APHC condemns communal and militarized Amarnath Yatra in IIOJK
#ReligiousDiscriminationInIIOJK
Srinagar: The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has strongly criticized the Hindu Amarnath Yatra in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a communal and militarized pilgrimage under the Modi-led Indian government.
According to Kashmir Media Service, APHC spokesperson Advocate Abdul Rashid Minhas in a statement from Srinagar highlighted the stark contrast between the freedom granted to Hindu gatherings and the severe restrictions imposed on Kashmiri Muslim events in IIOJK.
Since the rise of Hindutva politics in India, Minhas noted a significant increase in both the number of participants and the duration of the Amarnath Yatra, which now spans an extended period. This prolonged duration, coupled with intensified restrictions, constant checks, and environmental concerns, has exacerbated hardships for the people of Kashmir, he said.
Minhas emphasized that the deployment of over one hundred thousand additional troops and paramilitary forces during the Yatra, along with surveillance measures such as drone monitoring, has further increased the challenges faced by ordinary Kashmirs.
He lamented that under the BJP’s muscular policy, including the new domicile law permitting outsiders to settle permanently in IIOJK, widespread detentions, oppression, and targeting of Hurriyat leaders, activists, lawyers, youth, and students have intensified. This policy, he asserted, reflects the BJP’s Hindutva ideology, aimed at demographic change and undermining the rights of Kashmiri Muslims.
The ongoing Amarnath Yatra, Minhas argued, symbolizes religious discrimination and environmental degradation in IIOJK. He condemned the exploitation of the Yatra for political and ideological dominance, describing it as a tool to intimidate Kashmiri Muslims and suppress their cultural identity.
Despite these challenges, the APHC reaffirmed Kashmiris’ resilience and unwavering commitment to their cause of self-determination, pledging to honor the sacrifices made in pursuit of justice and freedom.
