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In Pictures: Night raids, arrests amid Kashmir lockdown

    by Saiba Varma & Sanna Irshad Mattoo            

Street clashes between Indian security forces and protesters are common in Kashmir. [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]

Street clashes between Indian security forces and protesters are common in Kashmir. SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir - The Himalayan region of disputed Kashmir, one of the most militarised regions in the world, is claimed by both India and Pakistan, who administer parts of it.

On August 5, India revoked the partial autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir state and divided the Muslim-majority state into two territories to be controlled by the federal government.

An additional 35,000 paramilitary troops, more than the 700,000 already stationed in the region, were flown into the Kashmir valley in advance of the revocation.

The unprecedented moves were justified as facilitating development in the troubled region, where a popular movement for independence from Indian rule or a merger with Pakistan has been going on for decades. 

In the weeks since Kashmir's lockdown, hundreds of elected politicians, activists and trade unionists have been imprisoned or put under "house arrest". Thousands of young men - including minors - have been arrested in night raids by the police, with many transported to jails outside the state.

Despite criticism from the human rights organisations, India says its actions are legal under the strict emergency laws in place in Kashmir since an armed rebellion began there in 1989.

The photos here show the effects of the forced disappearances of young men on their families and how the communities in Kashmir are responding to - and resisting - the crackdown.

Two Kashmiri men sit outside a shuttered phone-placement shop. Hours before scrapping of Kashmir's special status, the region’s seven million inhabitants were put under an unofficial curfew and an indefinite communications blackout. [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]


Two Kashmiri men sit outside a shuttered phone-placement shop. Hours before scrapping of Kashmir's special status, the region’s seven million inhabitants were put under an unofficial curfew and an indefinite communications blackout. SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA


Since August 5, more than 4,000 teenagers and young men have been arrested from their homes in the middle of the night under stringent detention laws. Many families are unaware of the whereabouts of their loved ones. [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]


Since August 5, more than 4,000 teenagers and young men have been arrested from their homes in the middle of the night under stringent detention laws. Many families are unaware of the whereabouts of their loved ones. SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA


On August 19, the Dar family from Buchpora neighbourhood in Srinagar said their sons were arrested the night before. 'They scaled the walls, broke down the door and windows, and demanded to know who was inside. We showed them their [the sons'] identity cards, but they said they were stone pelters,' said the mother of the two men. 'We said: 'No, they are not stone pelters, you can ask the neighbours. If they are stone pelters, you can arrest them. They both work as labourers.' Then they started hitting me. They went upstairs and pulled the boys out of bed. One was pulled out by his hair. Then they hit my daughter and hit me as well. They beat up my sons too. And then they took them away. Initially we didn't even know where they took them.' [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]


On August 19, the Dar family from Buchpora neighbourhood in Srinagar said their sons were arrested the night before. 'They scaled the walls, broke down the door and windows, and demanded to know who was inside. We showed them their [the sons'] identity cards, but they said they were stone pelters,' said the mother of the two men. 'We said: 'No, they are not stone pelters, you can ask the neighbours. If they are stone pelters, you can arrest them. They both work as labourers.' Then they started hitting me. They went upstairs and pulled the boys out of bed. One was pulled out by his hair. Then they hit my daughter and hit me as well. They beat up my sons too. And then they took them away. Initially we didn't even know where they took them.' SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA


The same night, the police also arrested a teenager named Arif from another house in the neighbourhood. His mother showed blood stains on the wall of his room, where police had dragged him out. Neighbours reported that a total of 10 young men were arrested from Buchpora alone that night. Arif's mother said: 'The police hit Arif a lot and blood started oozing from his face. As I began to call people for help, one of the military guys hit me on the head. They broke the window panes, destroyed a lot of things. They didn't let us out of the house. They didn't let us shout for help. There was military on all four sides, surrounding us, we couldn't do anything. They just took him away.' [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]

The same night, the police also arrested a teenager named Arif from another house in the neighbourhood. His mother showed blood stains on the wall of his room, where police had dragged him out. Neighbours reported that a total of 10 young men were arrested from Buchpora alone that night. Arif's mother said: 'The police hit Arif a lot and blood started oozing from his face. As I began to call people for help, one of the military guys hit me on the head. They broke the window panes, destroyed a lot of things. They didn't let us out of the house. They didn't let us shout for help. There was military on all four sides, surrounding us, we couldn't do anything. They just took him away.' SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA


Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sister of the two young men picked up from Buchpora said, 'My brothers stayed home, they didn't go out much. It's not just us saying this, you can ask anyone in the neighbourhood. They don't pelt stones, they are innocent. This is a good neighbourhood, there are no strikes, no stone throwing, nothing. I don’t understand why they are doing this to us. They're punishing us for no reason.' [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]


Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sister of the two young men picked up from Buchpora said, 'My brothers stayed home, they didn't go out much. It's not just us saying this, you can ask anyone in the neighbourhood. They don't pelt stones, they are innocent. This is a good neighbourhood, there are no strikes, no stone throwing, nothing. I don’t understand why they are doing this to us. They're punishing us for no reason.' SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA


Since the night raids and arrests began, a few neighbourhoods in downtown Srinagar have mobilised to protect themselves. Residents have erected barricades using leftover construction material, corrugated sheets, wheel barrows and any other objects they could find lying around. They dug trenches into the roads to stop police jeeps from entering. And warnings about possible raids are broadcast over the local mosque's loudspeaker. [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]


Since the night raids and arrests began, a few neighbourhoods in downtown Srinagar have mobilised to protect themselves. Residents have erected barricades using leftover construction material, corrugated sheets, wheel barrows and any other objects they could find lying around. They dug trenches into the roads to stop police jeeps from entering. And warnings about possible raids are broadcast over the local mosque's loudspeaker. SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA


Young men from the community keep vigil all night, taking turns to staying awake. Residents said the strategies have been helpful in staving off arrests, although not all neighbourhoods have been able to organise in this way. [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]


Young men from the community keep vigil all night, taking turns to staying awake. Residents said the strategies have been helpful in staving off arrests, although not all neighbourhoods have been able to organise in this way. SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL


Arif’s mother shows the damage to her house caused by the police raid. The Dars and other families wait for any news about their family members. Many young men who were arrested have been taken to jails hundreds of kilometres away from Kashmir. [Sanna Irshad Mattoo/Al Jazeera]


Arif’s mother shows the damage to her house caused by the police raid. The Dars and other families wait for any news about their family members. Many young men who were arrested have been taken to jails hundreds of kilometres away from Kashmir. SANNA IRSHAD MATTOO/AL JAZEERA

  =============================================================

In Pictures: 100 days of crippling lockdown in Kashmir

by Mukhtar Zahoor                                                                       11 NOV 2019
Women in Indian-administered Kashmir have been at the receiving end throughout the decades old conflict, which has taken a toll on their daily lives. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]

Women in Indian-administered Kashmir have been at the receiving end throughout the decades old conflict, which has taken a toll on their daily lives. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA

 

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir - On August 5, the Indian government withdrew Article 370 of India's constitution, which gave the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir partial autonomy.

The article, abrogated in a cloak-and-dagger manner by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, was followed by the imposition of a stringent curfew in the Himalayan region and the snapping of phone and internet connections.

On Tuesday, the worst lockdown in more than 70 years of conflict in Kashmir will enter its 100th day.

India's move also included bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir - India's only Muslim-majority state - into two "union" territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, to be administered by the federal government.

The abrogation of Article 370, done in the garb of uniting and strengthening the "territorial integrity of India", had been appearing in the BJP's election manifestos for several years.

The article granted Indian-administered Kashmir a degree of autonomy and restricted ownership rights to only natives of the disputed territory.

Residents now fear the law's abrogation is directed towards changing the region's demography.

Before the BJP government scrapped the article, thousands of soldiers were flown into the region, which is already one of the world's most militarised with nearly 700,000 troops on the ground. The security lockdown has forced limited-to-no movement of people in the Kashmir valley.

Although some communications restrictions, such as landline phones and post-paid mobile services, have been eased, the ban on internet, text messaging and prepaid mobile connections continues.

It is Kashmir's education sector that has been the worst hit as schools and colleges remain shut and students lose more than three months of their academic calendar.

Business is also affected as shopkeepers observe a self-imposed shutdown to protest India's move.

The 100-day lockdown also saw intermittent episodes of violence. Workers from outside Kashmir were killed by suspected rebels last month. Several grenade attacks, one of which killed a non-local civilian in Srinagar, were also reported from across the valley.

