Indian activists demand release of Kashmiri detainees held under PSA
New Delhi: Over 250 civil society activists from India have condemned the detention of six social and environmental activists from Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA).
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a press release issued by various organizations under the leadership of Indian National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), the activists demanded the immediate release of the detained Kashmiri social and environmental activists. The activists were detained for raising concerns over the environmental threats posed by development projects in the occupied territory.
The detainees have been accused of obstructing “projects of national importance” for merely highlighting the ecological risks associated with these projects. The alliance called for the unconditional release of the detained activists and urged the authorities to uphold environmental justice and ensure meaningful environmental assessments.
Among those detained activists are Mohammad Abdullah Gujjar, Noor Din, Ghulam Nabi Choppan, Mohammad Jaffer Sheikh, Mohammad Ramzan, and Rehamatullah.
The statement strongly criticized the occupation authorities for labeling advocacy for social and environmental justice as “anti-national.” It emphasized that raising concerns over ecological degradation and advocating for environmental justice should not be equated with anti-national activity.
The press release was co-signed by prominent figures, including Prof. Roop Rekha Verma, Rama Teltumbde, Kavita Srivastava, and Dr. Sandeep Pandey, who urged the occupying authorities to respect democratic principles and ensure ecological justice in the IIOJK.
