Kashmir News Weekly Roundup: 3/26-4/2
Exclusive:
Indian army seizing belongings and harassing the families of martyred resistance fighters in Indian-occupied Kashmir
The Indian military has been conducting raids on homes of deceased Kashmiri resistance fighters in Kashmir, primarily in south Kashmir, seizing personal belongings and harassing their families. Items such as personal artifacts, degree certificates, sports equipment, and clothing are among the targeted possessions.
A family member of a resistance fighter who was martyred early this year in an Indian military operation in the Pulwama area of South Kashmir claimed, “The armed forces raided and looted our house in early March and demanded the belongings of our son.”
The family member said, “They burned his school records and clothes. The Indian military doesn’t want us to keep any memory associated with our martyred son”.
Exclusive:
Minor alleges sexual abuse in police custody
A 12-year-old child from downtown Srinagar claims that while in police custody, he was sexually abused. The boy was taken into custody by the police for interrogation and detained there for more than 18 days. The youngster reported that the officers forced him to remove his clothing and subjected him to “terrible things.”
“I have been unable to speak to him,” says the mother. ”I was meant to protect him since I am his mother, but they snatched him, and I could not stop them.” The family has suffered immense trauma from this incident and the child has remained confined to his room ever since returning home.
“He can’t sleep at night, so I worry that he could turn to something awful like drugs,” the older brother of the youngster says, adding that he “feels guilty as if it’s all my fault.” The boy’s lawyer states that he knows at least three examples involving young boys who had been sexually abused in police custody.
News Updates:
Exclusive:
Families of victims killed in false-flag operations by Indian armed forces in Rajouri threaten protests
In response to the Indian military forces’ failure to find the perpetrators of the attack on January 1st, the people of Rajouri’s Dhangir hamlet announced on Monday that they would return all government assistance, including employment and ex-gratia compensation they had received. The families stated at a news conference that three months had passed since the horrific attack and there was still no sign of the perpetrators, and that the government and military simply provided empty promises.
“We don’t want money or employment; we want justice. Justice is all that is required; guarantees are not.” The attack claimed the lives of Saroj Bala’s two boys, leaving her the only survivor in her family. “We are prepared for a protracted struggle and will return all the aid and employment in protest,” she stated.
At Dhangri hamlet in January, unidentified gunmen used indiscriminate shooting that resulted in 7 deaths and 13 injuries; the next day, an IED detonated nearby, killing another person.
Exclusive:
One out of every twelve people in JK is addicted to drugs
In occupied Jammu and Kashmir, around one million people struggle with drug addiction, according to a recent assessment by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. The locals accuse the Government of India (GoI) and its agencies of bringing drugs into the area and displacing the youth from their political, cultural, and religious life.
In Kashmir, India has encouraged drug use as part of a counterinsurgency strategy to stop any resistance to its occupational control. The strategy was previously used in Punjab to undermine the rebellion against Indian authority and the call for creating a separate country. Now, narcotics are being smuggled openly and at reduced prices in places like Kashmir. This is especially true in regions where opposition to India has been strong.
Exclusive:
Two Civilians arrested in South Kashmir
On the false pretense that they were members of a resistance group, the police detained two civilians on Friday and accused them of taking part in an attack on an Internet personality in the Shopian district of south Kashmir. Suhaib Reyaz, son of Reyaz Ahmad Mir, and Anayat Ullah Iqbal, son of Mohammad Iqbal Wani, are the two Saidapora Payeen locals who were detained. Thousands of Kashmiris are being imprisoned inhumanely in jails throughout India on fabricated charges. Most of them have been detained in these facilities for more than five years without a trial.