The following photographs depict the life of Kashmiri people suffering under the crippling 100-day lockdown.

Paramilitary troops being briefed at Srinagar's Lal Chowk area on the morning of August 5, the day the Parliament of India abrogated Article 370. Thousands of troops were sent in anticipation of protests from the Kashmiris against the decision. The disputed region was turned into a fortress with armed troops manning every nook and corner. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Paramilitary troops being briefed at Srinagar's Lal Chowk area on the morning of August 5, the day the Parliament of India abrogated Article 370. Thousands of troops were sent in anticipation of protests from the Kashmiris against the decision. The disputed region was turned into a fortress with armed troops manning every nook and corner.    

MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA


Two days before India scrapped Article 370, panic gripped workers belonging to other Indian states after the federal government issued an advisory asking them as well as the tourists, Hindu pilgrims and students to vacate the region immediately. Amid confusion and chaos, thousands of non-locals thronged to a tourist reception centre in Srinagar in order to leave the valley. 'I am seriously not willing to leave this paradise on earth. I felt in love with Kashmir and its people the day I came here to earn livelihood,' carpenter Shubham Sarkar had said in August. 'Due to the situation, I have no other option but to return to my hometown.' [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Two days before India scrapped Article 370, panic gripped workers belonging to other Indian states after the federal government issued an advisory asking them as well as the tourists, Hindu pilgrims and students to vacate the region immediately. Amid confusion and chaos, thousands of non-locals thronged to a tourist reception centre in Srinagar in order to leave the valley. 'I am seriously not willing to leave this paradise on earth. I felt in love with Kashmir and its people the day I came here to earn livelihood,' carpenter Shubham Sarkar had said in August. 'Due to the situation, I have no other option but to return to my hometown.' MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA



Fearing mass protests, the curfew in Kashmir was tightened ahead of Eid al-Adha which was observed on August 11. 'In my lifetime, it was for the second instance when we Kashmiris have not been allowed to offer Eid prayers in a large gathering. Police had told area heads not to offer Eid prayers openly but in small groups in mosques,' resident Mohammad Ramzan said. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Fearing mass protests, the curfew in Kashmir was tightened ahead of Eid al-Adha which was observed on August 11. 'In my lifetime, it was for the second instance when we Kashmiris have not been allowed to offer Eid prayers in a large gathering. Police had told area heads not to offer Eid prayers openly but in small groups in mosques,' resident Mohammad Ramzan said. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA

 

Kashmiri women chanting pro-freedom slogans after Eid al-Adha prayers in Srinagar's Anchar. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Kashmiri women chanting pro-freedom slogans after Eid al-Adha prayers in Srinagar's Anchar. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA


Bunkers and barricades were erected overnight in schools and colleges as troops occupied educational institutions across the valley. While the government announced their opening, parents said they were apprehensive about sending their children to schools amid the clampdown. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Bunkers and barricades were erected overnight in schools and colleges as troops occupied educational institutions across the valley. While the government announced their opening, parents said they were apprehensive about sending their children to schools amid the clampdown. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA



There has been an unprecedented use of pellet guns by the Indian forces to curb protests in the Kashmir valley. Pellets fired upon unarmed protesters cause severe injuries and even blindness. Scores of people, including young boys and children, have been injured since August 5. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


There has been an unprecedented use of pellet guns by the Indian forces to curb protests in the Kashmir valley. Pellets fired upon unarmed protesters cause severe injuries and even blindness. Scores of people, including young boys and children, have been injured since August 5. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA


Pelting of stones at downtown Srinagar's Habba Kadal area, which witnessed clashes between young boys and Indian security forces. Stone-pelting is the most common form of resistance in the region as young Kashmiris throw rocks at the forces and shout pro-freedom slogans. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Pelting of stones at downtown Srinagar's Habba Kadal area, which witnessed clashes between young boys and Indian security forces. Stone-pelting is the most common form of resistance in the region as young Kashmiris throw rocks at the forces and shout pro-freedom slogans. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA

 

Parveena, mother of Aqib Rafiq Wani, a detained management student from Shopian, said: 'I get flashbacks of the night when my son was taken away by the Indian forces. I am waiting for the moment when he will be returned to me.' Wani was arrested on August 8 in a midnight raid at his house. He has been lodged in a jail outside Kashmir under the stringent Public Safety Act. Indian authorities arrested an estimated 13,000 boys in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, according to a fact-finding report by a team of five women activists who visited the region recently. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Parveena, mother of Aqib Rafiq Wani, a detained management student from Shopian, said: 'I get flashbacks of the night when my son was taken away by the Indian forces. I am waiting for the moment when he will be returned to me.' Wani was arrested on August 8 in a midnight raid at his house. He has been lodged in a jail outside Kashmir under the stringent Public Safety Act. Indian authorities arrested an estimated 13,000 boys in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, according to a fact-finding report by a team of five women activists who visited the region recently. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA






Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir, an apple orchard owner and resident of Kremshore village in Budgam district, claims he used to sell a box of apples for 1,000 rupees ($14) to an Indian trader. But after the abrogation of Article 370, he says that the cost halved. 'Our business is running in a huge loss since India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir,' he said. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]

 

Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir, an apple orchard owner and resident of Kremshore village in Budgam district, claims he used to sell a box of apples for 1,000 rupees ($14) to an Indian trader. But after the abrogation of Article 370, he says that the cost halved. 'Our business is running in a huge loss since India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir,' he said. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA




Unidentified people destroyed apple boxes that were supposed to be sent outside the Kashmir valley. Such incidents were reported from several districts of Jammu and Kashmir state after a call to boycott trade with Indian businessmen. Three non-local truck drivers and five workers were shot dead in southern Kashmir last month. The apple industry is the backbone of Kashmir's economy and involves about 3.5 million people. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Unidentified people destroyed apple boxes that were supposed to be sent outside the Kashmir valley. Such incidents were reported from several districts of Jammu and Kashmir state after a call to boycott trade with Indian businessmen. Three non-local truck drivers and five workers were shot dead in southern Kashmir last month. The apple industry is the backbone of Kashmir's economy and involves about 3.5 million 

people. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA



Reports say there has been a rise in mental health-related problems among the residents in Kashmir region. Psychologists say the lockdown has caused mental health problems such as anxiety, stress, depression and other related issues. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


Reports say there has been a rise in mental health-related problems among the residents in Kashmir region. Psychologists say the lockdown has caused mental health problems such as anxiety, stress, depression and other related issues. 

MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA



As education suffered, people in several parts of the Kashmir valley opened free tuition centres to help the students. 'I along with three of my friends requested several parents to send their wards to get education free of cost. It was challenging to persuade the parents that they will be taking the responsibility of the safety of their children," said Bilal Ahmad, a teacher from Charar-e-Sharif area. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


As education suffered, people in several parts of the Kashmir valley opened free tuition centres to help the students. 'I along with three of my friends requested several parents to send their wards to get education free of cost. It was challenging to persuade the parents that they will be taking the responsibility of the safety of their children," said Bilal Ahmad, a teacher from Charar-e-Sharif area. 

MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA


A Srinagar man receiving emergency treatment at a city hospital after he was hit by grenade splinters. Grenade attacks in Srinagar have occurred whenever the markets witnessed a rise in the movement of the people. 'I had gone to purchase essential goods when a grenade exploded in Srinagar's central market. I collapsed and found myself in the hospital,' said Mohammad Younis. Over a hundred people have been injured in recent grenade attacks in the valley. [Mukhtar Zahoor/Al Jazeera]


A Srinagar man receiving emergency treatment at a city hospital after he was hit by grenade splinters. Grenade attacks in Srinagar have occurred whenever the markets witnessed a rise in the movement of the people. 'I had gone to purchase essential goods when a grenade exploded in Srinagar's central market. I collapsed and found myself in the hospital,' said Mohammad Younis. Over a hundred people have been injured in recent grenade attacks in the valley. MUKHTAR ZAHOOR/AL JAZEERA

 Kashmir’s tourism industry suffered a big jolt after Article 370 was scrapped. 'It has been a season of gloom and despair for us. Kashmir lost its status, we lost our business as well,' said boatman Abdul Rashid who works in Srinagar's iconic Dal Lake. 'The revival will take ages it seems.' [M Mushtaq/Al Jazeera]

 

Kashmir’s tourism industry suffered a big jolt after Article 370 was scrapped. 'It has been a season of gloom and despair for us. Kashmir lost its status, we lost our business as well,' said boatman Abdul Rashid who works in Srinagar's iconic Dal Lake. 'The revival will take ages it seems.' M MUSHTAQ/AL JAZEERA

