Muslims of Indian occupied Kashmir, Valley in particular, would complete 293 days under an unlawful lockdown imposed on them from 05 August 2019, which continues till to date 24 May 2020. Maharaja of Kashmir imposed a curfew in 1931 and it lasted for 11 days only. Kashmiri Muslims engaged in a popular uprising were declared as ‘turbulent’ people by the Maharaja’s administration. Ultimately the ruler had to pack, lock, stock and barrel and leave the State.

People in the Valley are under a lockdown and Indian army has thrown away the keys. Other Kashmiris studying, working in offices, as street vendors and businessmen in various parts of India have either been chased out by RSS people or out of fear have decided to return on Eid. They are being treated like criminals and have been lodged in all kinds of accommodations, like, go-downs, closed schools or colleges or any deserted place in the urban or rural areas.

Bhim Singh a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court of India and chief of Panthers Party who has helped Azad Kashmir citizens and Pakistani’s held in various prisons of India as enemy agents in the past, has written in his communication to the President and Supreme Court of India, “Hundreds of incoming youth who were thrown out of jobs in different provinces of India were returning to Jammu-Kashmir at their own expenses were treated like sheep/goats after they entered J&K from Lakhanpur. The pretext is that the government wants medical check if they are free from Corona Virus (Covid-19).

Unfortunately, when these young citizens of India, permanent residents of Jammu & Kashmir entered J&K border at Lakhanpur (Punjab), they are hauled like sheep, dragged by Police into the waiting government transport. They are carried to so called quarantine centres, which, in fact, are the close Police Stations with no accommodation even to stand. They are treated like die hard criminals by the Police and made to stand for hours. The reason, the government is offering that these incoming J&K residents shall be examined by doctors/medical persons if they are free from Corona Virus effects.

The fact is that hundreds of incoming youth have been lodged in different places like Women College Hall in Udhampur, Women College Hall in Jammu, several other buildings/halls of different colleges in Jammu have been dumped by hundreds of incoming residents on the ground that the Police shall arrange medical tests. This is a human tragedy that thousands of such imprisoned youth as they were coming back to their homes in Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, and Poonch.

Their relatives, guardians have been waiting for them for weeks. They cannot even meet their dear ones in the so called prison rooms having no water to drink, no toilets for hundreds with only couple of toilets. The food they are thrown by some Policemen from outside their locked rooms. This is face of democracy in Jammu & Kashmir now under President’s Rule”.

Bhim Singh is a tough Dogra but would his lone efforts work? This is the sad story of Kashmiri Muslims, forced out from various States of India. They are interned on their way to home and are subjected to inhumane and deplorable living conditions. We have a duty to these Kashmiris. Even if Bhim Singh succeeds to seek their release and a safe return at some point, these people would be joining their families, already broken under extreme inhumane living restraints.

On Saturday at Sehri time, I was able to establish a brief contact with Syed Javed Gilani, chief administrative officer, of JKCHR Kashmir Chapter in Srinagar. He has played a lead role in arranging humanitarian relief and medical aid to the victims of 2014 floods in various parts of Kashmir. He has remained under lock down from 5th August 2019 in his home town in Kupwara and the family did not have milk and vegetables for the last three days. His family and people in Kupwara could not have tea at Sehri during last three days. It may possibly be the first time in the history of the town in Kashmir that these people did not have tea at Sehri and at Iftari.

Kupwara is rich in producing milk and vegetables. The non-availability of these two items goes to prove that life in Kashmir has been reduced to a process and people are denied a quality of life. People locked indoors from 5 August 2019 are forced to live with the risk of catching Corona.

A large number of people are languishing in Jails outside the State and youth have been taken out of circulation and lodged at unknown places inside and outside the State. Army seems to be driven by a sense of hate and revenge, against a people (regardless of gender and age), who are demanding an expression of their free will under UN supervision. It was proposed by the Government of India at the 227th Meeting of UN Security Council on 15 January 1948.

JKCHR has sent two demarches on 20 May and 23rd May 2020 to National Human Rights Commission of India, and has pointed out that the habitat and people in Kashmir on the Indian side of cease fire line have been sinned against by an army subject to a discipline of seven restraints. The two UN Human Rights reports of June 2018 and July 2019 have recommended the establishment of an “Independent International Investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir”. The May 2019 Report by the UN Secretary General has made a finding that Indian Security Forces were using “minor Kashmiri children for espionage”. It constitutes a war crime.

The Human Rights situation in the Valley in particular, is very grim and there is “Gross and Systematic Violation” of Human Rights. NHRC of India has been asked to set up a team of investigation, with at least 3 or 4 human rights advocates from outside India, in their advisory role as part of this fact finding mission.

NHRC of India has been reminded that Government of India has to live up to its pledges made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on 15 January 1948 at the UN SC and pledges made at the UN Security Council that it would honour the rights specified in the UN Security Council Resolution of 21 April 1948.

The author is President of London based Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights – NGO in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations