Monitoring Desk: A group of 250 activists, academics, students, artists and concerned citizens of Gujarat have signed a letter to declare solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Letter says that 250 activists, academics, students, artists and concerned citizens of Gujarat have signed this letter to declare solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir (read as Indian Occupied Kashmir), who have been silenced and held captive in their own land. They call for a complete lift on the media and communications blockade (including the restoration of internet services), the release of political prisoners detained without trial since August 5, the demilitarisation of Kashmir, and the initiation of a meaningful dialogue with the people of the region on their future.
A Letter of Support, from Gujarat to Kashmir
On August 5, the Indian state unilaterally and without consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir legislature revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s right to self-governance. It brought the region under the direct control of the New Delhi government. In doing so, the central government displayed a blatant disregard for the nation’s founding principles of democracy, secularism and justice.
This was followed by a military blockade and an unprecedented media and communications shutdown, which has lasted more than two months. The blockade has plunged the people of Jammu and Kashmir into fear and uncertainty and initiated a humanitarian crisis in the region. Kashmiris have been denied the basic civil liberties and freedoms of expression, information, assembly, movement and religion. Eid and Ashura passed as the clampdown continued, and Kashmiris both within and outside the state were unable to wish their family members.
Even when an earthquakehit Mirpur, killing 38 and injuring hundreds, there was no media coverage of damages, injuries and fatalities on the Indian side of the LoC, leaving Kashmiris across India unable to contact their loved ones.
Despite mounting and credible evidence of human rights abuses and a healthcare crisisfrom numerous international media sources and independent fact-finding missions, the Indian government continues to insist that everything in Kashmir has returned to ‘normal’.
Military forces have detained thousandsof people, among them politicians, leaders, lawyers, journalists, teachers, students, and childrenas young as ten. Civilians, including children, are being tortured and ruthlessly beaten and subjected to electric shocks.
In a reportfrom BBC News, a civilian is quoted saying, “we told them we are innocent. We asked why they were doing this to us? But they did not listen to us. I told them don’t beat us, just shoot us. I was asking God to take me, because the torture was unbearable.”
Meanwhile, medical reports and hospital admission logs are being manipulatedin order to keep casualty reports low. Doctors report being under pressure not to issue death certificates.
On August 15, as the rest of India celebrated independence from colonial rule, Kashmir went into an indefinite lock-down imposed by the Indian government. As India celebrated freedom won through years of protest, civil disobedience, and a commitment to self-rule, Kashmiris were being denied those very liberties.
With each passing day that this is allowed to continue, India inches closer to fascism, and further from democracy.
While thousands protest outside the United Nations in New York, here in Ahmedabad the police refusespermission to protest. Gujarat is where the very spirit of dissent has been crushed under the weight of a state actively and tacitly supported by the majority. The state has attempted to control the media narrative, shuttered places of protest, and stifledage-old democratic institutions like the Gujarat Vidyapith and the Mehdi Nawaz Jung Hall. The Sabarmati Riverfront, touted as a monumental reclamation of public space, does not allow for public assembly and dissent.
Despite this, we assert that there are still voices in Gujarat calling for change, voices that some have tried their best to quell, but that refuse to remain silent. Among civil society leaders, there is a sense of fear, uncertainty and helplessness. And yet, and still, there is dissent.
The Indian state has decided that the value of land is greater than that of human life. We cannot let this stand. We the undersigned stand in solidarity with Kashmiris, and demand that Kashmiri voices be heard.
Now, more than ever, is the time to remember those who fought for our freedom, B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, among so many others. These freedom fighters had a dream for this country, a pluralist democracy composed of states and peoples who willingly came together to preserve the idea of India. This dream of a free state did not and could not have included shutting an entire people out of the democratic process and imprisoning them.
It is imperative today that we remember their vision of a state in which justice, equality and peace could reach everyone, and in their memory, fight for freedom once more, from those who wish to usurp the very idea of what this country stands for.
We urge the Indian government to lift the communication and media blockade,restoring fundamental human rights to freedom of movement, assembly and information.
We call for the release of all political prisoners – leaders and young people – who have been detained without trial since August 5.
We call for the demilitarisation of Kashmir,and the initiation of a meaningful conversation with the Kashmiri people on the future of the state.
