Mental anguish of families of Kashmiris imprisoned in distant Indian jails
Elderly mother desperate to meet son in Jammu jail; Video goes viral on social media
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the families of thousands of Kashmiris imprisoned for their association with the freedom movement face severe hardships, particularly when their loved ones are held in remote jails in India and the occupied territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a viral video on social media shows an elderly Kashmiri woman expressing the profound pain of long separation from her son, who is incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu. In the video, the mother describes her grief, helplessness, and distress, explaining that restrictions, frequent closures of the Srinagar–Jammu highway, and lack of transportation prevent her from visiting her son. Her son, held over 300 kilometers away from their home in the Kashmir Valley, has been in Kot Bhalwal Jail for an extended period, and she says she can no longer bear the pain of this prolonged separation. The mother expresses her determination to walk all the way to the Jammu jail on foot just to see her son.
This suffering is not limited to single family, it is the reality for countless families across occupied Kashmir, where loved ones are detained in distant jails in India or the occupied territory, leaving families deprived of reunion for years. In the video, the elderly mother also prays for the release of all Kashmiri detainees. For these families, prolonged separation has become a heavy emotional, psychological, and mental burden.
Social workers and human rights organizations note that this issue extends far beyond individuals families. Entire communities endure the agony of being unable to meet their loved ones. Frequent closures of the Srinagar–Jammu highway, the dire conditions faced by detainees, their anxiety, and the economic hardships faced by their families have turned this into a severe humanitarian crisis.
Experts warn that these circumstances impose not only physical hardships but also deep psychological trauma on detainees’ families, leaving them feeling helpless and isolated. They have urged that Kashmiri detainees be transferred to jails within the Kashmir Valley on humanitarian grounds so that their families can visit them.
It is important to note that thousands of Kashmiris have been imprisoned in remote jails across India due to their association with the freedom movement. In most cases, these Kashmiri detainees are deprived of basic necessities such as medical care and adequate food, resulting in the outbreak of various illnesses among inmates.