 

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Kashmir Reality

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No Friday prayers in over 4 months in Kashmir's largest mosque | India News | Al Jazeera

No Friday prayers in over 4 months in Kashmir's largest mosque

Residents under lockdown say even their religious freedom is being violated as mosques and shrines remain out of bounds.
by &
    An Indian paramilitary soldier patrols outside the Jamia Masjid, or Grand Mosque, in Srinagar [Dar Yasin/AP]
    An Indian paramilitary soldier patrols outside the Jamia Masjid, or Grand Mosque, in Srinagar [Dar Yasin/AP]
    Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir - "Don't click any pictures. Run away. If they find out that you are journalists, they will beat you up."
    These were the words of a local policeman posted at one of the pickets at Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in Indian-administered Kashmir's main city of Srinagar.
    The "they" he referred to was a battery of paramilitary troopers deployed around the square leading to the 600-year-old mosque.

    More:

    Since August 5, when the disputed Himalayan region was stripped of its partial autonomy and put under a crippling lockdown, padlocks have been hanging from the doors of the famous mosque.
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    Later in October, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was formally divided into two federally-controlled "union territories".
    The lockdown also included restrictions on religious gatherings in India's only Muslim-majority region, with the authorities banning the entry of people into Kashmir's important mosques, where devotees offered their prayers five times a day.

    Record closure of main mosque

    On Fridays, the Jama Masjid in Srinagar used to be thronged by thousands of Muslims from all over the valley.
    But December 6 marked the 17th straight Friday when prayers could not take place at the mosque.
    Khalid Bashir Gura, 26, who lives in Nowhatta, a neighbourhood close to the mosque, said the authorities considered congregation of Kashmiris "a threat".
    180527045249754
    "Each time the situation worsens, the largest mosque in a Muslim-majority place is placed under curbs for months together," Gura told Al Jazeera.
    "The right to practise our religion is guaranteed by the constitution. But it is being violated in Kashmir again and again."
    Syed Ahmad Syed Naqashbandi had been leading the prayers at the Jama Masjid since 1963.
    Known as "Imam-e-Hai" in the region, Naqashbandi said the blockade has been a "direct interference in our religion".
    Kashmir mosque
    Paramilitary forces deployed near the Jama Masjid in the main city of Srinagar [Mohammed Younis/Al Jazeera]
    Since August 5, the 80-year-old imam is forced to offer his prayers at a mosque five kilometres (three miles) away from the Jama Masjid.
    "The bliss in praying at the Jama Masjid is hard to feel anywhere else. I miss being there," he said.
    191119074855200
    He said the continuous presence of policemen and paramilitary forces around the grand mosque was "a threat to the people".
    "It is always because of their presence around the mosque that the problems erupt," he said.
    Syed Rahman Shams, a key member of the committee which administers the mosque, said it was not the first time the prayers were stopped there.
    "In 2016, the mosque was locked for 16 straight Fridays. That record was broken this year," he said.
    Similar restrictions were imposed at the Bait-ul-Mukaram mosque in Anantnag district in southern Kashmir.
    "Because of the curfew imposed after August 5, you weren't even allowed to move out of your houses. So how could we possibly reach the mosque?" asked Imtiyaz, 21, who did not want to share his last name over fears of reprisal

    Curbs on shrines in Valley


    Earlier this month, the Indian authorities placed unprecedented restrictions on congregations at Dargah Hazratbal, the most venerated shrine in Kashmir.
    Located on the western shore of the iconic Dal Lake in Srinagar, the shrine houses what many believe is a strand of Prophet Muhammad's hair.
    191116003228281
    The hair strand is displayed to more than 50,000 visitors every year on the 12th day of the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the day in Islam's lunar calendar that marks the prophet's birthday.
    On November 10, when the prophet's birthday was celebrated this year, authorities barricaded the shrine's entry points and allowed only the local residents to enter, sending back those who had come from far off places.
    "Each year, I pay my visit to the 'dargah' on this day to have a glimpse of the holy relic. This year I was told to go back by the policemen who had blocked the road close to the shrine," said Ghulam Ahmad Dar, a man in his 60s, who travelled more than 35km (22 miles) from central Kashmir's Budgam district.
    India Kashmir mosques
    The authorities placed unprecedented restrictions on the congregation of people at Dargah Hazratbal [Mohammed Younis/Al Jazeera]
    Local resident Nawaz Ahmad, 32, said since his childhood, he used to witness large gatherings at the shrine on the day. But this year, he said only a few hundred people were allowed to congregate at the shrine.
    "Only the locals of the area were allowed to offer prayers and have a glimpse of the Moi-e-Muqqadas [the holy hair strand]," said Nawaz.
    Sayeed Ahmad Farooqui, who leads the prayers at the shrine, was hesitant to speak about the restrictions.
    "He does not want to get involved in this. His job is to go, lead the prayers and come back home," said one of his family members.
    On November 1, restrictions were tightened ahead of Khoje Digar, a special prayer offered each year at the mosque situated in the premises of Khwaja Naqashband Sahab shrine in Srinagar.
    190810183932740
    "Ever since I was a 20, I have offered prayers at Khoje Digar at Naqashband Sahab. So did my father when he was alive. This is for the first time I was forced to miss it," said Altaf Ahmad Reshi, 38, a resident of Saida Kadal in Srinagar, about a kilometre (0.6 miles) away from the shrine.
    Nearly a week before that, on October 26, curbs on religious gatherings were witnessed at Charar-i-Sharief, the famous Sufi shrine of Sheikh Noorudin Noorani in central Kashmir's Budgam district.
    Abid Nabi Baba, 32, a resident of Charar-e-Sharief, said police installed barricades and set up multiple checkpoints "5km [three miles] away" from the shrine.
    "I was allowed to proceed only after they ascertained I was heading home," said Abid. "My father tells me he had not seen such restrictions even in the 90s when militancy was at its peak."
    When questioned about the restrictions around the famous mosques and shrines in Kashmir, Srinagar's Police Chief Haseeb Mughal said they were imposed since "the situation demanded so".
    "We were not in a position to afford huge gatherings. That could have led to violent protests and maybe even loss of life and property," he told Al Jazeera.

    Religious leaders arrested

    Farooqui's hesitation was not unfounded. Scores of Muslim religious leaders are among more than 5,000 people arrested by the government of India since August 5.
    More than 600 of them, as per official figures, continue to remain behind bars, with many among them slapped with the stringent Public Safety Act, which allows authorities to arrest anyone on mere suspicion.
    Allama Agha Syed Aijaz Rizvi, a 52-year-old Shia scholar, was picked up by the police on August 27 from his home in Nabidipora area of Hawal in Srinagar.
    A close family member of his, who did not want to be identified, said Rizvi was accused of making "anti-national" statements during his sermon at Baba Mazar mosque in Zadibal, the Shia bastion in the city.
    "They [the police] said they had a video recording of it. We never saw any video," said the family member.
    190811141928252
    The family said security forces raided Rizvi's home in the middle of the night "as if he was a criminal" and kept in the local police station for a few days before PSA was slapped and he was shifted to Srinagar's Central Jail, where he remains until now.
    Kashmir-based human rights activist Khurram Parvaiz told Al Jazeera that there was "nothing new" in what Kashmiris have witnessed since August 5.
    He said the right to practise one's faith, one of the fundamental rights in the Indian constitution, was being repeatedly violated in Kashmir "since 1990 and even before that".
    "The United Nations and other international organisations have condemned the government of India regarding the violation of religious freedom in Kashmir, but that hasn't made any difference," he said.
    Out of Sight in Kashmir
    AJ Close up
    Out of Sight in Kashmir
    SOURCE: Al Jazeera News
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    In solitude and silence she cries, for love



    The plain life of Wiwiek Widiasati took an unexpected romantic turn in 2016 when Abid Hussain Lone, then 35-year-old, traveled to Indonesia. Started from social media conversations to reading nikaah (wedding) with ‘her man’ in her homeland, Ms. Widiasati was living her dream.

     Wiwiek Widiasati was now Saima. Abid Hussain Lone’s Saima.

     Within a year, the couple had a baby girl, Adifa. Unknown of the ground reality, the couple came to Mr. Lone’s homeland, Kashmir valley.

     Soon, the volatile conflict shadowed their life, and in a day, Saima was not merely widowed, ‘their’ baby, 3-months-old, Adifa was not merely orphaned, but the only support she had in the Valley, the only shoulder to cry and laugh upon was buried on 15 December 2018. Mr. Lone was among the seven civilians who lost their lives on 15 December near the encounter site in Sirnoo area, Pulwama.

    “It has been 33 days now; I am living here without my beloved. It is becoming more difficult for me; he used to come home by Magrib (dusk). He would knock the door and greet the salam, but now — he will never come,” said Ms. Saima.

     Thirty-five kilometers down the southern side of the Valley, a village, surrounded by dense apple orchards, the macadamized road divides the village, Kareemabad, under the Pulwama district; notably most conflict-affected area since 2016 civilian uprising.

     “I want to stay here, and Insha-Allah, I will; my husband is here. I and my husband’s family feel his presence in our daughter,” added Ms. Saima with Adifa playing in her lap.

     Mr. Lone’s father died a natural death a few years ago. Ms. Saima is now living with her 4-months-old daughter, Adifa Jan in Mr. Lone’s ancestral house. Her mother-in-law is using small English slangs to conversate with her: “take the fire-pot it’s cold. Adifa Jan is looking for milk.”

     But she is quite old, and most of the women in her village cannot speak English. “We all want her to stay with us, we see the hope in Saima and her daughter,” said Mr.  Lone’s mother.

     A week after Mr. Lone’s untimely death in December last year, the family couldn’t find Ms. Saima at home at dusk. She went to his grave, and was found resting her head on it, wailing, “Wake up, wake up! our baby is waiting.” After it, the family barred her from going there. She protested, went mute, and alienated herself; failing to get her back to life, the family agreed to take her to the grave as per schedule.

     Many times, looking at Adifa crying in her lap, Ms. Saima would console her, and re-iterates, “He is alive, he is alive,” and would often call ‘her’ by ‘his’ name.
    A few kilometers away from their home, there is a local ‘martyrs’ graveyard’. Following the Friday prayers, young boys visit there to offer prayers; in a similar fashion, Ms. Saima visits the grave of her husband, at least thrice in a week now.
    “After four or five months, I will apply for OCIA (Overseas Citizenship of India) citizenship, and will start looking for jobs in the Kashmir,” concluded Ms. Saima.
    As the country celebrates its 70 years of execution of the longest constitution in the world, somewhere in the disputed region, hundreds long for their loved ones to return home or justice.
                                                                               By   The Kashmir Walla

    Indonesian woman travelled to Kashmir with husband, now going back alone

    ‘Since I arrived here, I only saw cordons and fear’





    Srinagar, Dec 19 (KNS): It was love at first site. Abid Hussain, 35, travelled to Indonesia in 2016 after completing his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in a bid to get a job in a private company and his luck favoured him.

     Abid got a job in a private company in Jakarta, Indonesia and on the first day he saw a girl and at the very first gaze, he fell in love with her. Both started dating each other. Abid suggested the girl to change her name as it was a bit difficult to pronounce.

     She agreed to be named as Saima. Abid and Saima married in 2017. In September 2018, the duo gave birth to a female baby.

     On Abid’s request, Saima agreed to travel to Pulwama district in first week of December where she met her mother-in-law, father-in-law and other family members of her husband.

     She faced problems as she couldn’t understand Kashmiri language as she could in my speak English.
    Abid and his sister used to talk to Saima in English and she steadily started mingling with her in laws and other women in Sirnoo area of Pulwama district.

     But everything changed with the staccato sounds of the bullets during an encounter between forces and three holed up militants on December 15. Not just the three militants were killed but seven civilians also including Abid.

     “I had asked my husband to get milk for our baby from the market. When he didn't return after an hour, I started looking for his and after two hours came to know that he has been killed by the army,” said Saima, as tears swell her eyes.

     She told KNS that her husband never told her that situation was this bad in Kashmir. “Nobody understands my language here. I am having Indonesian passport and I am not a Kashmiri citizen,” she said.

     Saima now has decided to pack her bags to fly back to her home country. “I came here with my husband. Now I won’t live here. I will go back to my country. Army has killed my husband and now they will kill me too,” she said. 

     “I have called my parents and they asked to return as soon as possible. Since I arrived here, I only saw cordon, cordon and cordon. Their highest level of fear they looms large on every face here.” (KNS) 

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