24th Year of Publication

Vol: 24 No. 06
Monthly June 2018

INSIGHT

IOK remains on boil

India’s ploy of ceasefire stands exposed

Indian Army Chief’s Islamabad seminar

remarks on demands plebiscite in
Kashmir draw flak Jammu and Kashmir
 Pakistan condemns crimes against civilians in IOK

“Pakistan condemns continued crimes against civilians by Indian troops in Indian occupied
Jammu and Kashmir - the disputed territory recognised by the United Nations through the
resolutions of its Security Council. Worse still, perpetrators who commit such crimes are
awarded honours by their military commands.”

(Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations,

Dr Maleeha Lodhi, at UN Security Council in
New York on May 25, 2018)

India engaged in systematic HR violations in IOK: FO

“India is engaged in gross and systematic violations of human rights in occupied Kashmir
extensively documented by Kashmiri, Indian and international human rights organisations.
The baseless Indian propaganda against Gilgit-Baltistan can neither cover up the atrocities
being perpetrated by the Indian forces on the innocent and unarmed people of occupied
Kashmir nor can it succeed in diverting the attention of the international community from the
grim situation of human rights in occupied Kashmir.”

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman,

Dr Mohammad Faisal, during
weekly press briefing in Islamabad on May 27, 2018)
Kashmir Insight JUNE 2018
Editor: M Raza Malik From The Editor's Desk
In occupied Kashmir, the killing spree by the Indian troops
Sub Editor: Benazir Khan continues unabated even after the announcement of so-called
Art Editor: M.Haroon unilateral ceasefire by the government of India. The Indian
Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, announcing the ceasefire on
May 16, 2018 had stated that the Indian Army would not
CONTENTS conduct cordon and search operation during the holy month
Editorial of Ramadan.
The fact is that the ceasefire was nothing but a hoax and a
India’s talks offer ambiguous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02
ploy to mislead the international community about the
Cover Story prevailing grim human rights situation and the brutalities
IOK remains on boil perpetrated by the Indian forces’ personnel on the innocent
people of the occupied territory. Since the announcement of
India’s ploy of ceasefire stands exposed. . . . . . . . . . 03 the ceasefire till June 10, the occupational troops killed 28
Reports people and injured hundreds others during siege and search
Protests, shutdown in IOK on Modi’s visit . . . . . . . . 07 operations and by firing bullets, pellets and teargas shells on
peaceful protesters and even on the funerals of the martyred
Glowing tributes paid to Molvi Farooq, youth.
Khawaja Lone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Senior resistance leaders including Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and
Indian Army Chief’s remarks on Muhammad Yasin Malik said that the ceasefire was a
Kashmir draw flak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 cosmetic measure. They maintained that how could it be
termed a ceasefire as it meant that they will stop killing in the
Thousands of Kashmiri mothers awaiting
month of Ramadan only and would continue the genocide of
disappeared sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 the Kashmiris after Eid. They said that a ceasefire should
Pictorial have been long-term and followed by a concrete and practical
roadmap for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
Images speak louder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 It is unfortunate that instead of respecting the sentiments of
Human rights situation the Kashmiri people, India is using every brutal method to
Indian atrocities on IOK people during May 2018 suppress their genuine aspirations for securing their
inalienable right to self-determination. It has been using
Raies Ahmed Mir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 disproportionate military might to intimidate the Kashmiris
Report into submission. However, despite being equipped with all
kinds of modern technologies and gadgets, the Indian troops
Islamabad seminar demands plebiscite
have failed to subdue the Kashmiris’ resolve for freedom and
in Jammu and Kashmir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 they are determined to take their freedom movement to its
Aasiya and Neelofar remembered on martyrdom logical conclusion at all costs. The so-called ceasefire also
vindicates that over seven hundred thousand Indian Army
anniversary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 personnel cannot fight a few hundred Kashmiri freedom-
Continued detention of fighters and they are finding excuses for face saving.
It is high time that instead of temporary measures and time-
Aasiya Andrabi denounced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 buying tactics, India must take practical steps to settle the
Journalists working in difficult situation in IOK . . . 26 Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’
Chronology aspirations. It must fulfill its promises of holding plebiscite
in Jammu and Kashmir under the UN-supervision to give
A chronological account of developments the Kashmiri people an opportunity to exercise their right to
on Kashmir (142) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 self-determination to decide their political future on their
own.
Beauty thy name is
Muslim pilgrim places of Srinagar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Printed & Published by
Literature All Parties Hurriyat Conference AJK
The tale of a princess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 House # 389-B, Street # 85, I/8-4 Islamabad.
Ph: +92-51-4861457, Fax: +92-51-4861458
Feedback Email: kashmirinsight@yahoo.com
Printers: Web Brothers, Printers, Publishers
Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Al-Rehman Plaza, 44-H, Haider Road, Rawalpindi
Ph:051-5566348, Fax: 051-5516142
Editorial
India’s talks offer ambiguous
After miserably failing to crush
the Kashmiris’ ongoing
freedom movement through
military might, the Narendra
Modi-led Indian government
has finally expressed its willing-
ness to hold talks with Pakistan
and the genuine Kashmiri
leadership to settle the Kashmir
dispute. However, New Delhi is
yet to come clean on the talks
process and the recent state-
ments of the Indian leaders have
made the dialogue offer ambig-
uous.
While Indian Home Minister,
Rajnath Singh, said that there
should be dialogue with both
Kashmir and Pakistan but both
“Kashmir and Kashmiri is
ours”, Indian Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Sushma Swaraj,
said that no talks would be held
with Pakistan unless it stopped
terror. Indian Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi, went to the
extent during his recent visit to
occupied Kashmir while
inaugurating various develop-
mental projects that the devel-
opment is the solution of the
Kashmir dispute. All these
assertions have raised questions
about India’s seriousness
regarding the negotiations.
The Joint Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik made
it clear that the people of Jammu
and Kashmir cannot become
part of any ambiguous talks
process, which has no clarity
and direction. The resistance
leaders said that they had
always advocated a political
redressal of the Kashmir conflict
as they believed that dialogue
among stakeholders was the
best process and option avail-
able. They said that the five-
point proposal flouted by the
Hurriyat leadership after 2010
mass uprising could be the basis
of the dialogue. The proposal
included acceptance of Jammu
and Kashmir as a dispute by
India, withdrawal of Indian
troops from populated areas,
repeal of black laws in occupied
Kashmir, release of all Kashmiri
political prisoners and lifting of
ban on the Hurriyat leaders to
travel abroad to allow them to
highlight the Kashmir dispute.
It is a reality that the Jammu and
Kashmir is an internationally-
recognised dispute pending
resolution on the UN agenda for
the past over seven decades. The
UN Security Council passed
successive resolutions after
1947-48 war between Pakistan
KASHMIR INSIGHT
and India to settle the Kashmir
dispute through holding of
plebiscite in Jammu and
Kashmir to allow the Kashmiri
people to decide their future by
themselves. These resolutions
had recognised three stake-
holders to the Kashmir dispute -
Pakistan, India and Kashmiri
people. But unfortunately,
India, which had accepted the
resolutions of the World Body,
backed away from its commit-
ments and started claiming
Jammu and Kashmir as its
integral part. This
Indian intransigence
on the Kashmir
dispute has been the
basic cause of
continued sufferings
of the Kashmiri
people and threat to
the peace in South Asia.
There is no denying the fact that
despite using all its resources,
India is losing its illegal hold
over Jammu and Kashmir and
situation in the territory is
getting out of its control with
each passing day. Indian
leaders are once again resorting
to the old drama of talks, which
they had been enacting in the
past, to buy time. However,
they must understand that talks
for the sake of talks would not
yield anything and that the
settlement of the Kashmir
dispute is only possible when all
the three stakeholders to the
dispute were involved in the
dialogue process and the
absence of any one of them
would lead to nowhere.
JUNE 2018 02
Cover Story
IOK remains on boil
India’s ploy of ceasefire stands exposed
Indian occupied Kashmir
remains on the boil as people
continue to hold anti-India
demonstrations while the Indian
troops and police personnel keep
on using brute force on the
protesters. There is no let up in
the atrocities of the Indian forces’
personnel on the innocent people
of the occupied territory even
after the announcement of the so-
called ceasefire by the Indian
government. The anger among
the Kashmiri people against the
Indian occupational forces and
ruling dispensation is rising with
each passing day as on one hand,
the puppet authorities claim that
there are positive results to their
cessation of hostilities against the
people, but on the other, they
continue killings, arrests and use
of brute force to suppress the
Kashmiris’ just struggle for
securing their right to self-
determination.
The Indian Home Minister,
Rajnath Singh, had on May 16,
2018 announced the ceasefire in
occupied Kashmir for the holy
month of Ramadan. He declared
suspension of operations against
the Kashmiri freedom-fighters
but had maintained that the
Indian forces reserved the right
to retaliate if they were attacked.
On May 18, people held forceful
anti-India demonstrations and
rallies in Srinagar, Badgam,
Ganderbal, Shopian, Islamabad,
Pulwama, Kulgam, Kupwara,
Bandipora, Baramulla and other
areas raising high-pitched pro-
freedom and anti-India slogans.
The Indian troops and police
personnel fired pellets and
teargas shells to disperse the
protesters in Srinagar, Islamabad
KASHMIR INSIGHT
and other areas, injuring many of
them.
On the same day, the troops in
their act of state terrorism
martyred four Kashmiri youth
during a violent siege and search
operation at Brinjal Vilgam in
Handwara area of Kupwara
district.
On May 19, Black Day, marked
by complete shutdown, was
observed in protest against the
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra
Modi’s visit to the territory. All
shops and business establish-
ments remained closed while
traffic was off the road. Call for
the strike was given by the Joint
Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik. They
had also asked the people to
march towards historic Lal
JUNE 2018 03
Cover Story
Chowk of Srinagar to register
their resentment against the
Indian Prime Minister’s visit.
However, the puppet authorities
resorted to imposition of strict
restrictions in Srinagar and
deployed Indian troops and
police personnel in strength in all
other major towns of the occu-
pied territory. The Indian police
arrested Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and several other Hurriyat
leaders including Hilal Ahmed
War, Sheikh Abdur Rasheed and
Bashir Ahmed Kashmiri when
they defied restrictions and
attempted to conduct the march.
The puppet authorities put other
Hurriyat leaders including Syed
Ali Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf
Sehrai and Muhammad Yasin
Malik under house arrest or in
custody.
Several people - including a 9-
year-old boy Rizwan Ahmed
Kaboo - were injured after the
personnel of Indian paramilitary
Central Reserve Police Force
opened fire on protesters in
Arampora area of Baramulla
district.
On May 21, four girls sustained
bullet injuries after Indian
soldiers opened fire on people
when they held demonstrations
against an ‘Iftaar party’ arranged
by the Indian Army in DK Pora
area of Shopian district.
On May 24, a forceful anti-India
rally was taken out in
Wanganpora area of Srinagar
against killings, nocturnal raids
and arrest of youth by the Indian
forces. The rally led by the
Chairman of Hurriyat forum,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was
attended by a large number of
people including women.
On May 25, at least 60 people
including women were
wounded when the Indian
troops fired teargas shells and
pellets on worshippers at Jamia
Masjid in Nowhatta area of
Srinagar. The troops’ action
triggered massive protests in the
KASHMIR INSIGHT
area. The demonstrators raised
high-pitched slogans in favour of
freedom and against India. The
troops deployed in the area fired
pellets and teargas shells to
disperse the protesters, trig-
gering clashes between the
demonstrators and the troops.
Dozens of people were injured,
some of them critically, during
the clashes.
People also staged demonstra-
tions in Arwani area of
Islamabad district against the
arrest of several youth by the
Indian police during nocturnal
raids.
On May 26, complete shutdown
was observed in downtown
Srinagar to protest against the
use of brute force by the Indian
police and troops on protesters in
Nowhatta area. Traders of the
area held a protest against the
desecration of the grand mosque
by the Indian forces.
The Jammu and Kashmir
Salvation Movement organised a
demonstration at Lal Chowk in
Srinagar against the rising
human rights violations by the
troops in the occupied territory.
Meanwhile, the Indian troops
martyred five Kashmiri youth
during a military operation in
Tangdhar area of Kupwara
district.
JUNE 2018 04
Cover Story
On May 27, senior resistance
leaders, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Yasin Malik,
participated in a sit-in protest
organised by the traders of
downtown Srinagar against the
firing of pellets and teargas shells
by the troops inside the Jamia
Masjid.
On the same day, a youth, Bilal
