Routine life remains badly affected on 117th day
Srinagar, November 29 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, people held forceful demonstrations across central, north and south Kashmir, today, to show their resentment against the Indian occupation.
As the Juma congregational prayers culminated, people took to the streets in Srinagar, Badgam, Ganderbal, Islamabad, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara and other areas of the occupied territory. The protesters shouted high-pitched pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Indian troops and police personnel used brute forces against the demonstrators at many places, injuring several of them. The occupation authorities did not allow Juma prayers at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid and other main mosques of the Kashmir Valley on 17th consecutive week since 5th August.
Meanwhile, routine life continued to remain badly affected in the Kashmir Valley and Muslim-majority areas of Jammu region due to severe military lockdown and internet blackout on 117th consecutive day, today. The continued gag on internet has wreaked havoc on the businesses and economy besides hampering education of students. Journalists too are finding it difficult to file stories. They have to travel long distance to the so-called Media Facilitation Centre in Srinagar where they have to wait for hours at a time to access the facility. The suspension of this modern tool of communication has effectively cut people off not only from their immediate surroundings but also from the world. The members of Kashmir Editor’s Guild at a meeting in Srinagar demanded an immediate end to the gag on internet services.
In Islamabad, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, today, held a protest demonstration outside the National Press Club against the continued lockdown in occupied Kashmir and illegal detention of Hurriyat leaders including party Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik. The speakers said that India had made a plan to eliminate Muhammad Yasin Malik, and other Hurriyat leaders.
On the other hand, the President of Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organization, Azmi Abdul Hamid, in a statement in Kuala Lumpur condemned the remarks made by India’s Consul General in New York, Sandeep Chakravorty, in which he stated that the Indian government would adopt an Israeli model to settle Hindus in occupied Kashmir. Azmi urged the international community to take cognizance of the grave situation in occupied Kashmir and the provocative remarks of the Indian official that have serious consequences on the regional stability.
The President of Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi, addressing a party meeting in New Delhi said that democracy was again subverted when the special status of Kashmir was abrogated by Narendra Modi-led Indian government on 5th August. She also said that the ground realities were completely different from the “fictitious images” conjured up by the Modi government.
