Daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has spoken up against the detention of her mother and the move to revoke Article 370, calling the government’s actions unconstitutional and undemocratic.
A writer and analyst, Iltija Javed, has said her mother was detained only to “break her spirit”.
‘Why Are Kashmiris Not Being Allowed to Express Themselves?’
In an audio sent to writer and political observer Zainab Sikander, Javed said the government claims to have done this for the rights of Kashmiris but then why are they not even being allowed to express themselves.
“There's been an atmosphere of fear here and I'm sure the people are very angry right now and what the government of India has done is unconstitutional,” she said.
“Just because they enjoy a brute majority, they have exploited loopholes in the law and abrogated Article 370 and taken away our identity which was not a matter of privilege for us but a matter of right,” she could be heard saying in the audio.
“Kashmiris are not even being allowed to express how they feel. They are being treated like a herd of cattle. How long will you keep people locked in their homes? Are you telling me that world's largest democracy is giving this explanation that this is being done for the welfare of the people, the Kashmiris? If this was done for the welfare of the people, why aren't you allowing them to respond?,” she said in the audio.
‘Is This The Akhand Bharat You’re Proud Of?’
She further said that the Centre is only projecting the abrogation of Article 370 to be a good move.
“The way this is being projected by the Centre is that the removal of special status is something that is good for Kashmiris. Do you think Kashmiris have such low IQ (intelligence quotient) that they don’t know what is good for them? Or what they want for themselves? Should it have been done so undemocratically?” she told The Hindu.
She further added that the Centre’s move will prove to be a “unifying factor” for the Valley.
“I only hope that my mother and the people of Kashmir stay safe. And my apprehension is that in this attempt to demonise Kashmiris, their safety is being compromised and everyone is highly disturbed. I can only hope and pray that, Inshallah, everyone remains safe. But the way in which people have been treated, I don’t know. No assurances have come till now. In fact, tyranny is only increasing,” she told The Wire.
“You take so much pride in Akhand Bharat. This is Akhand Bharat? You took away civil liberties of the people and imposed a curfew and (have) taken away their rights. Are you seriously celebrating this?” she said in the audio shared by Sikander.
‘Don’t Know How She (Mehbooba) Is’
“This is a ruse by the State to break her spirit. We don’t know how she is at the moment, as she was taken away last evening (5 August) after being under house arrest,” she told the newspaper. “Now I know what it is like to be in Palestine,” The Hindu reported.
“I want everybody to know that my mother is a very strong woman, and they might be able to harm her physically or try to pull her down, but she’s too strong for this,” she said in a conversation with The Wire.
She further told The Wire that Mufti was taken away by 4-5 people around 6.30 pm on Monday and has been lodged in Hari Niwas.
“Apart from that, I have no information and because communication is absolutely down here, we are unable to make any connection. It feels as if we’re not in Kashmir but rather in an open-air prison,” she said.
(With inputs from The Hindu and The Wire)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)