Ahmed Ganai, was killed when
the Indian troops resorted to
indiscriminate firing after an
explosion in Kakapora area of
Pulwama district. On the next
day, thousands of people
participated in the funeral
prayers of Bilal in Narwa area of
the district amid high-pitched
pro-freedom and anti-India
slogans. The killing led to
complete shutdown in the
district.
On May 30, Indian forces’
personnel vandalised at least 60
houses, damaged many orchards
and chopped off fruit trees in
Sugan area of Shopian district.
Later, the Indian police arrested
three persons during nocturnal
raids in the area.
People staged forceful demon-
strations in Drabgam area of
Pulwama district for three
consecutive days from May 30 till
June 01 against the desecration
and vandalisation of the grave of
a martyred youth, Sameer
Ahmed Butt alias Sameer Tiger,
by the Indian troops. The troops
had also taken away the grave-
stone.
On May 31, the Indian troops
martyred two Kashmiri youth
during a cordon and search
operation at Qaziabad in
Handwara area of Kupwara
district. People staged forceful
demonstrations in Gundibagh
area of Pulwama district after the
troops attempted to set the house
of a freedom-fighter on fire.
On June 01, a youth Qaisar Butt
was crushed to death while
another sustained injuries after
KASHMIR INSIGHT
being deliberately run over by a
vehicle of the Indian paramili-
tary Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) in Nowhatta area of
Srinagar during a demonstration
outside historic Jamia Masjid
after Juma prayers. The images of
the boys being overrun by the
CRPF vehicle went viral on social
media. The incident sparked
massive protests in the area and
clashes between the demonstra-
tors and the Indian forces’
personnel. Several youth
sustained injuries during the
clashes.
On June 02, complete shutdown
was observed against the surge
in civilian killings, desecration of
religious places and graves of
martyrs and other brutalities of
the Indian troops in the territory
particularly in South Kashmir.
Call for the shutdown was given
by the Joint Resistance
Leadership and was also aimed
at drawing the attention of the
world community towards the
plight of the Kashmiri prisoners
lodged in various jails. All shops
and business establishments
remained closed in the territory
while transport was off the road.
Meanwhile, Indian police
arrested Muhammad Yasin
Malik after raiding his residence
in Maisuma area of Srinagar. The
JUNE 2018 05
Cover Story
puppet authorities placed
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under
house arrest, while Syed Ali
Gilani was already under house
detention for the past more than
eight years.
On June 03, massive clashes took
place between the protesters and
the Indian forces’ personnel after
a grenade blast at Batapora
Chowk in Shopian district. At
least 16 people were injured in
the blast.
Amid complete shutdown,
clashes between the troops and
youth were also reported from
Pulwama district against the
recent killing of a
youth, Sheraz
Ahmed Sheikh, by
the Indian troops in
a fake encounter in
Tangdhar area of
Kupwara district.
On the other hand,
Hurriyat leaders
and organisations
s t r o n g l y
condemned the
killings of youth,
desecration of Jamia
Masjid Srinagar,
vandalisation of
residential houses and fruit
orchards and the firing on fasting
civilians in Shopian by the Indian
troops during the holy month of
Ramadan amid a ceasefire
announced by the Indian
government.
The Joint Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik in a
statement in Srinagar said that
India was inventing new
methods to carry out genocide of
the people of the territory.
They pointed out that besides
spraying bullets and pellets, the
Indian troops had started
crushing the youth under their
heavy vehicles. They said that
India’s claim of being a big
democracy was nothing but a
deception. They emphasised that
despite the Indian brutalities, the
people of Kashmir would get rid
of New Delhi’s forced slavery
with utmost determination,
discipline, dedication and unity.
The resistance leaders said that
frustrated by the unity amongst
the resistance leadership, New
Delhi and its local collaborators
were taking to ultimate repres-
sive measures to force the people
of Kashmir into submission.
They also strongly condemned
the use of indiscriminate force by
the Indian troops on worshipers
at historic Jamia Masjid,
Srinagar. They said that if the
puppet administration didn’t
stop its ploys to damage the
sanctity and sacredness of the
grand mosque, a sustained
campaign would be started and
the ruling dispensation would be
responsible for the conse-
quences.
While denouncing the killing of
youth, firing on fasting civilians
in Shopian that resulted in the
injuries to four teenage girls,
desecration of the graves of the
martyred youth and destruction
of property by the Indian troops,
they said that these actions had
badly exposed the ceasefire
KASHMIR INSIGHT
drama enacted by New Delhi to
hoodwink the world commu-
nity.
Other Hurriyat leaders including
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
Maulana Abbas Ansari,
Yasmeen Raja, Zamruda Habib,
Farida Bahenji, Muhammad
Yousuf Naqash, Hakeem Abdur
Rasheed, Syed Bashir Andrabi,
Bilal Siddiqi, Mukhtar Ahmed
Waza, Javaid Ahmed Mir, Zafar
Akbar Butt and Qazi Yasir in
their separate statements said
that the Indian forces were
killing innocent youth under a
systematic policy of genocide of
the Kashmiris. The
Indian drama of
Ramadan ceasefire
stand exposed
after the relentless
use of force by the
Indian troops in
occupied Kashmir.
It is time that New
Delhi and its
cronies in the
occupied territory
should understand
the stark reality
that people of
Kashmir cannot be deceived by
such cosmetic measures. New
Delhi needs to acknowledge the
fact that by using brutal tactics it
would not be able to keep the
Kashmiris under its subjugation
for long. It should respect their
aspirations and give them an
opportunity to decide their fate
by themselves. The world
community should also come
forward in a big way to help in
resolving the Kashmir dispute in
accordance with the Kashmiris'
aspirations to prevent further
loss of lives in the occupied
territory and for ensuring
durable peace in the South Asian
region.
(Humayun Aziz Sandeela)
JUNE 2018 06
Report
on Modi’s visit
In occupied Kashmir, Black Day,
marked by complete shutdown,
was observed on May 19, 2018 in
protest against the Indian Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit
to the territory.
All shops and business establish-
ments remained closed while
traffic was off the road in
response to the shutdown, call for
which was given by the Joint
Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik. The
resistance leaders had also asked
the people to march towards
historic Lal Chowk of Srinagar to
register their resentment against
the Indian Prime Minister’s visit.
However, the puppet authorities
resorted to imposition of strict
restrictions in Srinagar and
detention of Hurriyat leaders to
prevent the march.
The city of Srinagar and other
towns of the occupied territory
gave a deserted look and at some
places people had hoisted black
flags on the rooftops of their
houses and at vantage points.
Indian police arrested Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq and several other
Hurriyat leaders including Hilal
Ahmed War, Sheikh Abdur
Rasheed and Bashir Ahmed
Kashmiri when they defied
restrictions and attempted to
conduct the march. The puppet
authorities put other Hurriyat
leaders, Syed Ali Gilani,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
Muhammad Yasin Malik,
Ghulam Ahmed Gulzar,
Muhammad Yousuf Naqash,
Bilal Siddiqi, Mukhtar Ahmed
Waza, Zafar Akbar Butt, Javaid
Ahmed Mir and Muhammad
KASHMIR INSIGHT
Ashraf Laya, under house arrest
or in custody. The authorities
sealed all roads leading to the Lal
Chowk and deployed Indian
troops and police personnel in
strength in Srinagar and all other
major towns of the occupied
territory. The puppet administra-
tion also snapped mobile and
internet services across the
territory and ordered closure of
all educational institutions.
Despite restrictions, Hurriyat
leaders, Shabbir Ahmed Dar,
Imtiaz Ahmed Reshi and Ghulam
Nabi Waseem, led a demonstra-
tion in downtown Srinagar
against the visit of the Indian
Prime Minister. The protesters
were holding black flags in their
hands. Addressing on the
occasion, the Hurriyat leaders
said that the purpose of the
demonstration was to show
Narendra Modi and the world
that no Indian president or prime
minister was welcomed in the
territory as they were patronising
the genocide of the Kashmiris.
They said that the objective of the
visit of the Prime Minister of
India to occupied Kashmir had
always been to boost the morale
JUNE 2018 07
Report
of the Indian forces. This visit is
also aimed at misleading the
international opinion by creating
a false impression as everything
is alright in occupied Kashmir,
they added.
The Joint Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik in a
statement in Srinagar said that
the Indian Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi’s visit to the
territory was aimed at hood-
winking the world’s opinion on
the Kashmir dispute. The
resistance leaders said that the
Indian state and its abettors in
occupied Kashmir had put
almost entire Hurriyat leadership
either in jails or under house
arrest and if Indian rulers and
their stooges really believed in
democracy and freedom of
speech, they should have
stopped their oppressive tactics
and allowed the JRL to hold this
peaceful protest.
The leaders said that the Lal
Chowk march was called to
demonstrate before the whole
world what the people of
Kashmir stood for. They said that
if Indian rulers believed that the
oppression unleashed by their
army and paramilitary forces had
crushed the resistance in
Kashmir, then they should find
some courage to lift ban on
political activities of the resis-
tance leadership and allow such
programmes.
The resistance leaders said that
peaceful march was only aimed
at drawing the world’s attention
towards the miseries and
hardships faced by the people of
occupied Kashmir at the hands of
oppressive Indian forces. “It was
also aimed at highlighting the
reign of terror unleashed by the
Indian occupational forces and a
show of solidarity with the
people of South Kashmir where
Indian Army, paramilitary forces
and police have let loose an ugly
KASHMIR INSIGHT
phase of horror,” they added.
The All Parties Hurriyat
Conference Chairman, Syed Ali
Gilani, terming Narendra Modi’s
visit to occupied Kashmir as a
mere military operation, rejected
the claim of the Indian Prime
Minister that development was
the solution to the Kashmir
dispute. He said that Kashmir
was not an issue of economic
deprivation but it was an issue
concerning the basic and funda-
mental rights of millions of
Kashmiris. He said that perks and
privileges were not a solution to
the Kashmir problem. He pointed
out that New Delhi had been
staging the political dramas for
the past seven decades but had
miserably failed to win the hearts
of Kashmiris.
Syed Ali Gilani said, when
Kashmiris’ life and livelihood are
not safe, when their basic rights
are denied and when more than
one million troops are threat-
ening them, economic empower-
ment and mega projects lose the
worth. He said that when
Kashmiris’ life and honour were
at stake, good living had no
value.
The APHC Chairman pointed
out that highly qualified and well
placed professionals were
JUNE 2018 08
Report
resisting the Indian occupation as
their long and bitter experience of
subjugation was enough to make
them understand that their life,
livelihood, honour, culture, faith
and dignity - nothing was safe
and they were left with no option
but to strive and struggle to fight
for their existence.
The Chairman of Hurriyat forum,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a
statement in Srinagar urged the
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra
Modi, to allow the Kashmiri
people to say their ‘Mann Ki Baat’
to him during his visit to
Srinagar.
He said every month the Indian
Prime Minister comes on Radio to
speak his heart out. “Since he is in
Srinagar, I urge him to give
people of Kashmir an opportu-
nity to say their ‘Mann Ki Baat’
this time,” he added.
‘Mann Ki Baat’, which translates
in English as ‘a talk from the
heart’, is a radio programme
hosted by Modi in which he
addresses the Indian people.
The Mirwaiz said that the
Kashmir dispute was not about
inaugurating tunnels, trains,
roads or announcing economic
packages. He said that time was
ripe for Narendra Modi to fulfil
the promises that his predeces-
sors had made to the Kashmiri
people in the Indian Parliament.
Other Hurriyat leaders including
Muhammad Yousuf Naqash,
Bilal Siddiqi, Mukhtar Ahmed
Waza, Javaid Ahmed Mir, Zafar
Akbar Butt, Muhammad Ahsan
Untoo, Muhammad Shafi Reshi,
Zamruda Habib and Farida
Bahenji in their statements said
that the Kashmir dispute was not
administrative in nature related
to roads, power projects or jobs
that it could be
addressed
through develop-
ment. They said
that Kashmir
i s s u e w a s
directly linked to
the political
future of millions
of Kashmiris and
it needed a
settlement
according to their
aspirations.
The Hurriyat AJK leaders staged
a sit-in in Islamabad to protest
the visit of Indian Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi, to
occupied Kashmir. The Hurriyat
leaders in the sit-in held outside
the Indian High Commission in
Islamabad raised high-pitched
slogans against the Indian state
terrorism in occupied Kashmir.
The participants of the sit-in were
holding black flags in their
hands.
The protesters expressed concern
KASHMIR INSIGHT
over the unabated wave of
killings by the Indian troops in
the occupied territory and
warned New Delhi against the
use of brutal tactics to crush the
Kashmiris’ freedom movement.
They also urged the international
community to take notice of the
Indian atrocities in occupied
Kashmir.
A protest demonstration was
held in Muzaffarabad under the
auspices of Pasban-e-Hurriyat
Jammu and Kashmir and
International Forum for Justice
and Human Rights Jammu and
Kashmir against Narendra
Modi’s visit to occupied
Kashmir. Hundreds of partici-
pants hailing from different
walks of life raised slogans
against the Indian Prime Minister
and Indian state terrorism in the
occupied territory.
The speakers on the occasion
condemned the continued Indian
brutalities in occupied Kashmir
and urged the international
community to play its role in
granting the Kashmiris their
right to self-determination. They
said that complete peace in the
South Asian region was impos-
sible without resolving the
lingering Kashmir dispute in
accordance with the aspirations
of Kashmiri people.
JUNE 2018 09
Report

