NEW DELHI – A Group of Indian and international activists give a strongblow to Modi’s false narrative on Occupied Kashmir crisis.
As a group of Indian activists and members of leftist organisations, whohave returned from a five-day trip to the disputed region of Kashmir, movedto hold a press conference at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, theywere restricted from showing pictures and videos of shackledIndian-occupied Kashmir on a projector.
However, while speaking about the current deteriorating situation inKashmir, the group of activists, economists and writers presented theirobservations and urged the Modi-led Hindu nationalist government towithdraw its move of revoking the special status of Indian-occupied Kashmir(IoK).
Kavita Krishnan, a left-wing activist, said the situation is “absolutelynot normal”, contrary to reports by several Indian news broadcasters.
“There is a sense of imprisonment. There is a sense of being in prison. Andpeople are not being allowed to speak and the situation is extremely grimover there,” she said.
“We were able to go to villages as well as small towns also. So thesituation there is absolutely not normal. If some people of the media aresaying all is well … the only thing we could think of saying was all ishell is a better description,” said Krishnan.
Activist Maimoona Moolah urged the Indian government to “stop thisoccupation” of Kashmir.
“The occupation of Kashmir will not work. Get rid of this occupation. Putan end to the way press and people have been gagged there. And returndemocracy to the region. Return Article 370 and 35(A),” she said.
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“The whole place was desolate, quiet, silenced, caged. People lookedhelpless. People looked humiliated. And people also looked angry.”
Jean Dreze, a Belgian-born Indian economist, slammed claims of Kashmirbeing backwards and needing investment from India and Indian companies.
“I have been to Kashmir four times since 2000 and every time, I am struckby the prosperity of the people. Especially the rural population.Especially in comparison with the catastrophic poverty and hunger of stateslike Bihar and Jharkhand and UP [Uttar Pradesh] that I am familiar with,”he said.
The group compiled several videos of their trip showing deserted streets,bereft of people even on the festive day of Eid-ul-Azha.
Tens of thousands of Indian troops have been deployed in the occupiedKashmir with an unprecedented communication lockdown since August 4, andthe following day Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his governmentdecided to revoke privileges of Jammu and Kashmir, including a right totheir own constitution.