Signatures of 250 activists, academics, students and artists including:
In Gujarat
Dev Desai, Social Activist, Anhad
Maansi Shah, Teacher, CEPT University
Sharik Laliwala, Researcher
Maya Ratnam, Teacher, Ahmedabad University
Akshaya Vijayalakshmi, IIM Ahmedabad
Navdeep Mathur, Teacher, IIM Ahmedabad
Inayat Singh Kakar, Researcher, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan
Ishu Gupta, Researcher, IIM Ahmedabad
Hiren Gandhi, Activist, Samvedan Samsritik Manch
Aziz Minat, Concerned Citizen
Shraddha Kulhari, Concerned Citizen
Cedric Prakash, Activist
Rakesh Basant, Concerned Citizen
Dhaval M Chauhan, PhD Student, Gujarat University
Parth Trivedi, Activist
Poornima Varma, Academician
Prasad Chacko, Social Worker
Swati Goswami, Writer, Artists Unite Ahmedabad
Rachana Mudraboyina, Transgender Rights Activist
Anilbhai, Concerned Citizen
Aparajith Ramnath, Academic
Shyam Shah, Architect
Jignesh Sengal, Banker
Nitish, Student, SFI
Sonia Mishra, Concerned Citizen
Bhargav Oza, Researcher
Kavan Gediya, Student
Dixit Kumar Parmar, Activist, RDAM
Ikram Beg Mirza, President, Welfare Party of India, Gujarat
Navdeep Mathur, Teacher, IIM Ahmedabad
Mohammed Marfatiya, Concerned Citizen
Maneksha Varghese, Concerned Citizen
Suahila, Concerned Citizen
Sejal Dand, Activist
Atish Indrekar Chhara, Theatre Activist, Budhan Theatre
Ghanshyam Patel, Concerned Citizen
Rathore Rameezkhan, Teacher, Azad Foundation
Krishnakant, Volunteer, NAPM
Prashant Patel, Photojournalist, Amar Photography
Ketan Satish Deshmukh, Student, IIM Ahmedabad
Svati Shah, Concerned Citizen
Nirjhari Sinha, Activist, Jan Sangharsh Manch
Ghanshyam Shah, Retired Professor, JNU
Abbas Ghulam Mehdi, Teacher
Persis Ginwalla, Concerned Citizen
Firoz Rangrez, Politician
Daud N. Kitharia, Activist, Action for Juhapura Infrastructure Movement (AJIM)
Rohit Prajapati, Activist
Nimmi Chauhan, Independent Development Communications Practitioner
Aruna, Concerned Citizen
Neha Shah, Teacher
Danish Qureshi, Legal Activist, Democratic Minority Forum
Varadharajan Ramakrishnan, Software Entrepreneur
Rachana Varadharajan, Pharma Industry – Operations
Balendra Vaghela, Concerned Citizen
Huma Nizami, Teacher
Riaz Motiwala, Concerned Citizen
Divya R., Concerned Citizen
Najir Patel, Activist, Ahmedabad Task Force
Adil, Concerned Citizen
Kadir Shaikh, Concerned Citizen
Ammar, Teacher
Salman Mansuri, Concerned Citizen
Salim Mansuri, Concerned Citizen
Aslam Langha, Social Worker
Tofik Kazi, Android Developer
Naeem Ansari, Service
Murtaza T Madraswala, Versatile Designer
Saiyed Mohsin Saiyedali, Tailor, SDPI / ATF
Saiyed Mohammedyunus, Police Service
Shabana Patel, Activist
Mirza SoyebBeg YashinBeg, Student
Mohammadfarhaz Shaikh, Student
Ansari Akib Ali Akbar Ali, Student
Javed Gori, Self Employed
Vhora Alfaz, Concerned Citizen
Zakwan Mansuri, Data Scientist
Ashraf Husen Liyakat Husen Shaikh, Student
Gautam Priyadarshi, Student
All Concerned Citizen
Tausifahmed Diwan, Underwriter, Star Health
Isharahmad Khalilullakhan Pathan, Manager
Gulammohiyuddin Muntazimoddin Kazi, Engineer, Tuv Sud South Asia Pvt Ltd
Azhar Saiyed, Architect And Social Worker
Natasha M., Concerned Citizen
Sumaiya, Government Servant
Leepi Agrawal, QA Engineer, Automation Anywhere
Mridul Gupta, Student
Dishant Lodaliya, Concerned Citizen
Nachiketa Desai, Freelance Journalist
Abdul Hafiz Lakhani, Editor, Gujarat Siyasat Newspaper
S.Bandukwala, Concerned Citizen
Munawar Hussain, Journalist