In occupied Kashmir, Hurriyat

leaders and organisations
strongly condemned the Indian
Army Chief, General Bipin
Rawat’s statement on Kashmir
and termed it illogical. General
Rawat had said in an interview
that the Kashmiris should note
down that they would not be able
to achieve freedom as they could
not fight the Indian Army.
The All Parties Hurriyat
Conference Chairman, Syed Ali
Gilani, in a statement in Srinagar
said that these remarks of the
Indian Army Chief, General Bipin
Rawat, revealed his arrogant
attitude. He said that it was a fact soldiers of India forget the testimony to the fact that all these
that one million soldiers with historical facts that peaceful and powers were dashed to the
latest weaponry and technolog- sincere sentiment of a people can ground.
ical update could not be defeated never die down under the barrel The Chairman of Hurriyat forum,
by a few youth with minimum of gun. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in a
and little ammunition but it was
He asked the Indian Army Chief statement in Srinagar while
also a fact that this military might
to go through the pages of history reacting to the remarks of the
had been kept engaged by these
pointing out that the British Army Indian Army Chief said that the
few people for the last 30 years
also threatened the Indians when British would also say Aazadi was
and the Indian Army had to hide
they were holding the reins of not possible but they had to
behind the human shield while
power in the Indian subcontinent, concede it in the end. He said that
fighting them.
Kashmir was a real political and
humanitarian issue that could be
addressed politically.
The illegally detained Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front Chief,
Muhammad Yasin Malik, in a
statement in Srinagar termed
General Rawat’s assertions as
illogical. He said, Indian Army
Chief needs to revisit basic
historical facts before issuing such
threats to the people who have
resolved to achieve freedom from
illegal occupation. He said,
General Rawat wants the
Kashmiris to surrender before the
Indian military might without
Syed Ali Gilani terming the Indian American sarcastically said same even realising that many Generals
Army Chief’s assertion as to Vietnamese and in recent past before him failed to achieve the
reflection of his arrogance and Russians also tried to hold the wishful goal despite using all their
brute mindset based on military territory of Afghanistan with military power.
might said, these top ranked same rhetoric, but history stands Senior Hurriyat leader and the

KASHMIR INSIGHT JUNE 2018 13

Report
Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir
Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, Maulana
Abbas Ansari, in a statement in
Srinagar said that such threats
could not subdue the freedom
sentiment of the Kashmiri people
and they would continue their
liberation struggle till complete
success.
Other Hurriyat leaders including
Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Bilal
Siddiqi, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza,
Javaid Ahmed Mir, Zafar Akbar
Butt, Shabbir Ahmed Dar,
Muhammad Iqbal Mir, Imtiaz
Ahmed Reshi, Muhammad
Ahsan Untoo, Ghulam Nabi War,
Muhammad Shafi Reshi,
Zamruda Habib and Farida
Bahenji in their statements said
that under the full patronage of
their political bosses, General
Rawat’s predecessors were all
using same language and tactics
during their tenures to crush the
Kashmiris’ freedom struggle and
the overwhelming sentiment of
freedom with iron hand but
miserably failed in their nefarious
designs. They said that it was
really sad that one of the biggest
military powers of the world was
threatening the innocent people
of Kashmir who were fighting
peacefully and showing their
resistance against India by
scarifying their lives, their
properties and their generations
for the scared cause of freedom.
The leaders said that India would
never succeed to suppress the
Kashmiris’ liberation struggle
through military might. They said
that General Rawat should know
that the freedom-loving
Kashmiris could go to any extent
to secure their cherished goal.
They said that it was clear now
that General Rawat had realised
the fact that the people of Kashmir
were demanding freedom from
the Indian occupation.
Grand Mufti of occupied
Kashmir, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, in
a statement said that General
Bipin Rawat had lost his mind as
he could not read the writing on
KASHMIR INSIGHT
the wall.
The Jammu and Kashmir Muslim
League, headed by senior
resistance leader, Masarrat
Aalam Butt, while reacting to the
Indian Army Chief’s remarks said
that he was befooling the Indian
people by issuing such state-
ments.
The High Court Bar Association
of occupied Kashmir in a state-
ment denounced the assertion of
the Indian Army Chief and said
that the Kashmiri people were
only asking for the implementa-
tion of the United Nations
resolutions, which guaranteed
their right to self-determination,
the exercise of which had also
been promised to them by the
Indian leaders.
The Jammu and Kashmir Council
for Human Rights (JKCHR)
General Secretary and renowned
Kashmiri jurist, Dr Syed Nazir
Gilani, in his statement said that
the Indian Army did not have any
mandate to be in Kashmir and the
people of Jammu and Kashmir
and their sympathisers had a
right to fight to undo the Indian
occupation. He said that General
Rawat’s statement did not carry
any merit. He said that no army on
earth had ever won a war against
an unwilling people and Indian
Army was no exception.
JUNE 2018 14
Report
As most parts of the world
observed Mother’s Day, on 13th
May, 2018, thousands of
Kashmiri women continued to
wait for the return of their sons
subjected to disappearance in
custody by the Indian troops in
occupied Kashmir over the past
29 years.
A report released by the Research
Section of Kashmir Media
Service on the Mother’s Day said
that the continued Indian state
terrorism had resulted in the
killing of 95,002 Kashmiris
including women and children
from January 1989 till 13th of
May 2018. It said that as many as
22,873 women had been
widowed by the Indian forces
and 11,071 women were raped,
disgraced or molested during the
period.
It pointed out that 55-year-old
resistance leader, Aasiya
Andrabi, and her associates,
Fehmeeda Sofi and Nahida
Nasreen, were illegally detained
in Srinagar Central Jail.
The report said that the troops
had subjected over 8,000
Kashmiris to custodial disap-
pearance during the period and
the mothers of majority of these
disappeared people had been
waiting for their return.
Meanwhile, the Association of
Parents of Disappeared Persons
(APDP) in a statement issued in
Srinagar said, with the world
celebrated Mother’s Day,
Kashmir and its mothers had
reason to mourn as many
mothers had died waiting for
their sons who left home and
never returned. Haseena Begum
died on 5th October 2013. Her
son Syed Anwar Shah disap-
peared on 21 July 2000 after he
was arrested by the troops in
Srinagar. Anwar was a wall
painter by profession.
The statement said that Haseena
along with her son’s half-widow
had fought for the whereabouts
of Syed Anwar Shah for 13 years.
The APDP statement also
pointed out that Mahtaba Begum
hailing from Kashmir’s far-off
village Karhama died while
looking for her son who was
arrested by the troops during a
crackdown in 1990. Her son,
Muhammad Yaqub Khan, was a
labourer.
“Misra begum of Bemina’s
boatman colony died in the
desolation of her only son,
Shabbir Hussain Gasi, who was
arrested by the Indian Army on
21st January 2000. Hameeda
Parveen died in 2012 after
searching her son from pillar to
post. As per details her son, Abid
Hussain, was a student,” the
statement said.
It maintained that Zoona Begum
hailing from Raj Bagh area of
Srinagar passed away in 2011
KASHMIR INSIGHT
while waiting for her son, Imtiaz
Ahmed, to return home. He
disappeared in May 1996 when
he was detained after Indian
forces raided his house. He was a
forester.
The APDP said that Haleema
Begum hailing from Batamaloo
area died in February 2018. She
struggled for the last 23 years in
search of her son, Basharat
Ahmed Shah, who was studying
at Aligarh Muslim University,
India. Basharat was arrested on
7th January 1990 by the Indian
troops from Sopore.
It is to mention here that since
1914, the second Sunday of May
is being observed as Mother's
Day as a result of continued
efforts by Anna Jarvis, daughter
of Ann Reeves Jarvis, a peace
activist in West Virginia, the US,
to commemorate the day to pay
tributes to her mother’s contribu-
tions towards the society.
The custom of celebrating
Mother's Day on the second
Sunday of May was first adopted
by the US. Later, many other
countries followed the course.
JUNE 2018 15
05-05-2018 Srinagar 05-05-2018 Srinagar 07-05-2018 Srinagar

08-05-2018 Shopian 18-05-2018 Srinagar 19-05-2018 Srinagar 21-05-2018 Srinagar

26-05-2018 Srinagar 27-05-2018 Kupwara 28-05-2018 Pulwama

Human Rights Situation
Indian troops are committing
gross human rights violations - in
fact war crimes in occupied
Kashmir to suppress the
Kashmiris' just struggle aimed at
securing their inalienable right to
self-determination and to
intimidate them into submission.
The killing spree by the troops
continues unabated even after the
announcement of the so-called
unilateral ceasefire by the
government of India to hoodwink
the international community. The
Indian Home Minister, Rajnath
Singh, announcing the ceasefire on
May 16, 2018 had stated that the
Indian Army would not conduct
cordon and search operations
during the holy month of
Ramadan.
The fact is that the ceasefire was
nothing but a hoax and a ploy to
mislead the international
community about the prevailing
grim human rights situation and
the brutalities perpetrated by the
Indian forces' personnel on the
innocent people in the occupied
territory. Since the announcement
of the ceasefire till June 10, the
occupational troops killed 28
people and injured hundreds
others during siege and search
operations and by firing bullets,
pellets and teargas shells on
peaceful protesters and even on
the funerals of the martyred youth.
The world community must
impress upon India to stop its state
terrorism in occupied Kashmir.
Following is a day-to-day account
of human rights violations by the
Indian police and troops in the
occupied territory during the
month of May 2018.
Indian atrocities on IOK people
during May 2018
Compiled by Raies Ahmed Mir
May 01: The puppet
authorities put Hurriyat
leaders including Syed Ali
Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai
and Muhammad Yasin Malik
under house detention.
Indian troops thrashed two
youth, one each in Srinagar
and Banihal areas without any
reason.
May 02: An 8th class student,
Umar Kumhar, was killed and
dozens of people were injured
when the troops fired bullets,
pellets and teargas shells on
peaceful protests against a
cordon and search operation at
Turkawangam in Zainapora
area of Shopian. The troops
also destroyed two houses.
May 03: Several people were
injured after Indian forces'
personnel fired pellets and
teargas shells on protesters at
Khudwani market in Kulgam
and in Malangpora area of
Pulwama.
May 04: Indian police arrested
thirteen people during raids in
Kulgam and Pulwama areas.
The police arrested Jammu
and Kashmir Salvation
Movement Chairman, Zafar
KASHMIR INSIGHT
Akbar Butt, in Srinagar after he
tried to proceed to Shopian to
express solidarity with the
family of a student recently
martyred by the troops.
The puppet authorities
continued to place the All
Parties Hurriyat Conference
Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, and
senior APHC leader,
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
under house arrest in Srinagar
and didn't allow them to offer
Friday prayers.
The authorities booked a
civilian, Muhammad Abdullah
Gujjar, under black law, Public
Safety Act, in Kishtwar.
May 05: Indian troops killed
three youth during a siege and
search operation at Chattabal in
Srinagar while another 18-year-
old boy, Aadil Ahmed, was
crushed to death by a vehicle of
the Indian Army at Safakdal
area of the city.
The troops fired bullets and
pellets on protesters injuring
several people including
photojournalists, Farooq Javed,
Javed Ahmed Dar and Umar
Asif, in Chattabal and its
adjoining areas.
Indian police arrested over a
dozen youth from Islamabad
JUNE 2018 18
Human Rights Situation

and Kulgam areas.

The police arrested Muhammad
Yasin Malik and placed Syed Ali
Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
and Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai
under house detention in
Srinagar.
May 06: Indian troops killed
Kashmir University Professor, Dr
Muhammad Rafi Butt, along with
four youth, Saddam Ahmed
Paddar, Bilal Ahmed Mahand,
Aadil Malik and Tausif Ahmed
Sheikh, during a violent military
operation in Shopian. The troops
also shot dead five more youth,
May 09: Two youth were injured Farooq, Muhammad Ashraf
Asif Ahmed Mir, Aadil Ahmed
after Indian forces used brute Sehrai and Muhammad Yasin
Sheikh, Sajjad Ahmed Rathar,
force on protesters at Tarigam in Malik in their houses and police
Nasir Ahmed Kumhar and
Kulgam. stations.
Zubair Ahmed Nagroo and
A 10th standard student, Javaid The authorities disallowed
injured many others during
Ahmed Khan, suffered severe congregational prayers at historic
protests at Badigam in Shopian.
skull injury after being brutally Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
May 07: Indian police arrested
tortured by the troops at May 12: Indian troops damaged
Hurriyat leaders including Syed
Saderkote Bala in Bandipora two houses at Bargam in
Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar
district. Pulwama district.
Farooq, Hilal Ahmed War,
Indian police arrested 15 youth The puppet authorities booked
Sheikh Abdur Rasheed and
from Narbal area of Budgam Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Bashir
Bashir Ahmed Kashmiri in
district. Ahmed Lone, and Tehreek-e-
Srinagar when they attempted to
May 10: A 50-year-old civilian, Hurriyat leaders, Muhammad
conduct a march towards Civil
Abdul Rasheed Wani, and a 3rd Rafiq Owasi and Gulzar Ahmed
Secretariat against the civilian
year student, Muhammad Umar Butt along with his son, Aaqib
killings in the territory. The
Dar, were injured when the Gulzar, under black law, Public
police also arrested around one
troops fired pellets and teargas Safety Act.
hundred protesters in Srinagar
shells on protesters at Sumbal in The police arrested two brothers,
and lodged them in different
Bandipore. Nadeem Ahmed Butt and
police stations.
May 11: The troops shot at and Shahbaz Ahmed Butt, during
May 08: A youth, Suhail Ahmed
injured a youth, Aadil Farooq nocturnal raids at Nadpora in
Butt, who was injured in the
Mir, at Wadwan Soibugh in Shopian and four youth from
firing of Indian troops on
Budgam. Rajouri area of Pulwama district.
protesters in Shopian on May 06,
Indian police arrested a civilian, May 14: The police arrested two
succumbed to his injuries at a
Abdul Rasheed Butt, and his son, youth from Shahgund in Hajin.
hospital in Srinagar.
Musadiq Rasheed Butt, from May 15: Indian police during
Heerpora house raids arrested several
Awantipora in people from Sopore and
P u l w a m a Handwara areas.
district. May 16: At least ten people
The puppet sustained injuries when Indian
authorities troops fired pellets on protesters
detained over a during search operations in
dozen Hurriyat Jamnagri and Reshnagri areas of
l e a d e r s Shopian.
including Syed May 17: The troops killed a
Ali Gilani, youth, Hilal Ahmed Parray,
Mirwaiz Umar during a cordon and search

