Farooq’s sister, daughter held after women’s protest

A group of Kashmiri women led by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s sister Suraiya and daughter Safiya staged a protest here on Tuesday against the scrapping of Article 370.

The 20-odd women were protesting against the scrapping of Article 370 and 35A on August 5. They were carrying placards which read, ‘Kashmiri brides not for sale’, ‘Why downgrade Jammu and Kashmir state’. Moments after the women protesters spoke to the media, the police swung into action and took them away to the nearby police station.

“We want to know the fate of those who have been detained, that’s why we are protesting,” said Muslim Jan, an academician.

“The government of India is telling the world that we are happy, somebody should speak to us to find out how we are feeling, we are not happy, there are restrictions in Kashmir, we are highlighting those issues,” said Hawa Bashir, an academician.

“We the women of Kashmir disapprove of the unilateral decision taken by government of India to revoke article 370 and 35A and downgrade the status of Jammu and Kashmir,” a statement by the protesting women said.

“We feel betrayed humiliated and violated as people we demand restoration of civil liberties and fundamental rights of civilians. We demand demilitarisation of rural and urban areas. We demand immediate release of detainees. We express outrage against national media for their false and misleading coverage of ground realities in Kashmir.” The Public Safety Act has been slapped against Farooq who is lodged in his house, G-40, at Srinagar’s posh Gupkar Road. Earlier his daughter Safiya had put up a black flag, seemingly as mark of protest against the revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir outside her house.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has justified the slapping of PSA on the National Conference president on the grounds that he has “tremendous potential to create public disorder in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley”.

The administration has cited several instances since 2016 when he made statements in conflict with the law. Farooq’s son and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is detained in Hari Niwas. Farooq’s brother and senior National Conference leader Mustafa Kamal has been detained at his home.

Attacking Pakistan for spread of terrorist activities in India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said he believed that abrogation of Article 370 would play a significant role in complete elimination of terrorism from India as well as in the establishment of permanent safety and peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the 35th Raising Day of National Security Guard (NSG) at Unni Krishnan stadium in Manesar, the Home Minister said he is now confident that the “country is going to involve in a decisive fight against terrorist activities being run by our neighbouring country for long”.

“We are safe inside the impregnable armour created after the abrogation of Article 370, the initiatives taken by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain peace in Jammu and Kashmir, and the ability of our security personnel,” said Shah.

Now, our country can move on the path of peace and development, the Home Minister said, adding the move would also lead towards “zero tolerance” towards terrorism.

Shah expressed confidence that there would be “permanent peace” in Jammu and Kashmir with the abrogation of Article 370 that gave special status to that state.

“The abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir is a step towards elimination of terrorism, which was a curse for any civilized country,” Shah said.

The Minister said that terrorism is a hurdle for the development of any modern society and that “India has been fighting the longest battle in the world against cross border terrorism”.

He also declared that Centre’s “zero tolerance” policy is “unwavering”. Shah said that the Modi government’s policy of “zero tolerance against terrorism” is unchangeable and a force like NSG is fully capable and equipped to safeguard the nation from terrorism, thus upholding this policy of the government.

Indo-Asian News Service