SRINAGAR – Children as young as nine detained, protests and tear gas,allegations of torture, businesses shut and no mobiles or internet: it’snow been two months of misery in the Kashmir Valley.
India stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy on August 5 and said itwould split the state in two, after sending in tens of thousands of troopsto impose a lockdown and detaining the region’s top politicians.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the audacious move was to end “avicious cycle of terrorism, violence, separatism and corruption” and makeKashmir a “paradise once more”.
Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since 1947 and has beenthe spark for two wars between the nuclear-armed foes and numerous clashes,most recently in February.
Since 1989 tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have died in anuprising against Indian rule by militants wanting all of Kashmir to be partof Pakistan or an independent state.
Evidence on the ground suggests that there locals are livid about India’slatest move, with regular demonstrations, business owners refusing to opentheir premises and children kept out of schools.
The Indian government says that most people in the Kashmir Valley, the mainhotbed of resistance to Indian rule, support the move and that oppositioncomes only from elements backed by Pakistan.
Indian security forces have killed several militants in gun battles andpolice said they intercepted weapons bound for Kashmir.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan last week told the UN General Assemblythat India could unleash a “bloodbath” in the Muslim-majority region,warning of the risk of nuclear war.
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More than 4,000 people have been arrested since August 5, including 144minors, around 1,000 of whom remain in custody, some under a law thatallows suspects to be held for up to two years without charge.
Landlines have been restored but mobile phones and the internet remainsnapped in most of the Kashmir Valley, home to around seven million people.India insists “normalcy” is being restored.
Around 100 civilians and 400 members of the Indian security forces havebeen injured in clashes since August 5, authorities say.
Locals have also blamed the authorities for the deaths of four civilians –including a mother who choked to death after tear gas was fired into herhome.
Outside the main city Srinagar, young men told AFP last month that soldierstortured them. The military strongly denies this.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has said she is “deeply concerned”while Washington has called for a “rapid” lifting of restrictions. -APP/AFP