KASHMIR INSIGHT JUNE 2018 19

Human Rights Situation
operation at Parray Mohalla in
Hajin.
Indian police arrested JKLF
Chairman, Muhammad Yasin
Malik, in Srinagar.
May 18: Indian troops killed
three youth during a violent
military operation at Brinjal
Vilgam in Handwara area of
Kupwara district.
May 19: The troops killed one
more youth at Brinjal Vilgam in
Handwara.
A minor boy, Rizwan Ahmed
Kaboo, was injured after Indian
forces fired teargas shells and
rubber bullets on protesters in
Sopore town.
The puppet authorities imposed
curfew and
restrictions in
Srinagar and all
other major
towns to prevent
people from
conducting a
march towards
Lal Chowk in
Srinagar to
register protest
against the Indian
Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi's
visit to occupied
Kashmir. Indian
police arrested
Hurriyat leaders
including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Hilal Ahmed War, Sheikh Abdur
Rasheed and Bashir Ahmed
Kashmiri when they defied
restrictions and attempted to
conduct the march. The puppet
authorities placed Syed Ali
Gilani, Muhammad Ashraf
Sehrai, Muhammad Yasin Malik,
Ghulam Ahmed Gulzar and
many other Hurriyat leaders
under house arrest or in custody
to stop them from leading the
march.
Indian police arrested member of
the so-called Kashmir Assembly,
Engineer Abdur Rasheed, along
with his supporters at Jawahar
Nagar in Srinagar during a
protest march against Narendra
Modi's visit to the teritory.
May 21: The occupation
authorities imposed restrictions
in Srinagar to prevent Eidgah
march called by the Joint
Resistance Leadership to mark
the martyrdom anniversaries of
prominent liberation leaders,
Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad
Farooq and Khawaja Abdul
Ghani Lone, and the martyrs of
Hawal. The authorities also
detained all resistance leaders in
their houses and police stations to
stop them from leading the
march.
Indian forces' personnel injured
several people including four
young girls, Aqsa Jan, Shobi Jan,
Shakira Akhtar and Shaafi Jan,
when villagers refused to
participate in an Iftaar party
arranged by the Indian Army at
DK Pora in Shopian district.
May 25: Indian agents killed a
civilian, Muhammad Yaqoob
Wagay, after barging into his
house at Gund Preng in Hajin.
At least 50 people including
women worshipers were injured
after Indian forces fired pellets
and teargas shells in and around
historic Jamia Masjid at
Nowhatta in Srinagar.
Indian police arrested five youth
KASHMIR INSIGHT
during house raids in Arwani
area of Kulgam.
May 26: Indian troops killed five
youth during a military operation
in Tangdhar area of Kupwara
district.
Indian police arrested a youth
from Safakadal in Srinagar while
the sleuths of India's National
Investigation Agency arrested a
civilian, Syed Muneer-ul-Hassan
Qadri, from Hurhama Lolab in
Kupwara.
May 28: A youth, Bilal Ahmed
Ganai, was killed when the
troops resorted to indiscriminate
firing after a blast in Kakapora
area of Pulwama.
The troops damaged more than
five dozen
h o u s e s ,
vehicles and
orchards in
Sugan area
of Shopian
district.
Indian police
rearrested
Dukhtaran-
e-Millat
Chairperson,
A a s i y a
Andrabi,
and her
associates,
N a h i d a
Nasreen and
Fehmeeda Sofi, in Srinagar after a
court granted them bail in a false
case registered against them.
May 29: Indian police arrested
two youth during nocturnal raids
in Kulgam.
May 30: Indian police arrested
nine youth from Shopian,
Pulwama and Budgam districts.
May 31: Indian troops killed two
youth during a crackdown
operation in Qaziabad area of
Handwara.
Indian troops attempted to torch
the house of a freedom leader,
Aadil Ahmad Dar, at Gundibagh
Kakapora in Pulwama district.
JUNE 2018 20
Report
Speakers at a seminar titled
‘Human Rights Violations in
Indian Occupied Kashmir - A
Challenge to World Conscience’
on May 11, 2018 in Islamabad
urged India to fulfil its commit-
ment of giving the Kashmiris
their right to self-determination
through holding of a plebiscite in
Jammu and Kashmir under the
UN supervision.
The seminar was organised by the
Srinagar-based International
Forum for Justice and Human
Rights Jammu and Kashmir
headed by prominent human
rights activist, Muhammad
Ahsan Untoo. The speakers
included Senator Abdul Qayyum,
Ghulam Muhammad Safi,
Muhammad Farooq Rehmani,
Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob
Khan, Abdul Basit, Ali
Muhammad Khan, Dr Habibur
Rahman, Raja Najabat Hussain,
Sheikh Tajammul-ul-Islam, Syed
Faiz Naqashbandi, Altaf Hussain
Wani, Shamim Shawl, Matloob
Inqlabi, Lt Gen (retd) Amjad
Shoaib, Dr Shaheen Akhtar,
Barrister Afzaal Hussain, Noor-
ul-Baari, Nabila Irshad, Dr Rahat
Zubair Malik, Mushtaq-ul-Islam,
Farzana Bari and Sardar Usman
Attique.
The speakers expressed serious
concern over the ongoing gross
human rights violations perpe-
trated by the Indian troops in
occupied Kashmir particularly
the latest round of killings and
brutalities, fake encounters,
inhuman treatment meted out to
political detainees, molestation of
women, massacres and detention
of people without producing
them before the courts even on
the hearing dates fixed by courts.
They condemned the use of pellet
KASHMIR INSIGHT
guns by the Indian forces to quell
peaceful protests to wilfully blind
the Kashmiris, mostly youth, and
chemical substance to kill people
and destroy structures during
cordon and search operations.
They expressed concern over the
continued illegal detention of
Hurriyat leaders and unlawful
restrictions imposed on them by
the Indian authorities in the
territory.
The speakers deplored that the
Kashmiri students were being
deprived of right to education as
they were being beaten merci-
lessly by the Indian forces on
roads and after barging into the
educational institutions. They
demanded of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights,
OIC and the elected representa-
tives in the UK, Europe and other
countries to conduct an inde-
pendent investigation into the
human rights abuses by the
Indian troops in occupied
Kashmir.
The speakers deplored that India
was using its investigating
agencies including National
Investigating Agency (NIA) and
Enforcement Directorate besides
JUNE 2018 21
Report
the black laws like Public Safety
Act (PSA) to put Hurriyat leaders
behind the bars, harass them and
prevent their access to the masses.
They also paid glowing tributes to
thousands of the Kashmiri
martyrs who have laid down their
lives in the ongoing struggle for
achieving the inalienable right to
self-determination. They
expressed serious concern over
the Indian machinations to turn
the overwhelming Muslim
majority population in occupied
Kashmir into a minority by
settling Indian citizens and by
plans to abrogate Article 370 and
Article 35A of the Indian
Constitution.
The speakers denounced the
tactics being
employed by India
to force the Muslim
population in
Jammu to migrate
from the region in
particular the
recent rape and
subsequent murder
of an 8-year-old
girl, Aasifa Bano, by
Hindu extremists in
Kathua district of
Jammu. They
expressed deep
concern over the
disappearance in
custody of over 10,000 Kashmiris
with their fate unknown and took
note of the discovery of unnamed
and unmarked mass graves in the
territory.
A resolution passed during the
seminar called upon the United
Nations to assume its responsi-
bility of organising a plebiscite in
Jammu and Kashmir under its
supervision in accordance with its
resolutions on Kashmir. It
demanded all international
bodies including the UN Human
Rights Council, International
Committee of Red Cross and
other human rights organisations
to mount pressure on India to
release all illegally detained
Hurriyat leaders and activists and
repeal black laws in the occupied
territory.
The resolution urged the UN and
other relevant international fora
to investigate all incidents of
massacres, gang-rapes, fake
encounters, forced disappear-
ances, wilful blinding of youth by
using pellet guns and use of
chemical substances during
military operations by the Indian
forces and Hindu terrorist
organisations like RSS and BJP
and bring the perpetrators to
justice.
It called upon the United Nations
to take serious note of the Indian
designs to convert the Muslim
majority in occupied Kashmir
into a minority as these designs
are intended to defeat the essence
of Kashmiris’ inalienable right to
self-determination, the purpose
of relevant UN resolutions on
Jammu and Kashmir and the
results of plebiscite whenever
held in the territory in compliance
with the resolutions of the UN
Security Council.
The resolution appealed to all
international organisations
including the OIC, European
Union etc. to play a meaningful
and effective role in the settle-
ment of the Kashmir dispute and
KASHMIR INSIGHT
urged India to cease forthwith all
human rights violations, stop the
bloodshed of the people of
Kashmir, release all illegally
detained Kashmiris and revoke
false cases against Hurriyat
leaders and activists.
Meanwhile, speakers at a seminar
titled ‘Kashmir and Palestine: 70
Years of UN Resolutions for Self-
Determination’ in Islamabad on
May 15 called for an immediate
end to killing of innocent people
by Indian and Israeli troops in
occupied Kashmir and Palestine.
The seminar held at Pakistan
Institute for Parliamentary
Services (PIPS) was presided over
by Chairman of Senate Foreign
Affairs Committee, Senator
Mushahid Hussain
Syed, while the
Azad Jammu and
Kashmir Prime
Minister, Raja
Farooq Haider, was
the chief guest.
Palestinian
ambassador, Husni
Abu Ghous,
Senator Abdul
Qayyum, Senator
Mian Attique,
Sheikh Tajammul-
ul-Islam, Ejaz
Hussain, Sabir
Karbalai, Ghulam
Muhammad Safi, Abdul Hameed
Lone and Syed Nazir Gilani also
spoke on the occasion.
They strongly condemned the
bloodbath by the Israeli troops in
Gaza on May 14 that resulted in
the killing of more than 70
Palestinians and injuring of over
2,400 others. They expressed
solidarity with the people of
Palestine. They called for
resolving the disputes of Palestine
and Kashmir in accordance with
the relevant resolutions of the
United Nations Security Council.
Israel-India nexus was also
condemned in strong terms.
JUNE 2018 22
Report
In occupied Kashmir, complete
shutdown was observed in
Shopian district on May 29, 2018
to pay glowing tributes to the two
women, Aasiya and Neelofar, on
their martyrdom anniversary.
Call for the strike was given by the
Joint Resistance Leadership
comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
Muhammad Yasin Malik. All
shops and business establish-
ments remained closed while
traffic was off the road. Aasiya
and Neelofar were abducted by
the Indian men in uniform when
they had gone across the ankle
deep Ranbi Ara stream to their
orchard on the evening of May 29,
2009. They were gang-raped and
subsequently killed in custody.
The next morning, their bodies
were recovered from the shallow
stream.
The puppet authorities continued
to put Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin
Malik and other Hurriyat leaders
under house arrest or behind the
bars to prevent them from visiting
Shopian and expressing solidarity
