Kashmir News Weekly Roundup: 6/4-6/11
Exclusive:
Indian ‘peace-building’ organizations operating in Kashmir to push fake narratives and present ‘normalcy’ in Indian Occupied Kashmir
Fake ‘peace-building’ organizations working in mental health and wellness have started operating in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The organizations under operation ‘Sadhbhawana’ of the Indian army aim to recruit a cohort of individuals to propagate the narrative of ‘peace, entrepreneurship and development’. A psychology student who attended a workshop held by one such organization claiming to work for ‘peace in Kashmir’ told us that the initiative is lead by wife of an Indian army officer stationed in Occupied Kashmir. She holds these meetings and mental health sessions which are attended by ‘social activists’ and ‘youth leaders’ funded and propped up by the army.
“The workshops focus on building peace in Kashmir through a developmental angle but deliberately avoid any discussion around the mental health catastrophe imposed on the people of Kashmir by the war crimes committed by the Indian forces. These sessions also ignore the brutal militarisation of our lives which causes us permannent trauma,” the individual said. She added that the organizers deliberately choose people whose family members have been targeted by ‘unidentified gunmen’ and use counseling sessions with trained therapists to brainwash them into spewing venom against those resisting Indian occupation. “They take away our phones at these meetings citing privacy concerns, but the motive is not to allow us to record and expose any of these unethical practices. These army-funded social activists invite vulnerable people from these ‘therapy sessions’ to government-sponsored events where right-wing Hindutva officials are also in presence.
Exclusive:
Occupation authorities pushing through the demographic change in Kashmir using its judiciary function
In the last three months, the occupation authorities have shifted their focus on revamping the judiciary in Jammu and Kashmir, by ensuring that no Kashmiri Muslim remains in any position of power and authority. Sources in the justice system told us that the occupation authorities are also deploying arm-twisting tactics to ‘neutralize’ the judiciary in Kashmir.
“As the Muslim judicial officers retire because of age, they are asked to avoid practicing in the legal field. At the same time, Hindu judicial officers from Jammu are being given an extension of four years and are appointed as heads of newly formed judicial commissions and forums,” the officer told us.
The source revealed that at least five Muslim officers in the judiciary in Kashmir had been asked to turn in their resignations using blackmail, and two top officials have been threatened and told that they would be booked under corruption charges if they failed to comply. “In Jammu, for example, all posts of a recently launched judicial commission have been filled by retired Hindu judges. At the same time, none of the vacancies in Kashmir for the same commission have been filled. This leads to a disproportionally high number of Hindus at the top positions, and the number of Muslims is consistently declining,” the individual revealed.
Exclusive:
After Indian forces blind her with pellets, Kashmiri girl clears yet another exam
Insha Mushtaq, who was blinded by pellets shot by the Indian occupying forces during the 2016 uprising after the killing of rebel commander Burhan Muzzafar Wani has cleared her class 12th examination with first division. A resident of Shopian’s Sedow, Insha, was shot in the face with pellets by the Indian occupying forces on July 11, 2016.
Insha, who was 14 then, had opened a window when demonstrations against the assassination of the well-known Hizb leader were taking place outside her house. Insha was struck by a burst of metal pellets shot by the Indian soldiers, striking her in the face, head, and eyes. Since then, Insha has lost her vision. “We are extremely happy that Insha has been able to pursue her dreams even though she is visually impaired,” Insha’s family told us.
Insha is one of the thousands of Kashmiri pellet victims who have suffered partial or whole blindness due to the Indian armed forces’ use of pellet guns. According to recent research published in The Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 80% of pellet victims in Kashmir have lost part or all of their vision.
Pellet guns are “inherently inaccurate and indiscriminate and have no place in law enforcement,” according to Amnesty International, which has advocated for a ban on their usage. The weapon has also been referred to as fatal by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which has asked that its use for crowd control be outlawed immediately. It claims that “hooting metal pellets is one of the most lethal weapons used in Kashmir.”
News Updates
Indian occupation agencies summon renowned religious scholar Rehmatullah Qasmi
Maulana Rehmatullah Mir Qasmi, a famous Islamic scholar and the director of Dar-ul-Uloom Rahimya Bandipora, was called in for questioning by the National Investigation Agency of India on an alleged case of militancy funding.
An official stated that the NIA is looking into the RC-07 /2022/NIA/JMU case, dated 3.09.2022, per sections 10, 13, and 22C of the UA (P) Act 1967 and sections 120B and 153A of the IPC. The case is about raising money in Jammu and Kashmir and using it for illegal activities intended to “radicalize the youth” in the area.
Notably, Maulana Qasmi has recently criticized Dr. Darakshan Andrabi, the chairperson of the Waqf Board and a member of the BJP National Executive, for meddling in the religious affairs of Kashmiri Muslims. Qasmi is the director of the Dar-ul-Uloom Rahimya Bandipora, which educates numerous youngsters. Additionally, the institution regularly participates in donation campaigns for hundreds of low-income families.
Indian army forces civilian to climb electric pole leading to his death
Police in north Kashmir’s Sopore have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Indian Army’s 22 Rashtriya Rifles after the army unit asked local youth to install a CCTV camera that led to his death. The Indian Penal Code’s Sections 336 (participating in activities that jeopardise the life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing harm due to acts that risk others’ lives or personal safety) have been invoked by the police.
Danish Khazir Bhat, 26, of Sopore, was monitoring the construction of a two-story shopping center next to his home on May 7 when the tragedy happened. The Indian army troops from a nearby camp phoned him and demanded to install a CCTV camera, according to the eyewitnesses. Bhat first objected since he lacked the knowledge to perform electrical work, but the military eventually confiscated his cell phones and car keys. A resident said, “He was electrocuted while climbing down the pole after the army personnel forced him to do so to install a camera,” adding, “He was forced to climb an electric pole.”
The eyewitnesses further added that as the army personnel saw the incident happening, but instead of attempting to help him and bring him down, they fled the spot, leaving him on the pole.
Kashmir to face more power cuts after Government of India cuts down share by 25%
While India is stealing and pillaging Kashmir’s resources, J&K has seen a 25% abrupt drop in power supplies, which has caused an “unanticipated power deficit in the region.” According to officials aware of the situation, the JK’s power supply was reduced without “any clear communication.”
Due to the high temperatures in India, where the electricity department is resorting to frequent power outages, the Kashmir region would bear the brunt of the power deficit. They stated, “This has caused an unexpected power crisis in JK,” adding that the cause of the problem with the availability of electricity was unclear, but it appeared that it would last for some time.
Despite being a hub for producing renewable energy in the form of hydroelectricity, Kashmir suffers the worst imposed electricity crisis throughout the year, even as the transmission lines carry energy from Kashmir to parts of North India.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s special representative expresses concern over the detention of Mirwaiz
On Tuesday, Dr. Syed Mehdi Alizada Mousavi, a special envoy of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, voiced his worry about the ongoing house arrest of Kashmir’s chief priest Dr. Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq.
In the ancient Central Jamia Masjid Srinagar, where Dr. Mehdi said Zuhr prayers during his visit, he expressed concern that Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir had been imprisoned for over four years, leaving the tower and pulpit of the revered mosque mute. He grieved that his arrest prevented him from meeting and conversing with Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir. He also regretted not being able to meet and exchange ideas with Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir due to his detention.
