soldiers. However, the operation was terminated when the occupying soldiers, frustrated with being unable to locate the fighters, resorted to collectively punishing innocent citizens.
Notably, three civilians were killed by the occupying troops in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir last month. Three victims were killed after dozens were brutally assaulted and electrocuted while being held. Hours after their detention, videos of the men being tortured in custody also surfaced online.
Exclusive:
Occupying forces lock workers inside mosque for ‘army convoy movement’
When the congressional prayers concluded on Friday, the occupying soldiers closed the doors of a mosque in an uptown area, detaining the individuals who were ready to depart inside. The invading soldiers forbade anybody from leaving the building, and the main entrance to the mosque remained sealed for more than thirty minutes.
Only when a few members of the mosque’s management committee got in touch with the police officials on duty did they learn that the Indian occupying army was due to travel through the region and that they had been given the order to keep the roads free of both cars and pedestrians.
Students who were among the more than three thousand individuals imprisoned inside the mosque for over thirty minutes, had to miss their classes. According to a local, more than half of the people praying inside the mosque were pupils who are given time off from their coaching centers for the mandatory congressional Friday prayers.
He said, “This is how our lives are being dictated in even the smallest things.”
Indian armed vehicles have freely entered the main campus of Kashmir University in Srinagar, causing a disturbance and posing a security risk for students at the premier educational institution in the disputed territory.
“Everything on the university campus has to be stopped for them while they carry out their dominance exercises, and students are not allowed to leave until the armed vehicles have passed,” a university scholar told us. In recent months, the occupying troops have also physically assaulted students on campus for allegedly “not allowing” armored vehicles to pass or creating a disturbance during “security movements.”
News Updates:
Police announce cash reward up to 12 lakh to crush resistance activities in Kashmir
In an effort to stifle the Kashmiri independence struggle, the occupying forces have promised monetary prizes of up to Rs 12.50 lakh for informants and spies who uncover drones, armed resistance material, and cross-border tunnels. JK police stated in a post on X that individuals can provide such information to the district superintendents of the relevant police force, and the informant’s name would remain confidential.
For those who have information regarding the trans-border tunnels, police have announced a monetary prize of Rs 5 lakh. It declared a prize of Rs 3 lakh for anyone who spots drones coming from the other side of the border and can identify the owner of those drones. A reward of Rs 2 lakh has been promised for anyone who has information regarding people in contact with resistance fighters who are currently inside Indian jails.
Additionally, the police offered a financial prize of Rs 1 lakh for anyone with information regarding those who persuade others to enlist in the military. For those who can provide precise information regarding the location of resistance fighters, rewards ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 12.50 lakh have been announced.
Amid unprecedented electricity crisis, occupying authorities to sell more electricity to India
In spite of the lack of sufficient electricity in Kashmir, the Manoj Sinha-led puppet JK government has chosen to sign a 40-year power agreement with the Indian state of Rajasthan. Even though the region’s businesses and citizens are in disarray due to Kashmir’s extraordinary power outage, the occupying regime’s theft and pillage of the region’s resources is still ongoing.
In order to sell power generated from the 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project, Kishtwar, Ratle Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL), a joint venture between NHPC Limited and Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC), has entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited. The deal was signed for the selling of power for 40 years from the project’s Commercial Operation Date (COD) and in accordance with the power allotment that the Indian government’s Ministry of Power would notify.
On January 3rd, 2024, in Jaipur, top representatives from RHPCL, Rajasthan Urja Vikas, and IT Services Limited witnessed the signing of the PPA.
Unionist political groups, on the other hand, have questioned the administration’s choice, citing JK’s own “severe power crisis.” Mehbooba Mufti, the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed that supplying Rajasthan with energy from the Ratle Project will “rob” the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Home Minister calls for intensifying military operations in Poonch
Following the killing of three defenseless villagers by Indian occupying forces in Pooch this month, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has emphasized stepping up military operations in the area. In light of the recent events in Poonch, Shah presided over a review meeting on the state of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
According to an official release, “Shah reviewed the area domination plan of security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir during the meeting to eliminate the threat of militancy.”
Shah gave instructions to intensify “counter-militancy operations and need for complete elimination of the militant ecosystem” while examining the security grid’s operation, according to the statement.
Notably, last month opposition members attacked two army trucks, resulting in the deaths of four army troops and the injuries of three more. Poonch is situated along the heavily fortified line of control that separates India and Pakistan over the disputed Himalayan territory.
Occupying Agencies seize residential property in North Kashmir’s Baramulla
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Thursday seized the property in the Amarghar area of Sopore in northern Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Abdul Rashid Mir, an Amargrah native and the son of Mohammad Sultan Mir, is the owner of the property.
In an effort to distance them from the resistance movement, India has been attacking JK’s civilian population.
India has been conducting raids and seizing assets through its agencies such as the army, NIA, SIA, CBI, SIU, and others in order to harass Kashmiri people on the basis of false claims.
Indian Occupying Agencies continue to seize residential homes in Srinagar
The private residence of a civilian in the Chanapora neighborhood of Srinagar district was taken over by the Indian National Investigation Agency on Saturday morning. Mushtaq Ahmad, son of Abdul Ganaie, of Khan Colony, Chanapora, had his property attached on Saturday by an NIA team, police, and CRPF.
Notably, the wave of raids on the Kashmiri people keeps happening on a daily basis. India has been carrying out these searches under false pretenses in order to harass Kashmiri individuals using its agencies, including the army, NIA, SIA, CBI, SIU, and others.
Occupying Authorities committed to changing Srinagar’s Shehr-e-Khass look
India is making great efforts to demolish the locations of historic occasions and symbols of resistance. The Divisional Commissioner for Kashmir stated on Saturday that efforts are on by the Jammu and Kashmir government “to bring back the former splendor of Shehr-e-Khaas”.
In the name of refurbishment and cosmetic enhancement, the state has transformed Old City’s appearance entirely. Notably, the fascist Indian administration has been making efforts to obliterate the memory of Kashmiris and separate them from their history, culture, and symbols of resistance and struggle. Kashmir’s identity was further targeted by India when the region lost its already precarious semi-autonomous status in August 2019.