with the family of the victims.
Meanwhile, the family members
of Aasiya and Neelofar staged a
silent protest at Pratap Park in
Srinagar to press for the demand
of fair probe into the rape and
murder of the two women by the
Indian men in uniform.
The family members of the victim
women were joined by Hurriyat
leaders including Shabbir Ahmed
Dar, Yasmeen Raja, Imtiaz
Ahmed Reshi and Syed Bashir
Andrabi.
Shakeel Ahmed, the husband of
KASHMIR INSIGHT
Neelofar and brother of Aasiya,
on the occasion vowed to continue
his struggle for justice, against all
odds.
The protesters carried banners
and placards displaying the
photographs of Aasiya and
Neelofar demanding stern
punishment to those involved in
the killing and rape of the women.
They demanded a probe into the
gruesome incident by an interna-
tional investigation agency.
Kashmir Tehreek-e-Khawateen
led by Zamruda Habib held a
candlelight protest in Srinagar on
the martyrdom anniversary of
Aasiya and Neelofar. The demon-
strators called for bringing the
perpetrators to book.
The members of Jammu and
Kashmir Salvation Movement’s
Women Wing also staged a
peaceful protest in Srinagar to
demand reopening of the Shopian
rape and murder case. They also
participated in a sit-in protest
organised by the family of Aasiya
and Neelofar.
Nine years have passed since the
two sisters-in-law, 23-year
Neelofar and 17-year Aasiya,
JUNE 2018 23
Report
were raped and murdered but
justice still continues to elude the
family of the victims. The incident
had triggered widespread
protests across occupied Kashmir.
The occupied territory had
convulsed with outrage and shut
in protest for 16 days. Shopian
town had observed an unprece-
dented 47-day shutdown
demanding justice for the young
women.
Shakeel Ahangar has lost faith in
the Indian institutions and
demanded justice from inde-
pendent international forums.
“I have no faith in Indian institu-
tions. Be it judiciary or any
investigating agency they are all
biased and subservient to the
government. They do what the
government of the day wants
them to do,” Ahangar said. He
said that the puppet Chief
Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, had
played politics on the issue. He
said that during the so-called
Assembly elections in 2014, she
made “justice for Aasiya and
Neelofar” a main poll manifesto in
the entire South Kashmir and
promised that she would bring
the culprits to book if voted to
power. “She forgot everything as
soon as she came to power. She
has failed to redeem her election
pledge,” said Ahangar.
“On every death anniversary of
Aasiya and Neelofar, she (Mufti)
along with her party activists
would throng the Press Enclave to
demand justice for the victims.
Where has she vanished now?” he
asked.
Meanwhile, the APHC Chairman,
Syed Ali Gilani, in a statement
issued in Srinagar demanded a
probe by an international investi-
gation agency into the gruesome
act. He said that there were
enough evidences available to
prove the involvement of the
Indian agencies in this unfortu-
nate incident but all those
evidences and proofs were
eliminated under a well-thought-
out plan.
The Chairman of Hurriyat forum,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, while
recalling the 2009 rape and
murder of Aasiya and Neelofar of
Shopian in a statement in Srinagar
regretted that the case was
brushed aside under a well-
planned conspiracy to shield the
culprits and to deprive the
victims’ family of justice. He said
that nine years on, no investiga-
tion was held and the case was
brushed aside on a self-made and
highly manipulated investigation
report of Indian Central Bureau of
KASHMIR INSIGHT
Investigation. Instead of ordering
an impartial probe into the
incident, the case was hushed up
under a conspiracy to shield the
real culprits and to deprive the
victims’ family of the justice, he
added.
The Jammu and Kashmir
Liberation Front Chairman,
Muhammad Yasin Malik, in a
statement in Srinagar said that
those involved in the incidents
like Shopian and Kunanposhpora
continued to roam scot-free. He
urged the world forums and
human rights organisations to
take serious note of the war crimes
being committed by the Indian
forces in the occupied territory.
Other Hurriyat leaders including
Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai,
Maulana Abbas Ansari, Farida
Bahenji, Hakeem Abdur Rasheed,
Bilal Siddiqi, Mukhtar Ahmed
Waza, Javaid Ahmed Mir and
Zafar Akbar Butt in their state-
ments condemned the gruesome
incident and demanded a fair
probe by an impartial investiga-
tion team to bring the perpetrators
of this heinous crime to book.
They said that under the protec-
tion of black laws liked Armed
Forces Special Powers Act, Public
Safety Act and Disturbed Areas
Act, India had given its forces’
personnel a free hand to commit
all kinds of brutalities to break the
resolve of the people of occupied
Kashmir towards the freedom
movement.
The leaders pointed out that New
Delhi was using rape as a weapon
of war in the occupied territory to
suppress the Kashmiris’ ongoing
freedom movement. However,
they maintained that such tactics
had failed to intimidate the
Kashmiri people into submission
in the past and would meet the
same fate in the future as well.
They demanded exemplary
punishment for the culprits
involved in the heinous crime.
JUNE 2018 24
Report
In occupied Kashmir, Hurriyat
leaders and organisations
expressed their dismay over
prolonged and unlawful deten-
tion of ailing Chairperson of
Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Aasiya
Andrabi, and her associates,
Nahida Nasreen and Fehmeeda
Sofi, on fake charges. The three
Kashmiri women were arrested
from Anchidora area of
Islamabad district on April 20,
2018 on the charges of organising
student protests against the rape
and murder of an eight-year-old
girl Aasifa Bano in Kathua area of
Jammu region.
A court in Islamabad town
extended the police remand of
Aasiya Andrabi, Nahida
Nasreen and Fehmeeda Sofi for
10 days on May 17. However, on
May 21, the women leaders were
re-arrested soon after they were
released on bail granted to them
by a court. They were taken to
Soura Police Station and later
shifted to Rambagh Police
Station.
The All Parties Hurriyat
Conference Chairman, Syed Ali
Gilani, in a statement expressed
his dismay over prolonged and
illegal detention and framing of
fake charges against Aasiya
Andrabi
and her
associates.
He said
that the
freedom
movement
i n t h e
occupied
territory
was in no
w a y a
crime and
t h e
Kashmiris were seeking a dance with the Kashmiris’
fundamental right for all living aspirations.
within the territory of Jammu A demonstration was held at
and Kashmir and India had no Press Enclave in Srinagar on May
option but to accept and allow 26 under the auspices of Joint
the Kashmiri people to decide Resistance Leadership
their political destiny by them- comprising Syed Ali Gilani,
selves. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and
The Chairman of Hurriyat Muhammad Yasin Malik,
forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in against the unlawful detention of
a statement in Srinagar Kashmiris including Aasiya
condemned the prolonged Andrabi and their miserable
detention and re-arrest of Aasiya plight in jails. The demonstration
Andrabi and led by Muhammad Yasin Malik
her associates. was attended by hundreds of
H e p a i d Hurriyat leaders and activists.
tributes to the Addressing the protesters, Yasin
Kashmiri Malik said that India had turned
prisoners for occupied Kashmir into a police
their persever- state where every voice of dissent
ance, courage was curbed and crushed through
and commit- use of brute force. The plight of
ment towards Kashmiri inmates is getting
the goal of worse day by day which is highly
right to self- condemnable, he added.
d e t e r m i n a- Yasin Malik said that the puppet
tion. He asked authorities must release all
India to give up its obstinacy and prisoners including Aasiya
policy of revenge and release Andrabi, her husband, Dr
these prisoners forthwith, repeal Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo, and
black law Armed Forces Special senior resistance leader,
Powers Act (AFSPA), withdraw Masarrat Aalam Butt. He also
its troops from occupied demanded shifting back of the
Kashmir and take steps to settle Kashmiri prisoners from jails
the Kashmir dispute in accor- outside the Kashmir Valley.
KASHMIR INSIGHT JUNE 2018 25
Report
Indian occupied Kashmir is one
of the most dangerous places of
the world where people associ-
ated with the press and media are
performing their professional
duties in the most difficult
circumstances and situation.
According to the data released by
Kashmir Media Service on the
occasion of the World Press
Freedom Day on May 03, 2018,
ten journalists have been
confirmed as being killed while
performing their duties during
the Kashmiris’ ongoing libera-
tion struggle since 1989. They
included Shabbir Ahmed Dar,
Mushtaq Ali, Ghulam
Muhammad Lone, Ghulam
Rasool Azad, Muhammad
Shaban Wakeel, Pervez
Muhammad Sultan, Mushtaq
Ahmed and a woman scribe,
Aasiya Jeelani.
The report said that in the
occupied territory, almost
routinely, the journalists face
manhandling, abductions,
murder attempts and death
threats by the Indian troops and
all this had made their everyday
work extremely difficult. It
revealed that the Kashmiri
journalists and many other
scribes while performing their
professional duties were
roughed up, injured and
detained by the troops on fake
charges in the territory.
The sleuths of India’s National
Investigation Agency (NIA)
arrested a photojournalist,
Kamran Yousuf, on March 04,
2017 for highlighting the brutali-
ties of the Indian troops during
pro-freedom demonstrations in
Pulwama. He was later shifted to
New Delhi. Kamran Yousuf was
released on bail on March 14,
2018 from New Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
The police physically assaulted
reporters and photojournalists
including Tauseef Mustafa,
Mubashir Khan, Farooq Javaid
Khan, Umar Sheikh and Shoaib
Masoodi at the Hyderpora
residence-cum-office of the All
Parties Hurriyat Conference
Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, on
March 16, 2017. The journalists
had visited the area to cover a
press briefing of the octoge-
narian leader.
A freelance French journalist,
Comiti Paul Edward, was
arrested by the Indian police
when he was video-graphing the
pellet victims in Srinagar city on
International
Human Rights
D a y
(December
10), last year.
Comiti Paul
Edward later
in an interview
said that the
people of
occupied
Kashmir were
facing the
worst kind of
m i l i t a r y
repression and human rights
violations at the hands of the
Indian troops and India did not
want these happenings in the
territory to be known interna-
tionally.
A driver associated with English
daily Greater Kashmir, Bilal
Ahmed, and another employee,
Farooq Ahmed Parray, were on
way back to their homes when
the troops dragged them out of
the vehicle and beat them up at
Safa Kadal in Srinagar on April
13, 2018.
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) in a recent report
said that the government-control
