Fri 27 September 2019:
Indian authorities arrested an estimated “13,000 boys” in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, according to a fact-finding report by a team of five women who visited the region recently. The report’s release came ahead of UNGA speeches on Friday by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani PM Imran Khan.
Security forces imposed tough new restrictions in India-administered Kashmir on Friday, fearing protests ahead of the rival leaders speeches.
“Shops closed, hotels closed, schools, colleges, institutes and universities closed, streets deserted was the first visual impact as we drove out from the airport,” the “Women’s Voice: Fact-Finding Report on Kashmir” report said.
“To us, it seemed a punitive mahaul [environment] that blocked free breathing” the report noted on Tuesday.
Kashmiris are waiting for the world to understand the humanitarian costs of the lockdown since August 5, Syeda Hameed from Muslim Women’s Forum said after the release of the report.
“We wanted to see with our own eyes how this 43-day lockdown [until September17] had affected the people, particularly women and children,” the report said.
Hameed said that people of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir are waiting for Friday when the 74th UNGA session listens to prime ministers of India and Pakistan.
“People are waiting for world opinion [to build] pressure [on India],” she added.
The report claimed that boys as young as 14 or 15 are taken away by the authorities and allegedly tortured.
“One estimate given to us was 13,000 boys were lifted during this crackdown,” the report said about the alleged detentions by Indian forces to disallow any protests.
“Army pounces on young boys; it seems they hate their very sight. When fathers go to rescue their children, they are made to deposit money, anywhere between 20,000 Indian rupees [$281] to 60,000 Indian rupees [$845],” read the report.
The women’s activists said women in Kashmir, especially those from the Sikh community, denied they face any sexual harassment at the hands of Kashmiri men.
The group demanded that for normalcy to restore in the region, the Indian government should immediately withdraw army and paramilitary forces.
They added allegations of torture by Indian army should be investigated.
It demanded an immediate lifting of the communications blackout and restoration of special provisions back to their status before August 5.
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