Shamshad Pathan, Lawyer, Alp Sankhyak Adhikar Manch
Imran Bhohariya, Social Worker
Sameer Yadav, Academic Associate, Anant National University
Neha Patel, Student
Bhavesh Jain, Gandhinagar Institute of Technology
Amaani Vaniya, Concerned Citizen
Manav Sumara, Concerned Citizen
Abdul Qayyum, Concerned Citizen
Joseph Mattam, Emeritus Professor
Reetika Khera, IIM Ahmedabad
Payal Ganga, Student
Salim Hafezi, Concerned Citizen
Terrin Manjila, Student
Navnath Baliram Sonwane, Student
Prof Mehboob Desai
Nikhil Sharma, Teacher
Rajan, Business Owner
Ayush Patel, Student
Sneha Jain, Student
Renu Khanna, Development Professional
Stalin K., Concerned Citizen
Uttam Parmar, Activist
Vishal Rajput, Student
Sulekha, Student
Rafi Malek, Activist
Anurag Shukla, Doctoral Student, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Farooq Abdulgafar Bawani, Freelancer
Utpal Anish, Research Scholar, Gujarat Vidyapith
Malek Atik, Student
Akki, Student
Sameer Yadav, Academic Associate, Anant National University
Simran Mulchandani, Student
Raghavan Rangarajan, Professor
Viral Shankarbhai Konkani, Social Worker, Adivasi Ekta Parishad
Karthik Rao Cavale, Assistant Professor, Ahmedabad University
Manas Kandi, Research Scholar, Central University of Gujarat
Jay Patel, Student
Svati Joshi, Academic, Activist
Hiren Patel, Concerned Citizen
Harsh Kinger, Student, MSU
In India (outside Gujarat)
Shabnam Hashmi, Social Activist, Anhad
Sathya S, Consultant and Activist
Sylvia Karpagam, Public Health Doctor
Jimmy Regina C. Dabhim, Navsarjan, Xavier’s Cell for Human Development
Saravanan V, MPhil Scholar, Delhi
M. Shrimali, Former Professor of History, Delhi University
Kamayani Swami, Concerned Citizen
CB Choudhary, Activist, Samajwadi Jan Parishad
Anand Teltumbde, Teacher, Goa Institute of Management
Jagmohan Singh, Activist, General Secretary Association For Democratic Rights (Punjab)
Tushar Parmar Marxpriya, Communist Party of India (RP)
Mohd Abuzar , Activist, Anhad
Sylvia Karpagam, Public Health Doctor and Researcher
Batul Hamid, Principal, Viva College of Law
Manjusha Bhagade, Lawyer
Swati Lavand, Professor, Sardar Patel College of Engineering
Runu Chakraborty, Activist
Prasad Chacko, Social Worker
Bindu A Karedan, Concerned Citizen
Owais Afzal Khan, Indian National Congress Volunteer
Laboni Singh, Activist
Shanmuga Pillai, Concerned Citizen
Chinmoyee Roy Chowdhury, Concerned Citizen
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Insurance Advisor, Atheist Republic Kolkata Consulate
Arun Prasad Sinha, Activist
Balaji Gurude, Farmer
Dev, Shayar, Writer, Teacher
Akash Debnath, Concerned Citizen
Manchala Gangadhar, Chief Editor, Democratic Teachers’ Federation
Amar Nath Parcha, Activist
Ritesh Nath Tiwari, Concerned Citizen
Amitabha Basu, Retired Scientist
Jasvir Singh Arora, Concerned Citizen
Dimple Oberoi Vahali, Concerned Citizen
Atul Mhase, Software Professional
CMRB India, Consultant
Rachana Desai, Homemaker
Harishchandra, Activist, Anhad
Sokat Malik, Social Worker
Saify Saraiya, Life and Wellness Coach, ZVM
Monalisa, Professional
Armaan, Concerned Citizen
Talaha Nandoliya, Civil Engineer
Shaheen Ansari, Program Coordinator, Arkitect India
Sujata Patel, National Fellow, Indian Institute of Advanced Study
Nazim Shekh, Senior Citizen
Vimal Bhanot, Retired Professor
Bharat Chitale, Advocate
Amrita, Researcher, Wildlife Institute Of India
Antonio Jose F.X. Colaco, Retired Banker
Teesta Setalvad, CJP
Chitransh Saxena, President, Padbank
D. Parthasarathy, Teacher
Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Activist
Jitendra, Student
Mahesh Kumar, Freelance Journalist
Sudhir Chopra, Retired Joint Director
Asha D’Souza, Consultant on Development and Labour Rights
Amit Bhaduri, Professor Emeritus, JNU
Ranjeet Kindo, Director, Tribal Research and Training Centre
Tapan Bose, Filmmaker, Writer & Human Rights Defender
Dr. Lubna Sarwath, Telangana State General Secretary, Socialist Party(India)
Arun Kumar, Concerned Citizen
Ms. Rahman, Professor
Harshit Mitruka, Concerned Citizen
Hussain A Babat, Compliance Officer,IMS
Ritik Raj, Student, Law College Dehradun
Prakash Louis, Teacher
Ameer, Concerned Citizen
Arvind Sivaramakrishnan, Teacher
Madhu Bhaduri, Retired Ambassador Of India
Kalpana Kannabiran, Concerned Citizen
Tehzeema, Concerned Citizen
Irfan Engineer, Concerned Citizen
Faraz Ahmad, Freelance Journalist
Asha Ahmad, Retired Ophthalmologist
G. Thiraviyam, Concerned Citizen
Subhasis Bandyopadhyay, Faculty,Iiest, Shibpur
Pamela Philipose, Journalist, Public Editor, The Wire
Sannybhai, Activist
Govinda, Professor, Council For Social Development
Bianca, Concerned Citizen
Appanasamy, Journalist
Ram Naresh Jha, Retired School Teacher, PUCL
Donald Xavier, Director, Green India Foundational Trust
Nidhi, Concerned Citizen
Abhinav Jain, Co-founder, Oye24
Kerketta, Activist
Anjali Noronha, Concerned Citizen
George K., Concerned Citizen
Preeti, Development Worker
Sudha, Social Worker, Arpanam Trust
Samuel Asir Raj S., Professor
International
Arul Anthony, Australia
Malik Malik, Data Analyst, United States
Nikeeta Shah, Student, United States
Rishi Doshi, Doctor, United States
Pooja Doshi, Physical Therapist, United States
Fatima Hassan, Student, United States
Elle Davidson, Student, United States
Aaron Dickinson, United States
Heena Shah, Physician, United States
Arul Pandian, Australia
Apurva Shah, Physician, United States
Samir Shah, Student, United States
Ghazia Shamim, Student, Canada
Nagarajan V., Student (Studying Abroad), Germany
Saifuddin Mohd, Activist, United States
Tina, Attorney, United States
Neel Doshi, Physician, United States
Bhaswati Bhattacharya, Sr. Research Fellow, Centre for Modern Indian Studies, Germany
Zeelan Bahsha, Accountant, UAE
Rimsha Chaudhry, Student, United States
Ismail Poonawala, Professor Emeritus UCLA, United States
Rao Rampilla, Actor, United States
Stephen Perenara Marr, Maori, Councilor Local Government, New Zealand
Shaukat Ajmeri, Canada
Sarah Kuo, Environmental Scientist, United States
DND News Agency adds
What we know about situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir?
- Over 70 Days long curfew and communication blockade continues
- Medical services still not available in IoK,
- Women, girls, children and even young boys are sexually abuse by Indian military and law enforcing agencies
- Disappearance and abduction of youth continues
- Serious humanitarian crises grips IoK as food stocks are inadequate
- Tourism and hotel industry completely collapsed in IoK
- Orchards owned by Muslim Kashmiris are cutoff to ground so there would be no fruit value addition industry available once clampdown is lifted
- Night house-raids and picking up men by law enforcing agencies continues
- Estimated deaths due to non-availability of medical services in Valley crossing the figure of 7,000 patients (deceased patients).
- Educational institutes are still closed and Kashmiris are denied basic right of health and education