through advertisement revenue
KASHMIR INSIGHT
was prevalent in occupied
Kashmir and the media was
being pressurised to toe the
official line or face financial
insecurity. In the report titled
“Kashmir’s Media in Peril: A
Situation Report” released in
Brussels, the IFJ said, “The
information is controlled by
government and security forces”
and among other challenges are
“out-of-bounds areas, telephone
and internet shutdowns; no
system in place to get official
version of incidents from police
or security agencies.”
On the other hand, mobile
internet and social networking
websites are blocked by the
authorities during violent
operations and after every killing
of youth in the occupied terri-
tory.
It is worth mentioning here that
during the mass uprising
triggered by the extrajudicial
killing of popular youth leader,
Burhan Wani, by the Indian
troops on July 8, 2016, the
Kashmir Valley witnessed the
most sweeping information
blackout. The Indian authorities
banned newspaper publication
in the occupied territory for
months and police raided media
houses and also shut down
printing presses of Srinagar-
based newspapers.
JUNE 2018 26
Chronology
A chronological account of
developments on Kashmir (142)
KMS Research Desk
2014
February 22: Indian police arrest
Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Nayeem
Ahmed Khan, Muhammad
Yousuf Naqash, Shabbir Ahmed
Dar and other Hurriyat leaders
and activists near Lal Chowk in
Srinagar when they try to hold a
demonstration at Pratap Park to
demand justice for the victims of
Kunanposhpora mass rape
incident. The police take into
custody noted Kashmiri human
rights activist, Muhammad
Ahsan Untoo, when he is on his
way from Kupwara to Srinagar
along with the victims of mass
rape incident to participate in
the demonstration. On the
intervening night of February 22
and 23 in 1991, the Indian troops
had raped around a hundred
women and girls of all ages from
8 to 80 years during a siege and
search operation in
Kunanposhpora area of
Kupwara district. Justice
continues to elude the victims
and the perpetrators have not
been punished even after the
passing of over twenty-seven
years.
The occupation authorities
continue to impose curfew in
Pulwama town on the third
consecutive day to prevent
people from holding
demonstrations against the
killing of a local youth by the
troops. Indian police arrest
Hurriyat leader, Syed Bashir
Andrabi, when he defies curfew
and tries to visit the family of the
martyred youth.
The leaders of All Parties
Hurriyat Conference Azad
Jammu and Kashmir chapter at a
meeting in Islamabad express
serious concern over the silence
adopted by the world
community on the gross human
rights abuses being perpetrated
by the Indian troops in occupied
Kashmir.
Renowned Indian columnist
and analyst, Prem Shankar Jha,
in an interview in New Delhi
says that the casual and callous
execution of Kashmiri youth,
Muhammad Afzal Guru, is such
a blot on Indian democracy that
cannot be removed. He says that
Afzal Guru deserved a review of
his capital punishment.
February 23: Speakers at a
seminar in Srinagar pay glowing
tributes to the role and courage
of the Kashmiri women in the
ongoing liberation struggle. The
seminar is organised by the All
Parties Hurriyat Conference to
mark the anniversary of
Kunanposhpora mass rape
incident as Kashmiri Women's
Resistance Day. Call for the
observance of the day is given by
Jammu and Kashmir Coalition
of Civil Society and supported
by the APHC. Addressing the
seminar, the APHC Chairman,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, says that
the Kashmiri women are the
worst victims of Indian state
terrorism as they are not only
subjected to killing and
molestation but their dear ones
are murdered, arrested or
subjected to custodial
disappearance. Other speakers
of the seminar include Pervez
Imroz, Zaheer-ud-Din, Dr Javed
Iqbal, Aijaz-ul-Haq and Nazir
Ahmed Ronga.
Hurriyat leaders including
Shabbir Ahmed Shah,
Muhammad Yousuf Naqash,
Shabbir Ahmed Dar, Wajahat
Qureshi and Muhammad Yasin
Attai addressing a gathering in
Ganderbal urge the world
human rights bodies to play
their role in bringing to book the
JUNE 2018 27
Chronology
Indian troops involved in
Kunanposhpora mass rape.
Indian police arrest Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front
leaders, Noor Muhammad
Kalwal, Sheikh Abdur Rasheed
and Muhammad Siddique Shah
when they are on their way to
Kunanposhpora to express
solidarity with the victims.
The International Forum for
Justice and Human Rights
Jammu and Kashmir organises a
sit-in protest in Muzaffarabad in
support of provision of justice to
the victims of Kunanposhpora
tragedy.
Complete shutdown is observed
in Kunanposhpora and
Trehgam areas of Kupwara
district to mark the 23rd
anniversary of the mass rape
incident.
February 24: The Chairman of
All Parties Hurriyat Conference,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, at an
event in Srinagar citing the
incidents of Kunanposhpora
mass rape, Pathribal fake
encounter and the hanging of
Muhammad Afzal Guru, says
that Kashmir has always been a
victim of selective justice. The
event is organised by the Jammu
and Kashmir Coalition of Civil
Society. Human rights activist,
Pervez Imroz; senior advocate,
Nazir Ahmed Ronga; columnist,
Dr Javed Iqbal; and others also
address the function.
February 25: Indian troops in
their act of state terrorism
martyr seven Kashmiri youth in
a fake encounter during a siege
and search operation at
Dardpora in Lolab area of
Kupwara district. The killings
trigger forceful anti-India
demonstrations in the area.
Indian police fire bullets and
teargas shells on the protesters
and injure twelve people
including five photojournalists.
The occupation authorities
impose curfew and strict
restrictions in Lolab after
thousands of people come out of
their houses and join the funeral
prayers of the martyred youth.
The protesters raise high-
pitched pro-freedom and anti-
India slogans on the occasion.
The veteran Hurriyat leader,
Syed Ali Gilani, in a statement in
Srinagar condemning the
killings appeals to the
international human rights
organisations to take cognisance
of the worst human rights
violations being committed by
the Indian troops and police
personnel in the occupied
territory.
The puppet authorities place
senior APHC leader, Shabbir
Ahmed Shah, under house
arrest in Srinagar. Indian police
arrest Hurriyat leaders, Nayeem
Ahmed Khan and Mushtaq-ul-
Islam, at Pantha Chhoke on the
outskirts of Srinagar to prevent
them from visiting the family of
a martyred youth in Pulwama
town.
Compiled by: Showkat Ali
To be continued...
JUNE 2018 28
Beauty thy name is
Hazratbal Mosque
Hazratbal Mosque is located in a
village of the same name on the
banks of the Dal Lake. Its
pristine white marble elegance is
reflected in the waters of the
Lake.
Hazratbal's special significance
is derived from the fact that it
houses a hair of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH). This is
displayed to the public on
religious occasions, usually
accompanied by fairs. Apart
from these occasions, Friday
prayers are offered at Hazratbal
and attended by throngs of
people. Hazratbal is remarkable
for being the only domed
mosque in Srinagar; the others
having distinct pagoda-like
roofs. The shrine - mosque
complex is situated on the
western shore of the Dal Lake
opposite Nishat Bagh and
commands a grand view of the
Lake and the mountain beyond.
Jamia Masjid
The Jamia Masjid at Nowhatta,
in the heart of the old city, is the
other important mosque in
Srinagar at which thousands of
people congregate for the Friday
prayers. Of imposing propor-
tions, the mosque is built around
a courtyard and is supported by
370 wooden pillars.
The hushed quiet of the mosque
counterpoints the bustle of the
old bazaars surrounding it.
Originally built by Sultan
Sikandar in 1400 AD, and
enlarged by his son, Zain-ul-
Abidin, it is a typical example of
Indo-Saracenic architecture.
Destroyed thrice by fire and
rebuilt each time, the mosque, as
it now stands, was repaired
during the reign of Maharaja
Pratap Singh.
Khanqah of Shah Hamadan
or Khanqah-e-Moalla
Situated on the banks of the
River Jhelum, it is the first
mosque ever built in Srinagar.
The original one was built in
1395.
Shah Hamadan's full name was
Mir Sayed Ali Hamadni, the
surname being derived from the
city of Hamadan in Persia. Shah-
e-Hamdan, who came from
Persia in the 13th century,
played an important role in the
spread of Islam in Kashmir.
Khanqah-e-Moalla was the
very spot where Shah-e-
Hamdan used to offer prayers.
The Khanqah is a wooden
structure whose chief aesthetic
feature is its beautifully carved
eaves and hanging bells. The
interiors are richly carved and
painted, and the antique
chandeliers give it an air of
opulence.
Shrine of Makhdoom Sahib
On the southern side of the Hari
Parbat hill is the historic shrine
of Makhdoom Sahib, which is
visited by people of all faiths.
KASHMIR INSIGHT
Pathar Masjid
The Pathar Masjid stands on the
bank of River Ganges. Built in
the Mughal architectural style
during the 17th century AD,
Pathar Masjid owes its glory to
its pleated towers built of red
sandstone that were attached to
the back wall.
The structure is built of stone,
and so it got its name as Pathar
Masjid. Apart from religious
functions, this old mosque is a
major landmark of the city.
Dastgir Sahib Khanyar
Dastgir Sahib is a shrine built in
the 18th century, housing the
relics of a saint. It consists of a
square building containing the
relic and a few ancillary rooms,
and a rectangular building that
wraps around the square one on
two sides. This consists mostly
of a large hall used as a meet-
ing/gathering hall and mosque.
Naqshband Sahib
Khanqah of Khwaja Moinuddin
Naqshbandi is popularly known
as Naqshband Shrine. It holds an
important religious significance,
as the sacred hair of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) was kept at
this mosque before moving it to
the Hazratbal Mosque. It was
built by Emperor Shah Jahan
and is known for its
Khatamband ceilings.
JUNE 2018 29
Literature
The tale of a princess
A certain prince had been
married. The day after the
wedding, the king- his father-
sent to him, saying, “Tell your
wife that the king sends his
regards.” The prince did so, and
the wife simply replied, “Well!”
In the evening the king came to
inquire what answer the princess
had given; and when he heard it
he said, “Sorrow! I have lost the
money spent on my son's
wedding.”
In a little while the prince was
married again and in the same
manner, the king sent a regards
to his wife. “Well, well,” the
princess answered, “thank the
king for his kindness, and give
him my regards.”
When the king heard this reply
he exclaimed, “Alas! Alas! My
lot; I have lost the money spent
on my son's wedding.”
A short time after this, the king
married his son for the third time,
and tested his third wife in the
same manner.
Now this third wife was meek
and modest and good. When she
heard the king's notice of her, she
begged her husband to say to His
Majesty, “The princess says who
am I that the king should deign to
notice me?” She did this, because
she did not think it right either to
treat His Majesty's regards with
disrespect, or to receive it as if it
were her due, like the other two
princesses had done.
On hearing her answer, the king
was glad, and said to his son,
“This is a wise and good wife. I
have not wasted any money over
this wedding.”
A few years after this third
marriage a powerful king came
A Kashmiri folklore
with his soldiers and took the
city, and put the king and his
army to flight. The royal house-
hold was scattered.
The king and queen and the
prince fled to one country, while
the three princesses went to their
own homes. Before leaving, the
“wise and good wife” made
seven loaves, and putting a ruby
in each, she took them with her.
In the course of their wanderings
the king, queen, and prince
reached the country where the
wise and good princess lived.
Accordingly, they went to her
home, and related all that had
befallen them since they had left
their country. The princess had
pity on them, and gave the king
one of the loaves that she had
made, saying, “This bread is very
stale, but in the middle of it you
will find a ruby. Take and sell the
ruby in the bazaar, and buy for
yourself some necessaries.”
The king thanked the princess,
and went at once to one of the
great merchants of the place and
asked him to buy the ruby. The
merchant hesitated about the
price; so the king said, “Very
well, give me a rupee in advance,
and I will come again tomorrow
for the rest.”
On the next day, when the king
went, the merchant said to him,
“Go away, and do not waste my
time with idle talk. There are lots
of people like you going about
pretending to have done this
thing and that thing, thinking to
deceive us busy people. But some
of us have a better memory than
others. When did you sell me a
ruby? How could a poor man like
you honestly obtain a ruby? I do
not know anything about you.
KASHMIR INSIGHT
Go away, or I shall have to resort
to force.”
Seeing that it was useless to press
his claim, the unfortunate king
turned away. “Alas! Alas!” he
exclaimed, “how can I go back to
the queen and prince and
princess with this reply? They
will not believe me. Better for me
to flee from the palace and dwell
alone, than to meet their suspi-
cions and reproofs.”
Hence, the king went to a certain
jungle and there lamented his
cruel fate.
When several hours had passed,
and the king had not returned,
the princess called her husband,
and giving him another loaf,
asked him to go to the bazaar and
dispose of the ruby that was in
the middle of it. The prince took
the bread, and went to the same
merchant that his father had
visited. He also was deceived by
the wicked man, and like his
father, thinking it better to live a
life of solitude than to dwell with
those who would always suspect
him of having appropriated the
money, he too went to the jungle.
There he met his father, and
recounted to him his sad tale, and
heard that the same trial had
happened to him. Some weeks
elapsed, and then the princess,
thinking that the king and prince
had deserted them, gave her
mother-in-law some bread with a
ruby in it, and asked her to go
and try to sell it. Most unfortu-
nately the queen also went to the
wicked merchant, and was
treated in just the same way; and
she too, not caring to go back to
the princess without the ruby or
its equivalent money, fled to the
jungle, and there found her
JUNE 2018 30
Literature
husband and son.
The princess waited several
days. At last, she disguised
herself as a man, and mounting
one of her father's horse, rode
everywhere inquiring from the
people whether they had seen
any beggars wandering about in
their neighbourhood. Nobody
could give her any information of
the missing ones. So, she rode on
and on till she came to
another country. Here
the king, as he was
walking one day in the
verandah of his palace,
noticed her, and calling
her to him, asked if she
would like to take
service in the palace.
She readily consented,
and at once was
appointed to some
special work. Her skill
and wisdom and
goodness soon
obtained for her great
favour with His
Majesty, who often
sent for her to talk with
him or advise him on
private as well as
public matters.
While she was living in
the palace a large
python appeared in the
country and destroyed
many lives. The whole country
was in a terrible state of fear.
Nobody dared venture far from
his threshold. From the king
down to the lowest subject there
was daily expectation of death.
In the hour of his distress the
king sent for the princess and
begged her to say what ought to
be done.
“I will go and slay the beast,” she
replied. “Go,” said the king, “If
you succeed I will give you my
daughter in marriage.”
The princess went and slew the
python and as soon as she
returned with the good news, the
king married her to his daughter.
At the princess’ (his servant)
earnest request, who said that
she had been moved to do so by
the advice of her pir, the king had
a separate house provided for
her, and another house for his
own daughter. The house set
apart for the princess (the king's
supposed son-in-law) was
situated in a place where two
roads met. Sometimes, when she
had not anything better to do, the
princess used to sit by one of the
lattice windows and watch the
people as they passed by. One
day she was startled by the sight
of her husband and his father and
mother. She beckoned to them
and inquired who they were?
KASHMIR INSIGHT
where they were going? and
what they were doing?. Seeing
that she was good and sympa-
thising, they told her everything.
“Come into my house,” she said.
And then, when they had
entered, she told them who she
was. “See,” she continued, “I am
your princess. I knew not what
had befallen you all, and there-
fore I disguised myself and went
in search of you. Praise be to God,
who has thus brought
us together again! Wait
here till evening, when I
will go with you. We
will see this wicked
merchant. He must be
punished, and our
property must be
restored.”
That evening the
princess left the house
in the company of the
king, queen, and prince.
They travelled as
quickly as they could to
the place where the
merchant dwelt, and
threatened him so
severely, that the man,
fearing the king would
hear of the matter and
order his execution,
sold all his property
and gave them the
money.
Then the princess sent
word to the king who
had befriended her, and
explained everything to him, and
begged His Majesty to forgive
her, and allow the princess, his
daughter, to marry the prince,
her husband. The king agreed.
He also sent a large force of
soldiers to help the princess's
father-in-law to regain his
kingdom. Another battle was
then fought, and the country was
regained; and henceforth peace
and prosperity reigned in all its
borders.
JUNE 2018 31
Feedback
Indian ploys
Dear editor, the Indian Army
Chief, Bipin Rawat’s statement
that Kashmiris cannot achieve
freedom as they cannot fight the
Indian Army is an illogical one
and clearly reveals his arrogant
attitude. The top ranked Indian
Army officials forget the
historical facts that peaceful and
sincere sentiment of a nation can
never die down under the barrel
of gun.
It is a reality that over eight
hundred thousand Indian troops
deployed in occupied Kashmir
and equipped with latest
weaponry and technological
update cannot be defeated by a
few youth with minimum and
little ammunition but it is also a
fact that this military might had
been kept engaged by these few
people for the last 30 years and
the army personnel had to hide
behind the human shield while
fighting them.
At the same the continued killing
spree in occupied Kashmir by the
Indian troops has exposed the so-
called ceasefire announced by
the Indian government. Since the
announcement of the ceasefire
on May 16, the occupational
troops killed 28 people and
injured hundreds others during
siege and search operations and
by firing bullets, pellets and
teargas shells on peaceful
protesters and even on the
funerals of the
martyred youth
till June 10.
Actually, the
announcement
of the ceasefire
was nothing but
a ploy to mislead
the international
community
about the
prevailing grim
human rights
situation and the brutalities
perpetrated by the Indian troops
on the innocent people of the
occupied territory.
Thanks
Sameer Wani
Muzaffarabad
Martyrdom Week
Dear editor, the people of
o c c u p i e d K a s h m i r
commemorate Martyrdom Week
in the month of May, every year,
to pay homage to prominent
martyred Hurriyet leaders,
Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad
Farooq and Khawaja Abdul
Ghani Lone, and the martyrs of
Hawal on their martyrdom
anniversaries. Unknown
gunmen had shot dead Mirwaiz
Molvi Muhammad Farooq after
barging into his residence in
Srinagar on May 21, 1990.
Seventy mourners were killed
when the Indian troops fired at
his funeral procession in Hawal
area of the city. Khawaja Abdul
Ghani Lone was martyred on the
same day in 2002 when he was
returning after addressing a
gathering organised at Eidgah in
Srinagar to commemorate the
martyrdom anniversary of
Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq. By
commemorating the Martyrdom
Week, the people of the occupied
territory convey to the
international community that the
unparalleled sacrifices they are
KASHMIR INSIGHT
rendering in their just struggle
aimed at securing their
inalienable right to self-
determination must be valued.
There is no denying the fact that
the Kashmiris of different ages,
from young to mature, from
elderly to kids, from men to
women, from villagers to
urbanites, from newborns to
toddlers, from journalists to
lawyers and from activists to
leaders have laid down their
lives for the Kashmir cause and
no age group, no segment,
gender or class of the Kashmiri
society have lagged behind in
offering sacrifices for the
liberation of their motherland
from the Indian bondage.
Thanks
Abdul Jabbar
Islamabad
Fearless Kashmiris
Dear editor, Kashmir is heaven
on earth but hell for its people.
Kashmir looks so wonderful,
beautiful and colourful from
outside, but when one looks at its
heart, this colour looks like the
colour of blood. Why shouldn’t
the Kashmiris have the freedom
to live without fear? Why are
they targeted as ‘terrorists’ by the
Indian people? Bhagat Singh was
a martyr who loved his country
so much that he gave his life for
its sake. He wanted his country
to be free from the British rule. If
anyone wants to live with
dignity and protects his life, is he
a terrorist? If Bhagat Singh is
regarded as a hero by the Indians
then we, the Kashmiris, are
rightful in claiming that all those
Kashmiri people who have
rendered their lives for the cause
of liberation of Kashmir from
Indian bondage are our heroes
and martyrs.
Thanks
Muneer Butt
Srinagar
JUNE 2018 32
 Atrocities by Indian troops
(January 1989 to May 31, 2018)

Total killings 95,017

Custodial killings 7,108

Civilian arrested 144,017

Structures destroyed/damaged 108,800

Women widowed 22,875

Children orphaned 107,713

Women gangraped/molested 11,077

Including custodial killings

Source: Kashmir Media Service (www.kmsnews.org)